As many women of African decent are beginning to embrace their natural hair textures, we are discovering the variety of curl and wave patterns unique to each individual. Although this has been categorized in different ways (i.e. Andre Walker’s System 3B, 4A, etc. or The LOIS system) there has yet to be a formal scientific study performed on these unique differences. That is soon to change.
At Cambridge University (located in Cambridge, England) renowned for being the 2nd oldest English speaking University in the world, with a whopping 89 Nobel Prizewinner affiliates, we find Tina Lasisi. A third year student at Cambridge, she is majoring in Biological Anthropology. Being of Bulgarian and Nigerian descent, she has always found her hair a source of struggle as a young person growing up. She believes that the study of natural hair is understudied.
She plans to get her PHD to expand her study of the Biological Study of Natural Hair.
Perhaps these struggles have motivated her current study of the many variations among African hair. By taking hair samples from willing subjects in and around the
London area, she will be showing the diversity and uniqueness of those who have textured hair. We sat down with her to discuss her personal hair journey, reasons for taking on this fascinating study, long-term goals in regards to her findings and how these will ultimately affect the natural hair community as a whole.
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