Heart & Soul

Comedienne Wanda Sykes does it. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross and “Extra” co-host Tanika Ray have made it their signature. It’s always been a part of Jill Scott’s style repertoire. Even Beyoncé’s little sister, Solange, is flirting with it. What’s the “it” that these beauties share? They’ve embraced their textured tresses and are taking the look to stylish new heights. And according to top stylists we spoke to, they’re not the only ones.

A major reason for this style shift, says Anu Prestonia of Khamit Kinks natural hair care salon in New York City, is “a generation of young women who feel freer to experiment with natural hair. Rather than wearing braids, locs or twists, they’re going for freer styles” that emphasize the waves, curls or coils that come naturally for a lot of us.

In addition, says Craig Carter of Carlos Lobo salon in New York City, “There are a lot of new hair products on the market made to enhance texture. These innovative styling gels, creams, lotions and serums are moisture enriched, define texture like never before and have softening agents to make hair more manageable.”

Convenience is another draw toward textured ’dos, says Anthony Dickey, who’s been at the forefront of this trend with his New York-based Hair Rules salon and product line. “These styles are easier to maintain and require less work,” he says. “It’s the closest many black women have been to having fuss-free hair.”

Since a lot of the ways we’ve styled our hair over the decades have involved straightening, many of us have lost touch with our true texture. We don’t know how to style or care for it. The traditional Afro, in all its picked-out glory, was an earlier attempt toward our acceptance of natural hair, but “it involved pulling the hair out for length and volume,” Dickey says. “We pulled the curl detail out so we never saw what it could do.”

And stylistically it had its limitations. “Whether it was short, medium or a big old Jackson 5 type of ’fro, it had a certain precision and structure to it,” Prestonia recalls. “Today it’s more about free-flowing ’fros and not being so uptight about what the shape looks like.”

Another factor that prevented many of us from knowing our hair was the lack of products on the market formulated to bring out its best characteristics. A lot of the shampoos we used to get our hair squeaky clean were actually robbing it of the moisture that tighter textures need. And then there was hair grease. “We used pomades to control our hair, but many of them were petroleum based and not good for the health of our hair and scalp,” Prestonia says. Now, says Dickey, “We understand a whole lot more about hair, so it’s about choosing products that are texture rather than ethnic specific.” The beauty of this new way of rocking natural hair is the individuality it offers, he continues. “It’s brought about more diversity and uniqueness to the ways in which black women style their hair.”

There’s never been a better time to discover the beauty of your hair’s own texture. The best way to determine it, says Carter, is to observe your hair when it’s wet. “That will indicate how tight or loose your natural curl pattern is.” From there it’s all about researching products and techniques to help you maintain and style it.

The topic of textured hair has sparked several Web sites and blogs dedicated to all things curly and coily. For styling tips, product and salon recommendations and forums and more, here are five of our faves:

CurlyNikki.com Psychotherapist Nikki Walton’s blog promotes the beauty and healthy benefits of natural hair; featured testimonials and photos submitted by readers are style inspiring!

NaturallyCurly.com This comprehensive site, dedicated to wavy, curly and kinky-curly hair, is a virtual celebration of texture.

Nappturality.com What began as a Yahoo! forum by founder Patricia Gaines nine years ago has evolved into a full-fledged Web site and popular information exchange for natural hair wearers.

Hairrules.com Stylist Anthony Dickey’s site features product application videos and a practical photo-illustrated “Kinky, Curly, Wavy” hair guide.

Nappyhairaffair.com Writer Linda Jones’ hair affirmations site grew out of informal “hairepy” sessions with friends who preferred natural styles.

Photo: Keston Duke