Hair Story from V.: a girl must have long hair

At the age of 12, I had long hair. I asked my mom, who was also the family hairdresser, to cut it short. When my dad came home, he was not happy at all: a girl must have long hair ... 

V, 40', female, Belgium

#Gender #Protest

Hair Story from Isabelle

My grandmother always said my hair was badly dressed. For her, our hair was well dressed only when we had a neat straight line in the middle, and tidy hair on either side of the line. I preferred to have a bit of a ‘blurry’ line, which I always found prettier. 

Isabelle, 44, female, Belgium

# Gender

#Generation #DifferentEstheticStandard

Hair Story from Julie: The odour of Henna

Since the age of 16 I nearly always dye my hair using henna (a plant making it turn red). Ever since I love and hate its smell. I do not like the smell of fresh henna too much, it being like a kind of stinky manure, but when it starts to fade, my hair having been washed many times, and the rain wets my hair, it emits a fine odour that I adore.

Julie, 37, female, Belgium

#Dye #Natural #Odor

Hair Story from Nadine: hair journey

There is a whole story going on between my hair and myself. A story between long and short, between curly and straight. When important events are happening in my life, one of my reactions is to change hairstyle and often to cut my hair. It is as if through this act I have to "mark" a change in my life, as if I need to show it physically, either by affirming the change, or by turning a page, or by trying to become better, in short a change in life comes with a change of hair look. 

In the past I have permed my hair, to make it even more curly, and I have shaved my hair, but not everybody is like Sinéad O'Connor, a bald head is not easy to wear. I have had a straight bob cut using a blow dryer, but I did not know how to maintain it, I have had very long hair, medium long and short ... and often I’m dissatisfied after a few months.

Nadine, 57, female, Belgium / Burkina Faso

#Straight #Curly #Short #Long #Shave

#Change #PersonalLiveMarker 

Hair Story from Anne: a vague feeling of breaking a taboo

Long time memories from when I was 7 or 8 years old, living in the countryside. Summer and tall grass. I always dreamt of having long hair, something which my mother wouldn't consider for me (I guess because short hair are easier to maintain). Secretly I made myself a ponytail out of weeds and clothespins !!! I felt beautiful, at the same time having the vague feeling of breaking a taboo. Maybe the taboo was not as strong as my imagination wanted me to believe, because later I let my hair grow for real! 

Anne, 65, Female, Belgium 

#Gender
#Short #Long #GirlDreamLong #ShortEasy

Hair Story from Hans: I had a real grandmother and a few fake spare ones

My maternal grandmother had a series of wigs she wore to hide her gray hair. In her bathroom she had about 3 or 4 of them, exposed on a row of scary looking white heads made out of styrofoam. When I was a little boy this confused me a lot, as if I had a real grandmother and a few fake spare ones.

Hans, 47, Male, Belgium
#GreyHair #Wig 

Hair Story from Charlotte: Tired of the stereotypes

Charlotte had long dreads. She eventually cut them entirely, tired of the stereotypes into which people tried to lock her, as well as of the many police controls she had to undergo. To keep her dreadlocks, she made a wig out of them.

Charlotte, 30 's, Female, Belgium 

#Culture #Stereoptype
#Wig #Dreadlocks

Hair Story from Véronique

Whereas my hair (long natural brown hair) can provoke sometimes reactions in some parts of the world (people touching it, asking me if it’s mine, mentioning the fact that some of it is turning white), my partner’s dreadlocks nearly always provokes reactions, wherever we are, even in our home country (Belgium). From simple curiosity (which can go quite far sometimes: in Cuba, a woman set up a whole scheme trying to take a picture of herself with my partner, without him being aware of it) over fear and near panic (in Burkina Faso, at a time where he loosened his hair, some people got very frightened), to straight rejection (in Turkey a number of men came to explain, repeatedly and not always very kindly, that men really couldn’t not wear long hair) and systematic police or custom control, wherever we goes. 

Here in Jamaica, where people in the street are called by their most visible characteristic, I’m called « Whitie », whereas my partner is called « Rasta », his hair (and what it could means here) apparently being a more important trait than his skin color.

