Afro-textured hair to be celebrated at Halifax hair show

Straight, curly, coarse or fine. Humans tend to struggle with thehair they were born with. But sometimes it's not all about appearance.

AskNigerian-bornOsasEweka,who stopped using relaxers and other chemicals on her hair when she was in her late teens.

"Afro-textured hair is political. There are social issues around it," she toldCBC'sInformation Morningon Friday.

• My hair, my choice: Why I wear it natural

She's heard black people speak aboutbeing turned down for jobswhen they woretheir natural hair to a job interview.

"And there are men, regardless of their background, who don't like to date women with Afro-textured hair.That is a thing."

'I chopped it all off'

Eweka, whose family immigrated to Nova Scotia when she was about 13,struggled to find styles and products that enhanced her Afro-textured hair.

She's learned a good deal in the decade since she stopped torturing her hair to conform to the fashion of the day, and that knowledge will be on display Sunday at theMaritimes Natural Hair and Beauty Show at Pier 21.

"I used to perm my hair a lot. I used to play a lot of sports. As soon as I graduated from Halifax West High School,I chopped it all off, about an inch long," she said.

"I've been natural ever since."

Standard of beauty

The hair show is not just about appearances.

"I am very, very passionate about natural hair and I wanted to create a space that brings together people who need resources to take care of their natural hair, to find out about different styles and things they can do with their natural hair," saidEweka, who now lives in Edmonton.

"There are stereotypes and those are types of things we will be talking about at the hair show. People are pushing back saying, 'This is who I am, this is how my hair grows out of my scalp.'

"And that is what I try to encourage at hair shows. You should not have to feel like you have to conform ... to a standard of beauty. You can define your own kind of beauty."

'I love my hair'

There is no doubtnatural hair is makinga comeback in a significant way, she said.

"There are tonnesof YouTube videos and blog posts about it.I love my hair."