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.
Sika Osei is a Presenter, Actress Jersey and film producer with a passion for natural hair, skincare and skin love advocacy.
BNS:How has your relationship with your hair evolved over the years?
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.
BNS:Have you always appreciated its natural texture?
Not always. The 4C texture is perhaps the hardest to manipulate amongst the natural hair textures. It pretty much behaves the way it wants and is sometimes unpredictable. So it forces you to do is to study and understand it if you want it to work for you unlike other textures which is easier to manage. So it’s still a love hate relationship for me but definitely more love!
BNS:Do you believe hair and women’s hair choices are over politicised?
Everything about women is politicised including hair. And this has been the case for a long time. And for me it’s quite tedious. So I tend to stay away from in your face all or nothing campaigns when it comes to hair and especially when it comes to skin tone etc. I’m more about living in the freedom of just being comfortable in who you are and what God gave you. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand especially for natural hair why there was an obvious need for advocacy considering media tend to lean more towards Caucasian hair as the norm. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things to see a woman who just content in herself!
BNS:What hair style makes you feel the most glamorous and what does your hair mean to you today?
I’m definitely starting to gravitate more towards natural hair extensions styled creatively and beautifully for more of a glam look. The extensions give me the body needed to do styles that I probably would have done with a normal wig or weave early on. Not to push the gun but I almost feel mainstream and commercial now when I have my natural hair on, well that’s the dream anyway
BNS:Have there been times you felt you were over or under appreciated because of how your hair was styled or not styled?
Of course and I feel every naturalista has been through that because the truth is natural hair especially my texture is just not easy to maintain or manage. And I’ve had incidents where I’m on set and it’s giving so much wahala and stress to stylist and producer that at that point you just wish for a wig and that’s that. But now I get booked for a variety of jobs and opportunities primarily because of my hair and that’s so encouraging.
BNS:Are you more or less accepting of your natural texture now?
I am definitely more accepting of my natural texture now. Not to be cliche but it’s taught me so much about who I am and I’m excited as to where I’m going partly because of it.
Read more Natural Hair Chronicles.