Report shows relaxer sales have been in decline since 2007
I think I read this statistic somewhere before, but it popped up again in a July 23 story by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The piece is about the upcoming Bronner Brothers hair show which, according to author Nedra Rhone, is focusing on styles that are less stressful on the hair. (Thanks reader Uneshia for sending the link!)
As Atlanta gears up for the mid-summer Bronner Brothers hair show, which takes place August 7-10, black hair is once again in the spotlight, highlighting a growing cadre of women, who in an effort to avoid a Naomi Campbell-type disaster, have increasingly turned to less stressful hair styles.
Such trends are altering the $165 million mass market black haircare industry, and not always for the better. The two largest black haircare companies, L’Oreal USA and Alberto Culver Company, which account for more than one-third of the market, have both experienced sales declines in recent years, according to a 2009 study from Mintel, an international market research firm.
And while relaxers have been at the heart of the black haircare industry, 2007 saw the beginning of a decline in sales of relaxer kits at mass market stores, which is projected to continue during the next four years.
Click HERE for the full article.
Interesting! What are your thoughts?
A small step for womankind but Huge step for natural all over the world. lol
This is interesting, considering that it seems that there have been a lot of relaxer commercials recently…or maybe I’m just now paying attention?
good! they could care less what they put in products that affect our hair/health, then i could care less about their bottom line.
http://socialitedreams.wordpress.com
Maybe this will open doors for beauty schools to acknowledge natural hair more and build a more in depth curriculum to their students…..
It’s sord of a good news article. I can’t wait to see what happens in the future….
Well that’s a god trend to see IMO. However I disagree with the statement that the guy from Bronner Bros made that being natural requires less maintenance and costs less than relaxed hair. I’ve spent way more on my hair now that it’s natural. Also he said its just a style and not a rebellion against chemicals? Sorry sir. Mine was.
I read the article, but there was an item missing which would have been nice to see — the actual percentage decline in relaxer kit sales over the years. As to the comment from the Bronner Bros rep about this (paraphrasing) perhaps being a passing trend, I’m not sure this is just a “phase” for black women. With the advent of Internet and greatly improved access to information, we can learn more about the products we use and how they can help or harm us. My mother’s generation couldn’t Google calcium hydroxide or research pH levels on a whim.
Could there ever be a resurgence of some sort of relaxer? Sure, but I think companies are becoming wise to the fact that consumers don’t want to put harmful products onto their bodies. I imagine we’ll start seeing more and more salons and major hair product manufacturers offering “less stressful” products to take advantage of a growing natural market.
Is it not simply a consequence of to the financial crisis
I can’t help but think that is great.
This part rubbed me the wrong way:
“I don’t agree with the trend away from relaxers,” he said.
Natural hair is more about a look than a rebellion against chemical products, he said, adding that the trend has attracted converts because it is more economical and requires less maintenance than chemically altered hair. “
Some of the pictures accompanying the article aren’t the best. Is that first runway photo supposed to represent natural hair?
While for some women this may be just a passing fad, for many others it is indeed a step away from the harsh chemicals used on our hair. It’s spawning women to look at a more natural, healthy lifestyle in general- which is never a bad thing. I know it has been that way for me.
I’ve relaxed off and on for at least the last 15 years of my life, and I know the difference in my hair health. It is healthiest when it’s not being filled with chemicals, and it’s being treated with as much love as I can give it.
I think its an interesting piece. However, I still feel that the haircare industry is missing the mark that natural is here to stay. There may be some women out there that are unfortunately wearing natural hair for the trend, but the majority of black women who are natural and have chosen to go natural will not go back. If the haircare industry continues to miss the mark, they’ll continue to miss our money
Honestly I know where their money is going to: weaves, lace fronts, and half wigs. Sure a lot of women are going natural, but more are going fo rhte easiest way out the weaves. If you had a chart detailing weave sales it probably would have a spike in sales. For some natural hair is a trend or phase, but I think b/c of the accessibility of the internet a lot of women are doing it for the long run.
I’m not surprised by this at all. The younger generation we’re a part of knows the dangers of these products. The breakage, the burning and the hair loss is enough to drive anyone mad.
I agree with @Shones, I would like to see the actual percentage.
I don’t think natural hair is a trend for everyone. I’ve been natural for over half my life. I don’t intend to use relaxers like everyone else ever again.
