Beauty is Only Skin Deep

As black women, for most of us our image is everything. We spend hours at the beauty shop, hours at the nail salon, and hours upon hours in the shopping mall to find the perfect wardrobe…all for the sake of outward appearance. As a black woman, I am a living witness/testimony to the pride we take in the beautification of our hair. While on the other hand, as a health professional, I have learned that for many black women that hair style (moreso the money dished out for that hairstyle) takes precedence over exercise. For me, I have figured out a system that enables me to experience the best of both worlds…fly hair and a healthy and fit body. So with this article, I would like to address this issue, create dialogue on “our hair & our health” as well as offer some tips for maintaining a balance.

I believe (and this is only MY OPINION), that growing up as little black girls, hair was always of importance. Our mamas took the time…and put us through the pain of combing, pressing and braiding our tresses to make sure we weren’t “walking around with our heads looking a mess.” We had more hair bows and ribbons than we could ever imagine. Sometimes, I had so many on my head that they would poke me in the eye! We even had “baby dolls” that we played with and experimented on by cutting, curling and braiding their hair…just like our mamas did to us. But, nevertheless, our hair always looked cute and presentable for whatever the occasion. Then we grew up to be adults with the same habit, doing whatever necessary to make sure our hair looks good for whatever the occasion, but now the problem is we are sacrificing our health for the sake of beauty. Unfortunately, as little girls, for most of us physical health was not stressed as much as outward appearance, which now looms over our heads as we try to find a solid balance between health and beauty.

So what can we do, to not break the habit of beauty and proper upkeep, but to find a balance to help us experience fly hair and a “bangin” body? For me, it has been keeping my hair short, learning how to style my own, and maintaining a regular maintenance routine. My routine has changed over the past year or two, but this is what I do: go to a stylist once a month for a trim/relaxer (if needed), washing and condition my hair once or twice a week, go light on the heat, and wear a soft style that can be maintained with a little bump of the flat iron. Also, I never get my hair done before exercising; therefore, I always schedule my appointment after I have completed my workout for the day. Now does this or will this work for everyone? Of course not, here a few tips that I have observed from ladies I come in contact with.

1. Wrap the hair during exercise ( I sweat in my head so this doesn’t work for me)

2. Sit under a dryer after exercise if you hair is wet

3. Get protective styles such as braids, sew ins, wigs, kinky twists, etc

4. Maintain a routine

5. Speak with your stylist about what options are best for you.

6. Get styles that can be easily maintained in between trips to the salon.

7. Go light on the heat to prevent breakage

Not only do I hope these tips help, but more importantly, I hope that you find a balance between health and beauty in that you do not have to choose one or the other. Remember beauty is only skin deep…so avoid being a beauty queen on the outside, suffering from heart disease on the inside. Let’s get active, fight the statistics and make our health a priority…and look good doing it!


Here are a few pics of styles that my friends (and I) wear:

Krystal with two strand twists

Me wearing short hair

Kourtni wearing a sew in

Janice wearing a curly natural

Leonia wearing micro braids