105 MYHairAA.indd

HAIR
MY HAIR
My Way
CLARA AMFO
The new Radio 1Xtra DJ on kinky twists,
vloggers and having the same hair as Big
Brother’s Makosi. By Shevelle Rhule
I like to do my hair in
long kinky twists and
I have done so for
ages… I haven’t relaxed my
hair since I was 17 because I
found it really damaging. I’m
trying to grow a massive Afro
but it’s still hasn’t got as big
as I want yet. So underneath
all these braids is a massive
Afro just looking to get out,
I’m just waiting for the right
moment to unleash it!
Once I had this
Afro weave and
unfortunately it
was in the year that
Makosi was in Big
Brother… So that whole
summer everyone went
[shouts] “Makosi, Makosi!”
After a while the tracks came
a bit loose and it just looked
off key.
I wash my hair
with Apple Cider
Vinegar… I found when
you try and use normal
shampoo especially on
braids, because they are
synthetic, it can strip the
braids of its properties.
Apple Cider Vinegar is really
good but I dilute its a lot
because I don’t want to
smell of a chip shop.
Every woman has
something that is
symbolic with being
her… and everyone knows
me as braided Clara. But
saying that it’s just hair,
and I’m comfortable with
myself as long as I have big
earrings on! I love it [my
hair] but it’s not my life!
I grew up in the
suburbs where
there weren’t a lot
of black kids in my
school… so obviously I
felt different growing up
and wondered why my hair
didn’t swish in the wind!
But I can honestly say I
never hated my hair, in
fact in my school my hair
was celebrated, although I
remember there was a kid
who used to call me hot
crossed bun head!
After my mother
and sister my
hairdresser Lydia
Anthony is the
woman I love
most in the
world… She has
the fastest hands
in south London;
I think her record
is 2 hours and 45
minutes [for braids].
I try not to tell too
many people about
it, it’s like a special
gift! I was at the
Apple store the other day
and this girl asked who
does my hair and I said,
“Look I’m trusting you with
this number, use it wisely!”
Vlogger
(youtube.
com/user/
HairTheBeat)
To have your
natural hair is
incredible… however
I think it’s a weird that
a black women is now
deemed noble to have
natural hair when it’s just
what she chooses to do
with her hair.
My friends have an
amazing vlog called
‘Hair The Beat’…
and its fantastic. They are
really into the natural hair
movement and what they
do with their hair looks
incredible, it’s really inspiring.
My hair…my love. P
Braggs Organic Apple Cider
Vinegar 946 ml £7.65
Clara will present the BBC Radio 1Xtra
Weekend Breakfast Show, 7-10am
from Saturday 21st September.
Tweet her – @claraamfo
105
105 MYHairAA.indd 105
19/08/2013 16:09