It ain’t easy being natural: Learning how to care for hair that kinks, coils, and curls takes time, especially for those who have recently grown out their relaxed hair to rock their natural textures. Fortunately, there’s a whole world within YouTube of videos made by natural-hair gurus, giving hair-care tips, style tutorials, product reviews, and some of what we can only describe as straight-up hair porn (you'll see what we mean).
So, if you’re in need of some natural-hair education and inspiration, here are eight (of the many!) girls to watch.
Quest for the Perfect Curl Figuring out a hair-product regimen is a taxing ordeal, requiring trial and error—not to mention and time and money. Thankfully, Elle has reviews of almost every shampoo, conditioner, and gel on the planet on her YouTube account, which is aptly named “Quest for the Perfect Curl,” to give you an idea of what brands are worth the buy. Your wallet will appreciate it.
Hey Fran Hey This bohemian beauty is a master at maintaining healthy hair and a healthy lifestyle. Subscribe to Hey Fran Hey for instructional videos on all-natural hair care, tips on staying mentally fit, and motivation to not eat that third (or fourth or fifth) slice of pizza. Of course, if you do eat it, we won't judge you.
TheChicNatural One of the pluses of natural hair is its versatility, but it’s easy to fall into the habit of wearing the same styles over and over again. Enter TheChicNatural: Her unique updos (like her “Pony Hawk” and “Fab French Braided Bun”) will make you seriously appreciate the things your kinks and curls can do.
Jouelzy All natural hair is not made the same. Kinkier textures, for example, don’t necessarily have a defined curl pattern, and require extra TLC to avoid dryness and breakage. Naturals who are struggling to maintain this texture can look to Jouelzy for inspiration, as she wears her kinky crown proudly (and keeps her eyebrows #enflique as she does so).
Nefertiti Bourne While many naturals wouldn’t touch hair dye with a ten-foot pole, this girl is fearless when it comes to color. Seriously: She’s rocked green, purple, a dope cyan/electric blue ombré, and–most recently–a shaved head. Nefertiti is all about exciting hair transformations, and you’ll love her for it.
Razorempress Who said natural girls can’t have long hair? This babe from the British Virgin Islands has a luxurious mane that defies all the stereotypes of kinky and curly hair, and her videos show just how she’s retained her length. Long hair, do care.
Mo Knows Hair Mo of “Mo Knows Hair” is a master at defining her fine, loosely curled hair. Plus, she’s a hairstylist herself, and she’s dedicated her YouTube account to teaching viewers how to repair damaged hair of varying textures.
Sadora Paris Many a natural-hair journey starts with a TWA (“teeny weeny afro”), which seems like a pretty limiting style–what much can you really do with a low-cut ‘fro, right? Well, Sadora Paris proves that it’s absolutely possible to achieve different ‘dos, even with short hair.
