Thanks ChiChi I could not have said it any better! essence need to show case tips on how to care for your own hair sometime, instead of the High price weaves and it would be nice if they would include pictures of stylists doing REAL HAIR!

i notice that a lot of black woman showcasing some of those beautiful hairstlyes are not necessarily their own hair. I really get annoyed when the article does not note that a lot of these styles are actually weaves. Natural is natural and a weave is a weave. It is more interesting to know how to care for our natural hair.

La Toya, Have you tried Flat ironing your hair? I personally use this treatment instead of relaxing too often, use a flat iron.

I am wanting to stop relaxing my hair. Does anyone have any suggestions for new growth during this in between stage?

THAT LACE FRON IS BEAUTIFUL HOW COME I DON'T SEE THAT WHERE I LIVE THE LACEFRONTS WHERE I LIVE ARE USUALLY NOT AS BEAUTIFUL AS HERS. I'VE WORN TWO THIS YEAR BUT STILL LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE EFFECT LIKE TYRA

and i have been natural for 2 years... advice

Ihave worn weave for years an now i am transitioning to a natural.. my hair is dry and dusty.. and it sticks straight up in the air its hard.. and i look like i just rolled through dust and got in a fight.. seriously.. i use everything on it and its still dry.. shea butter.. .. dr miricles... olive oil.. moisturizing conditioner.. i condition it once a week.. i do protein treatments.. nothing.. its growing though.. growin like crazy

What you have to know is that a lot of African American hair is dry so make sure to grease your scalp sometimes, don't over process your hair, don't wash your hair too much, because even that can cause breakage. Make sure to get a trim about every 6 months i would say, i always get compliments on my hair and i've never worn weave or extensions etc.......just my natural hair. Sometimes people put more effort in putting weave in their hair instead of taking care of your own natural hair. I like Shopping at Sally Beauty supply Store they always have any and every Black hair product you need! Check it out.

CHICHI-"Come on now!! Get real and feature real black women with kinky, afro and thicker-than-the-amazon hair. Maybe we might learn how to make our hair look great too!" I would prescribe maybe a mild relaxer if your interested in straightening your hair, but make sure to not overprocess your hair. I've worked miracles with friends hair and i'm not even a cosmeotologist. I would say research ways to fix your own hair (type). Unless you have lots of money, because it's very uncommon to find a celebrity hairstylist to do your hair for cheap.

Why is it that the hair that's featured in these things is ALWAYS of mixed race people, weaves and hair-pieces? Does Essence really expect a 100%-black-with-no-trace-of-white-blood-in-me to really get my hair to look that glamorous with just hair straighteners and Pantene Pro-whats? Come on now!! Get real and feature real black women with kinky, afro and thicker-than-the-amazon hair. Maybe we might learn how to make our hair look great too!

If weaves and extensions are featured, explain the process, the cost, any lifestyle/health issues (ie the likelihood that you can get permanent hair damage that stops your real hair from growing normally, or getting some disgusting scalp fungus when you don't wash the weave properly). The same kind of transparency would be good for relaxed, natural, colour-treated or anything else. Come on Essence. It's time the ethical revolution reaches the Black Hair advertising racket. Put your readers first and the BS product pushers on the backburner with the hotcomb. Just be honest.

Thanx for all the great tips on BLACK haircare hoever can you please give more tips for black kids or teens and how to take care of their hair as well as haircare products they can use.

I don't think these comments are negative, but I strongly agree with them. We know that these are weaves and wigs, no one is dogging that or hating, the issue is just say that. Don't have readers thinking ooooo, if I use these products my hair will look just like that, no it won't because the hair isn't natural. So I agree with the comments regarding being honest. Most of us have weaves and extenstions, so it really doesn't matter, right.....

I'd rather seen non-celebities (hair models) to showcases hairstlyes. None of these styles were all that eye cacthing. Plus celeb's don't do their own hair so who knows what products are being used on their real hair/extensions. I wear my hair pressed straight for work and natural on the weekends. I'm growing out a relaxer (three months) and my hair is not doing so hot. I got a weave (three months ago) but when I took it out my hair was so damage (it's still recovering). Weaves damage your hair badly and are quite costly. Plus is so wasteful buying hair for $30 a pack that you can only use once (somebody's getting rich). Why buy hair when most of us already have some hair. Just wear your own. You'll save your hair and at least $500 a year

I agree with the majority, as a woman in her late 40's who recently went from a short cut to my own nonrelaxed longer hair, I clicked on the link to see some new ideas of upkeep for my hair and was disappointed in the likes of Kyra and NY. Please show us some real healthy hair. I agree with getting away from the flat irons I just want to see some styles that would be good for me.