TY - JOUR
T1 - Examination of hair experiences among girls with Black/African American identities
AU - Henning, Taryn
AU - Holman, Mel
AU - Ismael, Layla
AU - Yu, Kimberly Y.
AU - Williams, Lesley
AU - Shelton, Stacie J.
AU - Perez, Marisol
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Dove Self Esteem Project , Unilever Plc, GB. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of funding agencies.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Negative hair experiences can impact psychological well-being and are an integral part of development through childhood, adolescence, and beyond. The current study utilized a mixed-methods approach to capture the lived experiences of girls relating to their hair. Participants were 105 girls between the ages of 10–15 years old recruited via social media, email, and social organizations with Black/African American, or biracial communities. Satisfaction with natural hair, perceived bullying and teasing relating to hair, social comparisons, and pressure from family and friends were assessed. Approximately, 22% of 10-year olds, 14% of 11-year olds, 54% of 12-year olds, 35% of 13-year olds, and 32% of 14-year olds reported experiencing hair related teasing. Engaging in hair comparison with models/celebrities in the media and peers was significantly associated with less hair satisfaction. Similarly, girls that reported greater frequency of hair-related teasing also had significantly lower scores on hair satisfaction. Finally, having friends who like one's natural hair was significantly associated with higher hair satisfaction scores. Black/African American girls and their experiences around hair have been largely neglected in psychology and body image research, and more research on this topic is required to gain a better understanding of the role it plays in developing young girls.
AB - Negative hair experiences can impact psychological well-being and are an integral part of development through childhood, adolescence, and beyond. The current study utilized a mixed-methods approach to capture the lived experiences of girls relating to their hair. Participants were 105 girls between the ages of 10–15 years old recruited via social media, email, and social organizations with Black/African American, or biracial communities. Satisfaction with natural hair, perceived bullying and teasing relating to hair, social comparisons, and pressure from family and friends were assessed. Approximately, 22% of 10-year olds, 14% of 11-year olds, 54% of 12-year olds, 35% of 13-year olds, and 32% of 14-year olds reported experiencing hair related teasing. Engaging in hair comparison with models/celebrities in the media and peers was significantly associated with less hair satisfaction. Similarly, girls that reported greater frequency of hair-related teasing also had significantly lower scores on hair satisfaction. Finally, having friends who like one's natural hair was significantly associated with higher hair satisfaction scores. Black/African American girls and their experiences around hair have been largely neglected in psychology and body image research, and more research on this topic is required to gain a better understanding of the role it plays in developing young girls.
KW - African American
KW - Black
KW - Girls
KW - Hair discrimination
KW - Hair satisfaction
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.05.009
DO - 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.05.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 35660946
AN - SCOPUS:85131451258
SN - 1740-1445
VL - 42
SP - 75
EP - 83
JO - Body Image
JF - Body Image
ER -