HAIR DISCRIMINATION: THE EXPERT VIEW

Sharnade George is a therapist, clinical director of therapist directory platform Cultureminds Therapy and international advisory board member at the Headspace app

What is hair discrimination?

Put simply: unjust or prejudicial treatment of someone based on the appearance of their hair. It can be characterised both through insults and unfair regulations – like at school or in the workplace. This social injustice primarily affects those of African descent. A study† has shown that 93% of Black people in the UK have faced microaggressions related to their afro hair. It can understandably take a toll on their mental health, leaving them with low self-esteem, lack of confidence, identity struggles and negative self-perception.

What practical things can those who’ve experienced hair discrimination do today?

First, researching the history and beauty of Black hair can help you feel empowered. Create a hair vision board; imagery and visualisation have been proven to be effective methods for transforming your thoughts, helping you to think more positively. Try experimenting, too. Learn new styles and understand what works best for your hair type and texture – the more you accept your hair for what it is, the easier it’ll be for you to accept and love yourself. You may also want to spend your money on haircare from brands that put celebrating your natural hair front and centre in their messaging – like Treasure Tress (treasuretress.co.uk). This can help boost your sense of identity, knowing that its aim is to empower Black women. It can also foster a sense of belonging and social connectedness, reducing feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression and more.

Where can you seek support? Having therapy with a culturally competent therapist can be beneficial in terms of overcoming issues with self-identity. At Cultureminds Therapy (culturemindstherapy.com), we have a list of professionals who’ll be able to assist with this.