AFRICAN HAIRSTYLE

AFRICAN HAIRSTYLE Since the beginning of African civilizations, hairstyles have been used to convey messages to the greater society. Before boundaries divided Africa into states and countries through colonization, the continent was divided into kingdoms and clans, and different hairstyles could "indicate a person's marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, rank," surname, health status, geographic origin and the clan to which they belonged. A Wolof man's braided beard could indicate that he was preparing for war. In the Himba tribe, dreadlocks worn down in front of a female's face was a sign that she was going through puberty, while dreadlocks tied at the back of the head were worn by women seeking marriage. Erembe headdresses signified new mothers and married women. In Yoruba culture, people braided their hair to send messages to the gods. As the most elevated part of the body, hair was considered a portal for spirits to pass through to the soul. According to a 20th-century study, the Yoruba often shaved the heads of newborns as a marker of each individual's arising from the spirit world. A person's head was shaved again at death to signal the individual's return to the spirit world.

Hair maintenance in traditional Africa was a time-consuming process that is creating a sense of beauty and honoring its spiritual power. According to author Sylvia Arden Boone

A woman with long thick hair demonstrated the life force, the multiplying power of profusion, prosperity...a green thumb for raising bountiful farms and many healthy children.

Hair was considered divine due to its position at the top of the head, and to allow someone to touch it meant you could trust them. Therefore, hair maintenance was only entrusted to relatives and hairdressers for fear of enemies bringing ill-will to the person in need of hair care. The hair maintenance process could last anywhere from hours to days and involved “washing, combing, oiling, braiding, twisting, and/or decorating the hair.” The Himba people, for example, styled dreadlocks using ground ocher, goat hair, butter and hair extensions. Hair that was clean and neatly braided or arranged with adornments such as beads or shells was a sign of vitality, whereas unkempt and dirty hair signified

A very complete collection of African women's hairstyles that you can make as a reference for your hairstyle. Play this application easily and without having to use an internet connection or you can say Offline.