Hair Diaries
Hair carries profound cultural significance and whether we realize it or not, it impacts our emotional well being in so many ways. That's why in June of 2024, I embarked on a personal project to explore the diverse stories people have with their hair, recognizing that my own journey is just one among many. I am receiving feedback through all my social media platforms and through a detailed survey that people have voluntarily filled out. Please join us and share your stories.
One of my survey questions was "What is your earliest memory related to your hair?"
My earliest memory was probably about age 5 or 6. I returned home in tears because my British primary schoolmates teased me for having braids in that day. A family friend had painstakingly put in many "plaits" (British term for braids), only for me to pull half of them out by the time I got home. I recall blubbering at the top of my voice.."they sang Spiderhead to me" [cue the 1967 Spiderman cartoon theme].
Here of some of the other responses I've collected to date:
"Getting my first at-home haircut. I kept moving around while my biological mother cut my hair and both sides kept coming out unevenly so I ended up with a horrendous bowl haircut that I tried to hide with headbands."
"My first hair memory is tears. Daily battle until age 5. That’s when she [her mother] consulted with a Brazilian hair stylist and started 2 decades of harsh chemical treatments to make my hair’s texture more ‘manageable’."
"I had a lot of thick kinky hair as a child so the solution chosen by my grandmother was to straighten it. The hot comb (metal) was placed directly into the fire of the gas stove and heated until hot and quenched briefly with a wet towel then used on my hair starting close enough to my scalp to feel the intense heat."
"I was a Tom-Boy and kept it long enough for a pony-tail or short enough to wash and wear. It wasn’t until high school (big hair of the 1980s) that I was aware of my hair deficiency. Everyone had giant hair, but even with spray mine was weak and thin."
"Very long "hair days" with my mom! We would spend upwards of 2 hours doing my hair on these, as she did not want to relax or straighten it."
What is your earliest hair related memory? Has it shaped your relationship with your hair now?