From Rapunzel to Samson, hair is all about sex, gender politics, and power. Whatever your gender or ethnicity, the way you style your hair isn't only a powerful statement of identity, it also invites scrutiny and interpretation from those around you. For some people - particularly women of colour - that scrutiny can be intense.

Lauren's guests this month are Prof Emma Tarlo, author of Entanglement: the Secret Lives of Hair; presenter and blogger Chidera Eggerue, aka the Slumflower, and Alex Brownsell, co-founder of the Bleach salon chain. Show less