Hair has a history of being complex for Black women. Society has constantly pressured us on how our hair should be styled to look professional, groomed, and accepted. But being the resilient people we are, we’ve pushed back against these narratives by embracing our hair in whatever way feels best for us. Dash Lopez, for example, is an Afro-Latina content creator, and host of the Gotta Dash podcast, is empowering bald women (71 million viewers, to be exact) in her series, Fresh Cut Fridays. This weekly series reminds others to own their narrative as Lopez gives insight into how she owns hers; shaving her hair each week included.
Before Fresh Cut Fridays, Dash Lopez was just a girl trying to navigate beauty standards through her hair. “Growing up in a Puerto Rican and Dominican household, I was always praised for having ‘good hair’ by my elders, which didn’t make me feel good,” says Lopez. At the age of 18, Lopez decided to take her identity into her own hands by doing a “big chop,” something that wasn’t widely accepted by her community. “Everyone was pissed when I cut my hair. I wish they didn’t project that onto me.”
As Lopez entered her 20s, she continued to explore her hair in its new form. She began playing with different colors and styles. Experimentation gave her the confidence to shave her head completely. Judgments and assumptions began to increase from her community and, at times, it became hard to bear. Lopez says, “People have assumed that I have cancer, I’m a lesbian, and have even compared me to Britney Spears.”
Lopez began to clap back at those who disagreed with her decision by diving into radical acceptance. She started to notice features about herself that weren’t as obvious when she had hair. “I would look in the mirror and notice how much I liked my ears or shoulders. Shaving my head allows me to look at my beauty differently.” This realization gave her the courage to continue rocking the hairstyle despite other people’s opinions. Instagram became a safe space where Lopez could share her struggles with other bald women and encourage them along the way.
As of late, Lopez has built a community of nearly 90,000 bald women and other supporters. She continues to inspire others by redefining beauty on her terms. “I’ve learned that you can shave your head, and it doesn’t make you less beautiful or of a woman,” she says. With that, and in everything else she does, Lopez serves as an important reminder that the standard of beauty is defined by how we choose to view ourselves. The more we go inward, the closer we are to seeing all of our beauty for what it is.