The S c Hair n our e ret s i Held

There were some Sundays growing up I would absolutely dread. Not because I had procrastinated doing my homework or because I had to go to school the next day. It was because of my hair. I couldn’t possibly go anywhere with my hair not styled, let alone school facing the impending judgment from my peers. I was so ashamed of the way it looked and the way it didn’t. I wished it was straighter, looser, or longer.

After the color of your skin, your hair is the largest divider in society. The thing that grows out of almost everyone’s head is one of the largest parts of your identity. Yet, growing up with type 4 hair, you’re never really given a chance to love and accept it. As most people’s hair falls, my hair grows. Puffing, kinking, and coiling in an ‘unconventional’ way. Constantly noticing the differences in my hair and placing so much value on something far out of control. So, like many, instead of finding ways to accept it, changing, hiding, and praying that it would hopefully change seemed easier.

After being subject to so much colorism, racism, featurism, and classism, why must our hair be the next oppressor? Texturism is the idea that certain hair textures are indicators of superior status in society. For Black women, our hair does not just grow out of our heads; it’s part of how we are perceived in many settings. It’s easy to feel ashamed of the hair on your head, but we don’t really hate it. It seems easier than the alternative: to wake up one day and decide that you won’t let society dictate your image.

Dread: an emotion I’m sure most women with type 4 hair are familiar with. Meaning ‘with great fear’ – the feeling and, funny enough, the equivalence of a typical Black hairstyle. And it seems so surprising how hard it is for Black people to accept their hair. When your identity depends on your hair, and society constantly reminds you that it’s not good enough, your self-image depletes.

It also didn’t help that our only representation in the media was mixed girls with looser curls. One thing I’ll never forget was when I was a kid watching my favorite show, Winx Club; it was the episode where the only Black girl on the show had her hair in an afro and was sobbing. “A catastrophe,” one of them says about her hair. Her friends looked bewildered and concerned, gasping at the sight of her hair. My hair looked just like hers, and although she was a cartoon character, who’s to say that in real life, people wouldn’t think that way about mine?

A common phase most Black women go through is the rejection of our natural beauty. It is ingrained into most people’s brains that the closer you are to European qualities, the better. A result of our surroundings and seeing how our white counterparts are treated compared to ourselves. Since you can’t change your skin’s color, you change your hair’s chemistry. Relaxers and texturizers are filled with chemicals meant to damage your hair. Allowing you to gain just a fragment of fake confidence, but at what cost? Damaged hair for societal benefits?

Black women don’t always have the luxury that others do regarding their hair. Seeing girls freely cut and dye their hair, not afraid of the consequences, the expectations, or the fear that it might not grow back. The main concern is “I hope it looks good” and not “will this be acceptable for work?” or “is this okay for school?” How comfortable, confident, and pretty Black women feel is based on the status of their hair. Feeling that you can’t wear your hair a certain way because it won’t look good on you or it would be “too Black.”

There are secrets that only our hair knows. The things we tell ourselves in confidence, the negative experiences we and our hair also go through. There is trauma that has been put on our hair and trauma that comes from our hair, physically and emotionally. Because of so many external factors causing internal problems, our hair actually suffers. Not only that, you start to suffer as well. Worry and emotional stress can harm your mental health, causing hair loss. There have been dozens of research studies to test the theory.

One done explicitly by Harvard University Researchers showed that chronic stress impaired hair follicle stem cells confirming that stress causes hair loss. Another study demonstrated that prolonged stress levels can cause telogen effluvium: when your hair falls out after stressful situations. Three months after a stressful event, you will notice hair loss, and the only way for your hair to grow back is for the stress to go away.

It seems like a never-ending toxic cycle to stress about your hair because it doesn’t look a certain way or the desired length, but that just so happens to be why it doesn’t grow.

One thing all women are subject to is the sudden urge to chop their hair off. It might seem impulsive and avant-garde. However, that impulse to do so is a reaction to all of the physical and emotional trauma; the longer your hair is, the more negative experiences it carries. As it holds grief, sadness, and trauma.

