-- Deadline for models to apply is Dec. 18, 2010 --

Teesha Borum for Jamaica Mango & Lime
Photo By Freddie Rankin

(BlackNews.com) -- Who will be crowned Miss Nappturality 2011? A lady with locs, or a beauty with Bantus? The pageant, also known as America's Next Natural Model, is looking for a new face to grace the pages of a national magazine and to represent one of its sponsors.

The online competition, which is in its third year, celebrates the beauty and versatility of natural hair. It began in 2008 as a collaboration between the site owners of Going-Natural.com and Nappturality.com, Mireille Liong and Patricia Gaines, respectively.

Together their sites form a social network of well over 150,000 users who share information beyond the common interest of natural hair care.

"I am really excited about this event," says Liong who is also the author of Going Natural, How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair. "It's like America's Next Top Model meets American Idol in an interactive social network environment."

The Miss Nappturality pageant is the perfect match for upcoming models who need exposure and for businesses interested in social media promotion. While natural beauties get free products and endorsement opportunities that can put them on the national stage, sponsoring companies can have their products promoted interactively to the hundreds of thousands of potential buyers who make up the growing social network.

The ultimate goal of America's Next Natural Model is to spread awareness about the hair and scalp disorders that plague a large majority of Black women. According to Dr. Jeffery J. Miller, dermatologist at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, 73 percent of African-American women suffer from relaxer-induced alopecia and complain of hair breakage, split ends and dryness caused by relaxers.

America's Next Natural Model takes on the lingering issue by proving that African hair can be extremely beautiful without the need for hazardous chemicals, extensions or damaging weaves. At the same time, the organizers strive to make the case for a corporate dress code policy that is updated to include natural hairstyles to ease the pressure on ethnic women to straighten their strands.

Previous pageant winners have gone on to bigger and better things. After winning America's first-ever Next Natural Model, Tiana Tamara Townsel also became Miss Black Washington. And last year's Miss Nappturality, Teesha Borum, is currently working on her acting career in Atlanta.

Photos of the models have been used in commercials of sponsoring companies all over the country. The winning photos and respective interviews of the winners can be found on www.Going-Natural.com.

For more information about the competition, sponsorship opportunities or becoming a model, email miss-np@going-natural.com or call 718-395-2537.

-END-