The baddies are still hooked on French curls, knotless and stitch braids but also know that Fulani hairstyles is where the magic is at right now.
They’re relatively affordable, easy to maintain and always bring the boys to the yard. If you’re planning to hop on the Fulani braids train, these 18 styles should be on the list you take to your braider.
Nubian princess fulani braid
Source: The Right Hairstyles
Go for this if you want something simple with an edge. Accessorising is optional.
Diagonal braids with bun and long curls
Source:beabraids
This Fulani hairstyle is a complete three-in-one serve. You get a bun, some braids and long curls that give you the satisfaction of goddess braids.
Wrap around braid
Source: Variety
You’re still doubting that the OG baddies are porting to Fulani hairstyles in 2024? You can recreate this wrap-around braid just like Bad Gyal Riri.
Braid with frontal hoops
Source: Glamour
Don’t go for this hairstyle if you can’t handle hot girl compliments because they will fly in.
Braids with a bun
Source: Therighthairstles
The star of this look is the bun. You can restyle the bun with accessories or leave it in a free-fall.
Crown braid
Source: Glamour
Because every hot girl deserves her own crown.
Braids with afro
Source: Glamour
This hairstyle is great for when you want to exude rich aunty vibes in your boubou and kaftans.
Fulani braid with double bun and curls
Source:beabraids
You might struggle with sleep but what is beauty without pain?
Half feed-in, half-curls
Source: Instagram/ @drenya_trancista
Another Fulani hairstyle to consider if you want to tap into your inner goddess. The gold accessories are optional but a real game-changer.
Frontal braids with natural hair
Want a new hairstyle but still want to flaunt your natural hair? This is your bus stop.
Puff ponytail with zigzag cornrows
Source: Glamour
This is a great choice if you love some eccentricity or your everyday look is high fashion.
Middle part braids with beads
A nice Fulani hairstyle with beads that’s also a nice option for kids.
Blonde braids with a double part
Source: Afrodarosa
A real stunner that will have you taking second looks in the mirror.
Half-up, half-down braid
Source: braidgangs
You can add an interesting twist by having the ends curled.
Fulani braids with a bob
Source: Curlfit
A Fulani-style braided take on the classic bob that looks amazing on every woman. You can’t go wrong with this.
Fulani braids with braided pigtails
Source: Curlfit
Are your kids throwing a fit because they can’t rock a wig or install a frontal? This Fulani hairstyle for kids will compensate.
Fulani braids with mohawk
Source: Curlfit
The gold accessories aren’t a suggestion if you really want to kill this look.
Short Fulani braids with clear beads
Great for when you’re still trying to test the waters and see if Fulani hairstyles match your vibes.
Dreadlock styles may seem super expensive and difficult to maintain, but that’s not the entire truth.
There are several loc styles, from low to high budget, that require little to no maintenance.
Dreadlock styles for men
If you’re a guy who’s thinking of upgrading your hair game, here’s a list of styles you should consider.
Long twisted locs
A cool option to try if you’ve grown out your locs for a while. You might also want to throw in some colour for extra pop.
Cornrow dreads with a side cut
For clean dreadlocks and fresh cut combo that always gets the baddies going.
Mohawk locs with a bun
The thing with mohawk locs is that you can go as wild as you want with the sides. A side cut and parting is always a winner.
Short twisted locs
Source: Instagram/@nigerianlocs
This is the shorter variation of long twisted locs. A cool choice for those who’re still training their locs.
Jumbo spiky locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadspalaceabuja
You might have some difficulty sleeping properly, but this is a top-tier style that’ll easily set you apart.
Side-swept short locs with fade
Source: Instagram/@dreads_and_naturals
Throw in some dye to the tips, and you just might cause trouble for people in relationships when you step out.
Macro locs
Source:Instagram/@dreads_and_naturals
Men can also rock macro locs and look fire in it.
