Blowout creams, straightening serums, anti-frizz concoctions and, of course, the infamous chemical straighteners. Curly hair in the media has always been under scrutiny. Until recently, atleast.
Studies have shown that first impressions of curly hair are, more often than not, negative. People view kinky, coily, wavy tresses as “frazzled” and “unprofessional” while favoring the styles of their straight-haired counterparts, and seeing those styles as more “approachable,” “classic” and more workplace appropriate. With so many products aimed to “tame” our curly tresses, curly-haired gals are left thinking that their hair isn’t good enough and that they have to do something to physically change it. They might believe that it isn’t acceptable for them to sport their naturally kinky hair on the job whilst a fellow coworker with naturally or chemically straightened hair will climb the business ladder farther than them, simply because of the way their hair grows out of their head naturally.
What may be even more fascinating is that although naturally curly hair does not seem to be the popular hairstyle of choice, the allusion of having it seems to be all the rage. Commercials, beauty companies and even clothing stores want to advertise the beauty of curly hair without letting the public know the real secret behind their bouncy haired models.
Source: weheartit
To the untrained eye it may seem like these girls “woke up like this,” but to the curly haired girls out there, it is pretty obvious that a curling iron was used to create these angelic ringlets. Why we can’t simply celebrate the beauty of curly hair in its natural state we may never know, but one company is taking a stand against the curly hair unfairness in the media.
Dove has been a proponent of celebrating self-love and confidence for quite some time now. Their “Real Beauty” campaign reached across the globe to women of all ages and ethnicities with a simple message: you are beautiful. Most recently they launched a campaign called “Love Your Curls.” This is a movement showcasing women with kinky, coily, wavy, and curly textures from all walks of life. The Dove website features a video asking young girls for their opinions about their naturally curly hair. All of the reactions were negative. Girls at such a young age are being shown that their natural beauty is not good enough. In fact, Dove states that “only 4 out of 10 curly hair girls think their hair is beautiful.” By the end of the video, we see older women singing and encouraging the little girls to embrace their hair.
In addition to this action campaign, Dove has created a line of hair products specially fortified to hydrate and nourish curly hair, which is often drier and more prone to breakage than other hair types. Creating this line is a great idea, but the movement and change in mindset is what is most important.
There is so much more to do with the acceptance of body image within the media, and curly hair is just a start. What had initially started as a natural hair movement within the African-American, African and Afro-Caribbean community has expanded into an even bigger effort for every woman, no matter the ethnicity, to accept and love their curly hair. Dove has taken on this challenge by making this a mainstream conversation that everyone can weigh in on.
So whether your hair is kinky, wavy, coily, springy, smooth, or frizzy, it’s important to remember to be confident in who you are. Curly hair is unique, fun and just all around awesome. Thanks Dove, for making it known that you should #LoveYourCurls.
Source: Jet