“Your hair is so long and oily, you must use a ton of shampoo.”
“How did you get that blonde highlight?”
“Why is your hair so flat? Where is the volume?”
Aren’t these repetitive questions annoying? Wouldn’t you be tired of answering these questions every single day? Wouldn’t you be annoyed with your peers, social media, and society for putting labels on your hair?
Well, this is the daily life of Black Women.
This is a Black Girl Problem.
Almost every day, I’m asked questions about my hair: if I wear a weave, where do I purchase my weave? Is it a lot of maintenance? How do I get the braids in my hair?
Why is it so straight? Etc.
I’ve heard even worse questions asked to black females with natural hair. Why is their hair texture that way? Asking a respectful question, or being naturally curious isn’t an issue whatsoever. Asking rude and ignorant questions about someone’s hair is.
Black hair is the epitome of black history. Our hair is our beauty. This might sound shallow, but it’s the truth. Our hair is an identification tool. It is truly a part of our identity. Perms, natural, weaves, locks, braids. You name it, we’ve done it.
In society, these natural hairstyles aren’t seen as appropriate or culturally acceptable.
Now why is that? Well, one might guess that black women are still oppressed when it comes to society labeling what is appropriate.
When white women on social media wearing four cornrows are seen to be the epitome of beauty, now tell me that’s not a black girl problem.
Black women have changed their hair color, texture, and even length to fit the beauty standards created by social media. Media has created an imaginary world where black women have to have long straight hair to be considered beautiful. This idea of long straight hair is socially acceptable. However, black women aren’t born with that hair texture. Due to this, “we” aren’t seen as socially acceptable. So we bend to fit in as much as possible. Like perming, so our hair will be straight. Now, why should we do that? What is so beautiful about European beauty standards? And how can we break away from it?
Black women should have the freedom to wear their hair as they please without feeling that they’re selling out on being natural or feeling as if they perm their hair or wear weaves then they are trying to fit into European standards.
I personally wear weaves and perm my hair, for personal choices, but does that make me less of a black woman? It does not. We should be free to choose what we want to do with our hair and it should be accepted. Social media shouldn’t target us or society with disrespectful questions regarding whatever state our hair is in.
If you want to go natural, you shouldn’t be ridiculed for it by having ignorant questions asked about it.
Do you want to wear a 24 inch weave down your back? You shouldn’t have to feel as if you’re trying to fit a certain beauty standard.
Do you want to perm your hair? You shouldn’t feel as if you’re taking away from your black roots.
Restrictions on hair needs to stop TODAY. You, as a black female, should have the freedom to make whatever choices you want when it comes to hair, and every style should be socially accepted.