Criss-cross locs
Source: Instagram/@nigerianlocs
This can last for weeks or months depending on what suits you.
Bob Marley locs
Source: Instagram/@nigerianlocs
Trying to get into the Jamaican Rastafarian vibe? Here’s your stop, but it’s high maintenance.
Braided locs with ponytail
Source: Pinterest
One cool advantage of having long locs? You can style it into a ponytail.
Blonde spiky locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
It doesn’t even have to be blonde. You can try other interesting colours like honey brown, burgundy, or whatever suits your complexion.
Long blond locs
Just look at this and say it’s not a hot serve. The only downside is you’ll spend all your coins on keeping it clean.
Side-swept spiky locs with a fade
Source: Instagram/@elozonam
A bold look if you like to do many things with your hair and still keep it clean. Four things going on here: Blonde colour, spiky locs, hard-parting and a fade.
Jombo twisted locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
Unlike the spiky jombo locks that’ll disrupt your sleep, this is a much more convenient option. And you’ll still look like today’s Agege bread.
High-top locs with strands
Source: Instagram/Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
Another nice option if you want to enjoy a clean cut.
Locs are a perfect option if you’re a lady who doesn’t enjoy the weekly run to hair salons. You might spend money and extra hours on maintenance, but will you notice if you only go to the salon once a month? Whether you’ve made a decision or are still considering, here are dreadlock styles that should be on your radar.
Side-swept braided locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
This dreadlock hairstyle can take your look from zero to 100 real quick — in a good way. You might have trouble sleeping sha.
Dyed spiked locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
A real killer style for Gen Z baddies looking to experiment with locs.
Mini bantu locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
Might look painful, but this is one style to go for if you want to occasionally pour water on your head and have zero worries about sleeping positions.
Lenthy curly locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
Best for those who want interesting ways to style their long locs. You can either visit a loctician or DIY with bendable rollers for this look.
Fringe locs with updo
Source: Pinterest
This look is all you need to appreciate how versatile locs can be.
Medium locs with bantu knots
For hot girlies looking for stylish ways to style medium length locs.
Blonde dreads in Mohawk braid
It’s one of the coolest loc hairstyles you can try if you love being dramatic with your hair. You can also try different colours.
Locs with snakey updo
In case you’re in your Medussa era.
Ponytail locs with bangs
Source: Pinterest
Go for this if you’re out for dreadlocks styles that work for casual and corporate settings.
Mohawk dreads with twisted braids
This works well if you don’t enjoy running to the salon every other week to restyle your locs.
Starter locs
For when you’re just starting your dreadlocks journey.
Double-bun locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
A hard yes to this look because you can even do it yourself.
Mohawk with spiky locs
Source:Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
Only hot babes can combine spiky locs with a mohawk and make it look good.
Micro locs
Source: Instagram/@nigerianlocs
You’ll satisfy your craving for locs and still get to make other non-loc hairstyles if you want.
Jumbo bun
Source: Instagram/@dreadsbytms
You’ll need lengthy locs or lock extensions to pull this look off.
Dyed bantu locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadlocks_guru
A simple way to take your bantu locs from regular to baddie status? Throw in some colour.
Micro locs in cornrows
Source: Instagram/@dreads_and_naturals
The versatility of cornrows! Try this look if you already have macro locs and want a stylish way to retwist them.
Barrel roll locs
Source: Instagram/@dreadspalaceabuja
Not a fan of free falling or cornrow dreads? This is a nice and easy-to-maintain alternative.
Bob locs
For baddies with lenghty locs, looking for a fun way to style them. Add baby curls for that extra jazz, or not.
Short locs with dyed tips
Source: Instagram/@dreadspalaceabuja
One of the dreadlock styles that is a lifesaver when you don’t want to do too much with your locs but still stand out.
Twisted locs
Go with a colour that suits your complexion or try a combo mix. Either way, this style will pop.