Natural hair is way cheaper and manageable for me. If it’s not cheaper for some people it might mean you’re using the wrong products. There are cheaper alternatives. Don’t be PJ’s either ladies.
Oh and natural hair does cost less. Some of you guys just like to buy big bulks of stuff and the most expensive stuff. Trust a cheapie conditioner can do the say thing as an exspensive one. It is all in how you manage your hair whether or not it is less manageable or less costly.
I am so happy, that more of us are coming back to our best beauty. Clean, natural, and fresh!
I’ve actually spent more monty and time on my hair finding the right conditioner, gels, brushes, etc.. then I ever did when my hair was natural. Simply because now I wash it and condition it at home rather than spend money at the salon. Sometimes people just can’t believe its just worth it to us to have long beautiful hair!
I am so excited about the thought. I do think that the reduction in relaxers has alot to do with the green trend, women becoming more aware of what is going into/onto their bodies and a general renaisance of who we are as women of color no matter.
I love it. I too would be interested in the numbers and i am going to do some research.
OMG! This makes me so excited! Hopefully the decline in relaxers will translate to an increase of natural haircare/products in beauty schools!
The slant of this article does not seem positive at all. I do think that people in general are embracing more natural products and less chemicals. This aligns with people looking at the damage that processed foods do to our bodies. It’s not about just the cost or a passing fad or trend. It’s a change in mindset.
A decline in the sale of relaxers is a great thing! I hope the decline continues! It means that we as black women and society are accepting who we are.
While I’m not advocating the use of hair relaxers and have natural hair myself now, I did read some good news in the July 2010 Newsletter of the Black Women’s Health Study. Based on their surveys, they’ve found no correlation between hair relaxer use and adverse effects on health. Here is a link below. The findings are on page 7.
http://www.bu.edu/bwhs/Newsletters/July_2010_Newsletter.pdf
I agree with Essence. When I read the full article, I noticed that the vice president of marketing for bronner brothers said , ” Natural hair is more about a look than a rebellion against chemical products.” I wish someone could enlighten him. It’s the exact opposite of what he said, or at least that’s how I feel. Natural hair is all about being natural and embracing the hair you’ve been given instead of trying to alter it through damaging chemicals. I can’t wait to see what the future brings and I hope it’s a further insurgence of natural haired women ( and men too, why not?) and less perms on the markets and in children’s hairs.
@jade
That bothered me too. It makes it seem like us naturalistas are lazy and cheap.
I went natural because I wanted to have healthier, longer hair. My hair in a relaxer is so prone to breakage I was never happy. I dont see being natural as a trend but rather another option. Never in my life has something as simple as being natural seemed an option. Now it is! No trend. a lifestyle.
I loved hearing about this! But I have to agree with @jade and @Ameerah Pearman, I didn’t like that it said he didn’t agree with the “trend away from relaxers.”
I have so much more confidence in myself because not I actually like the way I look and I love my natural hair. Going natural really helped me see that I don’t have to change anything about me to really look good and be attractive.
http://www.waterglycerinnatural.blogspot.com/
I gave up on hairdressers and the black beauty industry so I had to go natural. For the first time ever, I’m dealing with my own hair and figuring out what truly works for it. I guess others are coming to that same realization.
I think that it is interesting that there has been a decline in the sale of relaxers but I agree with Daja, some of that could be attributed to an increase in the sale of weaves. Last year I went to a bss to look for hair for crochet braids but they had stopped selling it and replaced it with more hair for weaves.
I also don’t understand why some people want to believe natural hair is a trend. Why do they want it to be a trend? It’s almost as if people are trying to imply that naturals will “come to their senses” eventually and go back to using relaxers.
I don’t spend a lot of money on products but I didn’t go natural just because it was “more economical”.
Everybody’s got a weave. I’ve noticed an explosion in weaves, not naturals (at least in London)
To me, the message is that black women are exercising self-determination with respect to their hair choices. Granted, black women can wear their hair however they choose – it doesn’t matter to me. What does matter to me is teaching black girls as early as possible to like and properly care for the hair with which they are born. Funny, isn’t it? It has taken women who have decided to embrace their natural hair to influence the hair care market. Perhaps a similar impact can be had on schools of cosmetology.
Have you ever thought that the INCREASE OF WEAVES AND WIGS can be another cause of the decline ?
