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There comes a time in every naturalista’s life when trying to figure out a cute protective style suddenly becomes rocket science, or you simply don’t have the time to. The afro comes in handy, but you don’t have to stick to one afro style.

Switch up your ‘fro with these hairstyles.

Afro with side plaits

Image: Sunika.co.za

You don’t need to have expert plaiting skills to achieve this look. Add two or three simple flat twists, secured with bobby pins, to one or both sides of your head, and you’re good to go.

Twist out afro

Image: Natural Hair Mag

This look can be achieved by styling your damp, moisturised hair in large twists (preferably the night before), allowing it to dry completely before untwisting, and using your fingers to comb them out slightly.

Side part afro

Image: Glory Okings

Whether your ‘fro is short or long, this style will look good, and it’s easy to make too. Just comb your hair out and part the side you prefer.

Full afro

Image: All things hair

TBH, rocking a full afro involves serious skills. You’ll have to make sure your ‘fro stays full, round and doesn’t bow to humidity. But once you hack it, you’re sure of a bold, beautiful look every time.

RELATED: 8 Natural Hairstyles That Won’t Stress Your Life

Low afro

Image: Marsai Martin on Instagram

If you have fuller hair, you can also try a low afro. Just be sure to use enough conditioner and bobby pins or other accessories to hold your hair halfway down.

High ponytail afro

Image: All things savvy

For better hold, use a shoelace or satin hair tie to keep your ‘fro in place. The idea is for it to be firm, but not too tight.

Low ponytail afro

Image: Jumia

If your ‘fro isn’t long enough for a high ponytail, you can also go low.

Double afro puffs

Image: Coils and glory

When one ponytail isn’t enough, do double.

Mohawk afro

Image: Byrdie

There’s absolutely nothing boring about a mohawk. Best believe you’ll be turning heads with this look.

RELATED: 12 Hairstyles That Make Transitioning To Natural Hair Easier

Afro with bangs

Image: Latest hairstyles

This style might be tricky, especially for 4C hair, but it can be achieved by styling your hair like you would a twist out, with lots of water and mousse, and positioning it how you want it to look immediately after, so it dries like that. Keeping it that way throughout the day may be tricky, but it can work.

Half-up afro

Image: Hot beauty health

Why choose between a ponytail and a full afro when you can have both?

Afro with cornrows

Image: Hairadviser

If you’re one of those ~~witches~~ insanely talented people who know how to make cornrows on themselves, this style is a stunning alternative to a full ‘fro.

Short afro

Image: Junior Green

Short hair? You can also rock your ‘fro with style. For volume, comb out your natural hair or play with whatever accessories you like. The goal is to be your best fashionable self in whatever hairstyle you choose.

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NEXT READ: 20 Stunning Ghana Weaving Styles to Try Out in 2023
We don’t know if it’s because mercury is in “lucozade” or just Nigeria showing us shege in one of its many creative ways, but the weather is crazy hot and humid these days, and naturalista babes are literally facing the heat.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so here’s a list of quick and easy protective styles to save your tresses from this heatwave.

Bantu knots

Image source: Claraito’s Blog

What’s not to love about bantu knots? They’re relatively easy to style, look stylish, and most importantly, they’ll keep your neck free from the plenty of sweating you’re bound to do this period.

Braids

Image source: pearlthestylist_

Hot weather is lazy weather, so just throw on your favourite box or knotless braids and keep them in a permanent bun. You won’t have to worry about styling your hair and it’ll stay away from your face. Win-win.

RELATED: What Your Favourite Type of Braids Says About You

Plain cornrows

Image source: Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images

Before you ask, “all-back?” Hear me out. There’s nothing better than being able to pour water on your head, especially at times like these. Plain cornrows will allow you do just that without the fear of ruining your hairdo.

Hair threading (AKA Irun kiko)

Image source: Busayo Nyc

This one has props for being hella cheap, and best believe you’ll stand out from the crowd. The best way to make this hairstyle is head bent between your local hairdresser’s legs. It’s the culture.