The hair game is forever changing, so if you want to stay on top of the latest hairstyles for Nigerian ladies in 2024, you need to pay extra attention.
Whether you’re going for low-maintenance or simple and easy-to-wear styles, you’ll find something that fits your style in this list.
Hairstyles with attachment for ladies
Notin the mood to rock your wigs or handle the stress of sew-ins?? Don’t worry, the game has changed in 2024 and these attachment styles are some of the latest hairstyles for ladies. There’s no way you’re stepping out without causing good commotion.
Jumbo Senegalese twists
Source: Instagram/@ tricedabraider
This is a great option if you’re looking to breeze in and out of the salon and still look hot.
Criss-cross Ghana weaving
Source: Instagram/@iamcreation_of_beauty
Think of this as an elevated and playful version of the regular all-back braids.
Stitch braid
Source: Instagram/@neyhairs
Are you even a hot girl if you haven’t jumped on the stitch braid hairstyle in 2024?
Ziz-Zag stitch braid
Source: Instagram/@neyhairs
Go for this if you want to add extra pizzazz to the regular stitch-braid hairstyle.
Goddess braids
Source: Pinterest
What’s not to love about goddess braids? You’ll feel like a goddess with this hairstyle, though you also have to spend a lot of hours at the salon.
Ponytail with bangs
Source: Pinterest
Because regular ponytails are so 2010. Try this ponytail hairstyle for an extra edge.
Knotless braids with curly ends
Source: Pinterest
This hairstyle had the girlies in a chokehold in 2022 and still does, especially the version with curly ends.
Boho stitch braids
Source: Source: Instagram/@neyhairs
This hairstyle is a combination of boho and stitch braids. It is also a tribal braid hairstyle, think of it as an extra way of rocking stitch braids.
Nothing beats the feeling of knowing you can still look good on a budget. If what you’re going for is a simple, laid-back style that still fits with the latest hairstyles for Nigerian ladies in 2025, we got you covered.
Cornrows
Source: CuteAfrik Afro
Cornrows are a lifesaver, especially when you don’t want to do too much with your hair. You can even do it yourself if you have the time.
Bantu knots with curls
Source: Black beauty bombshells
Bantu knots has been around for a while and is always a hit.
Two-row cornrows
Source: Pinterest
Before you roll your eyes and ask, “Cornrows again?” Listen, cornrows are simple, affordable, classy and versatile. They also don’t look like your regular cornrows.
Ponytail
Source: Pinterest
Nothing screams “I can’t kill myself” like a ponytail. It’s a lifesaver when you don’t want to do too much with your hair.
Jumbo braids
Source: Pinterest
You’ll satisfy your craving for braids and still be out of the salon between 30 minutes to an hour.
This is another great option if you want braids but your bank account and patience level are saying something else.
Braided ponytail
Perfect for when you want to do something different with the regular ponytail style. It ranks high as one of the latest hairstyles for Nigerian Ladies in 2025. But the girlies are now using ombre sha.
Zigzag braids with beads
Source: Instagram/ @mk.lillle
The curls give a fresh breath of life to hairstyles that would have been better left in 2000 and this ZigZag braid is proof.
Maintenance might be a handful but locs are great if you don’t like making weekly trips to the salon. Thanks to the locticians committed to making their customers look good, there’re many options to choose from these days.
Starter locs
Source: Instagram/ @dreads_and_natural
For when you’re just starting on your loc journey.
Bantu locs
Instagram/ @dreads_and_natural
Who says you can’t rock your bantu knots because your hair is locked?
Bob locs
Source: Pinterest
A fun way to style your locs especially if they’re lengthy.
Jumbo bun locs
Source: Intagram/@dreadsbytms
To rock this style, you need at least 5 years old locs or get loc extensions.
Macrolocs in cornrows
If you already have macrolocs, this is a fun way to retwist them. We already agreed that cornrows is bae right?
Side swept locs
Source: Hair Adviser
Another fun styling option for anyone with lengthy locs.
