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Fros Fashions and Finds
Presents: Trending Natural Hairstyles for 2018
By Megan Davis
The Truth Contributor
It’s hard
to believe it is already summer, considering spring had a
delayed start. With temperatures in the 70s quite often and
the rain, it feels as if spring is still with us. But there
are no complaints in salons and barber shops across the
city, where ladies and gents are staying fly, regardless!
Last year, we saw color, shaved cuts and locs trending in
natural hairstyles. While there are still a great number of
people wearing color and shorter styles, new trends have
taken over.
Let’s take
a look at style trends by age group. For toddlers and young
children up to third grade, braids with barrettes or beads
are still trending. This is a variety of braids created on
little boys (too young for haircuts) and girls’ hair that
has been passed from generation to generation. For children
who are in fourth grade through middle school, the trend is
cornrows, also known as lemonade braids, tribal braids and
also crochet box braids. These styles are the most durable
for an active age group that doesn’t have a lot of time to
dedicate to hair care and are still developing their
personalities and routines. These styles can last one to two
months, depending on how well they are taken care of.
Cornrows still allow for the scalp to be moisturized. Box
braids also do, since this type of hair can easily be
separated on their cornrow base to reach the scalp.
For boys
in the fourth grade to middle school, the trend is starter
locs and sponge coils with tapered or faded sides. Many boys
love the look of the coils and desire locs that can grow
long enough to be styled back into cornrows or fishtails.
For young
ladies in high school to early college ages, the style trend
is chunky crochet braids, faux (pronounced pho) goddess locs
and cornrow ponytails. These styles give a lot of body and
length, which is every little girl’s dream-to have long,
flowing hair they can swing back and forth. What’s more
important is not having the headache of getting up everyday
and trying to style their hair. For young men, by now, they
have grown out locs to be long enough to style in “straight
backs” (aka cornrows) or they have decided to cut their locs,
typically 2 years old, and are rocking “360s.” These are the
waves created with constant brushing and “ragging” a term
used to identify keeping the hair tied down securely with a
doo-rag or two. According to Toledo Instagram sensation and
“top waver”, the Tsu Chef, the key to successful waves is
moisturizing the hair, brushing in the right direction and
ragging the hair regularly.
College
aged students are the most diverse in hairstyles. Many young
ladies go natural during their college years. It is more
because they don’t have access to their regular beautician
and second, because funds aren’t readily available for hair
care. They become do-it-yourself stylists and often opt to
cut their relaxed hair off and rock an Afro during school.
When they return to their homes for the summer or breaks,
they are most often getting sew ins. They get them because
the hair, if they choose the right brand, is reusable and
can be reused up to a few years in some cases. The hair can
be washed and styled as their own, and even though it is a
major financial investment, sometimes $400-500, students say
it is well worth it because they leave their hair alone for
the whole semester. Now this can be discussed further as far
as whether or not it is the right thing to do, but it is
often the case for students who feel they have no other
choice but to do this to look nice while away at college. In
some cases, they feel they are saving money by doing it this
way.
For
gentlemen in college, many are wearing locs (aka
dreadlocks). Many choose to wear locs because of their
cultural connection to Rastafarians or entertainers such as
Wale, 2 Chainz and the legendary Busta Rhymes, whose locs
from back in the day are still an inspiration today. They
also see athletes wearing locs, especially in the NFL. There
are still quite a few young men who choose to keep their
hair cut low so they don’t have to worry about upkeep of
braids and locs when it is time for a touch up. Again, money
is a main reason why they would go short, but others will
wait until they get to their hometown to get retwisted and
styled.
As for
college grads and people ages 25-35, the trend is natural
looks from precision cuts to color, even for men who are
wearing the top of their hair in copper or golden blonde
like Kanye West. A contender for second is the various
crochet styles available. At this age, many people are
starting careers and families and know who they are and what
they like. Many are comfortable in their own skin and aren’t
worried about what employers or peers have to say about
their hair. Ladies in this age range are learning their own
hair and are trying styles like the wash and go or short,
carefree styles. Men are wearing longer hair, not usually
locked, but sometimes twisted up like DL Hughley and Jay Z’s
current look. Women spend more time on the go, so they try
to find low maintenance styles that they can maintain on
their own. Preferring to look as natural as possible,
crochet styles is the fastest growing trend in this age
range. Crochet hair is often loose, even though it is called
“braids” and mimics natural hair textures. The loose hair is
looped onto braided hair with a latch hook and creates full,
natural looking curls and waves. It can also be cut into
shorter styles as well.
For people
ages 35 and up, they have tried almost every style mentioned
above by now. At this age, the top 5 styles are the silk
press, lemonade braids, Sisterlocks (also braidlocks and
interlocks), permanent loc extensions and the quick weave.
For those wearing the silk press, these women have tried
twists, knots, updos and the wash and go, so they prefer the
straighter look. One benefit to the silk press is the body
it has as opposed to relaxed hair, which is often more limp.
For others, they love the fun designs that are created with
the cornrowed styles, the most popular are those which vary
in size, like a micro cornrow next to a medium one, then a
larger one and so on. These braids are adorned with gold and
silver cuffs, shells, wrapped in yarn and gold cords and
straight at the ends.
Sisterlocks is a growing trend for professional women, but
with a price tag starting at $400, many opt for micro
braids on their own hair which can still grow out to be tiny
locs, then they have the roots maintained with a tool. What
women love about tiny locs is the fullness, the style
versatility, and the non-scalpy look. They want body and
texture without having to twist their hair up every week or
getting extensions of some sort.
Permanent
loc extensions is the fastest growing trend for people who
have worn it all. As they mature, they choose locs because
of the style versatility and the low maintenance of them.
They love that locs can grow down to their waist, but often
don’t want to wait 10 years for it to happen. Many also
don’t want to go through the “ugly phase” of locking. So
permanent extensions, created with human hair, is the newest
trend. Men are opting for this method of locking too. Just a
year or two ago, these extensions were braided into one’s
own hair, now the extensions are premade by hand, costing up
to $50 for just 10 locs. Then they are crocheted into the
hair with a tiny metal hook. This method gives a more
natural look than the braided and wrapped loc extensions and
can cost $300 or more to install, taking several hours.
Overall, people may spend $600 for permanent loc extensions
to have the versatility and length natural locs offer over
time.
Finally,
the quick weave is still a trend. With improvements to the
installation that are less damaging to the hair, many women
choose this option because it is faster than a traditional
sew in, and allows them to have a bold styles without
affecting their own hair. Quick weaves often allow for
shorter straight looks to be worn and look the most natural.
These
style trends by age group are still not brand new to the
culture. At some point in recent history, all these styles
were worn in some fashion. Just take a look at the old music
videos like Soul II Soul, Arrested Development and look at
the Cosby show and A Different World. Check out African
styles from the earlier centuries and see the wrapped hair,
cornrow designs, copper and red colors, and locs of varying
sizes and lengths. There is nothing new under the sun.
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