AFRO ARCHIVES – A PERFORMERs WORLD – Episode Nine

What Do You Do After You’ve Washed Your Hair?

Shrinking hair, flexible hair, shiny, soft, fresh, bouncy – leave-in conditioner, no conditioner, blow-dry or shake it and go. Such variety among the actors in Afro Archives episode 9 as they describe what they do after they wash their hair.

Washing hair is a personal experience. What is very clear, is that there is absolutely no homogeneity. A common misconception of afro-textured hair is that it is universal and similar. This is not true – we are not all the same! Throwing the voices of the actors with afro-textured hair into the mix and comparing with voices of a variety of hair-type owners, as happens in Afro Archives episode 9, shows this. The individual voices demonstrate that we are each unique.

People do different things with their hair depending on their lifestyles (swimmers, gym goers), and childhood experiences (perhaps negative). There are no single answers in hair management, it comes down to preference, hair type, and styling choices.

It’s really important to embrace being individual and unique in order to understand what you need for living healthily and happily. No one can do being the best you, than you.

In Afro Archives Episode Ten, as we enter black history month in the UK, I wanted to ask the actors for their thoughts on wearing their afro-hair, au naturel. More power to the point of being happy with who and how we are.

If you missed the introduction to Afro Archives catch up here.

Although usually, we have one episode a month, this month is a special double release. In the UK October is marked as Black History Month; and for a sense of abundance, alongside episode nine, we present episode ten of #AfroArchives “Why Go Natural With Your Hair?”. Two episodes to enjoy through October as we celebrate culture, and identity nationwide – let’s keep chatting hair.

Join the conversation over on Facebook and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to get all the latest stories as they happen.