“People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don't know, I'm never there.”
- Dolly Parton
As I embark on a new personal photography project, I plan to delve into the diverse stories people have with their hair, recognizing that my own journey is just one among many.
Hair carries profound cultural significance and whether we realize it or not, it impacts our emotional well being in so many ways.
In my early childhood I was raised by a British, white, single-mother whose guidance on caring for my curly, thick hair was mostly shaped by advice from her black friends.
Frustrated at times, she found it easier for everyone involved to keep my hair short. Some of my earliest memories involve correcting people about my gender, a time when most children simply want to blend in and be accepted.
As I matured, my hair became influenced first by pop culture and later by military regulations, the latter adding another dimension of challenges and complexity when it came to identity.
I'd love to hear about your journey. If you want to share an interesting story about your hair experience please click the button below.
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1 Comments
Jun 25, 2024, 9:11:52 AM
Molly Gee - I was a tender head with wavy, thick hair. When I was 3, I had beautiful hair, half way down my back, which my mom did into ringlets for Easter. I must have whined and fussed while getting it done. Because I when I left with my dad to go visit my paternal grandparents, I had beautiful ringlets down my back, when I got home I had a new pixie cut. My dad's Aunt who was a hair dresser gave me the pixie cut and I wasn't allowed to grow my hair "long" until I was old enough to take care of it myself around 14 years old. I learned to french braid and fish tail and even cut my own hair- all self taught... not without some aweful outcomes... lol. In the military, especially at basic training, I saved a lot of girls from having to cut thier hair for lack of compliance. I'd braid hair while someone shined my boots or what ever needed done. Girls with straight hair dreamed of curly hair and girls with curly hair wished for straight hair. The grass always seems greener on the other side. I don't remember the age when I found out my friends were jealous of my hair. From perms to hair dye, short pixie cuts to hair down my back, I've learned to love my hair.