Natural Hair Market: Then & Now — Celebrating How Far We've Come!
 |
| Then and now — reflecting on the growth, influence, and cultural impact of the natural hair market. |
By Lady Carolyn M. Summerset
Crowning Glory — Coils & Kinks
From the Crowning Glory Archives | Originally inspired by my October 19, 2015 post | Refreshed October 2026
Hello, My Beautiful Naturalistas!
Today I’m taking a walk back through the Crowning Glory archives, and let me tell you, this one made me smile.
I came across an older infographic I shared back in 2015 titled “Stats & Trends on the Natural Hair Market.” Looking at it now feels like opening a time capsule from a very important season in our beauty culture.
Back then, the natural hair movement was gaining momentum in a major way. More Black women were embracing their curls, coils, and kinks. Women were doing the Big Chop, learning what a TWA was, experimenting with twist-outs and wash-and-gos, and flocking to YouTube and blogs for help, encouragement, and product guidance.
And now, years later, we can look back and appreciate just how much that moment meant.
This post is not just about numbers.
It is about identity, influence, beauty, choice, representation, and progress.
Natural hair market: Then and now
Selected U.S. market research findings
2013 · Relaxers 2015 · Styling products
−26% $946M
Sales decline from 2008 to 2013 Estimated Black haircare styling sales
$9.4B $16.2B
Black consumer spending across Black consumer beauty spending over the prior year
beauty products
The biggest story isn't simply that the industry grew. It's that consumer preferences, representation, product development, and purchasing power changed the conversation around textured hair.
A Note About the Original Infographic
The original graphic featured in this post includes statistics and references that reflected the natural hair conversation at that time. Some of the information was based on reports, search trends, and market observations from the early 2010s.
So rather than treating it as current market data, I’m preserving it here as a historical snapshot of what the natural hair industry looked like during that period.
And honestly, I love that.
Because sometimes the old receipts remind us just how far we’ve come.
What the 2015 Graphic Was Telling Us
When I look at the infographic today, a few major themes stand out.
1. More Black women were moving away from relaxers
One of the strongest messages in the graphic was that more women were leaving chemical relaxers behind and embracing their natural texture.
That shift was about more than hair.
It was about freedom.
It was about women choosing to learn their own texture rather than feeling pressured to straighten it into submission.
It was about rediscovering curls, coils, and kinks many of us had never truly gotten to know.
And for many women, it marked the beginning of a deeply personal journey toward self-acceptance.
2. The Big Chop had become part of the culture
The infographic also explained the term “Big Chop” and referred to the “Teeny Weeny Afro” (TWA) phase.
Ladies, if you know, you know!
The Big Chop was often emotional, exciting, scary, and liberating all at once.
For some women, it meant cutting away years of relaxed hair and starting fresh.
For others, it was a bold public declaration: I’m ready to embrace my natural crown.
That season created a whole new beauty language within our community.
3. Natural hair bloggers and YouTubers were shaping the market
This part really stood out to me.
The infographic highlighted how YouTube channels and web blogs had become go-to resources for women exploring products for naturally textured hair.
And that was absolutely true.
Women were not just listening to major beauty brands anymore.
They were listening to real women.
Women in their bathrooms.
Women at their vanities.
Women testing products on their own strands.
Women showing what worked, what failed, and what they wished they had known sooner.
That shift mattered.
It meant the consumer voice became more influential than ever before.
And as someone who has blogged about natural hair, I can appreciate just how powerful that was.
4. Brands were beginning to pay attention
Another major point in the infographic was that companies were noticing the natural hair market and trying to respond to it.
That was significant.
For years, textured hair often felt like an afterthought in the mainstream beauty space.
Then suddenly, brands began creating lines specifically marketed toward natural hair.
Now, did every brand understand our hair needs well? Not always.
Did every product deliver? Certainly not.
But the fact that the industry had to pay attention told a deeper story:
Black women were shifting the market.
