WELCOME HOME


Nappturality has been online since 2002. Dedicated to all the women in the diaspora who proudly wear their highly textured hair naturally. Nappturality.com is the place to find photographs,, forums, information and links about the care, maintenance and politics of natural hair. Natural napptural hair. Here you will find photos of all natural styles, comb coils, two-strand twists, afro puffs, afros dredlocks (dreadlocks), locs and many other natural styles. Styled by natural napptural haired women on their own hair.

Blogs

3 minutes reading time (618 words)

The Diluted Natural Hair Sisterhood

Natural Hair Dilution

I want to say something about the current iteration of the "natural hair community" and I am going to be blunt. Fractured -- that term came to mind because of all the splits into tribal factions on Facebook and other platforms. Maybe it's more diluted than fractured - or maybe a combo of both.

Everything changes and evolves, sometimes for the better. In the case of the Natural Hair Movement and Community, not so much for the better, at least not what I had expected it to become. Don't get me wrong, some great strides in hair products have been made with the new awareness and new-reclaimed love of our afro natural hair type. But a lot of our hair issues run deep. Deeper than can be explored in a tweet or or in a Facebook group. And I think that's where the fracturing began, and we proceeded to run to our corners.

Social media has given us a place to play and be played. Entertained and to entertain. But it also has birthed a monster where people are all competing for airtime and would rather promote fakery if it helps them to gain followers than provide inclusive, accurate, positive and helpful information which may not receive the same number of likes.

We are divided into factions. Separate groups of people with ONE type of hair or ONE type of style or ONE type of view. Instead of having a NATURAL HAIR UMBRELLA where we can find all kinds of hair and help, we retreat to a corner (and multiple corners) of strictly like-minds and become obsessed with that one point of view, becoming intolerant of and uninterested in opinions that may differ.

This is not how things grow. This is how things stagnate. We must do better.

Too much of what I am seeing online are individuals with ridiculous, insulting and just bad information fueling divisiveness over personal natural hair choices, tearing down and carving up what used to be supportive, helpful and positive natural hair sisterhoods across the web. OR it's because we again have lost our way by falling into hair-typing dependence and looking for that holy grail product to make our afro-kinky hair magically turn into the 3b curly coveted type.

We are disrespecting the afro. STILL.

It's a mess.

It's not limited to the natural hair loose wearer community either. I see it in groups of people with different categories of locs, which is incredibly disappointing since we hold locs and the loc journey in such esteem. So quick to down someone else who may have fewer locs, thin locs, tightening, latching or not latching, whatever. And making women feel bad about their choices if their locs or technique does not measure up to another's expectations.

I thought we were making progress and getting past this nonsense. But apparently, we are still in the field vs house mindset and our hair attitudes are smack bang in the middle of it.

I am not sure what I can do about this, how I can help bring women to empower each other and support each other regardless of their choice of hair style or their natural hair type. I cannot compete with the behemoth of social media and the up and coming "-istas" competing for likes and followers on the 'gram by any means necessary and with any and all tricks and lies about natural hair to get you hooked on their channels full of nonsense enticing you to buy things using their affiliate codes.

Yes, the natural hair movement and sisterhood is worth saving and building on, but if won't be easy to regain the focus and community it used to be, if it is possible at all. Imagine our own spaces, with our own communities and our own women in charge of it all. Can it be?

New Naturalista!
Tackling ​Congested Scalp and Hair
 

By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://nappturality.com/

Nappturality Shoe 300 faded

Your Natural Hair is NOT a Fad

Wearing natural hair is not a fad. It is not a fashion trend. It's the natural hair you were born with. So why can't you wear it?
Don't believe the negative hype..