Blonde dreads
Source:locs_guru
Dyeing your locs blonde for Barbie season is nothing but a hot serve.
Dyed locs
If going completely blonde is too much for you, consider an ombre style. Black and honey brown is a mad combo that bangs in 2024.
Microlocs
Source: Instagram/@nigerianlocs
A versatile option that still lets you make your regular braids.
Low cut hairstyles for ladies
You want to pour water on your head? Escape the headaches that come with new hairstyles? Sleep in any position you want? Then a low-cut’s probably your best option, and the game has changed in 2024. What are the latest low-cut hairstyles you can try ? Let’s go.
Blonde low cut
Source: Instagram/@nancyisimeofficial
No one rocks a blonde low cut better than Nancy Isime…until you try sha.
Low-cut with double side parting
Source: Instagram/@hayub_haircut
The side-parting is the steal here. Just the barber’s hand is straight
Blue waves cut with etched sides
Source: Instagram/mastercut_lekki
The question’s not why blue, it should be why not? Those etched sides are to die for by the way.
Pink curls with side shave
Source: Instagram/@mastercut_lekki
Hop on this style if you’re not on a complete low cut. You can also change the color to suit what you want, but we recommend Barbie pink.
Complete clean shave
Source: Instagram/the_oddity
You might need some courage to rock this look but it’s a stunner for real.
Tired of spending hours in the salon? Finally saved up enough to invest in wigs? If yes, here are some options to guide your shopping:
Loose wave closure
Something about this wig screams Roman goddess. Depending on your needs, you can shop for it in various colours.
Kinky straight
Go for this style if you want to give the illusion of rocking your natural hair. Be ready for questions like, “Is this your hair?”
Butterfly locs frontal wig
What’s better than a dreadlock style you can rock and take off at will?
Body wave closure
One thing about this wig style? Your hair flip game will be on point every single time.
Body wave with fringe
This is a fun twist to the regular body wave wig style.
Afro kinky wig
This wig style has been around for a while, but it’s still a winner in 2024.
Loose curls
Spend your coins on this wig, and you won’t have to announce your “rich aunty” status wherever you go.
Brazilian wool styles for ladies
Finally jumped on the Brazilian wool train but don’t know what style to make? Start with these ones:
Butterfly locs
Not a fan of butterfly locs wigs? Link up with your hairdresser to get the real deal.
Passion twists
Ignore the bulky appearance of this style because it’s a real showstopper.
Distressed twists
One good thing about this hairstyle? It can last for months, depending on how you manage it.
Braids with bantu knot tips
Switch things up with this braids x bantu knots combo using Brazilian wool.
Short braids with loose ends
If you’re not a fan of bantu knots, free things up with this loose ends style.
Box braid hairstyles
Micro box braids
If you’ve got the patience to spend hours in a salon, try this style. It lasts longer than regular-sized braids.
Boho knotless braids
Another style heavy on the Roman goddess vibes.
Raindrop box braids
Accessorise with as many transparent beads as you can get for that raindrop effect.
Before you read this article, here’s a fact: Zikoko never lies. Everything you see in this article is true. After studying Nigerian men for years, we can finally publish tell what their hairstyles say about them.
Go ahead, see for yourself.
1. Curls
You have been serially heartbroken. The beard? You started growing it when they shattered your heart even though you thought you were nice. The hair? You kept it as a result of the heartbreak that almost ran you mad. Now? You’re turning your heartbreak into beauty and babes are calling you handsome. Hmm, they don’t know.
2. This fine boy cut
You’re a Christian brother who is starting to become a child of the world and this is the first step. Small time, you’ll do full dada.
3. Travis Scott
You think you’re a musician— the best in Nigeria. These other artists don’t understand you and they can’t come near you. You have five mixtapes, but you’ve not dropped them because the world isn’t ready for your music. Your guys, they don’t like your music too. But you’re not worried. They’re the ones with bad taste.
