Au Naturale.

Ladies, if you are anything like me then you know that your HAIR is a big deal! Constantly trying to be the latest and greatest calls for you looking good from head to toe. You have this bomb outfit, ready to take on the night but yet your hair can be so ANNOYING. It's as if it dictates your every life decision. Making sure every strand is in the right place, making sure it stays hydrated, or frying your ends/edges after desperately trying to keep it straight in the hot summer days? Many women are given the burden of having to perm their hair or do various other crazy tactics in efforts to make their hair tamed and manageable. Women all across America are taking that brave leap to going au naturale, just as Solange Knowles did but man did she receive the worst ridicule from doing so! In an interview with Oprah, Solange sternly but still respectfully scorned those on twitter who had made her a trending topic by tweeting numerous negative comments regarding her shaving her head during her going natural campaign. Solange tweeted “I became the number three trending topic before Iran and some of you can’t even locate it on the map… I wanted to be free from  the bondage that… women sometimes put on themselves with hair. In this phase of my life I want to spend the time, energy and the money on something else… not on hair.”

Below, are some pictures of women across America who have taken the challenge – will you? Read their story!

“I cut my hair off for many different reasons, but the most meaningful reason I cut my hair off for is  F R E E D O M. I permed my hair in eighth grade in order to assimilate to the white area I lived in. I permed it to be accepted into society… In this case society had me hanging by my hair… by cutting it off I was able to free myself from its grip.” – Sekaya Harris, CA
“I went natural because relaxers did nothing for my hair because my hair is naturally thin and would grow and then break off… I noticed my hair was thicker and stonger in its natural state so I decided NO MORE CHEMICALS! … I don’t have to waste money at hair salons every two weeks like I used to… I am HAPPY TO BE NAPPY!” Ashleigh Owens, OH
“I decided to go natural because I was tired of the monthly routine of getting a perm, having natural hair allows me to experiment with my hair without having to worry about damaging it. I also just wanted to see what my hair type was REALLY LIKE. I love my natural hair because it fits me so well!” Tatiana Pile, VA

-- Taking Hollywood by STORM.