What Happened To The Natural Hair Community?
- Posted on 08 November, 2022
- Hair Care
- By Anonymous
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http://www.ambrosiamalbrough.com
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Hey friends, hey welcome back or welcome. It'S been about two weeks of deliberation, just kind of thinking about this topic around this time. Last year I decided to like cut my hair off, and I said I was done with making natural hair content. With that I cut my hair off. I basically made all of my natural hair videos, private and I was done. I constantly got emails and comments regarding the natural hair and, like I felt like they, they wanted their problems to be my problems. Last year was my first year as a mom to two and I was overwhelmed in my personal life and then I felt like I had to carry other people's load and other people's insecurities. When people reached out to confide in me the insecurities that they had or the troubles that they had with their natural hair, they may not have been to make it like a burden, and I I now that I'm thinking about this and I'm I'm less of an Overwhelmed new mom tattoo, I um I'm able to say that I do understand that they did not mean it like that, but because of my situation and how overwhelmed I was in my life, I took it like that and I didn't want to hear anybody's problems. I didn't want to talk about natural hair anymore. I was sick of it. I was sick of my own natural hair, um and me, taking the Clippers to my head was my way to not Rebel, but my way to show the world that, like I was done with it, YouTube, has seemed to be on like a decline and whenever I Look up natural hair content on YouTube. I don't see much. There was a time when YouTube was like the place for inspiration. So as someone who is growing out of TWA, I do what I do to my hair, so I was like hmm. Let me see it. It'S 2022.: let's see what other people on YouTube are doing with their hair. So I look up natural hair and I don't see much and that made me sad, there's a couple of things that could be the case: people they just know so much about their hair and they understand their natural hair. So they don't need to see the content. They don't have to look for the content. Maybe people are also sick of hair content, because I know for a fact that, like I had no interest or I have no interest in watching like a wash day routine, when I posted a picture of my hair over the weekend, people were like. Did you um post the tutorial on YouTube and I'm just like people still look for those, because whenever I post a hair video, It Doesn't perform like at all. So I know that I'm not the only one that isn't necessarily flocking toward a natural hair tutorial, but I was just kind of looking to see like what are the natural girls on YouTube doing, because everything is kind of adapting and changing so like. What'S what are the natural girls on YouTube doing and like? How can I contribute again? I don't see much content, but we need the content. You want to know why, as someone with a daughter, not only a daughter, but I have you - know young girls in my family with natural hair, our young girls need to be able to have representation, I'm slowly, starting to see the lack of representation in 2020 and 2021, I saw a lot of Naturals relaxed and I was one of them. I got a relaxer for the first time in ages. I said I would never get a relaxer back in like 2008, when I had a really bad reaction to the relaxer, which is what made me go natural in the first place. That'S a whole another story. I know a lot of my my subscribers and followers are um. They they they're new and they don't know the full Journey. But this isn't my first time going natural. A lot of people thought that I was going natural for the first time. A lot of people think that, because I get a lot of messages and people trying to give their tips because they don't know they don't know X golden but um, that was my old YouTube name. A lot of Naturals relax their hair or text slacks their hair, or also just stop posting natural hair content, because it was just not it was like. We know how to do a twist out now, because our subscribers are growing with us, like very little. People were new, coming to my channel, like I'd, say, like 98 of the people watching my content were regulars were people who knew me when I was just solo 18 year old, 17 18 year old posting YouTube videos, and now I'm what 32. so um those ladies. They knew how to do a twist out. They knew how to do a braid out um. I gotten to the point where I wasn't really open to trying new products, because I know what works for me and I know that I have a Sensitive Scalp and I wasn't willing to be a guinea pig to set bran and and risk my scalp being inflamed Again because that sucks, so I feel like just me growing in the in the knowledge of my hair and and and my my health and just being aware of stuff like that, I was just like you know, yeah. I can't change that much my. I know what my hair likes and I'm not really open to trying a whole bunch of new products, and it's like the content is being very repetitive. In other words, it's being very boring because when I would sit there editing my videos, I would be bored, but we do need natural hair content for the sake of our our young girls. You know our teenagers and our babies like I have a. I have a little girl she's only two, and I want her to see like her mommy with her natural hair. Like I love it, when my son looks at me with my natural hair and he's like. Oh, my gosh mommy, you look so pretty or my daughter when she sees me washing my hair and and and just doing my hair and wearing my hair out, and she just absolutely loves it, but baby girl. She do love a good braided Style with some beads, though, but when she sees my hair or when I wash her hair, she just lights up like I want her, I want to make sure that she loves and appreciates the hair growing out of her scalp as Well, I'm not a Nazi