Courtesy of Natural Hair Mag Facebook Page
Slumping sales of hair relaxers among African-American women tell the story: More women are opting to forgo chemicals and go natural. But it’s the anecdotal evidence that conveys the real message.
In less than a year, the Boston Naturals Hair Meet Up Group has grown from 200 to 800 active members. Experts are reporting a bump in the number of women looking to go natural, particularly over the past two years. The Boston group is no anomaly. Most major cities now have groups for women who dub themselves “naturals,” or are considering going natural. A look at the website My Natural Hair Events shows dozens of gatherings, and video blogs on YouTube are filled with advice on styling natural hair.
Modjossorica Elysee, the 28-year-old head of the Boston Naturals, says the growing interest in chemical-free Black hair is not simply a trend.
“I see a lot of women who have started to accept themselves and their hair,” she said. “They’re encouraging their children to start accepting themselves. This is entirely new.”
The consumer research group Mintel reported that hair relaxer sales dropped from $206 million in 2008 to $152 million in 2013, while sales of products to maintain natural hair are on the rise.
“The natural hair trend is driving an increase in sales of styling products such as styling moisturizers, setting lotions, curl creams, pomades, etc.,” said Tonya Roberts, multicultural analyst at Mintel. “A look at expenditures from 2008 to 2013 shows steady growth in the Black hair care category for all categories except relaxers and perms.”
Read the full story at bostonglobe.com
It's about time we begin to open up and let our beauty shine through. My black is beautiful!
Power~ful indeed we are as a people race !
now if we can get rid of the bleaching cream .
The sooner the rest of us find out well be a force to be reckoned with [again].
🙂
http://www.youtube.com/BlackHistoryChannel1
I love it
http://youtu.be/DdhiQwRiLXE.
Check out these new plates to straighten your natural hair without heat!
This is the best thing in the world are the sister flexing their natural coifs!! Its a beautiful thing! I say that we also need to pay attention to what these corporations are doing to make up for their extremely large monetary loss. Corporations don't take too kindly to losing such a large amount of and it doesn't seem as if they are going to get any of the money back.
We cannot just keep this up on one facet, it has to be a total holistic approach…
I am so very proud that my sistas are stopping the usage of cancer cream, now if only I can convince the others to stop buying hair from South America and Asia.
Never had a perm… But I use to be a slave to the pressing comb..But I've been natural for 10 years now. Way to go ladies.
I just went natural this year and I will never go back. My hair is so much healthier.
I put a relaxer in my hair maybe about 13 years ago and I hated it! I will never poison my locs again.
No chemicals here!
YAYYY… BLACK GIRLS ARE FINALLY FEELING CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN THEIR OWN SKIN TO "ROCK" THEIR HAIR… AU NATURALE… AND I'M LOVING IT!!!!!!
Way to go! I love my natural hair. It's the best thing since sliced bread. So versatile.
Meet the company leading the charge into natural black hair you are reading about….
http://www.mubarakinter-prizes.com/MIRACLE.HTML
Its About time
Deciding to go natural is not about beauty… it's about healthy hair. However, if you have course hair, it is a struggle to comb through your hair without relaxing it. therefore, you end up pulling it out with the comb, brush, styling tools etc trying to style it to look half way decent.
I don't know Razonda, there has been a large increase of woman rocking their natural coifs even woman you would least expect are doing so. There is so much information now available about the damage that perms and relaxers are doing to hair that I am really not surprised. It appears to me that our people, starting with our sisters are on to something and I am highly impressed. Again to reiterate my earlier comment, I just want us to keep an eye on the prize THE TOTAL PRIZE. We cannot stop at the aesthetics, we have to control the the whole caboodle. There also seems to be a lot of hair care products that are created by our people but we also have to be aware of corporations making it seem as if natural hair care products are owned by African people. We have to diligently do our research and stay loyal to US!
Remember Tulsa, Oklahoma, Durham, North Carolina and Rosewood, Florida all knowns as "Black Wall Street Towns!!"
