For years, American culture has promoted straight, shiny, “white” hair. Magazines are filled with beauty products for hair tailored to a specific hair type and a specific person. If you study numerous advertisements promoting hair products, you quickly pick up on the fact that the same hair type is set as the standard and even labeled as “natural” or “normal”. This standard leaves out those with curly, coily, or black hair, and does not help promote this curly/coily hair type as beautiful or even acceptable in society. This has a long-lasting effect on women who do not fit the long straight and shiny hair mold.
From an early age, my hair proved to be very curly and red. I would look around and see other girls with straight shiny hair and when I turned to magazines for inspiration, the same was modeled. I found myself wanting to be like the other girls and the models in the magazines or on TV in commercials.
I would brush my hair to try and flatten it out. I would wear it up at all times to hide its texture and I was buying products meant for naturally straight hair to try and conform to what I thought was beautiful. It wasn’t until high school when I began to form an understanding and routine for my curly hair. I started researching products that help enhance a curl and keep my hair moisturized so it wouldn’t frizz. Once, I began to develop my own routine and my curls formed into a shape, I started to like it. My sister who had straight hair would pick her favorite curl each day and it made it fun while also making me feel as though I had something that could be considered as a favorite in some way by someone. Later on, people began to admire my hair. It was different from the norm but also something people could not grow themselves, so they liked it probably because it was different.
Reflecting on my journey towards loving my hair and doing some research I came across a documentary by Chris Rock titled Good Hair. This documentary follows the story of women of color and the history of black hair. Chris Rock interviews various celebrities all of whom express their experience as black men and women and their journey with hair. From wanting to be accepted and seen as beautiful or just to be seen as put together and professional, black women spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to be accepted and to conform to the beauty standards set by large corporations and the media hair companies create.
In my opinion, large corporations and hair products need to do a better job. Including models with different hair types and of different races is necessary to reach all women and help them feel included in the beauty community.
I do not always love my hair, but it is something I am working on. Being aware of the issues of inclusion in the media helps me combat those negative thoughts about my own hair and reminds me that what is promoted, it’s not the “normal” or even “natural” standards for so many other women. Creating a space to learn more about other experiences women have with their hair and developing an understanding of what many women do to become “beautiful” is something I will never stop trying to learn more about.