in a new post on Instagram, revealing her natural hair in the process. This rare look into her haircare routine immediately quieted 25 years of intrigue andas a performer who regularly wears wigs. Over the decades we’ve come to associate Beyoncé with long, blond hair and she revealed that underneath her premium wigs, she has… well… very long, blond hair.
This strange fascination with what lies beneath a Black woman’s wig feels like another way Black women have to prove we are an exception to some of the most inane prejudices and stereotypes — in this case, that Black women can’t grow their natural hair. The bar for Black beauty is ridiculously high, and sometimes, beyond our reach. Wig or not, it can sometimes feel like we’re damned if we do or don’t. The stigmas concerning Black women’s choice to wear wigs and weaves predate all of us.
it may still feel necessary. While we didn’t create this problematic beauty standard, it’s one a lot of Black people struggle to shake off. Asearlier this week, “If you truly want people to feel confident in their natural hair, you’d let go of texturism, stop overvaluing length, and stop calling everyone with hair that doesn’t go past their shoulders ‘bald headed’.”
Considering the positive impact of the natural hair movement and the notable push towards promoting hair health rather than length over the years, the discourse about who can and can’t grow hair feels old-fashioned and boring. And in truth, I find it uncomfortable that Beyoncé had to prove she had natural inches to legitimize her brand in the first place.