Getting rid of all that trauma and all that hate is intuitive guidance telling you that it’s okay to start relieving some of those anxieties. If you need to cut it or do something you’ve never done before, you are already on your way to healing.

Hair is such a big part of people’s sense of control. But, as a reminder to all women, society shouldn’t stop us from doing what we want with our hair. Although it’s not easy to let go of the pressures society places on you, there’s a point when you realize that some things are out of your control. And when you start putting energy into the things that make you happy and healthy, you know that dying, cutting, and changing your hair is meant to be empowering. So maybe the secrets won’t control you but will guide you to a better sense of self.

Written by Morgann Rhule Art and Layout by Ava Davison

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to walk in the shoes of the luckiest person alive? Well, you should know! Stop looking around the room! Yes, I’m talking to you! Why would there be anyone else? Being the luckiest person alive isn’t about what you have or who you know. Being the luckiest person alive is a mindset. It’s a mindset that needs to be put into practice on a daily basis. Once you put in the work and align your values with being the person who deserves anything and everything that you could possibly imagine, it all starts to come true for you.

Did I coin the term “Lucky Girl Syndrome”? Unfortunately, I did not. I wish I did, though. With over 659.9 million views on TikTok, the hashtag #LuckyGirlSyndrome took the video app by storm as users worldwide shared their stories and experiences regarding applying the new-ish mindset to kickstart 2023. It’s unknown who first posted about LGS (Lucky Girl Syndrome). However, the trend mainly started when TikTok user @lauragalebe posted a video describing herself as “one of the luckiest people [she] knows.” As the video creator did her make-up routine, she was retelling how she told everyone she was “so lucky.” If something does not work out for her, it’s because a better opportunity is coming around the corner. The TikToker then mentions she would not call this “toxic positivity” because she genuinely believes the best things happen to her. The creator’s TikTok account mainly consists of motivational speaking videos about manifesting, getting everything that’s meant for you, and positive affirmations. Personally, I enjoy this type of content amidst all of the noise and negativity that already exists. Some people call it preachy and nonsense; I say it’s the perfect amount of optimism and delusional to maybe turn that sh*tty day around.

Aligning your values with your goals is a big stepping stone when starting to believe the “Lucky Girl” mindset and knowing that all of your dreams are at your fingertips. Doing these practices are just as crucial as doing morning affirmations; there isn’t just one way to step into this mindset. There are numerous ways to tap into that higher self that’s inside of you. You can create your own reality through scripture, meditating, or just visualizing that life you want for yourself. Dearest Strike reader, don’t roll your eyes at me. I know it all sounds a bit much. But I promise I wouldn’t steer you in the wrong direction.

LGS could also be confused with being a bit delusional, but like, who gives a sh*t? I’d rather be delusional and have some sort of belief system that everything is going to work out for me than be doubting my next step constantly. I won’t sit here and say I’m always confident, and I don’t have moments where I doubt myself; as a soonto-be grad, life couldn’t be more up in the air. These are the moments to channel that lucky girl energy. Although moments of self-doubt exist, we must do our best to push through and show up as our most confident selves.

Having a belief system in yourself gives you the freedom to let go. When you walk into a room, it’s essential to not only believe that you are the luckiest person in the room, but that you are the most desirable person ever to step foot on this planet. Does it sound extremely silly? Probably! Does it sound ridiculously delusional? Oh, of course it does, but so does achieving your biggest, wildest dreams. That’s probably the most delusional aspect out of all of this. We dream big over here, you could be manifesting getting into med school, and the person next to you could be fully convinced they will marry Pedro Pascal. I am rooting for both of you! I don’t know what your goal is, but if you’re determined, willing, and aren’t a stalker, keep it moving and don’t look back. Don’t forget about me when you’re sending out wedding invites, though. L

No matter who you ask, everyone has at least one dream they have tucked away in the back of their mind that they would love to achieve but don’t believe would ever happen. Emulating that lucky girl energy is all about turning that doubt into certainty that you’ve already gotten what you wanted; it’s just coming to you at a later time.

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