12 November 2009 ~ 34 Comments
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I won’t compare it to relaxers. I might be wrong but relaxers on women seem like they have a stronger psycho-emotional effect than on men… I for one can NEVER date a man who uses S-curl or relaxers… Hell naw.
Personally, I think that men who use s-curls are pathetic. There is absolutely NO reason for it. Imo, they don’t even look good. It’s just a 21st century jerry curl. I love a man with nappy hair!
Yes, it is. Eurocentric beauty standards impact men as well – have you all listened to Wale’s new song ft. Chrisette Michele ‘Shades’?
I think it has become oppressive the way we talk about ‘natural hair’ among black people – women are always the target but I have seen men try to straighten their hair or use s-curls to make it ‘curly’. I’m also not convinced that fresh fades are ‘natural’ lol.
Yes!! I had a boyfriend who would do it every once in a while because he thought his hair looked better with it in. He was also a little “complexion-struck” as he admitted to me that he preferred women with my complexion and up. Needless to say, that didn’t last! LOL
Leila, I am so glad you posted this. LOL. I dated this one guy in high school and he had an s-curl and he was sooo concerned about his hair, I couldn’t touch it or he’d freak out. Like Q mentioned, this guy was a variation of complexion-struck. He was hair struck. This guy would go out of his way to introduce me to his friends and say, “This my girl Shari, don’t she have that good hair????” Ugh.
This has been on my mind too! I remember when I first realized that men used texturizers to get the ‘wavy’ hair- I naively assumed they just used some good ‘ol grease and tied a wave cap on. My current bf explained the whole process to me, that most guys buy the box from CVS or something and its just like a relaxer but less harsh. The only thing I could thing was ‘really’. It just sounded way more deep than women getting perms (because at least with females, you’re socially taught its just the thing to do) whereas when it effects men who are less socially conditioned to a certain standard it just feels wrong slash hilarious.
shari! ewww he would really introduce you like that. lmao! that’s so weird. i’ve never liked texturizers on men. IMO men should not be that concerned with their hair. again that’s my opinion.
Chinye, yes, the doo rags/wave caps! I almost forgot about that. Who’s gonna make a docu-comedy about this???
Interesting thing is…I actually know some guys who have parents that are against them growing their hair out at all and I almost get the impression that some of them use s-curls and other things as a way to get a little variety since they are not allowed to grow out their fro’s. I’ve also noticed the attitude especially among the parents of some people my age that a guy that wears his hair long is either feminine or no-good. Yet, if they get something done to their hair they just have “good hair”. I feel that the mindset concerning hair afects guys as well as women or they wouldn’t have cared so much about my “pretty, long, straight” hair when I had a perm. Also for the record I used to date a guy who would straighten his hair and I hated it(even though I still permed mine) No I loved it when he wore it out in a beautiful big afro puff! That was the best I could hope for from him(he would not rock the fro alone)…Well I could go on…but I’m to long-winded
I’m going to say yes in the sense that s-curl and a relaxer are essentially the same. A relaxer that contains sodium hydroxide, and it does it has the same effect. Loosening the curl pattern, only with relaxers it’s loosened until it’s straight; and they’re both permanent. If you ask me, one could probably achieve the same effect with a little Kinky-Curly and not have to deal with permanent alteration, but to each his own I suppose.
Wow. Do dudes really do this? I thought the only man putting a process in his head was Al Sharpton.
