In a wide-ranging conversation on the “Couch by Lena Situations” podcast, pop icon and beauty entrepreneur Rihanna delved into what she called her ongoing “struggle” to embrace her natural hair. The 37-year-old singer and founder of Fenty Beauty explained how ingrained beauty standards left her feeling disconnected from her own texture. “We’ve always been taught to love what you don’t have, especially when it comes to hair,” she said. “If you have straight hair, you want it to be bigger. If you have big, curly hair, you want it to be straighter and thinner.”
The discussion comes amid the launch of her new hair-care venture, Fenty Hair, which she says grew out of her own personal journey. “That was a struggle for me,” Rihanna said. “Falling in love with my hair again was the biggest inspiration for me to create this brand. I wanted products that not just worked, but more importantly, I wanted them to repair your hair and replenish your hair every step of the way.”
Hair, Identity and Healing
Rihanna also spoke about how motherhood, career pressures and changing identity influenced her relationship with her hair. She revealed she experienced “unexpected postpartum hair loss” in patchy waves after giving birth, and admitted she didn’t see the condition listed in any “pamphlet”. “I didn’t expect it to happen in waves. I thought it would just happen and grow back,” she told reporters.
The hair-care brand was born from that point of frustration and reflection. She said, “Evolving as a woman and even as an artist, hair has been such a huge part of that and a reflection of whatever I’m feeling … I want to look fly, but I want my hair to be healthy.”
In the podcast, she also admitted to moments of self-doubt across her ventures. “When I make my albums, I get to a point where I think, ‘Wow, I’ve lived with it for so long, I know it works, but now I’m about to give it to the world. Is it right? Is it right yet?’” she recalled. “I experience that with all of my product development. If you’re creative, you’re gonna have doubt.”
Rihanna’s honesty about hair reflects a broader dialogue in the beauty industry about texture, identity and representation. Her willingness to discuss vulnerability highlights the fact that even someone at her level still faces internal and external pressure around appearance. Her roots in Barbados and global fame create a unique vantage point from which she speaks.
Her remarks suggest that hair is more than a style for her—it is a statement of self-worth and acceptance. “Falling in love with my hair again” may sound modest, but it notes a significant emotional milestone. As she builds Fenty Hair, she frames the line not simply as styling tools but as tools of healing: repair, replenish, respect.
With this project, Rihanna appears to be championing texture variety, authenticity and empowerment—extending beyond superstars and into everyday lives. She said she recognized that “hair has been such a huge part of that and a reflection of whatever I’m feeling.” The word “struggle” may seem surprising from someone so confident on stage, but it underscores that self-love is an ongoing process.