Being a blogger with kinkier hair has some disadvantages and advantages. When I first started to learn about my natural hair texture and was looking to research more about people whose hair had similar properties, I didn’t see any vloggers who had similar hair to mine on Youtube… or any social media outlet for that matter. I saw a lot of girls with beautiful waves and curls but not any who had kinks and coils. I felt a disconnect with the natural hair community and I wanted to change that.
Feeling excluded from the social media influencer world full of naturalistas pushed me into blogging about my own hair! I knew that by doing so, I was helping some other curly girl in the world feel like she had someone to seek advice from and relate to. I started in 2015 and documented every step of the way. Even when I felt I wasn’t being sought out or displayed on any natural hair social media pages or even seeing other Type 4 naturals on billboards or as faces for brands’ marketing. I wanted to show the world Type 4 curls also matter and we have voices and opinions, too.
Within the last year (2017), I feel as though a lot of companies as well as other natural hair pages have been displaying more women with hair like mine. There are even companies creating lines specifically for Type 4 hair and that is very reassuring. It shows that the natural hair community is growing and opening their eyes to observe and cater to EVERY texture of hair. I personally have been able to work with more than over a dozen hair brands and I am also seeing representation of kinkier hair everywhere! Now, people want to see what our hair has to offer and how it can be chic and elegant at the same time.
I am not too sure why my kinky hair is NOT appreciated everywhere or why this texture of hair can’t also be loved and admired on a global scale like some others. What’s ‘wrong’ with our hair texture? I say, absolutely NOTHING! We are versatile in every possible way! I feel as though I can do anything someone with Type 1, 2 and 3 hair can do. I can achieve any style I desire just like any other natural can, and I believe that I am showcasing that truth through blogging my experiences on Youtube and Instagram.
Kinks and coils are beautiful and unique in every possible way! Embarking on this journey has shown me how far our community can go when we all are included. Being natural is a movement for a reason and our hair should not define us nor make us but bring us closer together with one another. We should be natural AND unified!
