42% of participants said they chemically altered their hair to straighten or loosen their curl pattern. A consumer shared, “In the crown [of my head], it's a bit more courser than the back and front. Right before high school, I used a texturizer a little bit in the front and the middle of my hair to make it more manageable. I did that for 2 years, but it completely damaged my hair. “ These same consumer either big chopped their chemically processed hair or gradually transitioned to natural.

To add ease to a busy lifestyle, 17% of participants said they have plans to loc their hair. One consumer stated, “I wanted to start my loc journey this year because I'm trying to be a manager now, like, it's just a lot going on. So I'm like, what's one thing I can take off my plate to make my life easier? And I thought, oh, why not my hair?” Another consumer shared, “I love the look of locs. As a mom, I have less time to take care of my hair. Yes, they require a lot of maintenance, but it's few and far between compared to my natural curls.”

90% of participants said they went through a stage where they primarily heat styled their hair and/or experimented with coloring, which led to damaged, unhealthy hair. One consumer explained, “I grew up in a predominately white town, that's where I started straightening [my hair] more. It wasn't that I didn't love my curls, I just don't think I saw it as much. I figured that's just what you do, straighten your hair. As I grew older and saw the damage it did to my hair, it made me sad.”

75% of participants said they learned how to care for their hair watching YouTube videos. A consumer shared, “Once YouTube came out, that's how I started to really learn how to do proper wash n go's and use leave-in conditioners. YouTubers helped me understand that I could wear my hair curly without the frizz or knots. I was in my late teens.” While 42% of participants said trial and error and/or from a family member. One consumer stated, “By age 10, I had already started to learn how to care for my hair [from my mom]. When you learn it early, you don't struggle as much as a teenager.” Even one participant noted that caring for their children’s hair helped them learn how to care for their hair. Only 33% of participants claimed hair professionals taught them how to care for their hair.

83% of consumers said they wash their hair every 7-14 days. One-sixth of consumers said they wash their hair once on a monthly basis. One consumer shared, “I try to wash my hair every 2 weeks. I may go a month without shampooing it If I don’t feel like it’s dirty and just co-wash instead. I don’t know if that’s bad. I need to find a shampoo that’s not drying.”

For products, there were two beauty brands that stood out among consumers. The first being Shea Moisture and the second being Mielle Organics. Other products consumers said they use, but were reported less frequently, include Aussie, Mane Choice, Carol’s Daughter, As I Am, and Sauve. Interestingly, 17% of participants claimed they never use the same product more than once. They prefer to try something new. Two consumers reported that they like to DIY certain products such as conditioners.

When it comes to seeking professional hair services, 33% of consumers reported they never get their hair done by a professional, and prefer to handle their hair care needs on their own. One consumer stated, “The longer I live, the lesser chance I have of having professional hands in my hair. It's jus not worth it. If you don't pay an arm and a leg, then they don't typically have the level of experience or so they say.” The same percentage claimed they seek professional services 1-2 times per year. A consumer shared, “The salon I go to is 45 minutes from me. I make a day out of it. It doesn't matter if there's a salon closer if I walk out and I don't feel like my hair is properly valued or cared for when I leave. I'd rather make the commute.” Another consumed stated, “I drive 2 and a half hours to get my hair done.” 17% of consumers said they see a beautician 3-4 times per year.

In terms of frustrations during wash day, a recurrent theme among consumers was the amount of time it takes to complete tasks, whether it be the time necessary for the deep conditioning process, the drying process after styling, or the detangling process. One consumer said, “How long it takes. If you do a surface level detangling without sectioning your hair, then the middle is still tangled.” Another consumer shared, “It feels amazing to have water going through my hair. It's just the time duration that goes into it.” Another participant stated, “Drying my hair. I wish there was a faster way.”

The top 3 hair and scalp concerns:

• 58% reported concerns of dry scalp

• 33% reported concerns of overall hair thinning or thinning around their hairline

• 25% reported issues with dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis

Other less commonly reported challenges included concerns regarding hair moisture and uncertainty about how to care for color-treated curly hair. One consumer stated, “I would like to learn how to take care of color treated hair. There's not a lot of products geared toward that for natural hair.”