Adrienne Lifeisgolden Skinner2 Andrea Cantrell 2 Betty Alexander McGriff Sharea Twymon Summers Frankie Monroe Princess First'Lady Briggs Ednasia Green Latanya Coverson Tracy Gary Jay Roge4 Marilyn E Lowe Vanessa Agee Miz Jones Andrea Cantrell 3 Mysteek NaturalHair Sheila Da She Serumula Sonya Makeba Candace Montgomery MrsNohaterallowed Taylor2 Natanya Jones Curley N Cynthia Simpson Katrina Stallworth EJ Thompson Frankie Monroe 2 Emmanuelle Key Dickerson2 Regina Ellis Livingston Selena So Blessed Mckibben Keia Parker Lakishia Brown Natanya Jones3 Michelle Hudson Monica Evans4 Essie Dodson Monique Wilson Jennifer Bass Raticka Scruggs Jewel Grant Maya Mj James2 Jariel Deanna1 Princess First'Lady Briggs4 Leslie Blakely9 Daniella Cardoza2 Hairbyjuanibless3 Marenda Eison Emmanuelle Key Dickerson Karmen B. Jones Talishia Robins Leslie Blakely3 LaShawn Akeisha Jazmine J. Boss Irena Shipley Kimberly Montague Iman Whitmore Jillijoy Holloway Gilly Dee Urecha Dunn Jagged Edge2 Shekera Combs Princess First'Lady Briggs3 Shannon Bell Sylvia Randi Carroll Diamond Mull Leslie Blakely4 Ann Brown Jagged Edge3 ShaRon Hicks2 Linda Brown Campbell Sheila Da She Serumula2 Jay Roge Cheryl Freemon Watts2 Sheila Da She Serumula3 Tamara Hinkle Moore Dominique Truthfairy Williams Watt Heila Da She Serumula 2 Jay Roge3 Trina Smith 3 Kayla Bush Adaleia Coultman4 Trina Smith 2 Rhonda Littles HairbyJuanibless Melinda IzsoDivine Talishia Robins2 Angie Knight Nikki Poole Kathy Terrell 4 Leslie Blakely8 Debra Chatman Tammie Elkerson Mcgill Shalari Drakes Sarah Moore Eiimariiee Rosee Lynn Gloria Obruche 1 Adrienne Lifeisgolden Skinner3 Saundrea Arila Mendez Lisa Amos Wilson Raticka Scruggs Gilly Dee Chara Harris Kaynisha Renee Martin Denise Billings Monica Evans2 Ashley Erica Holmes Hale Gema Ebanks Richeau Breland Trina Smith KaRen JackSon Bella Negra1 Lauren Foster Walls Jariel Deanna3 Bokua Adwoa Bray 2 Kathy Terrell 3 LaJoia Hamilton Princess First'Lady Briggs2 Leah Prater Juanita Simmons Jagged Edge Kathy Terrell 2 Cynthiakim2 Hairbyjuanibless4 Sophonie Bien Aime Andrea Cantrell Khady Didi Sow MrsNohaterallowed Taylor Alnita Reaves Vaught Jillijoy Holloway2 Divinity Starr Amanda Flowers Peterson Antoinette Jeaninne Bokua Adwoa Bray Kathy Terrell KaRen JackSon2 Notm Pressed Leslie Blakely7 Monique Colon Solange Campos 1 Adaleia Coultman2 Star Bullard Jariel Deanna2 Kenita Mitchell Jay Roge6 Adrienne Lifeisgolden Skinner Shadi Shukuma Maepa Monique Colon2 Da OC Mary Wells Kaleta Battle Queena Beenblessed Williams2 J LaKayle Jones3 Raticka Scruggs2 Abigail Boyce Monica Evans Natanya Jones2 Nikki Poole 2 Ayesha La Vonia Boyd Bella Zambezie Destiny Hawkins Nyree' Allen Courtney Davis Sonjia Murphy Heeyy Jessie2 Iman Whitmore 2 Daniella Cardoza Leslie Blakely KaTina Smith Walker3 Urecha Dunn2 Angela Watkins2 Monica Evans3 Tonyelle Bennett Gloria Obruche 2 Vicky Hightower Notm Pressed3 Queena Beenblessed Williams Naiesha Howell Chasity Williams Hairbyjuanibless2 J LaKayle Jones2 Maya Mj James Michele Washington Raven Nacole Madison Sasha Stoute Toma Thornhill Sheila Da She Serumula Monique Colon Tammy Mariano Daphanie Brooks Kim Lewis Kennedra Tucker Msincognito Shades Frankie Monroe 1 Cynthiakim1 Bryanna Knight Lorraine Gray LaCharla Figgs Samantha Jordan Leslie Blakely2 Yasmeen Cookngd Ali Brown Angela Watkins3 KaTina Smith Walker2 Solange Campos KaRen Carolyn Parker Mysteek NaturalHair2 Jacqueline Parker Leslie Blakely5 Sasha Stoute2 Troya Sowell Nadia Newton KaTina Smith Walker Angie Knight2 Cheryl Freemon Watts Leslie Blakely6 Lysa Davis Mary Wells Adaleia Coultman3 Chenay N. Bryant Jillijoy Holloway3 Melody Dark Tiffany Smith Nicki Wade Heeyy Jessie Adaleia Coultman Brandi Murphy Hairbyjuanibless5 Tammie Braggs KaRen JackSon Tiara Shinae Angela Watkins Lekeytha Dukes Shaw Jariel Deanna J LaKayle Jones Adey's Natural Hair Tips Jaunene Jones Chelsea Patterson Sanders Nikki Poole Sarah Moore 2