Throughout history and cultures, hair has been seen as an important aspect of beauty. For women, it’s presented as a sign of femininity and youthfulness; for men, a mark of attractiveness and success. Both can create unrealistic expectations and lead to feelings of inadequacy for anyone who doesn't fit that mold.
Hair can transform a person's appearance, and it's often the first thing people notice about someone. A survey conducted by Dove in 2019 found that eight out of 10 women feel pressure to wear their hair a certain way to fit in with societal beauty standards and that hair is one of the top things women feel judged on by others.
If a bad haircut or a hairstyle doesn't suit us, it can make us feel self-conscious and insecure. Conversely, a good hair day touches on things beyond looking good.
The first voices you’ll hear are me and HYFIN’s Element Everest-Blanks laying the groundwork for the conversations you’ll hear during this episode. Then I talk to educator-actress-model Yomarie Castellano, the founder of Hair Loss Bonita, and Yousef Aladdin, who opened up in a way we don’t always hear from men.
Make sure you check back with us throughout this month as the conversation continues with people from all corners of our community:
- April 4 — Real Women, real bodies: Getting candid about body-image journeys
- April 11 — Breaking the silence: Men and women navigate beauty standards, from hair to height
- April 18 — Beyond the binary: Transgender voices in the body positivity movement and embracing body diversity
- April 25 —Leaving no one behind: How the disabled community challenges inclusion and ableism
