Lifestyle Mirror

Gabby Douglas is an Olympic darling, having made history by being the first African-American to win the all-around Olympic Gold. But recently, her name has been all over the news for an altogether different reason. 

"Her hair has become the news," said Patrice Grell Yursik (a.k.a. Afrobella), referring to the small media frenzy brought about by the ponytail Gabby sported during her Olympic performance. Her hair, it was stated, was not as kempt as the other girls's. "The media blew it up into a bigger story than it had to be, and it just spiraled into this thing that unfortunately got to her and her mother." 

Gabby responded bravely to the criticism, expressing confusion about her hair being a talking point instead of her athletic abilities. But a short time later, she showed up for the beginning of a press tour with a brand new 'do courtesy of talented hairstylist (and "weave master") Ted Gibson. Her new look prompted many news outlets to conclude that she caved in to pressure.  

A similar media frenzy occurred when photos of Naomi Campbell surfaced revealing the scalp damage the model suffered because of weaves and extensions—prompting a storm of Twitter messages, condemning Campbell harshly for her appearance and her decisions to wear fake hair. "There's a debate," Patrice said, referring to African-American women's choices to either "go natural" or get a weave. "I hate that it exists. I hate that we spend so much time policing other's choices." 

Hair stylist Neal Farinah, represented by Balan Inc, has worked with a range of celebrities from Mary J. Blige to Beyoncé. For him, the choice to go natural or get a weave shouldn't be so ideological. "Hair is a woman's right," he said. "A woman has the right to express herself however she feels... She has the right to choose and be happy."

"The right to choose" is, of course, a loaded phrase when it comes to women's rights. Some would point out that we're just talking about hair here. But in many ways, criticism of appearance—whether in the case of Naomi Campbell going natural for a day at the beach or an Olympic gymnast rewarding herself with a luxurious salon trip after breaking world records—impedes that right. And in these two cases, it does so with racial implications.

"What you can do for Caucasian hair, you can't do for black hair. And vise versa," said Farinah. "If you want more length, or some curl, or straight hair, whatever you feel like... it should be your option."

Patrice echoed Farinah's sentiment, pointing out that Gabby got to "spend time with an amazing stylist who does all sorts of celebrities." It's very likely that Gibson, notorious for his luxurious salon and bright personality, showed her a lovely time. 

"The people who are judging her... I wonder what they would do if Ted offered to do their hair," she mused. "I'm sure they'd say yes in a heartbeat." 

—Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi)