How a New Hairstyle Helped Me Confront Internalized Stereotypes
I found freedom in my pandemic-era hair journey
These days, you’ll find a vast selection of hair products inside my bathroom cabinet. Bottles and jars, big and small, lined up side by side like soldiers. It’s funny to think one year ago I wasn’t even aware of some of my essentials, like Originals Hair Mayonnaise and Shea Moisture’s enhancing cream. I had no clue about the cost of growing and maintaining my hair. Everything changed when salons and barbershops closed at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the midst of those dire times, I finally decided to take my haircare into my own hands.
Before the world closed up last year, I’d usually rock a low fade with a sharp shape-up. But my little brother challenged me to rethink my image, step out of my comfort zone, and get playful with my hair. I was hesitant; I feared what folks at my job would think and the stereotypes that would be placed upon a Black man with long, kinky hair — especially if it were twisted. Still, I shrugged off what others might think and took on the challenge.
At the start of my journey, I assumed maintaining natural hair meant just leaving it alone. Two months in, my hair had very little growth. After speaking with others, I realized my hair was dehydrated. I quickly learned a…
