Against the backdrop of the Clicks ad fiasco, comes a new series that celebrates black hair in all its glory. The word “Hair” alone evokes emotions for women the world over, and more particularly, black women who have now, more than ever, started embracing their natural hair.

This evolution did not come without a revolution and any black woman will tell you that the shift away from westernised policing of hair has been a long, hard fight. As a young girl grows into a woman, as fashion trends change, as seasons change, one thing remains true throughout – hair is more than aesthetics and more importantly, there are no rules to our hair.

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Halo Heritage, along with Boity Thulo, put together a panel of African queens to capture  The Halo Diaries, a 3 episode series that tackles the intimate topic of the relationship between a black woman and her hair.

In addition to Boity Thulo, the group, led by Anele Mdoda, included Naledi Radebe (lifestyle content creator), Lerato Seuoe (ex cosmo beauty editor and expert), ThickLeeyonce (content creator), Moozlie (musician) and Adera Kachienga (model & Halo Heritage ambassador). The group discussed their hair (halo) journeys, sharing real, intimate stories about African hair.

These dynamic women opened up about their own natural hair journeys, the impact of the media and the way we feel as women – a conversation that will resonate with all black women, no matter where they are in the world.

Radebe, who has floor-length locks, said that one of her first memories of her hair being politicized was in high school, where teachers told her she couldn’t wear her natural hair because it was too ‘excitable’.

Thickleeyonce disclosed that Rihanna was her first hair inspiration, but because her hair wasn’t growing fast enough, she found pieces of weave and used superglue to stick them to her hair, really highlighting what women had to go through in order to feel accepted by society.

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“Your hair is actually a journey and people go through various turns to get to a place where they feel like they can enjoy their hair,” shared Seuoe, while Moozlie shared that after chopping off her hair she had to label herself as ‘your favourite bald chick’ because she was cognisant of the fact that there were thousands of people [in this line of work] and she had to be remembered somehow.

Thulo said that the three words she would use to describe her hair journey would be “royal, enough and beautiful” while Kachienga said her three words are, “diverse, exciting and vivacious” adding, “when you have THAT hairstyle, it gives you the oomph and confidence to take on any environment you’re in”.

As the discussion progressed, it became evident that hair is not one absolute thing for every black woman. Hair is unique, personal, and ever-changing and the women showed this through their honesty and willingness to discuss their intimate hair journeys.

Episode 2 will be live on the Halo Heritage Youtube page on the 1st of October, while Episode 3 will be live on the 8th of October.

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THE EXPERIMENTAL ACTRESS: ENHLE MBALI

She’s not on the latest cover of DRUM Hair for nothing.

Enhle Mbali has been serving style goals for a long as we can remember. The style icon opens up about her knack for experimenting with different hairstyles on the hair publication’s latest edition. “I am pretty comfortable with different hairstyles and I think people have noticed…”

Well, of course, we have. The 31-year-old thespian-turned-fashion designer recently delighted her more than 1 million Instagram followers when she premiered bomb ass dreadlocks. Enhle is always playing on the edge of convention with her hair do’s, and it often pays off.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a hairstyle where I thought, “yoh, uh uh… I can’t do this!”, she shared with the publication, adding that she’s “never had a hair regret thus far.”

Not one!?

QUEEN OF COLOUR: NADIA NAKAI

There’s an unassailable boldness about Nadia Nakai. It’s there when she spits the double entendres in her verses, it’s there when she takes on the stage and it’s definitely there in her hairstyle choices.

And even though we’d already banged out some bomb hair moments here,  she’s shown no signs of slowing down since then. There’s a different hair colour on Nadia’s head every other week, and it keeps everyone talking about more than just the bops.

‘THE MOON MOP’: MOONCHILD SANELLY

Moonchild’s fun personality sure forms part of her musical charm, which she unleashes everytime she’s on stage.

But further to her never-say-die personality, the singer is also known for her trademark blue mop of massive curls.

And while she often credits an actual mop as the source of inspiration at the root of her famous ‘do, she won’t take too kindly to people copying. Moonchild famously patented the striking look, which means you and I should think deeply about requesting this one at a hair salon near you.

BALD THEN, BOLD NOW: MOOZLIE 

There’s no doubt that Nomuzi ‘Moozlie’ Mabena’s bald look aligned perfectly with her edgy attitude, especially back when she was laying down verses at Cashtime and being the ‘young MaBrr’, and all of that.  Though, that is now truly a distant memory. The Vatel hitmaker’s infamous departure from the music label was accompanied by a rebranding for the rapper slash TV presenter’s entire look.

