With The Good Hair

Hair. We use it as a reflection of our identity. Something that is linked to how we view ourselves and how the world perceives us. A woman's hair has been used to describe her femininity, her temperament, and her economic status. Recently, it seems as though we are undergoing some sort of hair revolution. Pastel hues are gracing tresses and natural curls are finally being unbound but still, criticism befalls a woman whose hair is shorter than a man's or is wild and unkempt.

Women's hair, according to Statista, is a multi-billion dollar industry, coming in around 83.1 billion. How could it not be? The deep-rooted link between a woman's identity and her self-esteem is evident throughout history with references to religion, and even philosophy.

Referencing 1 Corinthians 11:15, "but for a woman, if her hair is abundant, it is glory to her; for her hair is given to her as a covering." This continues in 1 Corinthians 11:5, "and every woman, who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered , dishonors her head; for she is on a level with her whose head is shaven." Translations of this moving from the Bible to reality can be found during the 1940s after the Battle of France. Because of their sexual relationships with German soldiers, women were paraded out onto the street to be publicly ridiculed as their heads were shaved.

Instances of this can be found even earlier in human history. During the Late Middle Ages, French rebel, St. Joan of Arc, had her head forcibly shaved before her execution in 1431 in which she was burned at the stake three times.

Due to these religious undertones, hair is most often linked to a woman's apparent beauty. This is most evident throughout Western literature. For example, when Rosetti refers to Lillith in his sonnet which accompanies the painting Lady Lillith, he writes, "her enchanted hair was the first gold." Of course, reverence for golden or blonde hair didn't stop there. It seems that the lighter one's hair, the closer to innocence and piety.

However, red hair has been constantly under fire. Prejudice towards the flame-haired also seems to have come from the Middle Ages, with the common theme being that red hair is a "burning brand of infidelity." Again, referencing Christianity, Judas and Mary Magdalene are often portrayed with red hair and some even believe the 'Mark of Cain' to actually be red hair. Furthermore, the distrust of this hair color seemed to prevail into the modern age with the Nazis discussing whether or not those of red hair should be allowed to wed or reproduce.

Prejudice is not just limited to hair color, but also to hair texture. This can be seen most evidently throughout American stores which don't carry African or black hair products. I have personally witnessed this with my previous job. My retail store carried everything under the sun for 'normal hair' but had nothing for those that possessed a different hair texture.

Looking back at just these few examples throughout history, it would seem that women have finally experienced a hair liberation. Unfortunately, when you take a closer look, that doesn't seem to be the case. Today, a woman's hair is expected to be just the right amount of messy, but not too much. Short hair is OK, but not too short because then you may appear masculine.It's fine to express yourself, but if you're hair is too 'distracting' then you may not score a job. Having a bad hair day is supposed to mean you're also having a bad day. Wearing your hair up in a pony tail means that you're uptight and if it's in a messy bun, you're probably lazy. Nevertheless, it seems that hair still has a long way to go, so I will leave you with this:

“Interviewer: 'So Frank, you have long hair. Does that make you a woman?' Frank Zappa: 'You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?”

Love,

Heldie

Save

#hair #image #selfesteem