Yes I think that s-curl juice and texturizers are the black man’s version of relaxers and weaves. I used to think that was naturally Bobby V’s texture when he 1st came out with “Slow Down”. When I found out it was an s-curl it turned me off. Anyways, I remember watching Making The Band on MTV and Diddy was giving Day 26 makeovers and he had the stylist give Robert s-curls. I though it looked really bad. I preferred that they just cut his hair but not put that stuff in. Diddy used 2 rock an s-curl heavy back in the 90s when he was w.Mase. I just think it’s weird…
@Chinye Some guys do use the good old grease, brush and wave cap method LOL My little bros do. :-)
I noticed that guys use texturizers *Bobby Valentine* or perms Katt Williams* so nah can’t say its a black guy’s version of a perm. lol For a guy it just may seem to be more popular since its seems less feminine to use for some than a perm. I’ve seen so many dudes with perms I have to go nahhh man, they use both LOL
My husband when I met him had in a texturizer. I thought it was his hair texture honestly but when I learned it was a texturizer it didn’t bother me. He looked fine with it and fine without it. He’s handsome to me no matter what and I never once felt he was pathetic.:-) He could judge me the same since I had a perm in as being so. Even as I’m natural when I think back I find him still as strong willed in the sense of who he is. To be completely honest, I used to think that all dudes with locs *when I was younger* were weed heads*of course not anymore* and a little older I thought were automatically deep intellectual individuals. I now know its takes getting to know that person by talking to them versus “judging a book by its cover” upon the essence of their character :-) All dudes with texturizers aren’t vain or superficial lol
(Don’t mind me I’m just the voice with a different opinion, I don’t bash just give my take :-)lol )
When I think of s-curls or texturizers, I think of “Soul Glo”, I think that’s why it leaves such a sour taste in my mouth but I honestly never could tell a man had an s-curl until someone said they had the s-curl. I always just assumed it was the guy’s natural texture. In the end, whatever makes him happy!
I agree with you Jaded. I do find it very interesting to that there is a consensus that men with treated hair look odd yet by the same judgement women with relaxed hair apparently do not look odd.
I think very often men with a looser curl whose hair naturally waves end up getting tainted with the same brush.
I am all for banning stereotypes. I will be honest and say that I too never liked the idea of men treating their hair, however, I am now of the opinion, let each person walk their own path, I’d rather see the content of their mind rather than the package it comes in.
I think perms/texturizes maybe comparable to women with perms. Especially when it’s to the point that men/ women define themselves with their altered hair. If they just can’t bear to be seen without their altered hair, then its a problem!
Before meeting my now hubby in person, he described himself with curly hair in a phone conversation. But when I met him and smelled the activator in his hair, I felt like he lied and I told him so. I asked him if I described myself with long wavy hair, but wearing a long weave, would my description of myself truly be accurate!?
I think my hubby is a very handsome and I told him that he doesn’t need to use the texturizer, but he likes it and I assume he feels more attractive. He told many of his old girlfriends wanted to have babies with him ’cause he had ‘good hair’! (eye roll)
Yes. When I was a senior in high school, I was at my best guy friend’s house and I went into his bathroom to get him a q-tip or something. So I open up the medicine cabinet and a box of s-curl fell out and hit me in the head. Up until then, I thought he just had curly hair because both his mother and sister had very loose coils. I brought the box to him and I was like, “Why do you use this???? What’s wrong with your hair just the way it is???” Because I thought s-curls and the like were just plain stupid. He looked at me, grabbed a handful of my stick-straight hair and asked, “Why do you perm your hair?? What’s wrong with your hair just the way it is??” I left him alone after that but it made me realize just how much men are similarly affected by European beauty ideals when it comes to their own looks.
It’s the consensus among me and my sisters that guys with s-curls are lame. I suppose it comes from the reasoning that women are expected to be more high-maintenance, getting relaxers and our hair done. And I’m seriously low maintenance, even when I had a relaxer, so if I see a guy w/ chemically processed hair that lets me know from the start we’re probably not going to be compatible in that aspect. LOL
A few of my SO’s friends actually relax their hair to get waves then apply S-Curl products. I found that to be mind blowing since I never even knew men used relaxers or even put that much thought into their hair *shrugs*
no, because it’s not culturally/socially expected for them to have s-curls. and thank God it isn’t the norm, because it looks a hot greasy mess. and why do they always look like they’re about to do something shady? [tell me bobby v doesn't look diabolical in that photo!]
I definitely feel that some black dudes think their features would look better if they had curls, even artificial curls, atop their heads. I gotta say, Kanye West is one of my hair idols because he rocks his napps unabashedly.
