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Misconceptions and truths
We can’t grow long hair.
Our hair grows super duper slow.
Most of us don’t wear our natural hair.
If you pull or touch a black woman’s hair, it may come out.
If you’re not mixed or have 4c hair, you don’t have “good” hair.
Comments About Black Hair
Through the years, I’ve received or heard farfetched comments about my hair, along with other black females’ hair.
Can 4C Hair Magically Become More Eurocentric?
Someone asked, “Can you make 4c hair patterns (and no, they didn’t use the term 4c) look more Eurocentric?”
Don’t Touch Or Pull A Black Women’s Hair Or Else…
Another person asked if my sister locs were real because black women usually have fake hair, and if you tamper with a black woman’s hair, something may come out.
Though I wasn’t personally insulted by this question/comment, I instantly felt protective and perplexed about black women’s hair.
I wondered why we have such a uniquely tarnished reputation for our hair…
Facing The Truth About Black Hair
If you think about it…
Many Black women DO wear fake hair (e.g., extensions, wigs, etc.) for various reasons.
Some of these reasons are that many black women have grown accustomed to not appreciating their natural hair, don’t know how to care for their natural hair properly, or want to assimilate and avoid potentially prejudicial treatment because of their natural hair (which is why laws such as the Crown Act have gone into effect).
A woman told me she was turned away from her job after she got braids. Her job told her to go home and not return until she took her braids out.
A lot of Black women DO struggle to grow their hair because they’re constantly suffocating their hair in products, wigs, extensions, or improper care.
A woman told me she was going bald and wanted to try and recover her scalp, but she was unwilling to rest from the extra tight braids, the extensions, and the wigs.
I wore braids and twists all my life because I have a lot of hair, and my hair was never easy to manage; it wasn’t until I got twists that I learned to care for my hair properly, and it wasn’t until I got sister locs that I fell in love with my hair.
Though our hair is beautiful, if you don’t know what you’re doing, our hair isn’t the easiest to tame.
Historically, black women don’t know how to care for their hair outside of using excessive chemicals (products and the white crack), heat, or fake hair, which is why so many of us have damaged hair.
We are not known for our beautiful tresses.
Instead, we are known for wearing others’ tresses or manipulating our tresses to mirror other groups.
Summary
What is the problem?
I don’t think it’s that we wear wigs, use hair extensions, drown our hair in products, apply heat, and manipulate our hair patterns.
It’s that we don’t appreciate or understand how to properly care for our hair, which is damaging our beautiful and natural tresses.
The less we wear our natural hair, the less we and others have an opportunity to learn and appreciate it.
Our hair is just as beautiful as any other group. But we need to take better care of it. And we don’t have to manipulate it, to extra the beauty from it.
The Most Important Black Hair Industry Statistics, According to Gitnux Marketdata Report 2024
The black hair care industry is estimated to be valued at $2.5 billion.
85% of African Americans report using hair care products that specifically cater to their hair type.
Black consumers spend nine times more on hair care products compared to other ethnic groups.
Sales of relaxers in the black hair care industry dropped by 26.2% between 2010 to 2015.
The global hair extensions market, a major part of the black hair industry, is expected to be valued at $2.8 billion by 2024.
African American women spend an average of $54.14 on hair care products monthly.
Black consumers represent 25% of the ethnic hair care and beauty market.
In 2019, styling products were the most popular hair care product type among African American women.
Hair care market sales among black consumers grew by 13% in the United States in 2020.
Hair wigs and extension sales are expected to reach over $10 billion globally by 2023.
In 2020, 36% of African American women in the United States preferred natural hair over chemically treated hair.
The number of African-American-owned beauty supply stores increased by 75% between 2014 and 2019.
In the United States, 52% of African American women prefer hair care products made exclusively for flex hair.
Between 2017 and 2020, the percentage of black women who desire to have their natural hair texture increased by 23%.
The global hair-weave market is projected to reach a value of $5.9 billion by 2026.
Black consumers spend around 80% of their hair product budget in beauty supply stores.
Hair coloring sales within the black consumer market reached $26 million in 2021.
By 2026, the global market for hair care products catering to black consumers is projected to be worth approximately $6.9 billion.
Black women spend approximately $1.7 billion annually on hair care products.
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This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.