Hair is an extension of personality and an emblem of authentic self-expression. Our hair color, cut, and style reflect who we are, and for some, it is an identifying factor. However, while hair reflects individuality, in high school, hair also tends to reflect uniformity. Although hair trends may seem harmless to BSM students, sometimes they present a threat to students’ confidence and self-expression.

Hair is a way in which we extend our style and find confidence in who we are. It can be an extension of culture, ethnicity, and personality and play a role in how we define ourselves. “I would say that my hair is a really big part of my identity…I take a lot of pride in my hair, and I put a lot of time and energy into styling. It shows that it’s a big part of how I see myself, but I think even more so as a redhead, it’s always been very much a defining feature,” teacher Jennifer Bevington said.

Many students at BSM also view their hair as a defining factor of their individuality. It is a way in which we extend our personal style. Sometimes, our hair is a distinctive factor that sets us apart from others, further accentuating our individuality. “I feel like I have very distinct hair. I feel like when I walk around in the hallways, you can kind of tell [it is me because of my hair]. Especially for soccer, my hair is always in a bun, and I refuse to change it. So yeah, I’d say [my hair is a defining factor],” senior Lyra Carter said.

However, if hair is such an expression of individuality, why are there so many prominent hair trends, especially within a high school setting? In my time at BSM, I have observed how trends arise and how they change. In the past ten years, styles have changed from side parts to middle parts, from teased ponytails to slick-backs. However, throughout the halls of BSM, especially among female students, there is a specific type of hair that seems to be the most prominent: thick, straight, and fake blonde or brunette. I am not the only BSM student who has noticed this trend. “I think there’s always the typical blonde standard, especially with straight hair. I feel, especially this year, there are so many people I meet that I’m like ‘no way you straighten your hair every day.’ And they’re like, ‘yes, my natural hair is wavy’,” senior Ruby Ryan said.

While this hairstyle is beautiful in its own regard, the pressure to have it isn’t. With the pressure to have thick, straight, and blonde or brunette hair, a student’s confidence and appreciation of their own natural hair is at risk. Students, especially females, face this pressure in almost everyday life. “Straight, long, luscious hair is what I’ve always wanted. It’s really bad just because I have curly hair and it always takes a long time to do it. So I feel like [straight, long hair] just more pretty because that’s what I’ve seen more when I was younger,” Carter said.

It’s honestly not surprising that this hair type is considered more beautiful, not because it truly is, but considering the awful hair discrimination in US history. With America’s history of severe racial discrimination, white Anglo-Saxon cultural norms arose. One of these cultural norms was hair. According to the Legal Defense Fund, policies in the past have even prohibited natural hairstyles like afros, braids, and locs as a means to justify the removal of Black children from classrooms and Black adults from employment. The pressure was also inflicted upon many other ethnic minorities. From this stemmed a favor towards Anglo-Saxon hair, and white, long, and straight hair became the standard.

While we can only hope that this standard is no longer prevalent in our society, it devastatingly still exists. The media is a leading cause in enforcing this standard. On TikTok, when I look up “beautiful hair” in the search bar, my screen is conquered by long, straight, or unnatural waves. I scroll in hopes of seeing more diverse hairstyles—some natural curls would have been nice to see. However, it seems that only one hair type is found in my search: straight, long, and typically fake.

The presence of straight and light brunette or blonde hair is clear across a variety of platforms. When I scroll through my Instagram and other social media platforms, it is almost a guarantee that I will see an influencer promoting a product by showing off their long, straight, and typically highly photoshopped and edited hair. This is a major factor driving continuous pressure on students to wear their hair a certain way. When most of the mainstream media is insisting that this hair type is considered most beautiful, it’s not surprising that teenagers, who spend significant time on social media, believe that only one hair type is favorable. And, some even go to the lengths of damaging their natural hair to meet the almost unattainable beauty standard maintained by social media.

Such a standard proves to be dangerous to adolescents’ confidence in their natural hair, even to the extent that some don’t even consider their own hair beautiful because it doesn’t adhere to the hair standard. This hit to self-confidence is even prevalent among BSM students. “Yes, [I think there is a pressure to dye my hair], because when it gets brown, I feel like, oh, I’m not cute anymore,” senior Kate Jaeger said.

Hair trends aren’t necessarily evil within themselves. Blonde isn’t all bad. In fact, many BSM students don’t have any problem adhering to them, especially when their personal taste aligns with the current trends. Students may feel the most confident and like themselves when styling their hair in alignment with hair trends. I, for one, being a natural dirty blonde, dye my hair lighter out of personal preference, not in adherence to the hair standard. Sometimes, I decide to go darker to switch things up for fun. Other BSM students do the same. “I dye my hair because my mom allowed me to, and I wanted to. And I do like switching it up, even if I keep the same color. Every few months or so, when I do get it done, I can always ask for something a little different, and it’s just kind of a refresh,” Ryan said.

Even though having hair that adheres to a hair trend does not have to be harmful, it is still important to recognize the prevalence of a hair standard and understand why we style our hair the way we do. With the possible danger and insecurity the hair standard has hidden beneath its long locks, it is important to create an environment where hair is valued for what it is, not judged for what it is. When the pressure to have socially acceptable hair becomes too much, we start to lose the important identity that our hair holds. Especially in a high school setting, with impressionable teenagers, individuals, and communities must recognize all hair types as beautiful, as well as their importance in personal, cultural, ethnic, and individual expression.