RELATED: MOOZLIE’S VICTORY IS HERE – THE DEBUT ALBUM REVIEW

Her transition from MTV Base to VUZU saw her grow out her hair and ditch the bald look for a short, classic 1930’s fingerwave cut. Having kept that look long enough to create yet another trademark look attached to her gradual ascension in SA’s pop-cultural imagination, Moozlie followed the release of her debut album – Victory – with a more modern look.

BOX FADE QUEEN: LOOTLOVE 

Photo Credit: ZeeTakesNicePictures via Instagram

The last time we celebrated the media personality’s rare ability to switch between elegant high fashion glam, androgynous tomboy realness and streetwear swag like no other. This year, everyone is celebrating her journey to motherhood, as she preps for the birth of her twins with rapper Reason.

You can’t quite mention Lootlove without saying something about her trademark box haircuts though, can you?

RELATED: EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT LOOTLOVE’S STYLE 

Lootlove has been living proof that short haircuts don’t necessarily mean your hairstyling options are limited. Quite the opposite!

Real name Luthando Shosha, the style icon has transitioned between box fades, frizzy fingerwaves, German haircuts to a range of short tapered cuts.

DREADLOCKS:  CLAIRE MAWISA

Claire Mawisa is one of those people whose dreadlocks serves such goals that you can’t help but bring it up almost everytime you bump into them. The Carte Blanche presenter’s natural dreadlocks are long, healthy and lush!

THE NUBIAN PRINCESS: NOMZAMO MBATHA

The actress a beautiful embodiment of what it means to be a young black woman smashing down doors and getting the bag in 2018. But while she’s loved for her undeniable acting skill, beauty, activism and philanthropy, we are going to toss in her hair on that list!

The Isibaya actress has maintained a natural look through either opting for creative styles that showcase the richness of her natural hair, or playing around with wigs and weaves that still amplify African textures.

Reckon we left anyone out of this list? Join the conversation by leaving your comment below.

Many people suffering from hair loss aren’t aware that some of the most effective solutions are in fact already in their own kitchens. Talk about the philosophy of ‘looking within’ perpetuating itself in areas of your life you least expected it to show up!

While lifestyle factors are key in taking care of your hair, there’s a whole minefield of natural ingredients you can use at home to stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth.

One such remedy is onion juice.

Onion juice is one of the most effective home remedies to thining and receding hair. This is because onion contains sulfur, a chemical element that promotes blood circulation, stimulates hair follicles and enhances hair regrowth.

As such, Sulfur is often considered one of the building blocks of hair. This naturally occurring chemical is essential for maintaining the shape of keratin – the protein which makes up our hair. Keratin contributes significantly to the texture, overall health and elasticity of hair.

Onion Juice is effective for the regeneration of hair follicles. Photo Credit: www.hishairclinic.com

What’s more, sulfur has been scientifically proven to have positive effects on growing hair. The chemical stretches the growing phase of your hair, which prolong the amount of time it takes for your hair to reach the resting and shedding stages.

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Onion packs a ton of sulfur, making it a potent remedy for boosting hair growth, adding volume and stimulating regrowth. If you haven’t encountered anyone gushing about great results from directly applying onion juice on their scalp, you’ve got some credible online forums with people swearing by it.

Causes Of Hair Loss

Reasons for the thining, receding, falling out, balding and stagnation in the growth of hair vary from genetic factors, hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, to stress, diet, exercise (or lack of it) etc. Years of using chemicals on hair, getting hairstyles that damage your hair such as dying, bleaching, braids, buns and potytails can also play a role in hair loss. In most men, however, balding tends to hereditary. This condition is called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness.

Other Risk Factors That Lead To Hair Loss

• A history of balding. This could be from either side of parents’ families.
• Age; hair growth slows down as one age.
• Dramatic weight loss.
• Medical conditions
• Stress

Benefits of Using Onion Juice For Hair Regrowth 

• The juice boosts the rate at which your hair grows or grows back by increasing the levels of an antioxidant enzyme catalase. The enzyme optimises hair growth and reverses the greying of hair.
• The sulfur helps reduce the thinning and breakage of hair
• Onion also has antibacterial properties that maintain a healthy scalp. Those properties reduce the occurrence of infections and dandruff.
• Onion juice will stimulate your scalp by improving the circulation of blood.

How To Make Onion Juice 

Making onion juice is easy. All you need is to extract the juice from an onion and apply the juice directly on your head. You can you a grater, a blender or juicer for smaller and wetter pieces of the onion, before squeezing out the juice into a container. While you can use the onion juice alone for the regeneration of hair follicles, many people add other ingredients to strengthen hair, remove dead bits, etc, to the mix.

These natural ingredients include;

• Honey
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Olive Oil
• Rosemary Oil

You can use the oil a minimum of three times a week, although twice daily is recommended.