for um wearing fake hair or braids or whatever. I. I guess, I'm just trying to figure out a way to kind of bring the content that I used to bring back, but in a not so boring way like. I don't want to do like a 30 or 40 minute video. Maybe I'll do a. I don't know in the form of shorts because as time goes on, folks get a shorter attention span, especially since Tick Tock and um Instagram reels and now YouTube shorts. So you guys may have seen me posting the YouTube shorts and I really enjoyed creating those um. I think we are at a point where yeah people like the content fast, but because I am seeing a lack of hair content that I find - and I don't want to say like acceptable to like, like poop on people making um hair content. But I want to create content that you know like that. That'S like the aesthetic that I like to watch. I want to like create content that I don't feel board editing. I always get comments about a hair tutorial, but when I make hair tutorials they don't perform. Do you still watch natural hair content um, I feel like there's still a need for natural hair content out there, not necessarily like a tutorial, because I I could care less about a tutorial. But I like to see like for inspiration so um like the tools that I'm using you know what that's what I'm gon na do every time I do these sit Downs um I gain clarities. Maybe I'll do that. I think I'll. You know be straight to the point and with my hair content, but we definitely need hair content. I'M back, but I don't know how how I am. I don't think I'm full throttle back with the natural hair content, but I'm back to a certain extent, and I definitely want to share and be able to be that inspiration. It breaks my heart when, when I see comments where young girls are just like, they hate their natural hair and they'd, rather wear a weave or a wig, and you know there's nothing wrong with that. I was I was so sick of my hair. I was so sick of my wash days and uh the detangling and all of that, but we need the natural hair content. That is for sure. So I just wanted to brainstorm. I'M letting you guys know that I'm coming back with the natural hair content, um and just to kind of explain. I know I don't need to explain nothing. I don't have to explain anything, but I am an explainer. I I have to share my reason for things and my thought process behind things I was so sick of natural hair. That'S why I shaved it off. I was sick of the brands reaching out to me and also like when I locked my hair. A lot of people were like: oh, like bro brosia knew she uh. She was gon na need that natural hair money to um to um. So so that's why she took the locks out, but just FYI when I create natural hair content, it is very rare that I have been paid for it. Guess: um natural hair brands send me products. I was getting a lot of natural hair product. I still get a lot of natural hair products and when you guys see natural hair content, unless it says that it is a paid partnership honey, I didn't receive a dime for it. I had to give TMI sometimes because you do also have to let people know that, like, like, I ain't changed my mind because I was hungry. You know what I mean. I took those locks out because I was like dang your girl, your girl is afraid of like commitments like that and I felt like locks were just so permanent. I wasn't ready for that um, but I cut my hair because I was just I was sick of it, especially like the brands where you know their product is like so new and they don't understand when you don't want to be their guinea pig or their cow. So um and knowing that I've had a Sensitive Scalp and I've been open about the scalp issues that I've had like I've cried on camera way too many times, um just about the pain that was coming from my scalp and and the irritation, and just sometimes Brands. Don'T they don't know how to how to how to take a kind decline, a kind decline? So I shaved my I shaved my hair off. That'S why you know and let them know that I don't have no hair. I guess I'm not upset anymore or like in my feelings or like overwhelmed for the sake of our young girls. We definitely we definitely. I I feel like we need. We need more of this. We need more, we need more afros. We need more um, loving our own texture. We need more like oh, like look. This is this is Day Day uh day six hair and no I'm not washing it. This ain't basic shirt, it's a day, two hair, but um. We need more of that. We need. We need more of normalizing um hair that isn't defined to a t. We need more normalizing of um short hair like this, but that's another thing like when I type in natural hair. I don't see this anymore. I see like loose curly, hair or or um Caucasian curly hair or Latina curly hair. I, when I type in natural hair on Pinterest, I see loose waves and that's that stuff is crazy to me. We got ta, we got ta come back and and maybe we don't need a tutorial, but we need to be out here um. We we need to be out here for it for inspiration, or I need to be out here for inspiration, um and that's that, and that is my aha moment until next time. I wish you nothing, but peace and love
Comments
Jenn Jackson: The algorithm serves us content that we want to see. So if we aren’t searching for hair content AND watching them, they won’t show up. Here is my thoughts from a creator: people don’t check for natural hair video like they used to anymore. The numbers don’t lie. Of course, some people still watch depending on the creator’s personality but the majority are into wigs, relaxing their hair or found what works so the videos aren’t as useful. Also, brands aren’t and have never supported hair content so it’s something that we’ve done from the heart with little return. This is one of the main reason why a lot of creators have switch to lifestyle because at the end of the day, it has to be beneficial. Personally, I know how valuable having that representation is so I push through, but diversifying my content is the only way I won’t die a broke creator.
