#BNSNaturalHairChronicles: What Does Natural Hair Mean to You? 7 Personalities Answer

We’ve been conditioned to think that natural hair in all its kinky, coily glory isn’t ‘glamorous’ or ‘beautiful. The Natural Hair Chronicles is a BNS original content series that celebrates women who are pushing against Eurocentric beauty standards and embracing their natural texture and rocking it on screen, on the red carpet and in their everyday lives. 

Ini Dima-Okojie, Actress

My hair means a lot to me considering it has been quite the journey.I’ve gone from having healthy permed hair to damaged permed hair to transitioning to having damaged natural hair (cause I didn’t know how to care for it) to now ‘Phew’

So it’s a huge sense of pride for me. My hair journey has been quite eventful, a little complicated but all in all, worth while.  

Eku Edewor, Actress and TV Personality

 I think the biggest development in the recent years of my hair journey has been reverting back to my natural hair texture, I don’t add in extensions or install weaves anymore. My hair 5 years ago was in a poor condition, weak, thin and over processed so i decided to chop it off. But then all the work I booked wanted me to have long hair so I had to start wearing weaves. I decided to stop relaxing as I realised it was growing and it was healthier. Years later and many conditioning treatments later, my hair is strong shiny healthy and thick, and I was lucky that it became longer and thicker with pregnancy also. 

Actress, Linda Osifo

Nicole Asinugo, Storyteller & Content Curator

I had a knack for dyeing my hair when I was young. I literally had no respect for my hair and just treated it any way I felt like. Bonding glue. Super strength relaxer. Bleach. Whatever my mood – I was going for it. In 2016, I got a pixie cut which I loved. But no one tells you that after a week, you will look just like Naruto if you don’t go to the salon to get it ‘laid’ all over again. After over a year of the pixie – I started to have this craving to see what my natural hair looked like. I think I saw a lot of people around me have natural hair and it just looked so thick and amazing and for the first time, I wanted to see what would happen if I treated my hair right. My mum relaxed my hair at 6 years old so I really have never even seen my natural hair. Because I had a pixie, it didn’t feel like ‘big chop’ per se. More like a small chop. Ha. I literally went to the barbers – showed him a pic of a cute girl I found on tumblr with a side part and said ‘make me look just like that’. And that was it really. I remember looking in the mirror right after I cut my hair thinking – “Oh shit, there’s no going back now”. Lol.

Sika Osei, Presenter, Actress, Film Producer and Natural Hair Advocate

My journey started as a means to salvage my permed hair from damage. I realized that naturally I had full hair but the chemicals where destroying it and I wanted the thickness back. And so for the longest time I was a closet naturalista. I wore wigs and the weaves whilst growing my own hair underneath like many do. It was after I realized the versatility it offered me especially as an actress and media personality that I really started to nurture it with love.
I’m more in love with my hair now than I’ve ever been. It makes me stand out and when styled I appreciate how it accentuates my features with the regal look it gives me.

Tallulah Doherty, TV Presenter & Beauty Entrepreneur

When I lived in the UK and US I never considered my natural hair too much because I always had in weaves. When I moved back to Lagos I got inspired by the natural hairstyles I saw around me and went natural and started braiding my hair more and taking care of my natural hair.

Vimbai Mutinhiri, TV Host and Executive Producer

I’ve always had good hair so I used to take it for granted. Over the years I have learnt to appreciate having a full head of hair and a perfect hairline, so I started looking after it more intentionally.

Read more Natural Hair Chronicles.