Twists

Image source: Coils and Glory

You can do this with your natural hair alone or with kinky extensions. You don’t need to do much with them. But they’re great for multiple styles if you want your hair out of your neck, or just want to pour water on it.

Braided up-dos (AKA Shuku)

Image source: Instagram (@slayedinbraids)

Your hair might cause traffic in a cinema hall, but is it protected and safe from humidity? Hell, yes.

‘Fro ponytail

Image source: Getty images

There are days you’ll be too tired to do anything more than pack your hair in a ponytail, and that’s okay. Slap on a little edge control for cute baby hair — and pretend the heat won’t just melt it off in one hot minute — and you’re good to go.

Good ol’ scarf

Image source: Stylish gwin

Or head wraps, if you’re feeling fancy. You might argue that it’ll bring more heat to your scalp, but it’s protecting your hair, isn’t it?

Starts today. Read Jemima Osunde’s story here

NEXT READ: 8 Natural Hairstyles That Won’t Stress Your Life
Every naturalista knows that caring for natural hairstyles is not beans. If you’re not going broke trying to buy the right products to control your mane, you’re figuring out how to style it without using up five working days. It’s a struggle.

These eight easy-to-recreate styling ideas will save you time:

Twist-outs

Image source: Hairstyle hub

Twist-outs are a natural hair staple because it involves relatively low effort. You can easily do a twist-out after wash day (and a full detangle) with little or no products. Get an easy tutorial to follow here.

Low bun

Image source: African American hairstyle videos

A low bun is another perfect simple hairstyle for the stress-hating naturalista. It’s great for both formal and casual occasions, and even if you have short hair, you can always include hair extensions yourself if you want a fuller look.

Here’s a simple tutorial that I found.

Fauxhawk

Image source: Adanna Madueke (YouTube)

If you’re looking for a longer-lasting protective style, then you should try the fauxhawk. It’s a chic look for a fun night out or if you just want to switch up your style for a few weeks.

I found this tutorial, so you don’t have to try explaining this style to a hairdresser who will only end up doing something different.

RELATED: Is It Time to Break Up With Your Nigerian Hairdresser?

Bantu knots

Image source: stylecraze

The beautiful thing about bantu knots is that I’m yet to see anyone that doesn’t look good rocking them. You can do them with your hair or add some extensions if your hair isn’t long enough to make the knots.

This tutorial will show you how to style your bantu knots.

Double puffs

Image source: rayann410 (YouTube)

Tired of simple bun styles but still need to leave home in ten minutes? Then you should try double puffs. As promised, this won’t stress your life, and you can experiment as much as you want. Win-win.

You can also use this tutorial for reference.

RELATED: Ten Things You’ll Relate to if You’re a Naturalista

Finger coils

Image source: Chizi Duru (YouTube)

Finger coils are easy to style, but be warned — this is one of the more tedious ones on this list, depending on your hair’s fullness. You’ll probably want to try finger coils during the weekend or when you have more free time.

I found a finger coils tutorial that’s quite straightforward.

Classic afro with top bun

Image source: Thrive Naija

The afro always works, and if you want to do something different with it, just add a top bun.

All you have to do for this style is section off the top part of your hair, moisturise and style it in a tight bun, then finger-comb the rest of your hair into an afro. This quick style works for casual and semi-formal occasions. Here’s a simple tutorial for reference.

High Puff

Image source: healthyafrohair

You can never go wrong with a simple high puff. For a little razzle-dazzle, style it with a cute head wrap, and you’re good to go.

If you have short hair, you’ll find this tutorial helpful.

ALSO READ: What Your Favourite Type of Braids Says About You
Whether you have relaxed hair or not, the question of how to wear your hair is almost always there. This question is what Eniola answers with her hair series, on Instagram.