Chloe Yorke: We are still out here looking for tutorials because it’s this in-between length that we all have a hard time navigating when growing out our hair. It’s hard to find styles at this length that don’t make you look 12 and it’s the lack of diversity in styles at this stage that makes it so difficult for me to embrace my hair. We still need your content!
Brosia: Since filming this video, I now see natural hair content (4c) in my recommended! IT WAS THE ALGORHYTHM. This does explain why my content and possibly other natural hair "OG" creators hadn’t been performing like the past because like me, a lot of you also aren’t looking for tutorials like we were in the past. Here’s to the start of sharing more content pertaining to our hair put in an updated way. Here is to the evolution of the natural hair community. PS I did lock a paid Natural Hair partnership so… classic video coming to Instagram soon ;) yaaaaas LOL
C AS: I’ve been watching your channel since the early 2010’s and my all time favorite content of yours is your daily vlogs. Those car blogs/coffee run used to get me through my early 20s lol. I think it’s because I got to see you as a person and truly enjoyed watching your evolution. I’m also now in my 30s and would love to continue to see that content (I know this video is about hair but I’m just gon throw in my 2 cents lol).
La'Rose: This is so true...Brosia I've been watching your videos for over 10 years during the Xgoldn days, you are one of the reasons I decided to go natural back then. I'm grateful to see that you're still posting content although it may not be the content that originally drew me to your channel, I understand that you are evolving and lifestyles shift. We are now older and have more to discuss and share aside from hair. Also- our attention span may be shorter now that other social media platforms are out there. To be 100%, I'm still natural but I don't have as much time to do as many natural hairstyles as I did when I was in high school/college. I enjoy seeing your growth in content and that you're a mommy now! Soooo many natural hair youtubers have disappeared on here and thats understandable but there's definitely not as much representation anymore on YouTube.
MrsQueenyforlove: Love this message ❤️ ! Honestly we need to put that same energy of putting on a wig the same as taking care of our actual hair. I've seen a million videos on All the steps to put on a wig but unwilling to care or take care of something that grows out of the head. It's crazy!
Mind Body x Soul Food: I love watching natural hair content when it’s incorporated into other things I.e lifestyle (getting ready for date night,or dinner with the girls etc) … I actually don’t mind “longer videos” but I’ll watch your videos regardless. P.S this hair style *chef kiss* ❤
fruitypebs23: Im so happy you addressed this bcz I've noticed a decline in natural hair content. I still watch natural hair content and I would love to see it come back. Perhaps the negativity surrounding the natural hair community has something to do with the lack of content??
Shandell Wyche: Yes I agree there is still a need for more natural hair content. I look forward to seeing more. Love your style and truth.❤
Abbey Saint: I think it was over saturated and too many rules. Having restrictions when doing your hair is just too much and it can be overwhelming. I think natural hair content is still here, but the community is starting to crumble sadly. Plus, vlogging is the in thing right now! People are just following trends right now and natural hair just isn’t the “trend” right now. I still watch to find new ways to style my hair if I feel like I’m doing something wrong and want to try out a style I haven’t done in a long time.