Véronique, 40’s, Female, Belgium-Jamaica 

#Culture #CulturalPerception  #Gender #Stereotype 

#Dreadlock

Hair Story from Valentine

During my travels, when I’m brushing my hair, I consciously put the loose strands somewhere in a specific spot or let them go with the wind, thinking: a bit of me will stay here. Today, I am all over the world.
Valentine, 40’s, Female, Belgium 

#Symbolism #PersonnalPart
#Loss

Hair Story from M.

At the age of 30, after 15 years of wearing my hair more or less short, I decided to let my hair grow really long. After an ugly transition, when my hair reached mid-length, I got sick. I had to take drugs that made me lose a lot of hair. My hair turned ugly again, so I cut it. 

Since then, the disease has stabilized but I never really cut my hair again. Although I like to change the way I look a lot, something is holding me back. It seems as if my long hair has become a symbol of my victory over the disease.
M., 40’s, Female, Belgium 

#Symbolism #SymbolVictory
#Loss #Long

Hair Story from Pierre

Once accepted, (though DNA' wise...one has not much choice about it...hereditary speaking) being bald young is not so bad !
The good thing about receding and very short haircut is that you will look like being 40 years old from 30 to 50 years old which is a nice 20 years without bothering about it ! In the meanwhile your hairy friends are tuning grey and it shows ! When you see them after a while it is impressive how some people all of the sudden are appearing looking oldish with their grey hairs...with short hairs or no hairs it doesn't show... no hairs no problems! 

Pierre, 40, Male, Belgium

#Loss #GreyHair

Hair Story from X.

My dad whom I asked hair stories: "I not going to tell who is giving me white hair, do I?” 

X., 73, Male, Belgium 

#Symbolism #WhiteHair #SymbolTrouble 

Hair Story

Went to the hairdresser with my sister. One time only and just for fun, we got our hair straightened with a flat iron (that's not our style, normally just natural). Walk home and being called a slut in the street, clearly linked with our hairstyle.
V. & P., 35-40’s, Female, Belgium 

#Stereotype #Straight

Hair Story by C.

I have smooth blonde hair. During my travels in different African countries, I often feel aggressed when, out of curiosity, people come to touch my hair (even if I can understand this curiosity). This always gives me the impression to be a freak.

C., 40, Female, Belgium 

#Culture #CulturalEncounter #Blonde 

Hair Story from C.

One day my boyfriend decided to cut his dreadlocks. I had always known him with them. Suddenly he seemed so fragile to me ...
C., 40, Female, Belgium
#Symbol #Strengh 
#Dreadlocks

Hair Story from Hans

Just after I was born, at a Christian hospital, the nuns showed me to my mom, saying "don't worry, he is not a redhead, he is not a redhead!" My mom looked at me and told the nuns, happy and proud, "but no, he is a redhead, and that's great!"
At that time, popular and narrow minded belief saw red hair as a connection to the devil.

Hans, 47, Male, Belgium
#Religion #Symbolism #SymbolNegative
#Red 

Hair Story by C.

One day when I was an adolescent - and during a period where I was a little "lost in space" - I had the spontaneous idea to shave my hair completely, which until then I had always worn more or less long … When looking in the mirror afterwards, I saw myself as a sick person, looking lean and not very happy. For almost a year, I wore a black bowler hat to hide my mistake, my teachers at school even allowing me to keep it on in class (I really must have looked a little frightening without this headgear! ) 

C., female, 40 years, Belgium

#Gender

#Shave #Bald #Try #HowToAssume

Hair Story from Isabelle

When I was 13 a friend and colleague of my father came home to cut our hair, since that was cheaper than going to the hairdresser. I wanted to please my father, and I asked to have my hair cut short. He thought that was a good idea. Once my hair was cut, I found myself horrible. I cried. It was a real torture to have to go to school, wearing my hair like that, and to have to let it grow again. Since then, I have never cut my hair shorter than shoulder length. I believe this will stay the only attempt in my whole life !! 

Isabelle, 44, Female, Belgium

#Short #Try #HowToAssume #Gender