Why Hating on Your Hair Is Harming Your Head

“Women are consistently faced with a narrow description of what ‘beautiful hair’ is supposed to look like,” says the team behind the Dove campaign. “This homogenous depiction, on top of the rules and norms women are bombarded with, cause women to internalize a lot of pressure when it comes to their hair.” 

RELATED: This Beauty Brand Wants to End Segregation in the Shampoo Aisle

Exactly how much pressure are we talking about? Take a look at the crazy stats Dove collected from their recent survey:

• 80 percent of women feel that the hair they see in ads make them feel bad about the hair they have.
• Only 11 percent of women love everything about their hair and wouldn’t change anything about it.
• 75 percent of women believe they’d have more self-confidence if they didn’t think they were being judged by their hair.
• 90 percent of women agree they need to embrace their own hair and stop comparing themselves to others.

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That last one’s easier said than done, but hey, if we’re all on the same page, we might finally be able to put hair-shaming to rest. After all, studies have shown that social comparison can lead to destructive emotions and behaviors—and we’re not just talking an obsessive relationship with your flat iron. Focus on the positives of your own hair (grows quickly…dries well at the beach!), stop pointing out the negatives of others, and know that on even the ‘worst’ hair day, you’re still beautiful…because you’re you. (Hey, sappy, but true.)