Great for us, we have spent millions if not billions making these company's rich thank you Chris rock I was natural when "Good hair" came out but it really opened my eyes to what I was doing to myself.
whooo hooo i think this is great news i want to see it drop more and more over the next 5 -10years. We were brainwashed! but its ok bc we are seeing the light! we dont need to chemically treat our hair to make it more manageable , acceptable , beautiful etc. our hair is already gorgeous ! Iwas getting perms since i was 9 years old! about 6 years ago my mom stopped hers and then i stopped mine a few years back. I would never go back , I am not trying to recruit or judging any of my sistahs but any of my friends that share with me they are thinking about transitioning I am full of helpful info and products suggestions to make it less stressful ! black women are beautiful ( i think all women are actually but not all of them have been fed nonsense and taught to not love themselves so some of us need to hear it more until it sinks in!!)
Wetting your hair and washing it in a good conditioner, and using a wide tooth (Afro comb) will relieve that problem. A good leave in conditioner helps as well.
If we all would make our own products that would be another win for us. Us sisters are the largest consumer group but yet have the least amount of wealth. White companies are starting to sell us products for natural hair and we should stop it in its tracks.
I fee free
I have so-called 'coarse hair' and it is not a struggle. If combing is a struggle, stop combing. I do not comb my hair. I finger detangle in the shower and it's long and beautiful. Follow napptural85 on youtube and learn the proper way to treat your hair.
But when they monopolize that market and don't allow the people who are IN that market to capitalize on said market then yeah…I gotta problem with that. A serious problem with that.
All black areas are the only areas where other groups own all of the businesses. That is not good.
this is great! maybe now we'll start to see larger "ethnic sections" in stores. I'm so tired of going into a store that suppose to sell a natural hair line and not all the products are there
Prince Todd Eric Williamson they may monopolize the market but we are the ones shopping there by choice. We could just as easily open our own stores but the real problem is the demand for beauty supply stores that only offer products that make us look different than we do naturally. We buy hair from other people and put harmful chemicals in our hair that damages it and causes health problems.
Carlie Milfort Thanks for the info. I am still using a relaxer but my hair grows so fast that my new growth is so thick and course. I want to go natural but just too much work and too much time. I just don't want to spend all my time doing my hair. Right now, my hair is still heathy with a relaxer because I don't leave it on long and only do just the new growth. When I have to start dying my hair, that's when I will prob go all natural. Thanks again Carlie.
Great question about how the companies will compensate. There's a "product junkie" craze among naturals, where folks are chuckling at the fact that they buy an inordinate amount of pricey hair products. These are products specifically targeted to the natural hair community. Nothing wrong with buying 1 or 2 hair products, but basic staples such as olive oil, and shea butter are perfect for our hair. We don't need to have 20 different bottles of conditioners. If we're not careful, product junkyism will net just as many sales for these companies as relaxers.
Exactly!
So we now love ourselves because more of us are wearing our hair natural….our minds are still as "processed" as ever though. We keep thinking that it's all about how we appear on the outside…..
Angelo Martinez Cancer cream. That's funny and apt. This "trend," as they call it, toward natural hair is also driven by health issues. I stopped perming because my hair starting falling out and those lye relaxers damaged my scalp beyond repair.
Denise Addison oh wow, I am so sorry to hear that. I hope your scalp heals.
Filida Johnson Enoch There's no good reason to have to start dying your hair.
Bleaching crème has been and is still being used by Indian, latina and middle eastern women around the globe. It's not just black women.
That would certainly put them out of business.
I have a 17 year old daughter with virgin hair. Her hair is curly, thick and flowing past her back. Just basic maintenance is all I've done.
JacQueline Jackson Moustafa it don't matter i believe we should embrace what we have it don't matter the race
I'm not negating your comment, my sister just reinforcing it.
JacQueline Jackson Moustafa thats cool
I would think one would need a relaxer to wear a weave.
The best way to discourage perm n bleaching is to call it out on sight. A negative comment on those vile behaviors goes a long way.
JacQueline Jackson Moustafa Not our business what other race is using..We need to STOP
Loss is part of business. I am more empowered about where I spend my money. I have had perms in the past and will never go back.
LaMonica Williams I have been natural for approximately 15yrs and love my hair.
I'm SO glad that the Jheri curl generation (for Black males) is long gone many, many years ago, BUT what happened to the Black females, they STILL hold on to the "relaxer" style of wearing their hair and at the same time criticizing Black men who date/marry White women. What would Black women think if Black males would start relaxing their hair as they did in the past (marcels and processes) or buying White male type toupees?
