Hair Tells a Story: Hers, Yours, and Ours

Hair has long played a role in the struggles for power, self-determination and autonomy—serving as a nonverbal language that represents women’s lives. However, pain, anxiety, racism, sexism and rigid beauty standards can too often underlie these stories. Modern events like the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed societal barriers that prevent the free and equitable expression of hair. Hair Tells a Story delves into the personal psychology and the meaning of hair have been missing. This work empowers women to understand complex hair-head-heart connections, and pressures. Above all, the text emphasizes that hair is never just hair.
Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS, is a clinical psychologist who has specialized in eating disorders and related issues for over 35 years. She lectures nationally and internationally on topics related to women’s health and maintains a private practice in West Hartford, Connecticut.