Just as diet culture has permeated our collective psyche, so has the overall notion that in order to be valued, women must not only be thin, but also beautiful. Although the standard for beauty seems to be somewhat evolving finally (#normalizenormalbodies), certain beliefs about "what is beautiful/desirable" have not shifted in my lifetime. One of these messages that I have heard and received throughout my life is that, "men prefer a woman with longer hair." Cue eye roll.
Let's unpack this a bit...
A) This insinuates that a woman's appearance should be reflective of a man's desires. That as women, we should be striving to present bodies that men will find sexually appealing.
B) That were I to cut my hair, I would be seen as unattractive. That my inherent value would be decreased because of a lesser quantity of hair on my head. Helloooo misogyny!
In one of my earliest posts, I wrote candidly about my decision to stop shaving my legs. This decision was in large response to the oppressive and misogynistic origins of female body hair removal.
I was and still am tired of receiving messages that my body must be manipulated in order to fit ideal standards set predominantly by men.
HOWEVER, it is worth mentioning that despite my disdain for oppressive beauty standards, when I was the most critical of my body/appearance, I still thought of my hair as my best feature. In fact, for a long time I wore my hair like armor. Defending me against criticism and ridicule, I learned at a young age that I could use my hair to hide insecurities, like the birthmark on the right side of my face.
I began parting my hair to the right and often sported bangs as a way to hide this "blemish from birth". Even when I was in the throws of my eating disorder and I found fault in every part of my body, my hair was the only physical feature that could occasionally find refuge behind.
I've only donated my hair once before, in 2017. By then my hair was fully
virgin hair for the first time since I had started coloring it in middle school and I was able to donate about 17 inches. I chose the organization "Wigs for Kids" and will be donating to the same organization this time because:
1) They work specifically with children who are experiencing hair loss
2) The wigs are cost free for the families
Did you know that it takes approximately 20-30 donated ponytails to make ONE wig?!?! Currently the need FAR outweighs the rate of donations. As much as I personally do not resonate with the desire to maintain long hair for myself, I feel honored and obligated to donate my hair to such a wonderful cause. To be able to give a child a huge confidence boost during troubling and scary times is humbling. By donating my hair, I am offering a symbol of gratitude for my own bodies ability to heal after years of self inflicted destruction.
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