A woman’s hair is her crowning glory and the way it is styled says a lot about her.
Although men often complain about their wives spending hours at the salon, most women understand the need to look good in the eyes of their husbands so as to keep him from gawking at some other lady in their absence. As a result, ladies are getting creative with their manes so as to stay sexy and trendy.
While the hair industry continues to rake in billions of dollars each year ($684 billion according to Mintel), a sustained decline in the affinity for traditional African hairstyles has been recorded. In spite of this downward trend, many Nigerian women still wear the local patterns with pride as it gives them a sense of identity and is less expensive than the contemporary fringe, braid and ponytail.
To encourage and promote Nigerian cultures, Jovago.com, Africa’s Hotel Booking Portal identifies some of these beautiful and exotic traditional hairstyles.
Clap-your-hands
Popularly called Patewo which literarily means clap-your-hands, this is a hairstyle woven in the shape of two hands clasped together; more like placing the palms together to say the lord’s prayer. Rather than having hair weaved to the back, the shaft is entwined at the middle in order to take a firm shape. There are different styles for this hair which include front, back and double patewo
Suku
Like the All-Back which is weaved towards the rear of the head, Suku is oftentimes plaited with the wefts pointing to the sky. Depending on the dexterity of the stylist, it can be shaped in such a way that it does not look tattered or scattered. It is a beautiful hairstyle.
Hair Plaited with thread
Using a thread to plait your hair may be old fashion however, the style is still in vogue among women who are trying to grow their hair and children of school age. Depending on the individual wearing the hairstyle, they can add a touch of class by making it fashionable with fancy coloured threads and ringlets.
All Back
This is referred to as Kolese in Yoruba. It is one of the simplest traditional hairstyles among Nigerian women. As the name implies, all the hair strands are plaited backwards after they are separated into tiny rows with a sharp object and the end point depend on how long the hair is.
Fulani Hairstyle
The Fulani hairstyle is an artistic and flamboyant hairdo adorned by Fulani women from Northern Nigeria-Katsina, Kano and Niger. The hair is long, part plaited and decorated with beads. Due to its durable nature, Fulani women favour this fashion as it complements their nomadic tendencies.
| Ogunfowoke Adeniyi | |
| Travel/Technology Writer | |
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