@ moniki (francophone)
Vive les francophones!!!
KEEP GOING DOWN RELAXER USE!
Because that means it won’t be impossible/nearly impossible to get products on the ground any more!
Alice
http://diaryofakinkycurlytransitioner.wordpress.com/
I definetly spend way less on my natural hair now that I am experimenting less with a million different products or hiding my hair with braids and weaves all the time. Plus I do my hair at home:shampoo, conditioner, a little oil and some spritz and pretty much Im good to go.
@ Anali, let’s not be too quick to celebrate. It’s true that relaxers have not been connected to any major health effects. However, there are just a few studies so far on the subject. Using Scopus (a science research engine), I only got 11 results on the subject. It is quite common to get thousands of results on highly researched subjects. No news is not necessarily good news.
In the studies that have been done so far in the U.S., Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, the main complaints have been itchy scalp, dandruff, burnt/scarred scalp, hair loss, hair discoloration and alopecia. Reading through various people’s experiences on this website, these are the exact same symptoms that caused some to lean towards natural hair. To me these are “health effects”. They may not be life threatening but they do cause discomfort, embarrassment and emotional distress. Caution should still be exercised.
Concerning the decline in relaxer use, I agree with those who think it might be because people are now switching to weaves. Or it could be a result of the ‘green’ movement or the financial crisis, who knows. Interesting questions to ponder.
I think he stated the complete opposite of whats going on…people are actually stepping away from harsh chemicals in all areas of their lives…and the ones who mean business are doing the same with their hair and skin products….
So i think it will continue to decline as more and more people realize how unnecessary a perm is….
Regarding the statements by the gentleman who reps Bronner Brothers, There is no surprise to me in his response. This is, after all, his business and bottom line he’s defending, and because it’s still early in the day, so to speak, for the shift toward mainstream of women with highly-textured hair wearing it unprocessed, of course he can and will disagree with the trend away from relaxers and insist that this is merely a trend. He’s saying these thing at a point at which time can still either prove or disprove, and and we’re all going to have to wait and see what actually happens.
It’s good to know, however, that while he may actually be speaking for some who have paused the processing of their hair, he doesn’t speak for all of us. Certainly he doesn’t speak for me. I wanted to be natural for years before I finally succeeded, and for me the change is meant to be permanent, especially now that I know so much better how to care for my hair than I did the previous times I tried to wear my own texture. Currently my focus in on length retention and how to keep my hair as healthy and well-conditioned as possible as it’s gaining length. I’m not interested in anything that will interrupt me in the pursuit of this goal. Since I’ve never been a trend-follower, if this is a trend, it’ll leave me still natural when it passes.
I’m glad this is a trend, I hope it becomes more than a trend. Whether it’s sodium hydroxide or ammonium thioglycolate, relaxers are not good for the hair. Period. If they want people to buy their products, sell something we want to use.
This is not a trend, its us realizing that we are naturally beautiful. I take my grandmother to the beauty shop every two weeks. She gets a relaxer every 8 weeks. Her hair is very thin and, I think, very damaged. She has done this my entire life and she is now close to 90. She doesn’t know what her natural texture is. I tried to broach the subject of going natural a few times, but she always says that I have “good” hair and I can’t understand her dilemma. I stopped getting my hair relaxed 15 years ago because it was thinning and breaking off. I told her that I understand the addictive nature of relaxers quite well. Every other Saturday I sit in that salon and watch woman after woman get her hair relaxed, fried and colored. The fumes alone worry me that I’m breathing in little cancer fertilizers. (@Anali did the studies look at that? What do all those chemical fumes and burning hair fumes do to beauticians lungs?)
Most of my female cousins live far away, but we got together a year or so ago and found we had all gone natural! Some of us pressed our hair, some had dreds, some had braids, and some of us were wearing our hair just pulled back into pony tails. We agreed that the reason was looking at our grandmother slowly lose her hair while my maternal grandmother – a woman who pressed her hair once or twice a year but otherwise wore 4 giant plaits or 2 plaits and a bun – had a thick luscious head of hair at the time of her death, also almost 90. We talked about how letting that relaxer go was so liberating. We have all types of hair from tightly coiled to loose curls. It was amazing that our reasons were so similar since many of us hadn’t seen each other since we were teens. I don’t think the return to natural hair is a trend, I think it is us standing up for ourselves. Why should we aspire to silky straight hair and deny ourselves and what what we really look like? There are so many different ways to be beautiful.
