UN-RULY x Dark & Lovely Release “Pretty Shouldn’t Hurt”

UN-RULY, a beauty platform dedicated to Black women and their hair, has come together with iconic Black haircare brand, Dark & Lovely, to spark an overdue conversation about protective hairstyles with the release of their short film, Pretty Shouldn’t Hurt.

Protective hairstyles—a term used to refer to styles such as braids, weaves, twists, locs and wigs that keep one’s hair free from manipulation, are one of the fastest-growing hair care categories among an estimated 80% of Black women and have become a go-to choice for embracing personal style while encouraging growth and maintaining hair health. Today, however, with over an estimated one-third of Black women in the United States alone suffering from thinning around their hairlines, which can be caused by styles that place too much tension on one’s hair, UN-RULY and Dark & Lovely are taking on the task of creating new standards in Black hairstyling practices.

Unruly x Dark & Lovely seek to educate women via their documentary, Pretty Shouldn't Hurt, on hair loss
Protective styles are great, but undue tension causes a lot of black women, who favour these styles, to experience traction alopecia, which can often lead to permanent hair loss. Image courtesy of Domineves Anthony from Pexels

Pretty Shouldn’t Hurt dives deep into the evolution of Black hairstyles, and serves as a starting point to a long-term initiative with Dark & Lovely, who recently launched their Protective Styles Collection to promote healthier looking hair during each phase of a protective style. The film shines a light on the potentially damaging effects caused by these styles and offers advice on what should be done to make the styles truly protective.

Dark and Lovely's Protective Styles Collection
Dark and Lovely’s Protective Styles Collection. Image courtesy Soft Sheen Carson Laboratories

“We’ve grown up believing ‘the tighter the better’ when it comes to braided hairstyles,” says UN-RULY Co-Founder, Antonia Opiah. “As a result, today’s generation of Black women have seen their moms, aunts, grandmas and even friends lose their hairlines. We’re now setting out to reduce the rate of hair loss and thinning hairlines among Black women by bridging the K.A.P (Knowledge Attitudes and Practices) gap.”

Unruly x Dark & Lovely seek to educate women via their documentary, Pretty Shouldn't Hurt, on hair loss
Black hair does not have to be thin or disappear simply because of protective styles. Image courtesy of iCapture Studios from Pexels

UN-RULY is enlisting the support of 100 of the most vocal and influential players in the Black hairstyling industry, including experts featured in the film—natural hairstyling pioneer, Anu Prestonia, Board Certified Dermatologist, Dr. Crystal Aguh, Celebrity Hairstylist & Trichologist, Dr. Kari Williams, and Emmy-nominated celebrity stylist and Dark & Lovely Ambassador, Derick Monroe, to get behind the guidelines set forth in the film.

“Pretty Shouldn’t Hurt: An Overdue Conversation About Protective Styles” premieres July 22nd at 7:00 pm EST here.

Source: PR Newswire