Cornrows (sometimes called canerows) are a style of traditionally three-strand braids, originating in Africa,[1][2][3] in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they can also be styled in elaborate geometric or curvilinear designs. They are distinct from, but may resemble, box braids, Dutch braids, melon coiffures, and other forms of plaited hair, and are typically tighter than braids used in other cultures.[4]
The name may refer to the corn fields or sugar cane fields of the Americas and Caribbean.[5][6] According to black folklore, cornrows were often used to communicate on the Underground Railroad and by Benkos Biohó during his time as a slave in Colombia.[7] They often serve as a form of black self-expression.[8] Cornrows are traditionally called "kolese" or "irun didi" in Yoruba, and are often nicknamed "didi braids" in the Nigerian diaspora.[9]
Cornrows are worn by both sexes, and are, on some occasions, adorned with beads, hair cuffs, or cowrie shells. The duration of weaving cornrow braids may take up to five hours, depending on the quantity and width.[10] Often favored for their easy maintenance, cornrows can be left in for weeks at a time if maintained through careful washing of the hair and natural oiling of the scalp. Braids are considered a protective styling on African curly hair as they allow for easy and restorative growth; braids pulled too tightly or worn for longer lengths of time and on different hair types can cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia.[11]
^"Cornrow". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^Horne, Madison (28 February 2018). "A Visual History of Iconic Black Hairstyles". History.com.
^"History of Braids: More Than Just a Hairstyle". Genesis Career College. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^Underwood, Khalea (24 August 2019). "Cornrows, Braids, Twists, Oh My: How To Spot The Difference In Braiding Styles". Refinery29. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^Charlotte Mensah (29 October 2020). Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair. Penguin Books Limited. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-241-98817-6.
^"cornrow (noun)". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^Irbahim, Nur (12 March 2022). "Did Braiding Maps in Cornrows Help Black Slaves Escape Slavery?". Snopes. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^Dash, Paul (31 January 2006). "Black hair culture, politics and change". International Journal of Inclusive Education. 10 (1): 27–37. doi:10.1080/13603110500173183. ISSN 1360-3116.
^Kia, Kara (5 February 2021). "It's Time We Ditch the Words "Cornrows" and "Canerows" and Call Them Didi Braids Instead". POPSUGAR Beauty UK. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^"Cornrow Braid Styles". Africanamericanhairstyling. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
^"Braiding 'can lead to hair loss'". BBC News. 24 August 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
self-expression. Cornrows are traditionally called "kolese" or "irun didi" in Yoruba, and are often nicknamed "didi braids" in the Nigerian diaspora. Cornrows are...
Larger and thicker than cornrows, often styled in intricate designs and used as a protective style. Lemonade Braids: Side-swept cornrows, varying in size and...
Because they are not attached to the scalp like other similar styles such as cornrows, box braids can be styled in a number of different ways. The installation...
media portrayal of traditional African hair styles, such as braids and cornrows, was associated with African-Americans who were poor and lived in rural...
"frizzy texture" of African American hair since the 1880s. Braids and cornrows were also used to escape slavery. Since slaves were not allowed to learn...
folk-rock duo Honeywater. In 2015, she released the video "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows". She played series regular Halle Foster on the short-lived series Mr....
that forbid her from wearing her hair in cornrows in an episode of Mary + Jane. She said, "I wanted to cornrow my hair, and they were like, 'That's racist...
artificially treat their hair would often opt to style it into tight braids or cornrows. With all of these hairstyling methods, one ran the risk of damaging the...
and The New Yorker, among others. Jackson's debut book, White Negroes: Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation "explores...
began wearing gender-neutral clothing and what would become her trademark cornrows. Keys explained that she is grateful for growing up where she did as it...
its base, depicts an African woman's head crowned with an afro framed by cornrow braids atop a form that resembles both a skirt and a clay house. At the...
additional hair styling options. See also cornrows, queue, crown braid (below), Dutch braid and pigtail. Cornrows A hairstyle originating from Sub-Saharan...
Pennsylvania. He learned how to rap from his older brother, who also wore the Cornrows hairdo that A$AP Mayers later adopted. When Mayers was 13, his brother...
his body. Originally, Spyke was intended to be called Armadillo and have cornrows. He was created as a way to diversify the series' X-Men roster and include...
Mauritania, and Mandinka in Mali were known for centuries to have worn cornrows when young and dreadlocks when old. In West Africa the water spirit, Mami...
night described the shooter as looking like a black male, possibly with cornrows. When Mullins re-interviewed Carson, Carson rescinded his statement of...
American sports culture as a whole with his mainstream introduction of the cornrow hairstyle, the marriage of rap music with basketball, and being among the...
pills) Traction alopecia is most commonly found in people with ponytails or cornrows who pull on their hair with excessive force. In addition, rigorous brushing...
salon and returns with a braided hairstyle with cornrows. In spite of Chandler disliking the cornrows, she has fun with them until she gets tangled in...
launched her status as a mainstream sex symbol. Distinguished by Derek's cornrow hairstyle, the sequence has often been parodied. 10 was a critical and...
trip to Jamaica with producer Mr. DJ, the two decided to abandon their cornrow hairstyles in favor of a more natural aesthetic, vowing to stop combing...
Episode: "Maps and Legends" 2021 Colin in Black & White Keke Episode: "Cornrows" 2021-22 Snowpiercer Sykes Recurring Cast: Season 2, Main Cast: Season...
overlap with those of African-American women, including box braids and cornrows fastened with rubber bands and dreadlocks. In the 1980s, women pulled back...
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