Dreadlocks definitely have an image problem in Africa. If you do wear this hairstyle it’s important to keep the hair and scalp clean; pay regular visits to the hair stylists for conditioning and maintenance; and if you’re having a bad hair day, tie it up neatly with a scarf and/or hair band.

Sonya Clark is currently exhibiting at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.

Her exhibition, “Loose Stands, Tight Knots”, ends Sept. 21st so you’ve still got plenty of time to see it.

The show features art pieces that she’s made from her hair (and that of other women).

If you’re in the area go and take a look, some of her creations look absolutely amazing.

Sonya Clarke’s Website
Walters Art Museum

Hair Sculpture

Hair Wreath

You’re not going to see too many dreadlocks at Beijing in the coming weeks, well at least not on members of the Nigerian football team. In an attempt to instill focus and discipline, the team’s manager, Samson Siasia, has banned dreadlocks and ‘weird hairdos’ from their camp. Apparently there are quite a number of players who’ll be affected by this and will have to have their hair cropped short.

Dreadlocks Updo

Ignoring the question of whether men with long or way-out hairstyles are less disciplined than their colleagues with short hair, it does highlight the fact that dreadlocks and rasta hairstyles are perceived as rebellious and unruly, if not unkempt, in much of the world.

But this needn’t be so, there are so many ways of wearing dreadlocks. Take a look at the second picture for example, a lady with her locks held in an updo - what a neat and elegant style it is.

Over the coming months we’ll try and show you different ways of wearing your dreadlocks and natural black hairstyles.

She was going to have her hair re-plaited and as the hair stylist lives closer to me she thought it would be best to have it done round mine, so she spent the night.

Now my mother is a modern working woman, busy with lots going on - she didn’t turn up till 11.30pm, I had already given up on her!

She turned up at 11.30pm with a full head of small Ghana style braids and a stylist coming first thing in the morning!!!

No problem she said, nothing for you to worry about - just sleep, I go to bed around 2am most nights she said, I don’t need much sleep. So we went to bed, me to get some shut-eye, she to take her hair out (in the dark but with the curtains open).

But of course sleep was impossible for 3 reasons:

1. Even though it’s a large double bed, I felt every single movement, every tug of the hair. I tried counting tugs (thousands there were!) but to no avail.

2. My darling mother, bless her, was wide awake and had lots to say that may have been interesting to hear some other time but was decidedly unwelcome at 3:00am.

3. But by far the biggest factor of course was guilt! How could I sleep peacefully when my mum was spending hours taking out her hair next to me?! Oh I did try to help - every so often I’d stretch up and take a couple out but I was so exhausted, London is hot and humid right now and you know how draining that can be.

The only evidence of a hard nights work
A bag of used hair attachment

Well, happy to say the nightmare is over. She managed to get them all out and her hair washed & steamed (at the salon down the road) just in time for the hair stylist to start on the next hair do. And what a wonderful job the stylist has done - well worth our efforts. And thankfully she hasn’t done them as small as the last time!

Ghana Plaits - Side View

Ghana Plaits - Back View

We’ll be inviting guest writers - hair salon owners, barbers, stylists and private individuals to tell us about their experiences with Black Hair.

There’ll be opinion pieces, interviews, audio clips, video clips - all sorts of things; serious, humourous, informative, gossip. Hopefully we’ll keep you entertained and interested and coming back for more.

But for now - welcome!