The term Nappturality refers to hair and is a combination of the terms nappy, natural and spirituality. Patricia Gaines, using the web identity "Deecoily" first coined the word "nappturality" in 2002 and created a website of the same name that year. The term has been used primarily by African American women who have chosen to exclusively wear their hair in its natural, afro-textured state, free from chemicals intended to straighten the hair.
The term nappturality takes the word "nappy", which is typically used in a derogatory manner,[1] and translates it into a word of empowerment. Several commercial hair products and websites have capitalized on the success of the term nappturality. The website of the same name, nappturality.com is the largest online community[2] dedicated to natural African American hair care and aims to "empower Black women by helping them understand and recognize the beauty of their natural hair in its natural state".[3] Examples of napptural hairstyles include afros, braids, twists, puffs, wash and gos, bantu knots and many others.[4]