CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Finding the perfect hairstyle can be a challenge for anyone, but a study by Dove finds black women who wear their hair in natural styles, like curls and braids, are 2.5 times more likely to be considered unprofessional.
It's a concern that the study says has led two out of three black women to change their hair just to try to get a job. And, for me, this challenge has been personal.
I've anchored the weekend morning shows on WCNC Charlotte for just under two years. To see my hair as a natural afro now may come as a shock to viewers who are used to seeing it straightened or curled, but the truth is, I've been hiding this secret for nearly a year.
Speaking to my stylist Konstance “Koko” Wilson with Hair Love by Ko, I described some of my feelings on the change.
“I feel like I put so much of my identity in my hair and now it’s like finding myself again," I said.
After straightening my hair multiple times a month in a process called silk pressing at a different salon, my hair started to break off. So, I decided to cover it up. First, with braids, then wigs.
"I think I felt like I had this, sort of, societal expectation that I needed to maintain a certain look to be considered professional," I said. "I was trying to maintain this look to the best of my ability and my hair was like, we’re done."
It's a problem not uncommon for black women who, according to Dove, are more likely to change their hair to try to get ahead in the office.
"For everyone to have pressed hair, meant all those people were trying to get jobs. They were trying to survive," Michaela Angela Davis, co-producer of Hulu's Hair Tales, said.
It's a historical issue that continues to be a challenge for women, including me.
"Kayland, how did you feel," Davis asked.
“I wanted to disappear … to look like, I just fit in," I said. "It was so freeing to give myself that permission to cut it off and allow it to be a discussion.”
Part of that discussion was freeing myself to decide what style I wanted.
“This is not a referendum on whether you wear your hair naturally or in locs, or in braids or in afros. This is a liberation story," Davis said. "Making your hair be an expression of who you say you are… ‘cause good hair ... is healthy hair.”
And, so began my journey of exploration. First, I called one of my friends and did the big chop.
"I said, ‘Hey girl. Will you help me with this?’ She said, ‘Are you serious?’ and I said, ‘yeah."
Then, called another friend to help explore my new look, stopping by Tisun Beauty, a hair care store, to experiment with products and styles.
"I was very shocked that you were confident enough to cut your hair off and be like, Oh, yeah it’s fine," Chelsey Counts, my friend, said.
After trying wigs, braids, and my natural hair, I decided to go with something called a Pixie Cut -- a short style that, for me, involved a chemical straightener called a relaxer but created an edgy look that feels authentically me.
"Do you like it," Koko said.
“We did it! I do like it. It’s different," I said.
These months of experimenting with my hair have been some of the most freeing I've experienced. Being vulnerable enough to share my story has allowed me to hear from other women on their own hair journeys, which has been heartwarming and healing for me to know I'm not alone.
My message to women is, "Don't feel confined to anyone's expectation but your own. When the time is right for you, make the decision that feels best and find the people who will support you through it. What feels crazy to some, may just be your liberation story."