Here are a few ways to style your natural hair according to style queen, Eniola Hu.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

1. In good ol’ cornrows

You can never go wrong with cornrows. They always work. According to my mummy, it brings out your face.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

2. Afin Oba (King/Ruler’s Palace)

In the centre, we have the ruler and the rows facing down are the subjects. The style is also called “basket” in some states and it’s a hit. Just look how glorious she looks.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

3. Thread

Yes, my dear, thread. This is 2021. We are smashing colonial norms. Who told you thread can’t be stylish? Think again. The beauty of thread is that you can style it any way you want and lowkey, we’ve been doing a version of thread — you know those Brazilian wool hairstyles that reigned in 2018? You’re welcome.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

4. Morinmo

This hairstyle is a variation of thread. In Yoruba, the word Morinmo is a sexual act lmao. Maybe that’s why it looks so gorgeous. Who knows? All I know is that I definitely want to try it.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

5. In a bun

There is bun and there is bun. You can do anyone you like and they all look good.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

6. Fly the hair

This one is always a hit. Whether it’s relaxed hair or not, black hair is always a beauty to behold.

_{source: @eniolahu (Instagram)}

Don’t forget to tag us and @eniolahu when you try these hairstyles.

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There are certain braided hairstyles for girls that are so awesome, they can never go out of style. Here are seven of them. If you’re ever at the salon, stuck on which hairstyle to go with, pick one of these. You’re welcome.

1. Twisted Mohawk

This is a beautiful natural hairstyle for girls. It leaves no hair no hair on your face and is twisted to protect the hair. Best of all, it always comes out looking beautiful.

2. Braided Pigtails

This is easily one of the most protective hairstyles for girls. It is a fun twist to regular pigtails and can be styled in different ways with cute hair accessories.

3. Ghanaian Cornrows

Cornrows are in right now for black girls, and to be honest, they never went out of style. This style has thick rows with really tiny ones in between. One thing that will make this hairstyle pop is colourful threads.

4. High Ponytails

This hairstyle is as adorable as they come. To achieve this, cornrows are braided higher in a protective style so that it stays out of the face. Make sure the braids are not too tight to avoid hair bumps.

5. Dutch Braids

For little girls who don’t like sitting still for long, this is a good hairstyle. You can add hair extensions if you want but it is better with natural hair.

6. Short Box Braids

It is always fun to switch things up. Box braids are a fun hairstyle for girls especially when you add colourful beads to the tips.

7. Knotless Curly Tipped Braids

This is a fun and easy hairstyle older girls should try. The braids are loose and curled at the tips. It can be styled in fishtails, high ponytails, buns, etc.

8. Braided Mohawk

This look is very unique and it will have your kids looking confident. It consists of thin and thick cornrows pulled away from their hairline and braided with extensions to form a chunky Mohawk bun. Your kids will love this.

9. Top Bun with Cornrows

Kids love hairstyles that allow them accessories. Make sure the cornrows are not too tight and be sure to condition her hair and wrap it up in a silk scarf so that it stays smooth for a long time.

10. Braided crowns

Braided crowns are a very special hairstyle for girls that makes them feel like princesses. Cornrows are fun but turning it into a crown makes it twice as fun. The best part is that it is easy to maintain.
There are hair struggles, and then there are natural hair struggles. And make no mistake the both struggles are in entirely different categories. As a matter of fact natural hair put the “struggles” in hair struggles.

If you’re a naturalista then you most likely have learnt to live with the paint points on this list.

1. The stress of wash days.

Not to brag but you will loose significant calories on your way to finishing your natural day wash day routine. A natural hair wash day is like an entire marathon pressed into one day but without the spectators to cheer you on. Natural hair will stress you.

2. Expensive products

And then there is the expensive hole natural hair products cost will drill in your pocket. You can DIY it but you will most likely end up with raw egg with a side of banana flakes in your hair.