I agree that the decline in relaxer sales probably correlates with an increase in weave and wig sales. Most black women are still conditioned to hate and fear their natural hair, especially if it isn’t so-called “good” hair. This is sad.
I also agree that the Bronner Bros. rep is trying to protect his bottom line when he says that natural hair is more about a look. Many of my friends and I have been natural for well over a decade. It’s definitely not about a temporary look or trend for us. And now that I think about it I don’t think I’ve ever bought a Bronner Bros. product…but if they want me as a customer, they’d do well not to disparage my CHOICE to be natural and to make something that would help my hair in its natural state that’s not full of crap and funky artificial scents. Don’t be mad because more of us are getting hip to the game…
First off, who ever even HEARD of Bronner Bros? I don’t know, I guess its a down south thing.
Also, who died and made Atlanta the hair capital of the world? So now that black women in Atlanta are natural, it’s now a trend because it started in Atlanta? Ay por favor.
Some of us have probably never even been to Atlanta.
The relaxer money is going towards weave and lace wigs and stuff thus not relaxing as often. That’s what I think and then you have the other portion which are natural but I don’t think natural hair care is cheaper than relaxer hair care I think I spend more money on products than I did when I was relaxed it is really different for everyone some feel it’s cheaper others it’s the same if i was relaxed i still have to buy
shampoo
conditioner
deep conditioner
protein treatment/reconstructor
coconut oil/castor oil
shea butter (actually i get this free)
or whatever
I think its a good thing. Maybe this is a sign that more African and Latina American Women are sticking with their natural hair rather than go the chemical route. I really wish more women would at least make an honest attempt to be natural for a little while rather than conform.
yay! for less relaxers.
On the whole money thread, personally being natural is easier on my wallets since i don’t have to go to the salon and don’t spend tons of money of products. one of the main perks of being natural for me…but everyone’s lifestyle is different so going natural may or may not help economically and that may or may not be crucial.
I can’t say for sure because I haven’t seen any stats, but I’m hoping that the decrease in relaxer sales is due to the ever-growing Natural Hair Movement. It seems like every day, sisters are opting out of having relaxed hair in favor of the Natural.
This blurb had me rolling my eyes: “A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, linked relaxers to hair damage.” (Duh! You think?)
*LS*
I agree with two points:
1. Most of the money is going to weaves, wigs, etc rather than to relaxers. Lord knows weave sellers do roaring business in Jamaica!
2. The Bronner Bros. dude is defending the company’s bottom line with his statement, but I don’t think natural hair is a ‘trend’ as he’d like to think. 15 years ago, there wasn’t such a great access to natural hair care and tips as we have now (I chose that time frame because that’s when I first had my hair relaxed, at age 11). With time, he will likely have to change his tune – and the companies their products.
Agreeing with CurlyFilmChick, I noticed a lot of new relaxer commercials also. It depends on what station I’m watching or the show also.
It’s ridiculous how relaxer commercials are becoming so cliche too. Usually a group of girls walking around swinging their hair with bright lights so it shows off how “shiny and moisturized” the relaxer makes their hair…peesh please
YAAAAYYY.
And another thing: I can’t speak in general terms whether or not natural hair care is cheaper. I will say that relaxed hair was cheaper for me because I wasn’t taking care of it at all! xD I depended heavily on hairdressers for my hair maintenance and, in retrospect, they didn’t know jack. If I knew how to properly care for my hair, I believe the costs for both relaxed and natural hair (for me) would have been the same.
Even if being natural is more expensive, it’s a price I’m willing to pay to love and nurture my own God-given hair.
Less expensive was definetly one benefit of going natural – $60 every 6 weeks for a relaxer. If you’re spending $60 every 6 weeks on hair products and you’re natural, I think you just might be a product junkie
@Joy- I totally agree. I stick to mayb 2-3, mayb 4 products and don’t really need anything. Usually my products last for a month and aren’t worth 60$ total.
I just had a beautiful baby girl. I decided I want to look like her. She is an exotic looking beauty. I want her to know she is gorgeous the way she is. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I went natural at 19 yrs old. It was a type of rebellion. With my short afro, I got more compliments than I ever did with bone strait shoulder legnth hair.