Fundamentals
The very concept of ‘Hair as Commodity’ represents a complex intersection where biological reality meets societal construct, where something inherently part of our being becomes an item of exchange, a tool for expression, and, regrettably, a site of subjugation. At its most fundamental, this phrase denotes the transformation of human hair—whether still attached to the scalp or detached—into a product with discernible market value. This valuation extends beyond mere aesthetic appeal, reaching into the profound realms of cultural significance, economic power, and historical oppression.
For textured hair, particularly within Black and mixed-race communities, this definition carries layers of ancestral wisdom and historical burden. Before the transatlantic slave trade, hair in many African societies was far more than a biological appendage; it was a living canvas, a symbol of identity, social standing, tribal affiliation, spiritual connection, and even marital status. Intricate styles, such as braids, twists, and locs, served as visual narratives, conveying stories of lineage and community. This reverence for hair as a cultural artifact stands in stark contrast to its later forced commodification and dehumanization.
The transformation of hair into a commodity for Black individuals, however, is deeply rooted in the violent historical period of the transatlantic slave trade. During this era, African captives often endured the brutal act of having their heads shaved upon capture or transport, a deliberate and cruel act meant to strip them of their cultural identity and pride. This act of forced removal was not simply for hygiene; it was a profound severing of ancestral ties, a means to render individuals anonymous and to diminish their humanity, marking them as mere goods to be traded. The hair, once a vibrant marker of self, became a symbol of subjugation.
As centuries unfolded, and despite the abolition of slavery, the echoes of this dehumanization persisted, shaping perceptions and creating a market where textured hair was often deemed “unprofessional” or “unclean” in comparison to Eurocentric beauty standards. This societal pressure propelled the growth of a market for products and services designed to alter the natural texture of Black hair, creating an economic landscape intertwined with historical prejudice.
Hair as commodity, particularly for textured hair, is a concept rooted in its journey from a revered cultural marker in ancestral lands to an item subjected to market forces and historical oppression.
This initial understanding sets the stage for a deeper exploration, revealing how hair, as a commodity, has been both a source of immense creativity and resilience for Black and mixed-race communities, and simultaneously, a reflection of systemic inequalities that continue to influence the beauty industry and societal perceptions of textured hair today.
Intermediate
Moving beyond the foundational understanding, the intermediate meaning of ‘Hair as Commodity’ for textured hair delves into the historical mechanisms and economic structures that solidified its commercial value, often at the expense of Black and mixed-race communities. This exploration illuminates how societal pressures, born from centuries of Eurocentric beauty ideals, directly fueled a market for hair alteration and adornment, creating a distinct and often fraught economic sphere.
The Emergence of a Market ❉ Responding to Systemic Pressure
The post-emancipation era, while promising freedom, brought a new set of challenges for Black individuals, particularly concerning their appearance in a society still steeped in racial hierarchies. Straightened hair became a signifier of assimilation and, at times, a prerequisite for social and economic advancement. This pressing societal demand spurred the creation of a burgeoning Black hair care industry. Pioneers like Madam C.J.
Walker and Annie Malone rose to prominence in the early 20th century, developing products and systems specifically tailored to the unique needs of Black hair, from “hair growers” to pressing oils. Their entrepreneurial spirit not only created wealth but also provided a sense of community and empowerment through shared beauty practices.
Yet, this economic activity was not without its complexities. The development of chemical relaxers, such as those introduced by Garrett A. Morgan Sr.
in 1913, offered a more permanent solution for straightening textured hair. While these innovations provided choices, they also inadvertently reinforced the notion that straightened hair was the desired norm, a legacy that continues to influence hair care practices even as the natural hair movement gains ground.
The market for textured hair products and services, though driven by entrepreneurial spirit within Black communities, emerged from a historical context where conformity to Eurocentric beauty standards often dictated social and economic opportunity.
The Hidden Costs and Enduring Value
The commodification of textured hair extends beyond just products; it encompasses services, tools, and even the raw material of hair extensions. Historically, and continuing into the present, Black women often face a “hidden cost” associated with their hair care. Studies indicate that Black women spend significantly more on ethnically-targeted beauty and grooming products than non-Black consumers, sometimes as much as nine times more. This disparity in spending highlights the persistent demand for specialized products and services tailored to the unique characteristics of textured hair, which can be more prone to dryness and breakage.
The global Black hair care market itself is a substantial economic force. Estimates place its value at around $2.5 billion in 2020, with projections for continued growth. This economic weight underscores the significant purchasing power and consistent demand within Black communities for hair care solutions.