NoOtherRose: This is so needed!!! Around the time natural hair care videos slowed up, I started silk pressing my hair (professionally). Now I have so much heat damage it’s insane! Time to start over.
fullonlove:-): Omg, Brosia, I have been thinking this very thing! I just said earlier today how I was going to reach out to a friend to get her opinion on this. We lead a natural hair group back in the day, events, meetups, product reviews, wellness, and it was beautiful! All centered abound hair. I chipped and bleached my hair in Jan 2021 and felt that was a major clearing for me. I'm now growing it back out and recorded a wig review yesterday. I'll be wearing them for a few months while I grow the twa, or until my face slims really! But, just that raw, content centered around natural hair, and all it encompasses is still needed, I feel. I'm looking forward to the xgoldn type of content!
Ms Twistedtressys: I been wearing my hair natural since 2011, after years of relaxers. I now know what works in my hair and I stick with those products. I do still enjoy watching natural hair videos both the OGs and new ones. I still get inspired by them. My 10 year old granddaughter has locs since she was 8 yrs old and she loves them. Before that, she wore two-strand twists from toddlerhood. Her mother also wears locs. Keep posting your natural hair content!
Blanche Corfah: Currently taking a break from the braids and weaves and been rocking my fro 3rd big chop here and we do need updated content for us naturals esp with the TWA’s brosia we love your hair videos please be the voice to bring natural hair BACK in style 2023
shanzie81: Thank you so much for this video!!!! Everything you said is the absolute truth. I have noticed a shift in my area. Many young ladies were sporting the natural look but in today's fast fashion, fast trends, it got replaced with lace fronts and knot-less braids. The few naturals I've seen out have "looser" textures.
kellye jackson: Girl I’m so glad you posted this I am an xgolden watcher!!!! I was a die hard watcher of your channel. You helped me sooooo much and I was extremely jealous of your hair. It was so long and healthy and you were such a motivation for my journey. Hines when you stopped posting about that I stopped watching your channel. And I have been think of doing keratin treatment because I’m so over this hair. But I push for protective styles to just put it away. I think YouTubers felt like the natural hair market was flooded and everyone just kinda stopped. So please let’s try to bring it back I enjoy watching people do their hair. I’m glad to hear you may want to come back!!!!
Jennifer Hollis: I’m still natural and definitely still watch and look for natural hair content. I don’t necessarily watch much tutorials where people are talking through full step by steps, but more so enjoy watching week routines, styling ideas, etc. I do find the less talking the better. So shorts do serve as a nice conduit for that style of content, but even videos with minimal talking and focusing on action are very helpful. Also, I’ve been a subbie of yours for a while and have always enjoyed your content!! Happily welcome more hair content from you in anyway you choose to deliver it!❤
N: Love you! Yes and no to watching tutorials. What I’m sometimes interested in is knowledge. Like now there is this whole trend that you don’t need to use oil to moisturize you hair. Like hearing someone like you give an opinion on if you agree with this.
Naughdia Neely: I absolutely loved this! Thank you for being a one of my inspirations!❤
lula: I love all of your content; you could be filming a rock, and I’d watch. I also love your sunglasses; I’ve purchased two, from your online store. I also appreciate your content, with the sounds of the kiddos, in the background. It gives me motivation to make videos, even when things are not as quiet or going perfectly. Your content is natural and relatable. I had a different YouTube account, in the past, but I remember when you drove a VW Bug and hated your job. I’m so happy to see your journey and you being where you dreamed/created.
D. Suber: Hey Brosia, i have always loved any content you post because i just like your personality but i also really enjoy your hair content. I did a texturizer on my natural hair a year ago but am going back natural and will probably big chop soon so this is a time where i would really enjoy natural hair content!
WildOnez: Glad to see you are back!!! I always enjoy watching your hair growth journey. I love how you will shave your hair Off and then watching how fast it grows back!! I'm definitely here for those videos again!!
Luv Bein' Me: Oh, thank you so much, girl! We are ready for you to shine these gems! ❤️ ❤️
BeeCee: Yaaasss! Xgoldn & Crochet Love. I went natural in 2008 and you were the 1st person I followed. Back when you wore Siss lipstick by MAC! Although I’ve had a buzz cut for 12 years, I still follow the same ppl that I’ve followed for years and I can def see that the natural hair videos seem to be no more. I have a son who is 5 with long natural hair and those videos would really benefit me! It’s crazy how things have changed!
