In the midst of Gabby-gate, Oprah debuts her natural hair right on the September cover of O Magazine. Oprah is showcasing to the world that hair does not have to be relaxed, permed, and pulled in all different directions to be pretty. Plus she looks fantastic with her hair just naturally dried!
“Oprah’s hair is so beautiful, it was an easy choice to try and change it up by going natural,” said Walker. “We have done so many covers with so many hairstyles, I feel like this was a long time coming. She looks great and achieving this look is so simple.”
As the whole natural hair movement for women with textured hair is gaining momentum, the idea of going natural had been on the mind of both Oprah and Walker. “Usually when we take them (braids and extensions used for shoots) her hair looks like what it looks like on the cover,” said Walker. “She always said that ‘one day I’m going in public or do a photoshoot with hair like this.’ This year she decided to do it for the September cover.”
Oprah with Andre Walker
Will this motivate more women to go natural? To give up damaging relaxers and straighteners in favor of naturally sexy locks? Hopefully! As Walker explained, the consequences to over-laxing hair or using an at-home kit without much experience is just not worth it.
“Once you have chemical damage from a relaxer and your hair is breaking and super damaged, more than likely you’re going to have to cut your hair,” explained Walker. “When you damage it that badly, there isn’t much you can do to bring it back… When it’s really damaged, there’s no coming back.”
And who cares if natural hair looks “messy” just because it’s not completely straight and pulled back. When people criticised Gabby Douglas for her hair, which Walker thought was appropriate for the event, he felt it was unncessary and petty. “When someone does what she did (in winning the Women’s All-Around Gymnastics Gold Medal), that shouldn’t even be an issue.”
Must have products for natural textured hair: Total Keratin Obsession Deep Conditioning Treatment ($15) and Q-Oil Quench-Essential Oil ($35)
To get Oprah’s hair, follow these 4 easy steps:
Step One: Start by shampooing and then conditioning the hair with a protein rich conditioner such as Andre Walker’s Total Keratin Obsession (TKO) Deep Conditioning Treatment but only rinse half of the conditioner out.
Step Two: Towel dry the hair, and follow by adding a generous amount of nourishing oil such as Andre Walker Q Oil, then comb through.
Step Three: Cornrow or braid medium sections of the hair securely, and let it air dry. Once completely dry, unbraid and style hair using your fingertips.
“It is important not to use a comb or brush to style the hair because this will cause frizzing,” explains Walker.
Step Four: Add more oil if needed, and the look is complete!