However, a crucial observation is that Black entrepreneurs account for only a small percentage of the total ownership of products marketed to them, with much of the industry’s profits flowing to non-Black owned corporations. This economic reality speaks to a continued pattern of commodification where the value generated by Black consumers often does not remain within their communities.
Hair extensions, wigs, and weaves represent another significant segment of the hair as commodity landscape, particularly for textured hair. Their use dates back centuries, with origins in ancient Egypt and African cultures where they symbolized status and identity. In contemporary times, these extensions offer versatility, protection, and a canvas for self-expression, allowing Black women to experiment with diverse styles while honoring their cultural roots. The market for hair weaves, for instance, is projected to reach a value of $5.9 billion by 2026, demonstrating the continued and growing demand for these products.
The enduring value of hair as a commodity for Black communities, therefore, is not merely financial. It is also deeply intertwined with identity, resilience, and the ongoing reclamation of cultural heritage. Despite the historical pressures to conform, the act of styling and caring for textured hair remains a powerful means of self-expression and a connection to ancestral practices.
Academic
The academic understanding of ‘Hair as Commodity’ transcends simple economic exchange, positing it as a deeply embedded cultural artifact, a site of historical contestation, and a dynamic indicator of power relations, particularly within the context of textured hair heritage. This perspective demands an intellectual rigor that scrutinizes the mechanisms by which biological material transforms into a valuable good, the ideologies that underpin its market value, and the profound socio-political implications for Black and mixed-race communities across the diaspora. The meaning of Hair as Commodity, through this lens, is not static; it is a fluid concept shaped by centuries of racialization, economic exploitation, and persistent cultural resistance.
From an academic standpoint, the commodification of textured hair is inextricably linked to the historical dehumanization of African peoples during the transatlantic slave trade. As historian Stephanie Camp argued, it was within the brutal context of modern slavery that African bodies, including their hair, became singularly and uniformly deemed “ugly” by European enslavers, a deliberate act to justify their exploitation. This systematic devaluing of Black aesthetics, which included referring to textured hair as “woolly” or animalistic, was a cornerstone of racial subjugation.
The forced shaving of heads upon arrival in the “New World” was not merely a sanitary measure but a profound act of cultural erasure, stripping individuals of identity markers that held immense social and spiritual significance in their ancestral lands. This historical trauma established a foundational premise ❉ that Black hair, in its natural state, was inherently inferior, thereby creating a fertile ground for its later commodification as something to be “tamed” or altered.
The Dialectic of Desire and Domination in the Hair Market
The market for textured hair products and services, therefore, did not emerge in a vacuum. It arose from a complex dialectic of imposed European beauty standards and the resilience of Black communities seeking to navigate and, at times, subvert these oppressive norms. The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed the rise of figures like Madam C.J. Walker, who, despite operating within a system that often privileged straightened hair, built an empire addressing the specific needs of Black women’s hair.
Her success, and that of others, underscores a critical point ❉ while the demand for straight hair was a consequence of systemic pressure, the innovation and economic agency within Black communities in meeting those needs were acts of self-determination. However, this period also solidified the economic viability of products designed to chemically alter hair texture, with the introduction of relaxers in the early 20th century, which contained harsh chemicals like lye. The long-term consequences of these practices, including dermatologic disorders like traction alopecia and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, disproportionately affect Black women, revealing a profound health cost tied to the pursuit of societal acceptance.
The contemporary global hair trade, particularly in human hair extensions, offers a compelling case study of this continued commodification. While hair extensions have ancient roots in African cultures, symbolizing power and status, the modern industry often involves complex and sometimes exploitative global supply chains. Hair, often sourced from vulnerable populations in countries like India and China, becomes a highly marketable commodity, with significant price disparities between the initial sellers and the end consumers. The irony, as Emma Tarlo observes, is that a substantial portion of this global trade caters to Black women seeking to achieve “natural” or versatile styles, highlighting the enduring, often unacknowledged, global economic impact of textured hair on the beauty industry.
The global Black hair care market was valued at approximately $3.2 billion in 2023, with projections to reach $4.9 billion by 2033. Despite this significant market size, Black-owned brands comprise a mere 3% of the ethnic hair market, a statistic that lays bare the continued economic marginalization within an industry largely built on Black consumer demand.
The commodification of textured hair reveals a complex interplay of historical subjugation, economic agency, and persistent systemic inequalities within the global beauty industry.
The Politics of Appearance and the Natural Hair Movement
The academic examination of Hair as Commodity cannot overlook its profound political dimensions. The “good hair” versus “bad hair” binary, a legacy of slavery and colonialism, continues to shape perceptions and experiences. This binary, which privileges looser curl patterns, has led to instances of discrimination in educational and professional settings, compelling Black women to alter their hair to conform to Eurocentric standards for job opportunities or social acceptance.
