▁beauty ▁( i . e ., ▁straight ▁hair ). ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁some ▁women ▁prefer ▁straight ening ▁of ▁the ▁hair ▁through ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁heat ▁or ▁chemical ▁processes . ▁ ▁Although ▁this ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁personal ▁preference , ▁the ▁choice ▁is ▁often ▁affected ▁by ▁straight ▁hair ▁being ▁a ▁beauty ▁standard ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁hair ▁type ▁can ▁affect ▁employ ment . ▁However , ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁women ▁are ▁we aring ▁their ▁hair ▁in ▁its ▁natural ▁state ▁and ▁receiving ▁positive ▁feedback . ▁Alternatively , ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁and ▁most ▁soci ally ▁acceptable ▁practice ▁for ▁men ▁is ▁to ▁leave ▁one ' s ▁hair ▁natural . ▁ ▁O ften , ▁as ▁men ▁age ▁and ▁begin ▁to ▁lose ▁their ▁hair , ▁the ▁hair ▁is ▁either ▁closely ▁cro pped , ▁or ▁the ▁head ▁is ▁sh aved ▁completely ▁free ▁of ▁hair . ▁However , ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁natural ▁ha irst yles , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁af ro , ▁bra ids , ▁waves , ▁f ades , ▁and ▁dread lock s , ▁have ▁been ▁growing ▁in ▁popular ity . ▁Despite ▁their ▁association ▁with ▁radical ▁political ▁movements ▁and ▁their ▁vast ▁difference ▁from ▁main stream ▁Western ▁ha irst yles , ▁the ▁styles ▁have ▁att ained ▁considerable , ▁but ▁certainly ▁limited , ▁social ▁accept ance . ▁ ▁M aint aining ▁fa cial ▁hair ▁is ▁more ▁pre val ent ▁among ▁African - American ▁men ▁than ▁in ▁other ▁male ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁In ▁fact , ▁the ▁soul ▁patch ▁is ▁so