Dresscode Project launches in the UK with PANTENE to help the 93% of the Transgender and non-binary community who have been misgendered during a salon visit

Hair is proven to impact on personal identity, self-esteem and confidence. Through a global study with Yale, Pantene showed that hair is critical for self-esteem and is an important extension and expression of identity. Despite this, the transgender and non-binary community often face discrimination and misgendering when trying to achieve the hair that best reflects how they feel.

For transgender people in the UK, how they choose to style their hair is crucial to their gender identity – 96% say their hair is important to their gender presentation. However, 93% of UK trans people have been misgendered during a salon visit leaving them feeling stressed and anxious about visiting salons.

80% of transgender people in the UK claim they can’t achieve their dream hair because they’re uncomfortable in a gendered salon environment. Pantene believes in great hair days for everyone. This is why Pantene has partnered with the Dresscode Project an alliance of safe hair salon spaces across North America that is now coming to the UK.

Dresscode Project founder Kristin Rankin has been a stylist for over 13 years and started Dresscode Project in the US in 2017. Her inspiration for wanting to stop misgendering and misplacement in salons came after cutting the hair of a transgender woman. Dresscode Project works with salons to educate staff on terminology and salon set up to reduce potential uncomfortable situations via training and an online tool to find participating salons in your local area.

How Pantene is supporting the project

The Pantene and Dresscode Project partnership is Europe wide as part of the brands commitment to exploring the social, psychological and emotional power of hair and its impact on personal identity, self-esteem and confidence. Whatever hair you dream of, Pantene stands with you.

In the UK, Instore in Superdrug from Wednesday 6th November, and on Superdrug.com for any Pantene product purchased Pantene will donate to Dresscode Project to help roll out in the UK.

Pantene’s Power Squad ambassador, Paris Lees, with a collective of other inspirational members of the community – including transgender and gender non-confirming activities Angela Ponce, Travis Alabanza and Lea T – share their hair journeys within the context of their personal transition stories.

Paris says: Particularly as a transgender woman, my hair is such an important signifier of my identity. It makes me feel confident in myself and my femininity.  I consider hair my weapon of choice when it comes to self-expression. The power of hair is so important to me and so many people in my community and that’s why I’m so excited to work alongside Pantene as they support Dresscode Project”

For every share of this film with #powerofhair and @panteneuk, Pantene will donate to the Dresscode Project.

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