IT’LL COME as no real surprise to most Black women to hear British R&B singer Jamelia admit that throughout most of her career she ‘never had the confidence to rock my afro’.
The artist is part of a new SheaMoisture ‘Same Roots, New Rules’, photo series that showcases four beautiful hair transformations of a group of mothers. These hair transformations, which were inspired by their daughters, captured each woman’s dream hairstyle that they felt they could not wear growing up due to hair discrimination.
New research by the afro and textured hair care brand, has revealed that Black and mixed heritage women over the age of 45 were 24 times more likely to conform to societal pressures when it came to their hair than 18-21 year olds.
For a third (29 per cent) of over 45s with afro and textured hair, this pressure included being teased or facing negative remarks when they wore certain hairstyles. Although there is still work to be done, this differs for today’s younger generation as 70 per cent of 18-21 year olds say they feel confident enough to wear their choice of hairstyles without fear of judgement – whilst only half of those over 45 feel the same.
The confidence in wearing the hairstyles they desire has led to 18-21 year olds being 21 times more likely to have developed better relationships with their hair now versus how it’s been in the past.
In recent years, almost three-quarters (72%) of over 45s think there is more positive representation of afro & textured hair in the media now compared to when they were younger and believe the next generation will feel even more empowered to wear their hair how they please.
Showing this to be true, nearly the same number (70%) of 18-21 year olds believe people their age feel confident enough to wear the hairstyles they choose and over four in five (84%) encourage those around them to embrace their hair and style it the way they want.
Jamelia, British R&B singer, commented: “Having spent a majority of my life in the entertainment industry, I rarely saw women that looked like me wearing their hair naturally. As such, I spent most of my career straightening my hair because I never had the confidence to rock my afro.
“Throughout the years, I’ve come to embrace my natural hair, and this really changed when I
became a mother. I’ve always wanted my daughters to have a better relationship with their hair than I did when I was their age. To do so, I had to become the representation I wanted them to see. It makes my heart sing seeing my daughter’s embrace their natural textures and seeing them have fun with their hair is one of my favourite things.”
Whilst nearly two-thirds (62%) of Black and mixed heritage respondents experienced hardly any positive representation of afro & textured hair in the media growing up, over two-thirds (70%) cite that their healthy relationship with their hair can be attributed to the teachings from their mother, sister or grandmother.
Loraine Frimpong, Assistant Brand Manager, SheaMoisture EU said: “For so long, the representation of afro and textured hair within society and media has been so limited. The lack of this representation has led to a lack of confidence for women with curly and coily hair to wear their hair naturally. Now, more than ever, women with afro and textured hair are learning to fall in love with their natural hair.
“It’s important for us to shed a light on the relationship mothers and daughters have with their hair.
“Mothers have been uplifting their daughters and supporting them to wear the hairstyles they truly desire – this Black History Month, we want to celebrate mothers and allow them to finally wear the hairstyles that they have always wanted but were never encouraged to wear when they were growing up.”
To further encourage these positive conversations, SheaMoisture has launched a virtual affirmation board.
Here people with afro and textured hair are urged to write a love letter for their curls, submit words of affirmation and explore the beauty of the natural hair community.
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