We have great BUYING power. We are on track to spend $1.1 billion this year, but it's NOT going BACK to BLACK communities. If we pulled our money out of traditional banks and put that into black OWNED banks & credit unions, we can control where our money goes. Buy black & use black owned products & services. Our votes are ALSO very powerful, but we must MAKE demands. Control our education by not allowing them to whitewash our history into just one month. There are 45 million BLACK Americans, we CAN make an impact! #45MillionStrong
I have had natural hair for 15 wonderful years and I have found that generally, I don't need to use many, if any, products and my hair is the softest, shiniest it's ever been. Also, don't use expensive shampoos and conditioners. I estimate that I have saved at least $15,000 over this time not going to salons – most likely more!
It's a start… You have to start somewhere…
Been natural now for about a year. My hair and scalp are much healthier. Dreads are growing nicely. I will never go back to the creamy crack.
I wish I could 'like this 1000 times!!! Stop allowing your dollar to leave your community!!!
Our natural beauty is finally taking firm root in our culture.
This is great news! 😀
JacQueline Jackson Moustafa That's part of our problem. That 'they do it too' mentality. If we stop using it then we really will stand out as the queens we are.
Part of that self hate is based on the fact that we are told our natural selves are not beautiful. If we begin to reject that and accept it as the lie that it is, we will heal within as well. It's going to take more than a few years to get over 5 centuries of abuse.
Part of that self hate is based on the fact that we are told our natural selves are not beautiful. If we begin to reject that and accept it as the lie that it is, we will heal within as well. It's going to take more than a few years to get over 5 centuries of abuse.
So, the creator made a mistake. Is that what you're saying? After years of burning and frying your hair, you just don't have a clue how to take care of it. Carlie gave you some excellent advice, now I will add to it. Wrap your hair with a satin head scarf NOT cotton. Cotton absorbs water so what do you think it's doing to your hair? Cotton pillow cases are even worse. Extremely drying. I burned myself bald. Now check out my fro, my crown in my profile pic. Every where I go the brothers say 'that's what I'm talkin' bout sistah. Go for it girl.
So, the creator made a mistake. Is that what you're saying? After years of burning and frying your hair, you just don't have a clue how to take care of it. Carlie gave you some excellent advice, now I will add to it. Wrap your hair with a satin head scarf NOT cotton. Cotton absorbs water so what do you think it's doing to your hair? Cotton pillow cases are even worse. Extremely drying. I burned myself bald. Now check out my fro, my crown in my profile pic. Every where I go the brothers say 'that's what I'm talkin' bout sistah. Go for it girl.
Bruns Michelle … well I say whatever works for you go for it. I'm doing what works for me. No need to judge we all have freedom to choose. I love natural, relaxed, weave, braids etc..
Jaques that is true however, it doesn't make it any less of a problem
The use of relaxers should be banned from use on anyone under the age limit of 18. They should not be sold to the general public and even better, we as black people should wake up and realise how harmful they are and stop using them immediately – have a look at my blog to see what using relaxers has done to y sister's hair and scalp…. dubaidee4c.blogspot.com
There is a better way to make our coils easier to style. I do the Max Hydration Method and it has been the best thing to have ever happened to my hair – try it and see 🙂
Now its time to step out and away from the beauty supply stores that take all ur money n never put a dime back n2 the communities that fund them. Everything we need for our hair can be found at the grocery store
JacQueline Jackson Moustafa so?
No amount of perm is going to make a black female, white. His reason for dating outside his race, and her anger for him doing is NOT related to a perm. Sigh.
Now ladies.. The money that you used to put into the creamy crack.. Take that money and put it into black owned businesses.
Now ladies.. The money that you used to put into the creamy crack.. Take that money and put it into black owned businesses.
That's world wide… even the Asians are using that like crazy.. no chance… of change anytime soon..
What we should and shouldn't do it a personal choice. Who can make rules about what another person should or should not do? I can't nor can you or anyone else for that matter.
Yes, they simply are in to each other.
Loving our CROWN IN GLORY.
Counter to belief honey, having natural hair isn't necessarily cheaper than processed hair. I know I'm a naturalist. Its more about accepting our selves than money. Taking care of black hair in its natural state takes a lot of time and patience but it is a very rewarding feeling. What we can do is make our natural hair and how we take care of it into black owned businesses. Now that's something I have been thinking about.
