“I am now being who I am and I’m proud of it”: Hair related personal and social identity and subjective wellbeing of older Black women in the UK

Hair is an important personal attribute defined by the person’s natural hair shape, form and colour as well as by age and health. The hair of Black women has a specific curly texture that has been commonly manipulated to resemble straighter European hair, following centuries of oppressive beauty norms. The biological hair aging also presents challenges to some women due to the traditional social constructs of beauty and the persistent pressure on women to maintain their appearance. This interdisciplinary study explores the evolution of hair management practices of Black women from age-related biological, personal, social and well-being perspectives. A mixed methods approach was adopted, based on an online survey (n=46) followed by in depth semi-structured interviews (n=10). A statistically significant shift towards less frequent use of complex hair styles and visits to the hairdressers over a 30-year period was found, but frequency of hair colouring was not impacted. Three main qualitative themes were identified: 1) managing hair greying represented an important age-related negotiation of personal and social identity; 2) curly hair texture remained a strong personal and cultural identity symbol in light of historical dominance of Eurocentric hair beauty standards and hair-based discrimination; and 3) subjective well-being was strengthened by increased confidence in one’s personal hair aesthetics and better-informed choices about hair management. Overall, age did not diminish the desire to maintain good hair. Increasing the visibility of older Black women’s hair will further support their capacity to negotiate their presence and participation in social and professional contexts and to enhance their subjective well-being.