Afro men

Call it a lingering Jimi Hendrix hangover. Think of it as a fearful ‘Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ effect. Or perhaps it just boils down to a deep-rooted scissors-phobia. Any which way, Chennai guys are making one big statement this season - size does matter.
And, holy molly, what a show they’re making it of it too! Hold on to your guns though, we’re only talking about hair.In what is a truly mystifying trend, given Chennai’s sweltering-and-sultry 12-month summer, wild afros and big hair have started creating ripples (err, curls) among the male populace. Wild times are ahead!
Blame it on sheer novelty value. Walk into a room with a crown of hair that holds all the promise of housing a bird colony, and you’re bound to get the twice over. Shashank Kumar, brand manager, agrees, “A year back, I wanted a change in style, something unique, and decided to grow my hair big. Not many people had it at that time and even now, not everyone can...you need to have curly, frizzy hair. Getting through the summer was a task, but it was worth it...my hair ensures I turn heads almost everywhere I go.” Singer Suchith Suresan, who sports a big mop of wild curls, says, “When I was in school, I was made to keep my hair really short. Once I joined college, I decided to grow it really long and it just ended curling up like this. I don’t even have to bother combing my hair now - I wash it, oil it and I’m set."
And then there are those who are inspired by music icons from the flower power era. Sujan Mathews, student of finance, reminisces, “I remember watching Woodstock videos some years back and deciding I needed to emulate Jimi Hendrix. Sadly, getting into music didn’t happen... so I thought, why not the look at least? My afro is kind of a cross between Hendrix and Lenny Kravitz, who is known to be a lady magnet. I love the attention...people think my hair gives me a very retro look. I dread starting work in a corporate house because I’ll have to get rid of my locks.”
However, with hair that resembles the wild bushes of Africa, one can only imagine the pain involved in grooming it. Shashank rues, “Sometimes I spend as much time on my hair as a girl would. Maybe a year, and then I’ll go back to a tamer hairdo.” Radio personality Melbin, who had an afro for a good two-and-a-half years before he recently cut it all off, says, “After a point, things started getting out of control - natural dreadlocks started forming and I had to get shorn. Who knows though... maybe in the future I’ll go back to it.”
While we’re in the future, this trend is just about getting heated up, if city stylist Karun Raman is to be believed. “It is a cool and funky fashion. I wanted to grow an afro myself...but now, everyone seems to have one! Big hair requires the right attitude to carry off and someone square-jawed or with a little fat in the face might be able to work it better.”
And talking of better, we guess they were right all along...bigger is truly better!
The big bang theory
The afro became popular in the 60s and 70s mostly among people of African descent. During political movements such as Black Power, it was a symbol that showed a person’s heritage and political attitude. Growing an afro is easy for people with curly hair as it is a hairstyle in which the hair extends from the head like a cloud or a large bubble. You can give an afro additional volume by braiding the hair and then separating the coils by using a special comb. One of the first celebrities wearing a large afro was Jimi Hendrix. Later afros were often shown in movies and TV shows while nowadays ridiculously large afro wigs are often used in comedy shows.