Gabby Douglas shows off long, natural hair after years of backlash

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Back in 2012, at a time where everyone should have been talking about Gabrielle Douglas taking home Olympic gold medals, the media instead seemed to be more transfixed on her hair. Now the history-making athlete is revealing how far she – and her hair -have come since then.

Thursday, Douglas posted a lengthy message on Instagram, titled “from the heart,” along with picture showcasing hair now waist length, natural hair.

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“From a very young age I always had to put my hair in a tight ponytail to do gymnastics and due to that my hair became completely damaged,” she begins.

“I had bald spots on the back of my head. I was so embarrassed and self-conscious that I put a bunch of clips over the spots to try and cover them up, but it was still noticeable. my hair grew a little, but shortly after, I had to cut all of my hair off because it was so damaged.”

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“I cried and cried and cried,” she says of that time in her life. “Most days I didn’t even want to go to the gym because I felt so embarrassed that all my hair was gone. I used to think: why can’t I have healthy hair? despite yet another challenge, I kept going.”

After alluding to the chapter in her story when “both Olympics and my hair was the topic of conversation,” she triumphantly explains, “Now here I am today – no extensions – no clip-ins – no wigs – no chemicals – all me. “

Douglas, 24, became a household name in 2012 when she became the “all-around champion” in gymnastics at the Olympic Games in London, England. Earlier this week she announced that she will be an ambassador for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 

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