From glass office towers in Canary Wharf to creative studios in Shoreditch, curly hair is everywhere — yet in many professional spaces, it’s still treated as a problem to fix rather than a texture to embrace. Emerging research suggests that women with curly hair can face subtle, and sometimes overt, bias at work, affecting everything from perceived competence to promotion prospects. This isn’t simply about styling preferences; it’s about how deeply our ideas of “professionalism” are entangled with Eurocentric beauty standards and workplace culture.
Drawing on recent studies and lived experiences, this article explores why curly hair in the workplace is such a charged topic, how bias shows up in everyday office life, and what both employees and employers can do to foster genuinely inclusive hair policies and cultures.
How Curly Hair Became a Workplace Battleground
Curly and coily hair has long been politicised, particularly for Black women and women of colour. Western ideas of professional grooming developed around straight, smooth hair — typically white, Eurocentric hair textures. For generations, workers with naturally curly or textured hair have felt pressure to straighten it chemically or thermally to fit in and be taken seriously.
Research from social psychologists has begun to quantify these experiences. Experimental studies suggest that, when presented with identical CVs and profiles, evaluators may rate women with tightly curled or natural textured hairstyles as less professional or less suitable for client-facing roles than women wearing straight styles. These effects are often unconscious, but they can still influence hiring decisions, performance reviews, and leadership opportunities.
In the UK and US, legislative efforts such as the CROWN Act (in some US states) have highlighted the connection between hair and racial discrimination. Even where laws are less specific, workplace dress and grooming codes can indirectly penalise curly or textured hair under vague language like “neat,” “tamed,” or “conservative”. What sounds neutral in policy can become discriminatory in practice.
What Hair Bias Looks Like Day-to-Day at Work
Bias against curly hair is rarely just one glaring incident. Instead, it tends to appear as a series of micro-moments that, over time, impact confidence, mental health, and career progression. These may include offhand remarks, coded feedback, or unequal scrutiny applied to some employees and not others.
Common experiences reported by professionals with curly or coily hair include:
- Being told that natural curls or afros look “unpolished”, “messy”, or “unprofessional”.
- Receiving subtle pressure to straighten hair for interviews, big presentations, or client pitches.
- Colleagues touching hair without consent or making jokes about it “taking up space”.
- Unequal enforcement of grooming rules, where looser waves are praised as stylish while tighter textures are criticised.
- Assumptions that certain roles (front-of-house, leadership, or corporate-facing jobs) require straighter hair.
These behaviours may not always be explicitly malicious, but they sit within a system that has historically normalised one hair type as the professional default. Over time, this can lead workers with curly hair to internalise the idea that their natural texture is a liability they must constantly manage.
The Emotional and Professional Cost of Conforming
Many women with curly hair describe a double burden at work: doing their job well while also managing other people’s expectations of their appearance. This can translate into early morning straightening routines, costly salon treatments, and the emotional labour of pre-empting comments or criticism.
The impact is multidimensional:
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Emotional strain: Constant self-monitoring — wondering if curls look “acceptable” enough for a meeting — can heighten anxiety and erode self-esteem.
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Time and financial cost: Regular chemical relaxers, keratin treatments, or frequent blow-dries come with both economic and health considerations, particularly when chosen primarily to conform.
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Career decisions: Some professionals avoid client-facing roles, public speaking, or leadership visibility until they feel their hair “measures up” to unspoken standards.
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Identity conflict: For many, hair is culturally and personally significant. Suppressing its natural state to feel safe at work can create a painful disconnect between personal identity and professional persona.
At the same time, there has been a visible shift in the last decade. The natural hair movement, increased representation in media, and more open conversations about race, gender, and workplace bias have helped more people wear curls with pride at work. Still, the fact that it can feel like a bold move to simply show up with your natural hair texture speaks volumes about the cultural norms that persist.
