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For me, as a black woman, my hairstyle is more than a style statement. It is directly tied to my identity as a black woman. Ever since I was a kid, I was ridiculed by my friends for having “coarse and curly” hair which apparently made me less of a woman. However, last year, during the pandemic, I decided to chop them off. It was not because I was embarrassed of them but rather for me, it was an act of embracing my identity. I don’t need to have typical smooth, wavy, blonde long hair to be a woman. I was beautiful then, and I am beautiful now!
In the Black community, weaves, wigs, braids, and hair products are significant business. Many Black women believe their hair to be their greatest feature and prioritise investing in it regardless of their age or money. As Elle reported, it generated quite a fuss when a number of celebrities, including Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Yvonne Orji, recently removed their "crowns." Why would they do such a thing with something so valuable?
“Hair carries a lot of power and energy,” says Carla Gentry, Pinkett Smith’s longtime stylist. “Sometimes cutting it off offers a new start, and you might need that.”
According to Michelle Henry, MD, a dermatologist in Manhattan, in addition to reverting back to their emotional origins, some Black women may also be seeking to get away from their literal roots—namely, tight weaves and braids. "I see patients complaining about hair loss every day," she says. "It's a pandemic among the African-American community."
On the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther, the fresh start that a cropped cut can provide was clear.