The thicker, curvier nature of African American hair follicles produces tighter, kinky coils. African American women can opt for treatments to straighten their hair, or may prefer more natural styles that highlight the curly texture — which can vary from person to person. There are some classic styles that are always in fashion, but you’ll want to find a hairstyle that fits your overall personal style.

Afro

The Afro is a popular style created by combing the hair away from the face and up on the head, creating a round, cloud-like effect. It’s an easy-to-care-for style that you can achieve by just letting you hair grow naturally. The size of the Afro will depend upon the length of your hair. The longer and kinkier the hair, the bigger the Afro becomes. If you want a tamer and less poufy Afro, you can style it with cream, gel or solidifying liquid. An occasional trimming can keep your Afro under control.

Cornrows

You can create cornrows by braiding your hair in a three-strand pattern quite similar to French braids. Create thin braided rows along the length of your scalp from your face to the back of your neck. Keep the braids tight and close to the scalp. If you have long hair, you can create little, thin strands of braids that can extend past your neck. Weaving beads at the end of the braided sections or at intervals along the length of each braid adds visual appeal. You can keep your cornrow style simple with straight lines; however, you can also create patterns in different shapes, such as zigzag and spirals, to add more character to your hairstyle. Tying your cornrows in a ponytail will give you a tidier appearance. Creating cornrows can take several hours to complete because of the complexity involved in creating several sections of braids.

Curly Weave

If you have short or damaged hair, you may want to get a curly hair weave. Hair extensions are often synthetic; however, for the best quality, choose human hair extensions that resemble your natural hair. A curly weave hairstyle takes patience. It can take at least 2 to 3 hours to accomplish a basic curly weave, which includes preparing the hair extensions and your natural hair. Creating a beehive braid pattern on your natural hair will provide the hair extensions a base for weaving. The hair extension is then weaved to the beehive by using a weaving needle and thread that matches the color of the hair extension.