South African Beauty

I used to be so particular about my hair. In my teens, I would wake up early to wash, blow dry and straighten it. (Even though my hair is already dead straight naturally.) It’s very fine and tends to get “scraggly” as my mom says if I grow it too long. Despite this, I barely trimmed more than an inch off at a time - to me, long hair was beautiful. In the summers, I would squeeze lemons on my strands to ensure they stayed bright and blonde. (I have never highlighted my hair.)

I think like most women (and some men,) a large part of my identity has been rooted in the hair atop my head.

Living in Costa Rica taught me that my ponytail didn’t always have to be perfectly perky and I opted for “surfer girl” hair most of the time. Later in Los Angeles, after a break up, I chopped more than half my hair off - a new bob with bangs. (I know lots of you can relate to a heartbreak haircut.)

Eventually, my blonde strands became less of who I am and simply just a part of my physical being. The moment I landed in South Africa, I was immediately inspired by the beauty of the people around me. The women sport braids and twists and dreds in patterns I have never seen before. Some rock Afros, others have cut their hair into chic pixie-like styles. Thick braids fall down their backs, bouncing against their bums as they move.

I got my hair braided at a salon in a more realistic part of Johannesburg, far from my suburban Airbnb. The place was full on the Friday afternoon, complete with plenty of chatter, olive oil straightening balm and packages holding extensions and weaves. I had never seen so much hair in my life. The woman expertly worked her way through my hair, brushing, twisting and weaving extensions into the braids. A little girl sat next to me, staring unabashedly at my unusual blonde plaits. (They had to search for 30 minutes before finding extensions that matched my shade.) After, my scalp was tight and the braids tickled my back as I turned. I felt like some sort of xenon Amazonian warrior. That night, sleeping proved to be difficult- I was uncomfortable for most of the night and it felt odd to sleep with a scarf on my head. I wanted braids because I felt so inspired by the beauty of Africa. I didn’t realize I would end up learning so much about the culture around hair and what it means for these women. I’m so fascinated by varying definitions of beauty how we categorize what is beautiful or not. Living here reminded me of the importance of finding your own uniqueness, but never letting physical attributes define what that is.

besos,

Krafty