“Black women especially have a unique situation because kinky, coiled, highly textured hair is not seen as desirable in our society,” said Nikki Walton, aka Curly Nikki. “We have to change what we’ve been trying to mold ourselves to because we are fighting nature – and it’s a losing battle.”
It’s a war of tresses Curly Nikki knows all too well – one that she hopes to shed light on with the release of her book Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair, written with Ernessa T. Carter.
“All we are trying to achieve is healthy hair. We are not anti-relaxer, we are not anti-straight hair or anti-weave – there is none of that going on anywhere on CurlyNikki.com or in the book,” Walton said.
“It’s all about showing a healthy alternative so that women can have that versatility. I just want women to feel just as confident when they wear their natural hair as they do when they are wearing it straight. Once you achieve that, I don’t care what you do with your hair.”
The Curly Nikki brand grew out of utter frustration from a girl from St. Louis who left the luxury of urban salons when she traveled to attend college at Truman State University. Her inability to access someone to maintain her press and curl led to hair and self-esteem trauma. Her hair became broken and damaged, and her spirit followed suit.
“I had never washed my own hair, I had never styled my own hair, so it was really difficult,” Walton said.
“I jumped online with the user name Curly Nikki and was researching like crazy. I would share what I found. I was synthesizing the information I found and sharing it in a fun way so that the members of those forums came to anticipate and respect my opinion and my product reviews, and they suggested that I start my own site.”
Four years ago, she did exactly that.
“I was very fearful at first because I didn’t think anyone would care to read what I was doing with my hair all the time,” Walton said.
Her site, curlynikki.com, has grown into a full-fledged community for natural hair – the largest of its kind on the web – and an invaluable resource for those looking to attain and maintain the kinks, coils, waves and curls that make black hair beautiful.
“I never saw it as a business venture, it was just to help people,” Walton said. “I don’t have any professional training in hair care, but I’m proud to be able to provide a platform for women to come together to educate and inspire each other. ”
A book was the next step
“I wanted to create some kind of companion piece, so that the information would be presented in a linear way and in a narrative that’s fun and easy to read and that could be a quick reference guide for newbies and natural hair veterans,” Walton said.
Mission accomplished. With the help of Carter – also a St. Louis native – Walton used the village approach with testimonies, tips, tutorials, confessionals and hair success stories.
“Hopefully the book will help you from the beginning of your journey and caring for your hair and your children’s hair,” Walton said.
But for her it’s about more than just rocking a twist out or the puffy glorious ringlets that have made Curly Nikki famous.
“Our hair is very wrapped up in our self-image – all women. And for black women it is more difficult because our hair is not seen as beautiful,” Walton said.
“We have to reclaim that. This is not just about hair – it transcends hair as the aesthetic, and it goes to helping women find their genuine self-esteem that is not fleeting and fluctuating with the state of their edges.”
“Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair” is available online and retail outlets nationwide. For more information on Curly Nikki, visit www.curlynikki.com.