Wassup, Kerry. Anything worth doing in life takes time and patience. Natural hair may not be necessarily cheaper, but we can all agree that it's more healthier for the scalp, builds self image and like you said, ultimately rewarding. I agree with the natural hair businesses, but first we need to get over this instilled aversion of buying from our own. We have a long way to go. Black economics and rebuilding our self image goes hand in hand.
We have a serious lack of black empowerment in this country. Too many of us equate white with success. If only some blacks knew.. that no matter how much you bleach your skin, you'll never be fully accepted by the dominant society.
We have a serious lack of black empowerment in this country. Too many of us equate white with success. If only some blacks knew.. that no matter how much you bleach your skin, you'll never be fully accepted by the dominant society.
I cant believe that the idea of blending raccoon, horse and other animals hair into our own ever caught on.
I've been natural for over 18 years. I had my daughter's sperm donor cut my all the relaxer out when I was 8 months with my daughter. The end of us but the beginning of new life for my and my daughter. I loooove the hair I'm in. I love in Atlanta there are many Afrocentric women here. What I have notice it it's Afro or weaves…and there are a lot of weaves with the Millennial. A lot.
Haven't relaxed my hair in 7 months, just using protective styles! No more creamy crack.
Bruns-wade LMichelle…AMEN
Bruns-wade LMichelle…AMEN
It's just a hairstyle!
When we embrace ourselves in all our grandeur, then others will seek to embrace us, too. Hey folks, some Japanese youth B-Styling:
B-Style – Japan’s Fascination with Black Lifestyle.
By Sumitra on April 16th, 2012 Category: News.
"Young Hina has what is most coveted by Japanese women – pale skin. And yet, she visits tanning salons every week. Not just for a sun-kissed look, but for a deeper, darker shade. Hina is one of many young Japanese women who are crazy about B-Style (Black Lifestyle). They adore the African American pop/hip hop culture to such an extent that they are ready to compromise everything natural about their looks. After all, as Hina herself admits, “part of B-Style is that you do not look Japanese.” So there are trips to the tanning salons along with hair braids, clothing and accessories that reflect B-Style to the core."
More here, and if you Google, B-Style: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/b-style-japans-fascination-with-black-lifestyle.html.
Frankly, I never thought I'd see the day when another culture (certainly not one as entrenched as the Japanese culture) would go to such lengths to emulate blacks, or any aspect of the black culture, but here we are.
It's the weaves that is blowing out the relaxer! I wish it was the natural! I've been natural for 11 years first with locks for 6 years and then close cut and now mini fro and thinking of locks again. I really think our hair styles have less to do with racial self-esteem and more to do with sistah trends! I love every Sistah's expression of her crown! And just remember those chemicals do go into your brain!!!
It's the weaves that is blowing out the relaxer! I wish it was the natural! I've been natural for 11 years first with locks for 6 years and then close cut and now mini fro and thinking of locks again. I really think our hair styles have less to do with racial self-esteem and more to do with sistah trends! I love every Sistah's expression of her crown! And just remember those chemicals do go into your brain!!!
So you are saying what others believe don't matter?
Beautiful Black women going NATURAL. THE BEST way to be. Respect to the natural black woman!
You have to remember that most jobs refuse to hire back women with natural hair and this is not an issue for black men. Black women are usually the breadwinners in their families and many black mothers have been abandoned by the fathers of their children and need to work, so many perm oruse weavesto cover their natural hair. Instead of blaming black women for perms, maybe you should condemn the system that disagrees with natural hair in the workplace.
Ara Hayward answered the interracial dating part eloquently so I'll leave it as is.
Going chemical free does NOT mean women are now "ACCEPTING" themselves and their hair texture. It's a choice many women are beginning to take. Those women who choose to use chemicals are free to have their choice on how to wear their hair. Pretty sure they accept themselves also. Let's not slight those who are free to make their own choices.
I am now natural how can I get rid of this dry look? I do use pink mositurizer?
Jamaican castor oil jojoba oil or tea tree oils. Also a good leave in conditioner. If u mix them all together and apply daily u will see your hair is very moistutized anf shiny without the buildup
If you don't accept yourself you've got way bigger problems than whether you should or shouldn't chemically straighten your hair. I'm sick of everyone saying women don't accept themselves or want to conform because of their hair. I know who I am and I like my hair straight.
