Relaxed To Natural Hair Without The Big Chop

Category: File - :George Ayittey detail.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Prominent Ghanaian economist and author George Ayittey with natural afro-textured hair.

Category: File - :San lady botswana.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Sub-Saharan African ethnic San woman of Botswana with natural afro-textured hair.

Afro-textured hair, or Black hair, are terms used to refer to the typical texture of Black African hair that has not been altered by hot combs, flat irons, or chemicals (by perming, relaxing, straightening, bleaching or coloring). Each strand of this hair type grows in a tiny spring-like, corkscrew shape. The overall effect is such that, despite relatively fewer actual hair shafts compared to straight hair,G. Loussouarn (2001) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11531795?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum this texture appears (and feels) denser than its straight counterparts. Due to this, it is often referred to as 'thick', 'bushy', or 'woolly'. For several reasons, possibly including its relatively flat cross section (among other factorsFranbourg et al. "Influence of Ethnic Origin of Hair on Water-Keratin Interaction" In Ethnic Skin and Hair E. Berardesca, J. Leveque, and H. Maibach (Eds.). page 101. Informa Healthcare. 2007), this hair type also conveys a dry or matte appearance.Nick Arrojo, Jenny Acheson, Great Hair: Secrets to Looking Fabulous and Feeling Beautiful Every Day, (St. Martin's Press: 2008), p.184Dale H. Johnson, Hair and hair care, (CRC Press: 1997), p.237 It is also very coarse, and its unique shape also renders it very prone to breakage when combed or brushed. Adjectives such as "firm",Walker, Adre. Andre Talks Hair. (1997) SIMON & SCHUSTER "kinky", "nappy" or "spiralled" are often used to describe natural afro-textured hair in Western societies.

A relaxer is a type of lotion or cream which makes hair less curly, and easier to straighten by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls. The active agent is usually a strong alkali, although some formulations are based on ammonium thioglycolate instead.

A braid (also called plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibers, wire, or human hair. Compared to the process of weaving a wide sheet of cloth from two separate, perpendicular groups of strands (warp and weft), a braid is usually long and narrow, with each component strand functionally equivalent in zigzagging forward through the overlapping mass of the others.

The simplest possible braid is a flat, solid three-strand structure. More complex braids can be constructed from an arbitrary (but usually odd) number of strands to create a wider range of structures: wider ribbon-like bands, hollow or solid cylindrical cords, or broad mats which resemble a rudimentary perpendicular weave.

Braids are commonly used to make rope, decorative objects, and hairstyles (also see pigtails, French braid). Complex braids have been used to create hanging fiber artworks.

Braids were and still are a common form of expression in the African-American community. Some braids are very elaborate and show individuality of persons.

Some men wear braids to keep their hair back but in a comfortable way. They may also be used for formal occasions.

An afro, sometimes shorted to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball.