Don't Believe The Hype

As I approach the magazine stand and gaze over the cover of Hype Hair magazine I can't help but wonder if I have travelled back in time to the last century. Monica with her ever reoccurring short style that somehow miraculously grows to shoulder length within three months and Mary J. Blige who's infinite wig collection surely makes her eligible to open her own branded outlet.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Mary's amazing voice and her persona so much that to call her a diva would be simply dull and uninspired and I have no doubt that Monica's hair does grow, but there is so much more to Black women's hair than wigs and weave.

It would be just so refreshing to open a hair magazine and see Black hair in all it's essence, that means untouched by relaxer or perm and free from extension(that includes braids). To see the kink that denotes our individuality alongside our love for shapes, lengths and colour. To read tips on how to maintain natural hair and pictures of alternative styles, to see afros small and large and cainrows that have spared the baby hairs from being smothered in chemical to give the impression of "good quality" hair.

I often wonder who decided that fine slick hair was of a better "quality" than thick curly hair, however, regardless of how it started it seems magazines such as Hype Hair are intent on continuing that notion. And for a magazine that has a strong international teenage readership I would have thought that promotion of what you have would have been just as important as promotion of what you believe you want.

I believe Black women have come a long way from feeling they have to have straight or wavy hair to look good thanks to women such as Ms Badu, Ms Hill, Ms Morrison and many more. I feel in this, a new century, we are able to have a choice to have our hair any way we choose whether it be black afro or blonde wig and be beautiful throughout and it is time for that to be reflected in the publications we read.