When a man shaves his head or loses his hair naturally, society often frames it as a mark of confidence, maturity, or even rugged appeal. Baldness in men is normalised, even celebrated. Yet when women lose their hair, whether through illness, treatment, or choice, the reaction is starkly different. Women are expected to cover their scalps with wigs, scarves, or hats, as if their bare head is something shameful. This double standard reinforces the idea that women’s value is tied to appearance, while men’s identity is allowed to stand on its own.
Hair as a Cultural Battleground
For women of colour, hair is not just personal, it is political. Finding a hairdresser who understands textured hair, braids, or protective styles can be a struggle in many Australian suburbs. The lack of mainstream expertise forces women to travel further, pay more, or rely on community networks to access basic hair care. This gap highlights how Eurocentric beauty standards dominate the industry, leaving women of colour to navigate exclusion and invisibility in spaces where hair should be a source of pride.
The Cost of Self-Consciousness
Women are conditioned to feel self-conscious about their hair in countless ways: greys must be dyed, frizz must be tamed, baldness must be hidden, and styles must remain “professional.” The financial burden is staggering. From salon visits and chemical treatments to wigs, scarves, and headwear, women spend thousands of dollars over their lifetimes simply to meet expectations. Men, by contrast, can walk into a barber, spend a fraction of the cost, or shave their heads entirely without social penalty. This economic imbalance is another layer of inequality woven into the fabric of everyday life.
Breaking the Silence
Hair should be a canvas for self-expression, not a cage of double standards. By challenging the assumptions that bald women must hide, that women of colour must struggle for recognition, and that women must spend endlessly to be “acceptable,” we open the door to liberation. No More Nice Girls calls for a cultural shift: one where women’s hair ... or lack of it ... is respected as a choice, not judged as a deficiency.
