The Miss Ivory Coast competition prohibits wigs and weaving to promote natural hair and beauty

Long wigs and fluid weaving extensions dominated the podiums of the massively popular beauty contests of Côte d’Ivoire for years.

The candidates of the West African nation often spend a huge sum of money on their appearance, from Hairdos outfits – with very little choice of the natural look.

In addition to six decades, there were only two notable exceptions, the most recent was Marlène Kany Kouassi, who won the title of Miss Ivory in 2022 – Simping resplendent with her short natural hair, the crown becoming her only ornament.

His victory was not only unusual in Côte d’Ivoire, but around the world, where Western beauty standards are often the desired look both for those who participate in competitions and judges.

The changes slide slowly – last December Angarlique Angarni -Filopon, of the French Caribbean Island of Martinique, made the headlines when she was crowned Miss France, mainly because of her age – she is 34 years old – and she also sported short Afro hair.

But this year, the organizers of the Ivorian competition make things happen from the start.

The wigs, weaving and hair extensions have been prohibited from the preliminary competition stages, which take place in 13 cities across the country (as well as two abroad for those of the diaspora).

“We want the candidates to be natural – whether with braids or smoothed hair, it should be theirs. Beauty must be raw,” said Victor Yapobi, president of the organizing committee of the Miss Ivory coast at the BBC.

Côte d’Ivoire is the only African country imposing the ban on national competition.

Mr. Yapobi said that the organizers of Côte d’Ivoire have long been trying to promote a more natural look – for example cosmetic surgery is not uncompromising lighting.

“We have decided this year to really present the natural beauty of these young women,” he said.

Other changes have also been implemented, such as allowing slightly shorter women to compete – the minimum is now 1.67 m (5.4 feet), increasing the age of three to 28 and – to reduce the entrance fees by more than $ 30 (£ 25) to $ 50.

“This change of criteria is due to the fact that we observed that these young women put a lot of money to participate, and it became a little budgetary drain.”

When the BBC joined the first preliminary competition in Daloa, the main city of the western region of Haut -Sassandra, a competitor was ravaged by the new rules – the feeling that it gave it a better chance of success because it prefers not to wear wigs.

“I would see other girls with long and artificial hair, and they were so beautiful,” said Emmanuella Dali, 21, a real estate agent at the BBC.

“This rule gives me more pride as a woman – as a African woman.”

This decision to celebrate natural African beauty has sparked an animated debate across the country, where wigs and extensions are popular.

As a fashion choice, many women like creativity that wigs and weaving allow them. They also serve as what is called “protective style”, which means minimizing daily traction and shooting hair that can cause ruptures.

This was reflected by some candidates for Daloa who estimated that the rule deleted an element of personal expression.

“I am a fan of the wigs. I love the wigs,” said the competitor and makeup artist Astrid Meekou. The 24 -year -old woman told the BBC that she had been initially shocked by the WIG -free stipulation, without extensions.

“I didn’t expect this rule! But now? I like my hair, and it’s okay.”

The new rule has made competitors of beauty concepts more think – and has changed certain opinions, such as those of Laetitia Mouroufie.

“Last year, I had extensions because I thought it was beauty,” said the 25 -year -old student at the BBC.

“This year, I feel more confident to be myself.”

If competition influences attitudes beyond the world of the competition, it could have enormous economic implications.

Human hair wigs, which can last for years if they are neat properly, can vary at a price from $ 200 to $ 4,000, while synthetic cost about $ 10 at $ 300.

The Côte d’Ivoire hair industry is worth more than $ 300 mm, with wigs and weaving constituting a significant part of this market.

“This rule is not good for us,” a 30 -year -old hairdresser in Daloa told the BBC.

“Many women like wigs. This will harm our business and we earn more money when we work with wigs and weaving.”

In its living room, glue will be used to carefully attach the wigs to make them more natural and women will spend hours having weaving and extensions.

It shows how deeply rooted wigs are found in West Africa, despite a natural hair movement that has grown in black women in the world in the last decade.

Natural hair products have become much more easily available and natural hair influencers proliferate on social networks worldwide with advice on how to manage and style natural hair, which can take time.

Previously, it was considered non -professional to wear his hair naturally and it would have been extraordinary to see stars of black television on the screen or CEOs in the conference room with natural hair.

According to Florence Edwige Nanga, a specialist in hair and scalp in the main Ivorian city of Abidjan, this is often the case in Côte d’Ivoire.

“Light television (here), and you will see almost all journalists carrying a wig,” the trichologist told the BBC.

“These improvements in beauty are fashionable, but they can also cause problems-such as alopecia or scalp infections,” she warned.

With the current preliminary towers, the arguments as to whether the competitions should establish beauty rules or women should decide such things for themselves.

The result may be that there is more acceptance of the two in Côte d’Ivoire, allowing women to change styles – between natural hair and wigs and weaving.

Mr. Yapobi said the comments he had received on the new rules were “extraordinary” and clearly showed that he had an impact.

“Everyone congratulates us. Everyone, even from abroad. I receive emails and WhatsApp messages everywhere congratulating us to want to return to our roots.”

He said that no decision had been made on the question of whether the wig ban would apply to the 15 competitors who will go to the final of Miss Ivory Côte 2025.

This extravagance will take place in a hotel in Abidjan at the end of June and will be broadcast on national television.

“If it works, we will continue and continue this initiative in the coming years,” said Mr. Yapobi.

For Doria Koré, who was then named Miss Haut-Sassandra, her crown has even more meaning: “Winning with natural hair shows the true beauty of African women”.

Ms. Dali said that she was walking away with something more precious – self -confidence: “I haven’t won, but I feel proud. It is.”

Additional reports by Nicolas Negoce of the BBC and Noel Ebrin Brou in Abidjan.