Nicki Minaj Tells American Idol Contestant To Cut Her Hair Off

She's known for her outspoken views, hit music and bold fashion decisions, but Nicki Minaj seemed to try to pass off some of her fierce attitude onto her protegee when she advised her Teena Tores, whilst onstage, to cut her hair off.

Picky Nicki

Following the aspiring singer's performance of Natasha Bedingfield's hit song Soulmate, Minaj praised Torres's "control" of her voice, saying: "You reminded me why I fell in love with your voice before." However, this compliment was quickly followed up by critisicsm of the singer's long locks. Minaj explained: "The only thing I say Teena is lose the hair. Cut it all off and go bald. The hair that you had originally, it made you look a little younger. This hair that you have is aging you."

Fellow judge Randy Jackson was quick to make light of Minaj's suggestion, adding: "Okay Nicki was just kidding. She doesn't want you to cut it all off."  It was unclear whether Torres was wearing a wig or a weave and relaxer, but it did not seem to be her natural hair.

The Dangers Of Relaxers And Weaves

Whilst Minaj was at least partially joking, if Torres was indeed wearing a weave or using relaxer on her natural hair, she should be aware of the potential consequences, which could eventually lead to hair loss, making a short hair cut difficult to style.

The condition traction alopecia can develop when pressure from weaves and extensions damages hair follicles, and whilst a high strength minoxidil cream can make a big difference to women trying to regrow hair, female hair loss, often at the hairline, can occur if the pressure is sustained for a long amount of time. Using relaxers, a popular product for managing Afro hair, at the same time as hair dye, can cause chemical trauma, and relaxer by itself can often be enough dry out hair, leaving it a shadow of its former healthy self.

Going Natural

Whilst cutting all your hair off is certainly an extreme step, there is a growing movement that is encouraging women with Afro hair to go natural, and The Belgravia Centre, whilst understanding the importance of a woman's freedom to do what they like with their hair, does recognise that natural is the healthiest way to wear hair, no matter what type it is.

If you're worried about hair loss from any of the above techniques, you can visit us for a free consultation to determine how to prevent further damage and regrow thinning hair via a tailored hair loss treatment programme. We offer a comprehensive service that not only regrows hair using clinically proven medication minoxidil, but ensures that it is kept in the best possible condition.