“Don’t touch my hair, when it’s the feelings I wear. Don’t touch my soul, when it’s the rhythm I know. Don’t touch my crown, they say the vision I’ve found. Don’t touch what’s there, when it’s the feelings I wear.” These are the lyrics of Don’t Touch My Hair, a song written and performed by Solange Knowles that was released September 2016. Although Knowles directs this song primarily to black women, by the representation of various traditional black hairstyles in her video. Such as Afros, braids, finger waves, and locs, this song is applicable to all ethnicities. Don’t Touch My Hair validates what hair means to women. It acknowledges hair as a woman’s true crown and glory.
Hair to women can represent individuality. Some women are more likely identified by a specific hairstyle that they wear. It can be the exact same hairstyle, same part, perfect curl on the side, side bang swoop, laid baby hairs, etc. And that’s perfectly fine. To them, that hairstyle has become a part of their identity, if the style were to change, they would feel initially different. On the other hand, some women change up their hairstyles just about every day, and that’s also their individuality. These are the women that get tired of looking the exact same all the time and are constantly on the hunt to invigorate their looks. They like changing their looks frequently, and that’s perfectly fine as well. I like to look at it as a Beyoncé and Rihanna situation, both beautiful women. Rihanna chooses to constantly change up her hairstyles while Beyoncé typically goes for the same styles, but that doesn’t make anyone better than the other. This is strictly regarding hairstyles, music is a different story (Although I am team Beyoncé).
Have you ever gotten dressed or tried on clothes and never liked what you put on because your hair didn’t look right? Or, when you first get your hair done you feel ten times better as you did before you got it done? That’s because hair can play a role in confidence and feeling feminine. Hair can make or break an outfit, and play a role in how you feel about yourself that day. Numerous times I’ve had bad hair days and just felt, for lack of better words, ugly. I would spend so much time trying to fix my hair and switching styles to figure out which looked better, settle on a style, and then switch it again. That one day would come along where I promised a friend I would go out, then turn around and wouldn’t want to go anymore because my hair wasn’t cooperating. Then, there are some days where I feel the complete opposite. I feel like I’m ready for whatever life throws at me that day, all because my hair is flowing, shiny, and just looks amazing!
Although a lot of women can say that their hair is their true crown and glory, I cannot speak for all women. Some women believe that hair doesn’t define them. They will cut their hair off in a heartbeat because they feel that only they can be a true representation of themselves. They don’t need their hair. There are so many ways to look at hair and how it makes up identity, femininity, and individuality. How do you define your hair?