It hasn’t escaped our notice that the natural hair community is undergoing a major shift. With some of our favourite go-to curly-haired YouTubers and naturalista celebs – quick name drop: Solange, Janelle Monae, and Chrisette Michele – donning straight styles, it begs the question – are we quiet quitting natural hair? For one, the hashtag numbers don’t lie. #silkpress has garnered 147.m TikTok views and YouTube is trending with video titles like Relaxing my 4c hair after 5 years of being natural, Back to relaxer & why I don’t regret it, I’m tired sis – cue relaxer video.
Return to relaxers?
Within the social media landscape, individuals have been transparent about transitioning back to relaxers. Hair and beauty influencer, Ambrosia Malbrough, who is famed for her type 4 popping curls shocked followers back in 2021 when she filmed a video in her car on the way to a relaxer appointment. In the clip she tentatively stated: “I’m kind of nervous because I don’t want my scalp to have pus and blood. I don’t want my hair to be stuck to my scalp. But the reality is I don’t have the time to deal with a whole bunch of hair. I don’t want to have to do a twist out or braid out. And that’s just where I’m at right now with two kids – this is the reality of my hair.”
Rather than taking a few isolated incidents to paint a broad stroke, there is data to corroborate the theory; more Black women are turning towards relaxers and alternative hair straightening methods. A report produced by marketreportsworld.com, states the global hair relaxer market is currently valued at US$ 772.02 million, and projected to increase to US$ 945.81 million by 2031. This is a sharp reversal to the rapid decline in relaxer sales over the past decade.
Team natural
A consistent routine is the key to thriving natural hair
Clockwise from top left: Curlsmith Double Cream Deep Quencher, £24 // As I Am Leave-In Conditioner, £7.95 // Matrix A Curl Can Dream Lightweight Oil, £23 // Ori Lifestyle Silk Scarf, £36
The Natural Hair Movement in the noughties
To provide context we must look to the turn of the millennium. The decline of relaxers coincided with the rise of the natural hair movement, which emerged during the early 2000s. Social media provided a platform for women around the world to congregate in a space to discuss and share their personal hair journey. Education became a key factor as the link between relaxers causing serious health conditions like uterine cancer, fibroid tumours, endocrine, hormonal issues and infertility was highlighted on a wider scale. As a result, this was the empowering act and appeal to going natural – it gave black women the autonomy over hair choices, self-image, and health.
With hashtags like #relaxedhair reaping 698.6m TikTok views, perhaps we now have a blasé attitude towards relaxers. Winnie Awa, founder of Carra, a science-led hair portal geared towards nurturing textured hair, told us: “When we look at our data from Carra, we’ve noticed that many women have said that they’ve tried and yet they are still finding it difficult to care for their natural hair. So, a part of it is they are opting for something simpler, as they are finding that natural hair maintenance is taking too much time. What also came up during our conversations is this feeling of wanting aesthetic freedom. Sometimes you just want to wear your hair straight, sometimes you want braids, sometimes you want to wear it curly – it’s really a self-expression thing.”
Team straight
Attain straight hair goals with effortless ease
Clockwise from top left: Phyto Specific Phytorelaxer Permanent Relaxing, £42.24 // L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut Repair Molecular Leave In Mask, £30 // KeraCare High Sheen Glossifier, £6.99 // Dyson Airstrait Straightener, £449.99
The cycle of hair (and life)
The changing of the guard from curly textures to straight is nothing new. In the Sixties and Seventies, the Black is Beautiful and Black Power movements was a full embracing of afros which was swapped out in the Eighties for curly perms and the hot comb. With the Eighties being an era of glamour, excess and unapologetic ambition, straight hair was deemed to represent upward mobility, status, and refinement, whereas natural hair was relegated to being a thing of the past. In the ground breaking book, Hair Story: Untangling The Roots of Black Hair in America, authors Ayanna D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps, wrote: “The Black is Beautiful Movement was intended to liberate Blacks from enslavement to the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ hair. Yet as the Eighties progressed, it appeared that beauty ideals remained entrenched in a Eurocentric image.”
The noughties natural hair movement successfully reaffirmed coily, kinky and curly textured hair is beautiful and aspirational. So, how can we ensure that we don’t undo all the work of the last two decades? Most experts agree that the current trend for straight hair is aligned to convenience and self-expression, as opposed to an intrinsic belief it’s superior. “We know afro hair is the most versatile amongst all hair categories as it allows for multiple transformations,” explains Jacqui McIntosh, European Education Director at Avlon. “You can go from natural, to temporary and chemical state, hence giving clients the opportunity to be experimental in creating looks while retaining the hair’s integrity and embracing the individual’s personality. For the first time in years, hairstylists have an arsenal of products for use to facilitate every client’s needs.”
The inbetweeners
For when you fancy a bit of texture play, try these options
Clockwise from top left: Feme Wig Wild Spirals, £20.00 // Hair Rehab London Luxury Silk Heatless Hair Curler, £32.99 // The Feme Collection Mannequin Head, from £19.99 // Bellissima Beach Waves Styler 2 in 1, £59.99
Post-pandemic hair freedom
The pandemic was the tipping point that caused a shift in attitude towards convenience. A report by Mastercard revealed wig sales soared by 75 per cent, and when the world opened back up, women flocked to the salons for blowdries and silk presses. It’s a phenomenon that hasn’t gone unnoticed by beauty journalist and broadcaster, Keeks Reid. “I think that the people who went natural during the pandemic had a realisation about the maintenance of afro-textured hair versus straighter hair. And now the world has opened up again and social obligations have taken over, it doesn’t really mesh well for those who want to look after their natural hair in a healthy way. Social media has also helped to fuel this trend. People are seeing others go from textured hair to straight and feeling confident in their choices.”
Having the freedom to make an informed choice when it comes to our hair is really the ultimate goal, as Winnie Awa sums up perfectly: “I hope that we get to the point where we get all the support we need to be able to take care of our hair. Then ultimately, if you want to wear any colour you want, wear your hair straight, or wear it in its natural state – you can do that. I just think that the most important thing, no matter someone’s aesthetic choice is the fact that it’s been done healthily without toxic chemicals that could have grave consequences to one’s health.”
Image credits: Photography by Chris Bulezuik. Hair by Sian Tulloch from River Hair Company for Schwarzkopf Professional. Make-up by Maddie Austin. Styling by Clare Frith
