Baby hair has been popularized in the last few decades. And you’ve probably seen a tutorial on the internet on doing the hairstyle.
Baby Hair History
Baby hair is the short and thin hair born in the hairline around the face. In the current days, the most famous women in the world like Rihanna, Zendaya, Beyoncé, FKA Twigs and many others are using hairstyles.
Also, baby hair is not just a beauty trend. There is a fascinating story behind it. Black and Latina women gave rise to this hairstyle. You need to know more about this, so keep reading this article!
Through the History
First of all, let’s go back to the ’20s. It is unknown when and with whom the idea of styling baby hair was born, but this decade was possibly where baby hair was first popularized by the legendary black actress Josephine Baker.
She was an American actress naturalized in France, and she was also a dancer, singer, civil rights activist and well known as Black Venus.
As said by Jamela Zarha from the CRWNMAG website, “The highly-sculpted hairlines of the ‘20s and ‘30s re-appeared in the seventies, but this time just the baby hairs in the front were gelled and sculpted rather than the entire tuft of hair.”
“Using a toothbrush or a hard bristled brush, Black women smoothed their baby hair into squiggles and designs framing their face,” the article says.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, La Toya Jackson, the girls from TLC and others brought back baby hair as a trend among singers. After that, many other great personalities have embraced this vintage and timeless hairstyle.
Baby Hair & Euphoria
One of the most talked-about series of recent times has gained a lot of attention regarding hairstyles and makeup. In the HBO series Euphoria, the character who wears the baby hair is Latina Maddy Perez.
According to VOGUE, “Maddy’s slicked-back low pony could probably survive a hurricane intact. The meticulously-styled baby hairs are the cherry on top of a spectacular make-up look.”
Baby Hair & Black Women
As Beyoncé said in her song Formation: “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros.” The hairstyle has a special meaning to black women and represents their strength and creativity.
The hair itself is already a great symbol of resistance for all black people. An example is that in the 60s, the black power was one of the main symbols of groups fighting for civil rights in the United States.
It is essential to understand that a hairstyle is never just a hairstyle or a beauty trend for the black community but an act of resistance. With baby hair, it’s no different.
Cultural Appropriation
Therefore, baby hair is a hairstyle that allows black women to connect with their ancestry. And that’s why communities raise debates about cultural appropriation when white women adopt this and other symbols of a particular racialized group.
To better understand, see what expert hairstylist Nigella Miller said in an interview with Essence.
“We’re not always a thought when it comes to the industry. Look at everything that’s happening now with the labels on our hair, our style, the way we do our nails. All these ways we choose to express who we are are all on trend now,” said Nigella.
“We just do what we do because that’s our culture, other people didn’t appreciate what we were doing up until now. But everything that’s in now was ‘ghetto’ at some point.”
Therefore, it is necessary to be sensitive when talking about baby hair for black women. Because what is used by people of color is often discredited. When worn by white people, it is considered as high fashion.
After all, this does not mean that white women should not wear the hairstyle, but rather be aware of their origin and connection with black and Latino people.
Baby Hair Mini Tutorial
- First, you will need to hold all of your hair. You can choose to wear a ponytail, a bun or even braids. So, get a mini brush, a pomade or hair gel and a comb. Also, your hair needs to be wet.
- Now separate the loose strands from the contour of the head and start combing them towards the forehead. Then use the gel and the tip of the small brush to form the designs. Here is another tip: Make “S” movements with the brush.
- To last longer, you can tie a ribbon on top or a durag until the strands are completly dry.
Did you like this article? Then don’t forget to read this one: NYFW Blk Reaffirms Black Talents in the Industry.
