As much as I loved my last natural hair style from Zamora, I love this one even more. A mohawk seems like a pretty simple style. Yet I have tried and failed, on many an occasion, to pull it off. My long, loose curls flop everywhere, covering the “shaved” sides, while the bobby pins can hardly hold the look in place. Ah the curse of the floppy fro! Well, I’ve found the antidote in Zamora.
The secret to getting my mohawk to work? Obviously I can’t give away all the styling magic. However, I will say it was mostly through a mix of hidden bantu knots to control the length of the loose hair, and flat twists to smooth down the volume at the sides: The result was a modern “twist” (pun intended) on a classic yet edgy look.
The mohawk has an interesting history: The style is named for the indigenous Mohawk people, but the name is inaccurate, derived from Hollywood misrepresenting people of colour (as usual). The style was actually worn more frequently by the people of the Iroquois nation. However, there is evidence that the mohawk was worn by ancient people all over the world including Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Still, despite its longevity, this style is seen by many as “edgy” “alternative” or even “punk.” It’s truly amazing the way we are constantly making old things new again, and the way mainstream culture can decide what is “shocking” or “normal” style, and when worn by whom. Hair is definitely a powerful communicator.
So how do I sport and maintain this “powerful” look? It’s pretty simple. I sleep with a silk scarf tied around the back of my head. Then in the morning, I fluff the flattened curls with my fingers and a teeny spritz of water. We used a really nice coconut gel in my hair that made my curls very defined. There’s a little frizz after almost a week, but the curls are definitely still wearable. I went out on a boat this weekend, and got heavily splashed, thinking this would wreck my hairstyle. However, the water actually gave my curls some much-needed refreshing. (Let’s just not think about the quality of the Potomac water). The style is fairly low maintenance. The most difficult part is sleeping on my side to minimize flattening the loose curls. I roll over onto my back occasionally, but the natural hair mohawk survives. The natural hair mohawk is supposed to last a week, but I think I can keep it going longer.
I love how my hair looks. I like how I look in it and-- while I enjoy the way my afro frames my face, it’s nice to not hide behind a mass of curls, and to show off my mama’s beautiful bone structure. As with many natural up-do’s, it feels good to keep my hair out of my face and to not have to worry about combing it. I can tell my partner genuinely likes it, and I get a lot of compliments (maybe a bit too many from the men. Sigh...can’t a girl sit at the bar by herself in peace?). Most importantly however, I feel pretty in it.
Now for the “cons” of this look. When we were pinning my hair up, I was specifically asked if the pins were too tight...no, I said. It’s fine. I was wrong. The pins are definitely a little too tight in some places. I notice this especially when I roll onto my back in bed. The pins push into my scalp and the pain quickly reminds me to roll over. I remember I am supposed to sleep on my side, then-- problem solved. That was the one major issue. Other than that, I am extremely happy with this look.
Would you try a mohawk? What other natural hair styles appeal to you? Let me know in the comments and, as usual, don’t forget to check out the Youtube Channel.
P.S. The blog will be taking a little “summer break,” so you won’t have any new posts for the rest of August. If you want to learn more about us, check out the other blog posts and schedule a consultation at Zamora Natural Hair Salon.