3. Disappointing length checks

Length checks are one of the highlights of being a naturalista. They are like the checkmate against constant round the clock shrinkage. Some sort of coping mechanism to remind yourself that even though your hair looks stunted, it is still growing. But half the time they are disappointing. You go in thinking if you tug your 1 year and 2 months old hair long enough it will stretch past your lips at least but all it goes past is your nose.

4. Headaches from high puffs

High puffs on natural hair always looks effortlessly fabulous. But make no mistake, your skull will feel all the effort you put into it and it will translate that effort into a headache. And maybe even routine migraines.

5. DIY styling stress.

And it doesn’t help that the Youtube tutorials always find a way to make it seem like the styling will be simple. Two minutes into the routine and they would have listed 3 items you don’t even have in your kit. Natural hair will definitely stress you.

6. Hair dressers who know nothing about handling natural hair.

This is probably the most annoying. Hairdressers know nothing about handling natural hair and they are sometimes not even interested in learning. All they want to do is tug your head left right and be done with you so they can move on to he next customer.

7. Painful combing.

Don’t do it sis. Just don’t.

8. Shrinkage.

The hair is long but it’s always shy. People see you and give you pity stares because how can your 2 year old hair be looking like secondary school low cut? They don’t know what is really going on and your hair is too humble to tell them.

Did we list all the struggles? Which do you find to be the most annoying? Tell us in the comments.

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Being an unofficial ambassador for African hair can be quite appealing, especially when you wow people with your kinky afro and cute hairstyles.

But everything has a downside to it, and the struggle and pain associated with maintaining natural hair is something you wish you didn’t have to deal with.

Here are 10 struggles you’ll relate with if you’re a naturalista:

1) The pain of combing:

Haircare day is always torture for because you know you can’t just pat your hair and be going like you’ve been doing for a couple of weeks.

So you wield that brush like a battle-ax and prepare yourself to cry while combing, which will leave your scalp feeling raw because of how coarse your hair is. And to make matters worse, your hair cuts too!

2) People think you’re broke because you decided to have natural hair:

If only they knew how expensive it is to maintain your natural hair. You had a few hair products when your hair was relaxed, but now you have a truckload and you keep buying more.

3) People advise you to stop looking like a madwoman:

The general agreement is that you look unkempt when you wear your hair naturally, so they never stop asking when you’re gonna have your hair done.

4) Annoying people who touch your hair without an invitation:

Who is this person that thinks you’re a puppy that loves being stroked by everybody without your consent?

5) Your hair shrinks like mad:

You were deluded enough to think you’ll have an afro as big as Erykah Badu’s…

…alas, that’s not the case because hair shrinkage is a real struggle for you.

6) Your hair always looks dry no matter the amount of moisture you apply:

Even if you pour a barrel of oil and moisturizer on your hair, it refuses to shine. Let’s not forget how yucky it feels when the oil starts dripping onto your face.

7) You’ve been tempted to start relaxing your hair again.

Because you’re just tired of the whole naturalista thing sef.

8) You’re very picky about the kind of hair salons you go to.

You used to pop into any salon before your naturalista days, but now you can’t because the hairstylists in most of the salons don’t know how to give your natural hair the TLC it needs.

You end up going back home with ruined edges and a sore head if you choose the wrong hairstylist.

9) Trying to figure out your hair type.

You didn’t even know this was a thing until you went natural, and now it’s all so confusing. Err, you’re not sure if your hair is a type 4a, 4b or 4c, you just know its natural.

10) Thinking of the best protective hairstyle that suits your face is stressful.

There are so many natural hairstyles out there you don’t know which one to choose. You eventually end up packing it in a bun and maybe tie a scarf to make it look cute.
1. Trying to comb your hair every morning:

2. When strangers try to touch your hair without asking:

This ain’t no petting zoo.
3. Trying to choose the right hair products to use:

Which one is better, water based or oil based conditioner? Do I get the regular conditioner or just the leave-in, or both?
4. When they ask you for your hair routine:

Uh…wash and dry?
5. When you hear, “Oh! Your hair is so curly, what do you use?”