Building Truly Inclusive Workplaces for Every Hair Texture
Making workplaces genuinely inclusive for curly and textured hair isn’t about relaxed dress codes alone. It’s about dismantling the narrow definition of “professional” that equates polish with straightness and conformity.
Both organisations and individuals have a role to play:
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Review grooming policies: Employers can explicitly state that natural hair textures and protective styles (locs, braids, twists, afros) are welcome and appropriate for all roles.
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Train managers on bias: Unconscious bias training should include hair, race, and cultural expression — not just clothing examples.
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Challenge coded feedback: Vague comments like “more polished” or “more professional” should be interrogated. What do they really mean? Are they applied consistently across hair types?
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Normalise variety in leadership: When senior staff wear their curls, coils, or protective styles confidently, it sends a powerful message down the organisation.
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Create space for stories: Listening sessions, employee resource groups, or anonymous surveys can surface how hair bias shows up in specific workplace cultures.
For individuals with curly hair navigating professional environments, there is no single “right” way to wear your hair. Some will choose to straighten it sometimes, others will lean fully into their natural texture; many will move between styles. What matters is that these choices are truly free — not driven by fear of being judged or sidelined.
Practical Ways Curly-Haired Professionals Can Advocate for Themselves
Advocacy doesn’t always have to be grand or confrontational. Small, deliberate steps can gradually reshape expectations and support others who share your experience.
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Document patterns: If you notice repeated comments about your hair affecting reviews, opportunities, or role allocation, keep a record of dates, language used, and outcomes.
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Ask for clarity: When given appearance-related feedback, calmly ask for specific, role-relevant examples: “Can you explain how my hairstyle is affecting my performance in this role?”
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Use policy language: Where equality, diversity, and inclusion policies exist, refer to them in conversations with HR or line managers when you suspect hair-based discrimination.
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Find allies: Connect with colleagues, networks, or affinity groups who understand hair bias and can back you up in meetings or policy discussions.
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Model openness: When you feel safe enough, sharing your experience — even briefly — can validate others and encourage a more thoughtful culture around hair.
Ultimately, the goal isn’t to make curly hair “acceptable” within old norms, but to broaden the definition of professionalism so it reflects the people who actually make up today’s workforce.
Key Takeaways
- Bias against curly and textured hair in professional settings is real and supported by emerging research, even when it appears in subtle, coded ways.
- Traditional ideas of workplace “professionalism” are heavily influenced by Eurocentric beauty standards that privilege straight hair as the default.
- Curly-haired professionals often face emotional, financial, and career costs when they feel pressured to alter their natural texture to be taken seriously.
- Employers can make a concrete difference by revising grooming policies, training managers on hair-related bias, and encouraging visible diversity in leadership.
- Employees can advocate for themselves through documentation, clear communication, and using existing inclusion policies to challenge discriminatory practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it unprofessional to wear natural curls or an afro at work?
In modern, inclusive workplaces, natural curls, coils, and afros are absolutely professional. If a company treats them as inappropriate, it usually reflects bias rather than genuine business need.
Can my employer legally ask me to straighten my hair?
In many jurisdictions, especially where hair is closely linked to race or ethnicity, pressuring someone to change their natural texture could be considered discriminatory. If you are concerned, check local employment law and your organisation’s equality policies, and consider seeking legal or HR advice.
How can I respond if a colleague says my curls look messy?
You might calmly set a boundary, for example: “This is my natural hair and it’s styled intentionally. I’d prefer we focus on the work.” If comments persist, document them and speak to a manager or HR.
What should HR include in an inclusive hair policy?
Inclusive policies explicitly allow natural textures and protective styles, avoid vague terms like “tamed” or “conservative”, and ensure grooming standards are genuinely necessary for safety or hygiene — not aesthetics.
Does wearing my hair straight sometimes undermine the push for acceptance?
No. How you wear your hair is a personal choice. The aim of inclusion is that you can wear it straight, curly, or in protective styles without pressure or penalty — not that you must always wear it one way to make a point.
