I am kind of addicted to weaves, said Sandra Dee, a master hairstylist at Salon Edge and Vatterott College Beauty School in St. Louis. My hair is natural underneath, but my hair texture is very fine, and I guess I just like the look of fullness.
Her YouTube channel quickly started attracting thousands. She decided that she wanted to do more for those interested in natural hairstyles and who needed encouragement, advice, options or just examples.
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She alternates between wavy and straight weaves and her natural hair, which she wore braided in a ux mohawk most recently. Dee is one of the speakers at a healthy hair series started by her cousin River Fronczak.
Fronczak, who is related to Dee by marriage, started experimenting with natural hair in 1999 and she says that she was terrified.
It surprised and upset her. She said that wearing her hair natural is now a source of pride, but it wasnt always. She remembers that some people laughed at her, and her self-esteem wasnt always as high.
hairdressing styles Hair enthusiasts celebrate diverse styles,Its a curious standard that tends to cause lots of self-doubt and self-reflection for black women. Because black hair is typically tightly coiled, getting it long and straight usually requires chemicals, weaves or hot irons. Yet despite the extra work, the majority of black women still seem to prefer some version of straight hair.
You have to have the confidence to look different, Fronczak said. She noted that wearing her hair natural elicited compliments and awe. The most common compliment from other black women is, That looks great on you, but I couldnt wear my hair like that, or I wish I had the courage to wear my hair like that.
She said that its just hair, but it is one of the first things people see when they look at you, and its one of the first things they use to judge you. If you look different than most people, the perception can be that youre not as pretty, not as professional or not as hairdressing styles Hair enthusiasts celebrate diverse stylesnice.
If a woman who has worn her hair straight her entire life suddenly decides to start over with a natural hairstyle, it can be traumatic. Fronczak said that it usually starts with a big chop, a drastic haircut to get rid of all the hair that was chemically straightened. She said she wanted to make that process easier and less scary.
Sandra Dee, from left, Nina Ellis-Hervey and River Fronczak pose for a photo in the Post-Dispatch studio, December 22, 2011. (Stephanie S. Cordle/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)But she really wanted to connect with other women who were looking for information on the best ways to keep their natural hair healthy and wanted options on how to style it.
Dee said that many people still assume that a black woman with natural hair is more in touch with herself and that a black woman with a weave is trying to be something shes not, but the reality is that its just hair, and you have to do what makes you comfortable and makes you feel like you.
It was really funny. Im thinking Im giving people this great advice about healthy eating and exercise and that was wonderful, but viewers were just like, Oh, youre so cute, [adult school] primary school list Education department harassing ABE schools: Willy (0) 2011-12-26 9:8:43 we love your hair, would you tell us about that, Ellis-Hervey said.
She hosted her first event in December 2010 and attracted 700 people. She called it Coffee, Curls & Cupcakes. Three of her vorite things. Her next event is Sunday.
ST. LOUIS Hair is such a defining element for most women that any change is often greeted with unmitigated fear. Many a hairstylist has been confronted with rage after just a trim, and many a mood has been wrecked by a bad hair day. Hairstyles are infinite, but a standard of long and straight persists.
She said that it’s just hair, but it is one of the first things people see when they look at you, and it’s one of the first things they use to judge you.
When Fronczak sought out sources to learn more about maintaining natural black hair and options for changing her style, it led her to YouTube. There are a wealth of vloggers (video bloggers) who document their hair care regimens. Fronczak was inspired to start her own vlog, Thick Roots, because she wanted to show off her hair journey.
She still does videos about maintaining her weight, but she does more videos about hair care and now skin care. Last year, she estimates that she earned an extra $15,000 from ad share revenue on her YouTube channel and being invited to speaking engagements because of her YouTube me. Shes now producing a line of hair and skin care products under her Beautiful Brown Baby Doll label.
I like my hair this way, because I think its hip.
She started vlogging to document how she lost 100 pounds through diet and exercise, but the more videos she posted about how she lost whairdressing styleseight, the more viewers wanted to know about her hair.
Among the speakers at that first event were Nina Ellis-Hervey, who is a popular YouTube vlogger under the name of Beautiful Brown Baby Doll, who will also speak at this years event.
Ellis-Hervey said that the more people talk about natural black hairstyles the better. People go natural for different reasons. Some people are a statement, but some people just like it because it fits their style, Ellis-Hervey said. A lot of people assume that if youre natural that youre some kind of militant, fight-the-power-Black-Panther-Afro-puff type, and they are surprised when youre not.
More information: coffeecurlscupcakes.com.
The series is called Miss Jessies Presents Coffee, Curls & Cupcakes.
Ellis-Hervey became an accidental hair-care expert.
I have so much freedom now, Fronczak said, speaking of both the variety of styles she can wear and the mental freedom. She wears her hair straight sometimes, courtesy of a blow dryer and a flat iron, but she doesnt feel like she has to wear it straight to be pretty or accepted. She said that it took time to get comfortable, but now she feels so liberated that shed encourage everyone to try it.
Dee noticed the change in Fronczak and says that it influenced her to go natural in 1999 as well, but she still loves to wear weaves. And they both agree that one thing has nothing to do with the other. At the time both Fronczak and Dee were novices in dealing with natural black hair, so they had to educate themselves.
Ellis-Herveys channel has nearly 60,000 subscribers, and most of her videos attract more than 50,000 views each. Shes from St. Louis but has a doctoral degree in psychology and teaches at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
