Hair
Natural vs. Media
From covering up grey roots for looking younger to clipping in extensions for fuller, longer locks, hair plays a prominent role in our idea of natural beauty.
Hair Color
Hair color is one of the most noticeable features of a person. The color - whether black, brown, blonde, green, pink, red, or multicolored - often conjures up an image of the person under the hair in our minds. The media realizes this principle and often exploits it, whether for profit or defining beauty standards.
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Just a few hair color options
Melissa Rich and Thomas Cash's 1993 study The American Image of Beauty: Media Representations of Hair Color for Four Decades, examined "how beauty is depicted in our society with respect to hair color" (116). They questioned what the desired hair color for white, college-aged women was, finding that 39% selected blonde (115).
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Further, Rich and Cash researched whether magazine media depicted female models of a certain hair color more than others. Their research found that, generally, there was a "disproportionate featuring of blondes" (120) in the magazines they had selected. In their conclusion, they state that "This image delivers a message to society that blonde is a prominent ideal of feminine beauty" (120).
This can be troubling, as most of the population is not blonde. This leads us into the next topic: blondes.
Blonde
Stereotypes
As stated above, Rich and Cash's study found that the majority of magazine models are blonde. This over-emphasis of blondeness in media is problematic because it depicts blonde as the most popular - and often most beautiful - hair color. Phrases such as "Blondes have more fun" and 'Blonde Jokes' are common, maintaining the belief that being blonde is relational to certain personality characteristics.
Some stereotypes around being blonde
Advertising
Advertising companies take advantage of the positive stereotypes surrounding blondes to sell their products. Although many babies are born with light hair, it naturally darkens so that by the time they grow into adulthood, only about 2% of the population is blonde.
However, being naturally blonde is still extremely popular. It's estimate that 1 in 3 women dye their hair blonde and Rich and Cash found that about one-third of all Miss America contestants have been blonde. A similar portion of the winners (28 out of 91) are blonde too.
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These transformations and continual upkeep of blonde hair require not only a lot of maintenance, but also a lot of money. The women behind the blog Millennial Boss shared her story of going blonde and said that to manage her blondeness, she gets her hair colored every other month, costing her around $1200 a year. With roughly 1 out of every 20 American women going blonde, it's clear why advertising companies want to uphold the image linking blonde hair to beauty.
Race and Hair
Clearly, not all hair is created equally nor treated equally. However, this is particularly true for black women.
History
There is a lengthy history of 'whitening' African American hair, which is discussed in this New York Times article. As well, here's a brief overview of some of the main movements/moments in the history of black hair.
Timeline of Black Hair
Although the timeline ends with the Natural Hair movement returning, things have not been easy for black women who embrace their natural beauty.
Public Criticism
When black women have worn their natural hair in public - especially in high profile, media-covered events like red carpet appearances - they have often been criticized.
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For example, when Viola Davis wore here natural hair on the red carpet for the first time, she received harsh criticism and backlash. Many saw her style (aka, her natural hair) as too informal for the red carpet and others, like Wendy Williams, commented even more negatively, stating Davis' hair was outdated and made her appear masculine (Rowe 7).
Viola Davis, rocking her natural hair on the red carpet.
Other instances of distaste toward natural black hair have occurred within the world of pageantry. Miss USA 2016 wore her natural black hair when crowing the Miss USA 2017 winner, who was also sporting her natural look. While many applauded these small steps, others condemned the acts. Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016, writes about the racism and hate she received during her time in pageantry, giving us an inside look at how media is reacting to different types of natural hair.
Miss USA 2016 crowning Miss USA 2017, both with their natural hair.
More on Black Hair
"I think many people, especially from other cultures, just don't understand the role hair plays in Black women's lives. I can now transform the energy surrounding my hair into something way more productive” - Solange Knowles
In Kristin Denise Rowe's thesis "I LOVE THIS COTTON HAIR!": Black Women, Natural Hair, and (Re)Constructions of Beauty, she analyzes reactions to black women who allow their hair to grow naturally. Rowe writes:
Beginning in the late 2000s, African American women in the United States created their own Internet-based “natural hair movement.” Countless women stopped chemically straightening their hair via “relaxers,” and began wearing their hair “natural,” as it grows out of their head without chemical processing. The natural hair movement is rooted in ideas of wellness, self- love, and self-acceptance (Emphasis added).
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Rowe's study ultimately suggests that this movement of natural black hair has created "a space where negotiations of identity are occurring, as Black women have created their own space to (re)shape meanings of Black female beauty, while at times influenced by deeply embedded Eurocentric standards of beauty" (Abstract).
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In the video below, Cheyenne Cochrane sums up the history and stigma surrounding black hair, giving us an inside look at black women's experiences and struggles with their hair.