4. Low cut
You cheat— or at least you try to. Your wife knows you cheat but there’s nothing she can do about it. The people you’re trying to move to always air your messages, but the one time you get lucky, all your friends will hear about it nonstop. You don’t think you should be in Nigeria. You think you should be in the USA. That’s why you watch the NBA and not that smelling thing called football. You have a Camry.
5. Coloured hair
This one is not even about the hairstyle. It’s the colour. You want to be a marlian and a bad boy, but you aren’t fully there yet. The only thing that motivates you is peer pressure, but you also don’t want to disappoint your parents. You have an iPhone 8 Plus with a broken screen.
You went to the UK one time when you were 4 and now we won’t hear word again. It’s always “bruv” or “innit”. Mayowa, tell me, where did you get “innit” from?
8. Dreads
Sometimes, you’re a creative, other times, you’re a tech bro. When you’re not being harrassed by they police because they think you’re a criminal, we can catch you listening to Frank Ocean’s Blonde for the millionth time, and feeling like you’re the coolest person in the room. You’re single, and we know why.
9. Ladder ladder ladder ladder
If this is your hairstyle, we don’t have anything to say to you. Please leave here, because you’re a very unserious fellow.
10. Plain baldness
You have seen a lot of things in this life. You don’t have time for such things as hair and fashion anymore. You still have to pay school fees, pay your employees and all that. Hair? Nope.
Whether you live in a country that offers little context (pronounce; Nigeria), or anywhere for that matter, it can be ridiculously easy to forget where and what you come from.
There’s nothing funny about the fact that the Nigerian Police has an entire division harassing people under the pretext that dReAdLoCks ArE nOt a PaRt Of OuR cUlTuRe. It’s more ironic than anything else. Nigeria doesn’t have a single origin story, but our reverence for our hair is one of the not-so-many things we share.
These 10 photos were taken over the period of 100 years by the British Colonial anthropologist Northcote Thomas, the Nigerian photographer J.D Okpai Ojeikere and other documentarians over time.
They tell the fascinating history of Nigerian hair across three eras; the pre-colonial times, post-independence and the modern period. Your ancestors had way too much swag for SACS.
The history of Nigerian hair, as far as the records show, dates as far back as the 18th Century. This was a time when hair was primarily a status symbol; it was used by nearly all tribes to connote age, class, marital and social status, profession and spiritual affiliation.
Yoruba woman wearing the Agoro hairstyle. Date unknown.
One of the best examples of this use of hair is the Agogo. According to Victoria Sharrow in her book “The Encyclopaedia of Hair: A Cultural History”, “a traditional woman’s style called the Agogo showed the wearer is married. It features a high crest running from the forehead to the nape of the neck.” Younger unmarried women would wear their hair “braided, wrapped, or in other styles that set them apart…”
Igbo woman. Arochuku. Photo by Northcote Thomas. 1910-1911.
Photos from Northcote Thomas’ archives are some of the most valuable depictions of Nigerian fashion in the 1910s and 1920s. Women in the Igbo hinterland wore their hair in loose braids, threaded knots known as “Isi Owu” or elaborate braids adorned with ornaments for important occasions.
The photo above was taken of an Igbo woman in present-day Arochuku in 1910. The woman’s coif is nothing short of regal.
According to Ukpuru, a platform that documents Igbo history, the style is consistent with the depiction of women in Igbo art. “Women of the time used ornaments like thread, feathers, shells, bone, wood, beads, Igbo currency, coins, or cloth; mud containing colourful ores, yellow and red camwood powder or paste and palm oil and charcoal were also used.”
Igbo man. Photo by Northcote Thomas. 1910. via Ukpuru.
The Yoruba believe that hair has spiritual qualities. Members of certain sects or beliefs styled their hair to reflect their identity. It is believed that the goddess Osun was the first hairdresser and as such, her priestesses wore the most elaborate styles adorned with a range of ornaments.
Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder and war, is often depicted with braids. His followers still wear those braids today. Dreadlocks were also important; children born with them were believed to have spiritual power.
Priests in certain sects would often let their hair grown wild and into dreadlocks. Primarily, as the photo of a young Igbo man shows, Nigerian men of the era styled their hair as a form of social communication. Fierceness was the only language.
Fulani Woman. 1920s.
If the Igbo women used ornaments, the Fulani hairstyles of the era were downright architectural feats. The nomadic Fulani spread these styles wherever they went – much of sub-Saharan West Africa.
The man, the myth, the legend – J.D Okpai Ojeikere stands by some of the photos from his iconic collection, “Hairstyles”
It’s impossible to talk about the period leading to independence and the decades after without paying respect to Nigerian photographer, J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. From humble beginnings, rejected by the army, J.D was put on to photography by an uncle and would quickly acquire a taste for anthropological work.
He is credited with taking some of the most iconic photos of Nigeria starting in the 1960s. His magnum opus is a collection of over 1000 portraits titled “Hairstyles”; a collection of portraits of Nigerian hair and headgear he took over three decades.
“Onile Gogoro”. J.D Okpai Ojeikere. “Hairstyles”
The Post Independence Era is when Nigerian hair became a social commentator. One of J.D’s most popular photos is this one of a Lagos woman donning the hairstyle known as “Onile Gogoro” which translates to “tall house”.
Reaching up to heights of one foot, the hairstyle was evocative of the new high-rises and skyscrapers that were showing up in Lagos; signs of growth and advancement in this optimistic new nation.
“Eko Bridge”. J.D Okpai Ojeikere. 1970s.
The completion of the Eko Bridge in 1975, the shortest link between Lagos Mainland and the Island was one of the many major projects after the war. It inspired the Eko Bridge hairstyle which featured one or more braids serving as a link between two or more clusters of woven or matted hair.
Rocking Afro. Late 1980s.
Many things happened in the 80s and 90s. But if there was one thing that tied it all together; it was the demise of the Nigerian middle-class. Soon enough, local standards were replaced by the next best thing. Western culture filled our television sets, salons, the barbershop. This was also the disco era and the first days of hip-hop; the arrogant style of the era influenced many Nigerians. Black Power!
Hair extensions, commonly called attachments and wigs were the next phase. Blame capitalism or Hoolywood but more people wanted flowing, straight hair and so they bought it. A time of Kanekalon and Xpressions gave way to more expensive human twists, Peruvian and Brazilian hair. These styles pretty much held on through most of the 2000s.
People will look back on the last 10 years of African culture as a renaissance of sorts, and it will be deserved.
The last decade or so has been defined by our culture’s interaction with persons of African heritage across the world, and foreign cultures. Within this new movement for Africa to reclaim its pride, Nigerian hair is staging a comeback.
Remember Irun Kiko? Braids are all the rave now. It’s not uncommon to see women with their hair billowing in the wind, or knotted and twisted into preservative hairstyles.
We can all be proud. Nigerian hair’s been dripping for over 300 years.
African women have different traditional hairstyles to celebrate different occasions.
Sadly, beauty and hairstyles will be the last thing on the minds of anybody fleeing their home countries due to crisis.
These Nigerian women were photographed in a variety of African hairstyles by award-winning Sicilian photographer, Salvatore Di Gregorio.
The women who reside in a female only refugee camp at Mirabella Imbaccari with 5000 other women fled their home countries for various reasons and are currently being processed by the Italian government.
The photoshoot themed “Tales of Beauty” was done with the aim of showcasing the wealth of African culture through beauty and different hairstyles.
More so, the photographer felt the need to portray the strength and beauty of these women who risked their lives for a chance at happiness and freedom.
Meet Ghanaian-born Nigerian, Rosewood Addo wearing the Sewakoto hair and makeup from Ghana.
