When She Loses Her Crown
Hair is more than “just hair” in the Black community. It is a conversation that transcends generations, an act of political policy, and the church to someone’s spiritual home. Our hair dating back centuries, was a sign of our social status in African tribes and was utilized as the map that guided us to freedom.
Jada Pinkett Smith Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images/Film Magic
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease in which hair follicles are attacked, causing hair loss. While hair patches form on any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face. This hair loss may not be permanent, and within a few months, hair, often white or gray, may grow back. In rare cases, hair follicles are permanently impacted, and no hair will grow.
The emotional impact of losing your hair often gets talked over, especially when a Black woman experiences this illness. According to the Perception Institute, Black women experience higher anxiety levels with the perception of hair. About 33% of Black women admit their hair is why they do not exercise. We often spend more money on our hair products; however, this results from the need for specific ingredients that support our hair texture and self-expression.
However, our self-expression is often limited due to the “professional dress codes” that we have to navigate in life. This may make us start doing other forms of hair care that do not support our growth and lead to “traction alopecia,” which is hair loss due to constant stress on the scalp. This can come from styles that involve constant pullings like braids or constant pressure for using the exact placement and parting of wigs and extensions.
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley represents Massachusetts' 7th District Tom Williams/Getty Images
When I experienced traction alopecia while in college, I felt small, as if this crown bestowed on Black women was not bestowed upon me. My hair loss came from constantly pulling my hair back into tight ponytails and chemical treatments. Before that, though, I was continuously trying to have a Eurocentric standard of beauty so that I would straighten my hair. It took almost of decade of treatment, shaving, and appointments for my hair to start coming back.
So the question becomes, how does one find self-expression as a Black woman when facing hair loss? Being rooted in ourselves to know that our beauty still holds even in the absence of hair and that it is okay to feel hurt by hair loss. Leaning in to the process of grieving and understanding moments of anxiety and depression will arise and having a professional in a place that can help with navigation—finding creativity in experimenting with bold makeup, jewelry, and clothing which are equally how we have shown our expression throughout generations.
Alopecia is not fair in its timing or take, but I believe we can create more comfort for those impacted by community and education. I am sending peace with the new form of self-expression and an opportunity to redefine your crown to those who suffer and have suffered.
Remember that the crown is not lost because we embody the peak in every fiber of our beings.