The legal response to this, exemplified by the passage of the CROWN Act in several U.S. states, prohibiting race-based hair discrimination, signifies a recognition of hair as a civil rights issue and a step towards dismantling these discriminatory structures.
The Natural Hair Movement, which gained significant momentum from the 1960s Civil Rights Era and experienced a resurgence in the early 2000s, represents a powerful counter-narrative to the commodification of textured hair as something to be altered. It is a socio-cultural revolution advocating for the acceptance and celebration of natural, unaltered hair textures, serving as a statement of pride and resistance against Eurocentric beauty norms. This movement has spurred innovation in textured hair products, with a growing demand for formulations that cater to the unique needs of curls, coils, and kinks, often emphasizing botanical and hydrating ingredients. However, even within this movement, there are ongoing discussions about “texturism,” where looser curl patterns may still be favored, revealing the persistent, subtle hierarchies that can arise even in spaces intended for liberation.
In conclusion, the academic meaning of ‘Hair as Commodity’ for textured hair is a multi-layered construct. It is a testament to the enduring impact of historical oppression, the remarkable resilience and creativity of Black and mixed-race communities, and the ongoing struggle for self-definition and acceptance in a world that has historically sought to control and profit from their very strands. The ongoing growth of the Black hair care market, estimated at $2.51 billion, with Black women spending nine times more on ethnic hair products than non-Black consumers, provides compelling evidence of the continued economic significance and the unique challenges faced by this demographic (International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 2023). This statistic underscores the deep economic implications of textured hair as a commodity, revealing both a powerful consumer base and a market ripe for more equitable and culturally informed development.
Reflection on the Heritage of Hair as Commodity
As we close this contemplation on Hair as Commodity, particularly through the lens of textured hair heritage, we are invited to consider not just its economic contours, but the profound human story woven into every strand. The journey of hair, from sacred adornment in ancient African societies to a contested commodity in the global marketplace, is a testament to the enduring spirit of Black and mixed-race peoples. This journey, often marked by hardship and discrimination, also speaks to an incredible resilience, an unwavering determination to define beauty and identity on one’s own terms.
The ‘Soul of a Strand’ ethos reminds us that hair is never merely a collection of keratinized cells; it is a living archive, carrying the whispers of ancestors, the echoes of struggles, and the vibrant legacy of cultural innovation. The forced shaving of hair during the transatlantic slave trade, a brutal act of dehumanization, could not extinguish the deep-seated connection to hair as a marker of self. Instead, it ignited a persistent creativity, leading enslaved people to devise ingenious methods of care and styling with what little they possessed, a silent yet powerful act of resistance.
Today, as the natural hair movement gains global momentum, there is a palpable sense of reclamation. Each curl, coil, and kink celebrated openly is a defiance of historical narratives that sought to diminish textured hair. It is a conscious choice to honor ancestral wisdom, to embrace the unique biological blueprint that has been passed down through generations. This evolving relationship with hair as a commodity signifies a shift ❉ from a passive object of market forces to an active instrument of self-affirmation and cultural pride.
The economic power of the Black hair care market, while still grappling with issues of equitable ownership, stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication to the care and celebration of textured hair. It is a powerful reminder that heritage, when acknowledged and cherished, can transform even the most challenging legacies into sources of strength and beauty for generations to come.
References
- Byrd, A. D. & Tharps, L. D. (2001). Hair Story ❉ Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. St. Martin’s Press.
- Camp, S. M. (2004). Closer to Freedom ❉ Enslaved Women and Everyday Resistance in the Plantation South. University of North Carolina Press.
- Cook, I. et al. (2004). Commodity Chains and the Caribbean ❉ The Papaya Case. Ashgate Publishing.
- Heaton, S. (2021). Hair ❉ Public, Political, Extremely Personal. Bloomsbury Academic.
- International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. (2023). “Black women spend 9 times more on ethnic hair products than non-Black consumers.”
- Mintz, S. W. (1985). Sweetness and Power ❉ The Place of Sugar in Modern History. Viking Penguin.
- Omotoso, A. (2018). “Gender and Hair Politics ❉ An African Philosophical Analysis.” Journal of Pan African Studies, 11(7), 1-17.
- Tarlo, E. (2016). Entanglement ❉ The Secret Lives of Hair. Oneworld Publications.
- Walker, A. M. (1912). Poro College and What It Has Done for the Race. Poro College.
- Walker, M. C. J. (1913). The Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Book. (Various editions and reprints exist).