Armami A.: Hey Girl hey. Been here from about 2012. I came for natural hair because at that time your hair was one of the few heads on yt that looked like mine. But I stayed because I loved your STYLE. You have very interesting taste, you don’t really do what’s trending. I watch whatever you post. So yes to the natural hair content
Shenita Lobley: I loveeeeeee natural content. I agree that the quality of videos out here are not that good. You can do no wrong with your videos. I’m so excited to see content from you. ❤
Natural Hair Khronicles: I love natural hair content. I have noticed a decline in natural hair videos. I also subscribed to new people to watch more hair videos. My hair is almost midback length I watch videos pertaining to hair retention and more reasons to stay natural.
NYMahogany: Yes we have grown together. I went natural in 2011 & def watched more videos back then. I see a lot of the content on tik Tok...Younger folks (like my 15yr old daughter) have short attention spans...LOL! Need to be out here for inspiration & representation for real.
C A: I used to watch you when I first went natural in high school! 2010 ish. You inspired me 100%.
searphhoney: I think we will always need natural hair videos. I personally don't watch them nearly as much as I did in the past. I only watch them now if I am looking up a certain product, tool, or technique. I'm more purposeful in the types of videos that I watch. Back in the day I would watch any natural hair video.
crysberries: XGOLDEN!!! Idk, I’ve been watching for like 20 years. Compared to before I watched nat hair videos occasionally - sometimes I watch like for wash day motivation lol. I like sticking with a basic routine. For my daughter I’m on IG and YouTube. Since I know how to do my hair I’m mostly looking for tips (maintaining styles and moisture) and inspo.
Shug: I think the natural hair community hit its downfall when people started putting Monistat vaginal cream and onion/rice water in their hair to promote hair growth
Victoria Gittens: Loving the hair. Definitely would like a tutorial.
Natalie Wray: glad you’re back with the hair content. Missed it!!
MaRna: Your hair is growing so beautifully.
Nadia Zoe: I've been consistently watching just this one influencer posting natural haircare videos. Other videos I've seen are previous ones. I think some people started vlogging, some are posting wig videos and some only post on instagram. I don't know about the tik tok community, I cannot keep up with all these different handles because I'm only one person and I dont have 9lives Too much child
Tiffany: Also I love ALL of your protective styles you do so those videos could be nice if you feel like it
Karina: I just think it died because everyone grew up in a way. For example I've been watching you from the jump..... I was what 17, 18 and now I'm 29. I've been growing out my shaved head since Sept . 2021. I just don't do social media, this in between phase is too much for me so I'm in crochet. I always watch your Content. These days I'm more into INDIE MAKEUP youtube and even like that it's not as much. I don't know just life changing, growing and evolving. I see the shift it's either WEAVE, STRAIGHT NATURAL OR LOCS.
Olivia O: Please continue to make long natural hair videos but like vlog style where you're just sharing your wash days, salon visits, hair throughout the week and then maybe shorter videos for like style tutorials and stuff. There is definitely a scarcity of natural hair videos and I really miss those type of videos.
Loc Secure: I feel like there is a lot of growth in the loc community.
Danielle: I think a lot of younger women are just viewing content differently. 10 years ago youtube was all there was. If you're 19 now, you're more likely to open up tiktok and consume that over youtube. And by the time your baby girl is 19 there be some other platform or app that they all watch and use. YouTube will probably still be around, but the demographics will evolve. There may be a youtube resurgence or not, but all this has to be taken in to account when creators say their views have tanked. It's, admittedly, very hard to attract newer, younger viewers and the majority of older viewers either grew up with you and know how to do a twist out, as you said, or even if they are older and brand new to being natural, there are not really enough to those people to create a whole new audience or supply sustained rapid growth of a channel.
charice281: I started watching you in 2010 & still enjoyed the evolution to you
Ruth: Yes to xgoldn! Time flies!
JJL: Haha, I laughed when you said... "Alot of people don't know". What that you were one of the queens!!?!? Lol
Beauty Over 40: We are here, I'm repping 40 and up❤️
One Flower Lover: I honestly believe the algorithm slowed everyone down. As a result, many of the creators switched to lifestyle and left youtube.
S C: The natural gworls are relaxing. That’s the new come up. I still enjoy my natural hair though.
WifeMom&Nurse: It was highjacked like every other black movement.
Life of Booda: Been here since Xgolden !!!!
NaturallyDarrien: I got locs love it here:)
TheKarleil: The tutorial are on Tik Tok now
MainlandMami: bye girl