NOT DONE

Why does a woman with a healthy head of natural hair believe that her hair is not done?

NOT DONE: The Psychology of Black Hair examines the beliefs, social expectations and commercial interests that have shaped how Black women understand their natural hair. Beginning with an expression so familiar that it rarely invites examination, Alexandra Hamilton asks how a natural physical characteristic came to be regarded as something requiring correction before a woman could consider herself presentable.

Across thirty-two chapters, the book investigates the historical influence of European beauty standards, the psychology of social conditioning, the relationship between hair and public respectability, and the industries that profit from changing expectations of feminine appearance. It considers the influence of mothers, schools, workplaces, advertising and popular culture, alongside the physical consequences of certain hair practices.

Drawing upon history, psychology, medical research and social observation, Hamilton distinguishes the ordinary pleasure of grooming and adornment from the belief that natural appearance is inherently inadequate.

At its centre is a question extending beyond hair: when society teaches a person to regard what nature has provided as unfinished, who benefits from the correction?

NOT DONE is an examination of beauty, conformity, commercial influence and the human relationship with the natural body.