Thank you!!! It's comments like this that continue to separate us!!! Wear your hair however your want to, just make sure it combed.
Why am I self-hating because I like my perm????
You have achieved a natural hair status. Wonderful. But before you start downing women who have relaxers, take a real good look into who is pocketing the money you spend on their products and what are they doing for you and your people?
I’m simply no longer interested in a Eurocentric standard of beauty which I can never attain
I have been natural for 13 years. I hated chemically treated hair, and still do. It's about time blacks appreciated the glory on their head. Contrary to public opinion, taking care of natural hair is cheaper than that of relaxer.
Someone once said that Black women biggest hair problem is that they think their hair is a problem. Our Natural hair is strong, healthy and versatile when we take good care of it. Love thy self.
I hope Chris Rock does a movie also about Skin Bleaching which is very dangerous to the skin and cancerous. Black is beautiful and God made no mistakes in giving us this beautiful Melanin skin.
India Arie said it best…"I Am Not My Hair" (whatever my hair is, and however it looks, does not = my individuality) If I get sick and it falls off, I am going to still love my proud black self. I am sorry, I can't give so much importance to hair… All this vanity…relaxed girls are vain, natural girls are vain…Some have blogs all about their hair, some write books all about their hair, I have friends on my Facebook feed, ALL they can talk about is their hair. Hair is spoken about more than black health or black education, the focus is Hair! To each their own though…do whatever makes you happy, but do not impose your choices on anyone else to "hairshame" them about not being proud of their blackness. Afterall, some natural people still hate themselves.
Yep..After 32 years of perming, I will never go back to the creamy crack. I didn't transition either. I cut it off and that was it. Now, I just wash, moisturize and go. It's just that simple!
you could assume the slump in sales is due to more black women going natural. OR you could assume the slump in sales is due to more black women wearing those ugly ass weaves, hair hats. I think the latter is more likely the explanation.
It is important that people look where they are spending their money. Ask yourself this question, would that person have spent their money in my business?
It is nice to see women enjoy and explore their natural hair again. In the late 60's, and 70's, a lot more Black women wore naturals, I love seeing this happening again. YES
Combed does not work for me at I have locs. I do how ever maintain or care for.
my hair.
Yes but are you truly free, can you run in the rain with out a care , can you exercise and then go for a shower and wash your hair without an ordeal. Until you go natural you have no idea how good it feels to be free.
Willie Dycka Discounting the trend of going natural?
So hair hats and weaves are a new thing? lol. Some ppl hate others doing better for themselves is likely the explanation to your comment, but hey i've been wrong before.
Dmax Lomax of course hair hats are not new. what's new is the trend has exploded and become a "must-have" among women 16-35.
Dmax Lomax I am simply questioning if there is indeed a trend of going natural. Just because there is a decrease in chemical relaxer sales, this does not automatically mean more people are going natural. The decrease is sales could be due more women wearing weaves or braid extensions. Based on where I live, I see more young women with weaves than are natural. Maybe where you live it's different.
Love natural hair, more than a hair style. It's a rain bonnet don't have to buy umbrellas. Yes, it's freedom can participate in water activities and exercise without worrying about my expensive relaxer.Hell, you can roll all over the bed with your man and not think about your hair, what he sees is your natural beauty.
Love natural hair
Same here and the best decision I ever made for my hair. I save a lot of time and stress now.
Tiffany Day Mamane and.,,, MONEY!!!
I have loc and love it
THANK GOD!
That is just fetishsm which a small section of Japanese have got into .
Claudette Young-Davidson : I'm not sure how you're using the term, fetishism, but is it fetishism when black women use harsh chemicals to straighten their hair, or lighten their skin, so that their appearance is less Negroid and more Caucasoid?
And what do you call it when our black women abandon black esthetics for that of white esthetics and do it, not as a "small section" of the whole, but in the hundreds of thousands?
Small section or not, these Japanese young people are bucking Japanese culture and tradition to emulate blacks, and that's a big deal for them.
Shameka Meadows
why would we want to straighten our natural hair if we have made the decision to go natural… period.?
I respect women for deciding to go natural. I have not relaxed my hair, but enjoy having it in plaits (my sister had dreadlocks for years and that looked great). I do not want to judge any woman for whatever choice they make with their hair. We must stand together so we must support women for whatever choice they make.