Photo credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com

The film Black Panther is hot on everyone’s lips right now for various reasons, but the thing we’re most excited about is the film’s portrayal of black hair. Natural, black hair!

Camille Friend, head of the movie’s hair department, explained in an interview with The Cut that she wanted to use Black Panther as an opportunity to showcase black hair in all its beautiful, natural glory.

“There’s no press and comb in this movie,” Camille Friend said in the interview.

“No relaxers, no nothing! That was one of the things that I really was firm about. I requested that people come with their natural hair.”

Friend said she was inspired by the Zulu, Maasai, and Hima tribes in Africa, as well as the Afropunk movement.

The all-star cast – which includes Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o (pictured) and Daniel Kaluuya – had very minimal natural hair treatment only consisting of shampoo, conditioner, and oil treatments.

Diffusers were sometimes used to blow-dry their hair, although she preferred to dry it naturally.

“I don’t think black hair has ever been seen in a movie like this,” Friend added.

“It was an honor to do it and to have an open form to design and take hairstyling to the next level. That’s what we accomplished; we had a great crew and we worked really hard.”

The most important message that Camille Friend wants audiences to walk away with upon seeing the movie is that “black hair is versatile and it’s beautiful”.

Can’t argue with that!