When consumers were asked how they get information on healthy hair care practices and what they do when they have hair or scalp concerns, 58% of participants said they rely on the internet, including YouTube or social media networks like TikTok. One-third of participants said they rely on hair stylists. 17% of participants claimed they rely on friends. Essentially, this presents an opportunity for hair care experts to produce more research-based thought leadership surrounding healthy hair care practices.

Additionally, more authentic and honest representations of textured hair is necessary. When consumers were asked what they’re still learning to accept about their hair, majority of participants expressed that they’re learning to accept their hair without comparison to others, especially as it relates to pictures and videos on social media. One consumer stated, “I'm still trying to accept that my hair has shrinkage. I’ve heard other women talk about shrinkage and how it represents that your hair is healthy. Sometimes I wish my hair was longer so that even if I have shrinkage, it would look longer and fuller.”

Naturalistas desire to experiment with their hair, mimicking styles they see represented online. However, they don’t know how to do that in a way that’s not detrimental to the health of their hair. A consumer shared, “I worry about tight styles. When I had crochet locs, it was constant pulling at the roots. I envy girls that can wear different styles without any issues.” This presents an opportunity for hair experts to offer personalized counseling that fulfills clients’ exploratory interests while also advocating for their hair’s health.

Lastly, 67% of consumers said what they love most about their hair is the versatility. Many participants then went on to describe the numerous options they have of styling their hair as a Naturalista. Overall, this presents an opportunity for hair experts to identify ways to support healthy hair care versatility.

Among hair care experts, it was unanimous that the skills necessary to confidently service textured hair clients is not included in the cosmetology curriculum. One hair stylist shared, “We did learn a curly hair cut, but it was a wavy hair cut and it wasn't done on a live model or mannequin. It was a video.” Another hair stylist said, “I don’t know how equipped cosmetology schools are to teach what [stylists] need to learn. Most educators don't do hair anymore. It's hard to stay relevant and on point with latest trends and styles when you teach the same curriculum from a book.” In essence, licensed professionals must rely on specialized education following beauty school to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to care for natural hair, which can be a costly pursuit.

One of the salon owners shared how one of their first roles after cosmetology school was working at a high-end corporate salon. She said she received no training, and basically had to practice on clients, who were inevitably unhappy with her service. Since learning from this experience, she shared that she has “a training crash course where new stylists work with [her] for about 3 months until they feel comfortable. Then [she] gives them clients. It's like an internship.” This approach allows new stylists to gain practice and hone their skills before interacting with clients.

Another salon owner shared that she works as a national texture educator, which includes helping curly professionals understand the basics of “porosity, density, elasticity, hydration, and different curl patterns. [I also teach] proper language to use when discussing hair with individuals.” The language used to discuss hair is essential to creating a safe and positive environment for clients.

The expert interviews revealed two major opportunities within the beauty industry. First, demand is high for stylists who specialize in textured hair. For example, one of the hair stylists said, “Owning a salon is something I was sort of forced into. It wasn't my dream, but the demand is so high and I couldn’t do everyone's hair. We opened a salon to service more clients.” The current market lacks professionals who are skilled in caring for textured hair, which creates a major market opportunity for existing stylists interested in expanding their skillsets and new stylists looking to enter the natural hair care space.

The second major opportunity that was emphasized throughout the interviews is the necessity of ongoing education and training. One stylist said, “I teach my classes all over the country. My most recent class was a day course in San Antonio, TX.” This stylist is based in Detroit, MI. There’s a huge demand for upskilling opportunities in the textured hair care community. Hair stylists across the nation, and likely globally, are consistently seeking opportunities to expand their portfolio of services by learning new hair care techniques and practices.

• Clean products are an important factor in a healthy hair care routine.

• Detoxifying the scalp and hair is key to achieve hydration.

• Self-acceptance happens outside of the salon chair.

• All natural hair types are not ideal for braids, sew-ins, extensions, etc. Depending on the health of the hair, the upkeep of the style, and duration it’s installed, these styles can lead to hair loss and damage.

• In the long-term, following a hair care routine with the support of a professional can help you achieve your hair goals