5. Natural hair was not just a trend — it was a movement
This may be the biggest takeaway of all.
The infographic captured a moment when natural hair was becoming more visible, more discussed, and more culturally powerful.
And here we are today, still talking about it.
That tells me this was never just a passing beauty phase.
It was — and still is — a movement rooted in identity, education, creativity, and self-definition.
What Has Changed Since Then?
So much has changed since the days reflected in that original graphic.
Product choices have expanded
Back then, many women were experimenting, mixing products, and learning through trial and error.
Today, the textured hair market offers far more variety.
We now see products marketed for curl definition, moisture retention, scalp care, protective styling, low-porosity hair, fine strands, coily textures, and more.
In many ways, consumers now expect brands to be more informed.
And rightly so.
Education is more accessible
Years ago, many naturals learned by watching grainy videos, reading blogs, and listening to other women share their experiences.
Today, there is far more information available.
We can learn about porosity, buildup, clarifying, styling methods, shrinkage, protein sensitivity, moisture balance, and ingredient behavior more easily than before.
Of course, more information can also mean more confusion.
But overall, textured-hair education has become more visible and more mainstream.
Representation has improved
We still have work to do, but textured hair is more visible now in beauty marketing, media, advertising, and public life than it once was.
That visibility matters.
Little girls need to see curls, coils, puffs, afros, locs, braids, and twist-outs presented as beautiful, normal, and worthy.
Grown women need to see that too.
The consumer has become more discerning
Today’s natural hair consumer is not as easily impressed by pretty packaging alone.
Women want performance.
They want ingredients that make sense.
They want products that actually work.
They want brands that understand textured hair rather than simply using it for marketing.
And I believe that’s a good thing.
What Still Hasn’t Changed?
Even with all the progress, some things remain the same.
Women are still searching for moisture.
Still trying to define their curls.
Still battling frizz.
Still learning what works for their own unique strands.
Still comparing notes with one another.
Still discovering that what works for one head of hair may not work for another.
And perhaps most importantly, we are still learning that natural hair is not one-size-fits-all.
That truth remains just as important now as it was then.
Why I Wanted to Keep the Original Graphic
I chose to keep the original infographic in this refreshed post because I think it deserves to be seen.
It reminds us of a moment when the natural hair movement was still finding broader recognition.
It reminds us how much community education came from everyday women sharing their voices.
And it reminds us that Black women have long influenced the beauty industry, whether the mainstream world acknowledged it quickly or not.
Sometimes an older graphic may not be perfect by today’s standards.
But it can still be valuable.
It can still tell the truth about the moment it came from.
And this one does exactly that.
My Final Thoughts: We’ve Come a Long Way
Looking back, I don’t just see statistics.
I see courage.
I see women learning to love what naturally grew from their scalp.
I see bloggers, vloggers, and everyday naturals becoming teachers.
I see brands scrambling to catch up.
I see beauty standards being challenged.
I see identity being reclaimed.
And I see progress.
The natural hair journey has never only been about products.
It has also been about confidence, culture, visibility, and voice.
So yes, I wanted to refresh this blog.
But I also wanted to honor it.
Because this old infographic tells part of the story of how we got here.
And ladies, we have come a mighty long way.
Let’s Talk, Naturalistas!
Do you remember when the natural hair movement really started becoming visible to you?
Did blogs and YouTube help shape your journey?
Did you Big Chop, transition, or slowly ease your way into embracing your natural hair?
And when you look at today’s natural hair market, what changes stand out most to you?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Until next time, keep loving your curls, honoring your journey, and celebrating your beautiful crown.
Happy Curls to You!
Lady Carolyn M. Summerset
Crowning Glory — Coils & Kinks
© 2026 Crowning Glory — Coils & Kinks by Lady Carolyn M. Summerset. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or republished without prior written permission of the author.
 |
| Original 2015 infographic preserved from the Crowning Glory archives as a historical snapshot of the natural hair movement. |
Comments
Post a Comment