‘I Love My Hair’ Coloring Book Espouses Hair Confidence for Adults

I Love My Hair: A Coloring Book of Braids, Coils, and Doodle Dos by Andrea Pippins. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

Hair is a physical space of expression and individuality, but it can also be a site of insecurity and body politics. A 2015 study from Dove, for example, found that only 10 percent of women with curly hair — one-third of the population in the United States — actually like their curls. 36-year-old illustrator Andrea Pippins wants to change our dialogue about our hair, with a little bit of creative expression. Her new coloring book for adults, I Love My Hair: A Coloring Book of Braids, Coils, and Doodle Dos, aims to inspire people to not only read about hair confidence, but also experience it themselves through the visceral feeling of making the illustrations their very own.

Braids. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

Since the publication of Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book in 2013, adult coloring books have become a lucrative new genre in the industry. “I think a lot of us spend so much time in front of a computer screen or on our devices that we crave something that is a little more tactile — something that allows us to express our creativity,” Pippins tells Yahoo Beauty. “Coloring does just that. It’s also meditative, which can be relaxing after a long day at work.” Like recess, juice boxes, and naptime, coloring books are pleasures that we usually leave behind in adulthood. Coloring books for adults let people of all ages have fun with a firm-handed guidance that many adults feel nostalgic for: Whether you’re coloring in or out of the lines, the image is already set for you.

Profiles. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

“I do hope that individuals can walk away from this book having an appreciating for their hair, but more so being able to say they love something about themselves,” Pippins tells Yahoo Beauty. “I Love My Hair is a springboard for that, to have fun and say lovely things about ourselves on a daily basis.” In the 84-page book, you can find illustrations for every type of hair — and hair accessory — on the face of this earth, from crowns to South Indian bejeweled bridal braids to icons like Diana Ross. “My art reflects beautiful confident women inspired by friends, family, and icons — as well as ladies I’ve created in my imagination,” says Pippins.

Marie Antoinette. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

The book draws mainly from the illustrator’s own experiences. “I was really doing this book from my own perspective and thinking about positive things I want to say and put out into the world,” she says. For visual reference, though, she borrowed books on the history of hair from the library and read about historical references like Mami Wata, Medusa, and Marie Antoinette. “My hair is coil-y and very thick. It’s always been a lot of work that requires patience and gentleness,” says Pippins. When she was five, she got her first relaxer because her mother wasn’t sure what to do with her hair. For the next decade, she straightened her hair with perm relaxers until a college roommate encouraged her to go natural. “I’ve been natural ever since, and I absolutely love my hair,” she says. It’s a feeling that she hopes will carry through to the adults using the book.

Hair tools. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

An illustrated spread in the book. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

Hairstyles of fantasy. (Photo: Schwartz & Wade)

Related:

Confident and Courageous Women Embrace Life After Hair Loss

Urban Bush Babes Celebrate Diversity in Beauty, Hair, and Style

Denver Salon Hosts ‘Beer and Braids’ Night for Fathers & Daughters