Uh…genes?
6. When a guy trying to toast you says, “Oh baby, I just lurhv this your natural hair! You’re such a natural beauty”

Nigga…swerve.
7. When you finish applying oils to your hair and it starts to drip down your face.

8. How it feels when your hair starts to break:

9. You on wash day:

10. You when you start to research how to take care of your hair:

11. When someone asks your hair type:

Human?
12. When somebody asks when you are making your hair:

What is your own?
13. When somebody says taking care of natural hair is cheap and easy:

Like, just shut up.
14. Not enough product; hair becomes dry and brittle. Too much product; hair becomes heavy and needs frequent washing.

What do you want from me?!!
15. You wake up like this:

16. When you try to style your hair but it doesn’t quite turn out as you hoped:

17. How you think you look after styling your hair vs How you actually look:

18. You almost every morning:

19. When the shrinkage sets in:

20. Pre-wash vs Post-wash:

21. When you’ve spent the whole day styling your hair and they don’t compliment it well:

22. When you finally find that one product that works for your hair:

If these struggles are so you, here are 14 more things you will definitely understand too.
https://zikoko.com/list/natural-hair-problems/
1. This well braided hairstyle.

2. These conrows are so neat.

3. This satisfying shuku.

4. When your all back game is too peng.

5. This perfectly laid shuku.

6. Just look at this awesomeness.

7. The hairstylist responsible for this beauty is the real MVP.

8. This is the cutest hairstyle ever.
Female students at one of South Africa’s leading multinational schools, Pretoria Girls High, have staged a huge protest against its code of conduct which has been described as racist towards its African students.
According to the protesters, students who have contemporary African hair texture are forced to arrange their hair differently and are often asked to straighten their hair to make it look ‘tidy’.

The school which was open to white people only during the Apartheid has also banned students from speaking African languages within the school premises.

Here are the school policies that sparked anti-racism protests at #PretoriaGirlsHigh: pic.twitter.com/ip6dlKD1ez
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 31, 2016

This is shocking considering the fact that South Africa has 11 official languages which include some languages.

The protest has also sparked interesting conversations on the internet.

https://twitter.com/TerriStander/status/770317643224055808

Non-Africans need to understand that Afro hair isn’t untidy!

Straight hair does not symbolize neatness much better that Afro hair. that is just demeaning and undermining Africanness #PretoriaGirlsHigh
— Ndzavi Derrick .CBA (@NdzaviDerrick) August 29, 2016

Because the hair rule obviously doesn’t apply to the white students in the school.

No one tells white people how to wear their hair, where do they get the nerve to tell us how to wear ours 😑 #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh
— thickleeyonce (@ThickLeeyonce) August 29, 2016

Unfortunately, this protest hasn’t even highlighted half of the racism currently going on in South Africa.

What's sad is that #PretoriaGirlsHigh is just the tip of the iceberg. We haven't scratched the surface of racism in SA's 'elite' schools.
— Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh (@SizweMpofuWalsh) August 29, 2016

Adults from everywhere are showing their support for the young protesters.

I salute all the courageous young black girls from #PretoriaGirlsHigh. Black hair is Beautiful allow us to shine pic.twitter.com/7BLhsTJ5Gp
— Thathanilizwe (@thathanilizwe) August 29, 2016

It’s unfortunate that young girls have to start fighting for basic rights at a young age.

https://twitter.com/WickedBeaute/status/770144987166150656

Discrimination against a certain type of hair and look has to stop.

This is OUR HAIR.
It's not long & silky.
BUT We will NEVER EVER change it FOR YOU! #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh pic.twitter.com/fQTgOc7RlN
— Reba (@RebaMokgoko) August 28, 2016

We’re still wondering how and why people are so bothered by black girls’ hair in 2016.

What do you think of this hair ban? Share your thoughts in the comments section.