I so totally have to leave a comment for this topic…I had not idea that guys used texturizers and s-curl stuff…until…I dated this guy and I noticed his hair texture and I asked him if he was mixed with anything. (at this point I had only met his moms side of the family and no one had texture similar to his)…and you know what this low life told me! “I am mixed with Cuban” (yes he was a low-life as this would be the first of many lies). So one day, (we are still dating) I see him with this green and black box putting some stuff in his hair. Still he is perpetrating like its a deep moisturizing treatment. When I finally (some months later yeah i know i was naive), figured out what the heck it was I do admit I lost some respect for him. Not so much because he used the product, but because he felt the need to lie about it and that he having his hair scurled made him feel more successful. And if that doesn’t scream complex from social constructs of beauty (along with pathological liar) I don’t know what does! So yes I think that they (relaxers and scurls) are the same thing because the use of them tends (not always) to be encouraged by the indoctrinated European standards of beauty.
I don’t think I would date a guy with an s curl. I dunno, It just seems to say so much more about them than just an s curl.
Does anyone else think that this Bobby Valentino cover looks like the box of “Sportin Waves” hair kit?
I took a double take… swore it was! hah
So I’m not gonna lie, I had to look up what an S-Curl even is. I don’t get the point of it. Like relaxers, whats the point? Especially when you can achieve the same results without a permanent commitment. S-Curls are like the mans relaxers.
Can’t men achieve waves with a good brush and some beeswax? And then some dudes naturally have those type curls, don’t they? I’m now very confused about men of African descent and their hair.
yea i think texturizers and s-curls are the equivelent to women with the weaves and perms . its all hair manipulation …
FINALLY SOMEONE ADDRESSED THIS!!!
S-curls simulate “good hair” for men
relaxers simulate “good hair” for women
the exact same thing
just like many people would want to have hair like mixed (black/white) people, curly with body and moisture, not nappy, stiff and dry
little do people know, black people’s hair (nappy,kinky, whatever u want to call it) can be manipulated [WITHOUT CHEMICALS] to be curly with body and moisture, straight, or whatever
i wish i had known this before i subjected myself to the creamy crack
most black guys dont want to rock an afro these days, and dont know how to style their hair, hence we see 90% of them with fades or bald
men get weaves [how u doin?] and perms, women get s-curls and texturizers
basically, these are harsh ways to achieve a certain style
with the right conditions and styling products (it depends on ur hair, find out what works for u, check out some forums and test)
My husband has an aquiantance who has an s-curl. My friend and I call him Pretty Ricky.
I’m really surprised that many women here don’t know or didn’t know that guys do stuff to their hair. Guys have always done stuff to their hair. My dad used to tell me about something called “conkaline” or something like that to straighten their hair.
I don’t have a problem with guys doing stuff to their hair. I don’t like the fake hair. I did encounter that once and it startled me. I don’t really like bald heads either.
Thats just not attractive to me, I don’t think its attractive when guys give more attention than needed to themselves. Thumbs down to pretty boys!
i find it funny how women dnt like a guy that takes care of his hair( not meaning relaxers just taking care of it “pretty boys”) but can bet 100% of women dnt want a guy walkin around smellin like booty lol….isn’t that all apart of taking care of yourself?
I’ve seen a guy with permed hair. I believe he was Jamaican. It was weird.
I know Terrence Howard had beautiful, wavy hair in crash. However, I don’t prefer it.
I love curly, coily and kinky haired men. They’re unbelievably hot for some reason. I’ve always loved it. I have no problems with straight hair either. As long as you rock what you were born with.
Men with permed hair…I really don’t know what to think. It’s not necessary at all. Maybe they have issues with natural hair (I know every guy in my high school was like that). I just don’t get it.
I dated a guy for a while and at one point he had braids. Well he wanted me to put a relaxer in his hair so that it could be wavy (but he didn’t say that until after)…lol…i told him not to (i was relaxed at the time). He was so upset and his hair was ruined…lmbo!!!!
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