And the underlying issue is: _STIGMATISATION_ Miss Côte d'Ivoire is the 1st national pageant to ban weaves, wigs, and hair extensions. Influenced by the Nappys de Babi movement (2012-now) and 2022 Queen Marlene Kouassi, the decision promotes African beauty standards. While some see it as empowering, others view it as limiting. However, African hair has long been stigmatised, leading to the adoption of harmful European standards and overspending. Black women spend 9x more on hair care, and L'Oreal and Revlon products have been linked to cancer, fibroids, and infertility in lawsuits. Therefore, this ban ties into decolonialism, self-esteem, good health, African pride, and affects the $7 billion wig/weave industry dominated by non-black companies. #pushafrican #africanbeauty #blackbeauty #africanpageants #mud