Written By Ernesto Johnson aka NessDigi

In the 19th century, Madame C.J. Walker built a multi-million dollar cosmetic empire with innovative products geared to help women of color deal with the difficulties of caring for and maintaining their unique hair textures. Madame Walker's hair products, alongside her competitors, promised consumers many miracles. Some products were effective, but not all. Back then, many of these products purported to make short hair longer, kinky hair straight and troublesome hair more manageable, regardless of how "wooly" or knotty their original hair was.

Women of color continue to face a large challenge and that is, how to present their crown to the world while still embracing who they are. Although we live in a diverse society, African American women seem largely to identify with hairdos belonging to other cultures.

Take for example the blond hair trend. The idiom "Blonds have more fun" appears to resonate strongly with black women as it may for white women because there are many black women who color their hair blond.

This generation has totally embraced the beauty standards held by the dominant culture, while they struggle to embrace or even denounce their own ethnic identity. Black women in the entertainment field exemplify this notion since a majority of them are blond. Mary J. Blige, Lil Kim, Keisha Cole, Beyonce, Vanessa Williams, Eve, Faith, Ciara are just a few examples.

It's no wonder why so many women identify with celebrities, but it is somewhat peculiar to see so many of them altering their appearance to look less ethnic, in favor of a more universal look.

We'll never really know if the expression "Blonds have more fun" holds true, but what is a known fact is that many blacks grapple to embrace the notion that "Black is beautiful."

Gauging from all of the alternative measures some women take to style their hair, its arguable that some don't feel as if their own hair is beautiful, or rather, as beautiful as their European sisters even though now, perms, relaxers, hair straighteners and other applications have made hair care more manageable, and attractive.

So, are women who don't identify with hairstyles indicative of their roots insecure about their ethnic heritage? Truth is, perhaps some are.

Why is it that you would rarely find Asian or Middle Eastern (and other) women who color their hair blond yet black women are so inclined to color their hair blond? Why aren't all women influenced by the dominating culture. Who teaches or what teaches black women not to embrace themselves? The notion that "Black is beautiful" is seldom exhibited through these women appearance because those who continuously add length or a different hair texture are attempting to look like someone else, especially if they don't feel comfortable styling their own hair.

Braids, extensions, wigs, and weaves have become the answer for women with kinky or short hair but is having short hair so appalling? With time and dedication, the length or fullness that they wish for can be naturally attained. Even young girls have taken to these hair techniques now. My friend Tina said, "Those hairstyles are just easier to manage than doing your own hair and it saves us time and effort." The irony with weaves, wigs and braids is that although it does provides a short term solution, prolonged use can cause hair loss, especially around the hair line areas. Its such a paradox that the measures taken for enhancement could facilitate the opposite effect. Both subconsciously and deliberately, a large majority of women who sport these contrived hairstyles overlook the damage these styles can cause, all in favor of a more exotic and accepted look.

Straight, curly, or long hair is characteristically considered idyllic, or "good hair," while hair that is woolly, thick and/or short is resented and deemed undesirable or ugly. In some cases, women who have thick, woolly hair have been referred to as someone who has "naps" which is a deprecating term that means really bad hair. Nevertheless, because of the texture some may have, many Blacks have to toil with their hair far more than people from other backgrounds, but that aspect alone does not make them any less beautiful.

In Harlem, all along 125th street head shops ran by Africans turn huge profits providing young black girls and women hair styles radically different from their own. Nowadays, having your own hair has become outdated and within a few hours, anyone can be made to look like Pamela Anderson, Marilyn Monroe, or even Lil Kim if they have the money. What many women should be aware of is the fact that not all hair stylist or hair technicians are competent and some incidentally mistreat or misinform customers about proper hair care and suitable hair care products.

Like other cosmetic procedures, extensions, wigs and weaves can become habitual and expensive, yet regardless of the expense and the dependency (and in some cases hair loss) these hair styles can pose, they are still heavily demanded; especially from those who benefit from the convenience these alternatives supposedly provide. Nowadays, people must also educate themselves.

Cosmetics should not be the only solution for women with unmanageable hair. Many of the answers to the challenges they face can be resolved with patience.

Desperate for solutions, some women try almost anything with hopes of finding a look that they are comfortable with but some go excessively far, like hip hop recording artist, Lil Kim who no longer resemble a woman of color. Cosmetics ought to simply offer some variety and short-term solutions, not anything permanent, nor anything that would make you appear to love yourself any less.

Everyone has something that they would like to change or enhance about themselves, but there are some things people just have to accept. Looking good takes time and effort and some people are merely interested in the results, not the process. Having long hair takes years to attain and for women who desire length, with patience it can be obtained.

Another key is learning how to take care of the hair you were born with. Most hair alternatives only mask the underlying problem.

People of color have far greater challenges when it comes to maintaining their hair, but thanks to the advances Madame C.J. Walker made, there are far more options available. The once formidable kinks, naps, peezy, knotted hair can now be managed with perms and relaxers and the stigma that some have of bad hair, their own hair should now be a thing of the past. Everyone deserves to sport a look that makes them feel comfortable without ignoring their true identity.

And for the record, I don't have anything against women who sport wigs, weaves, braids, etc., (I actually like some styles) but I do think its odd if they can't sometimes rock their own head of hair.

Black women, in the words of the immortal Barry White:
Don't go changing
Trying to please me
You never let me down before
… I love you just the way you are.