5 Revealing Things I Learned About Black Hair From The Afro Hair & Beauty Show

“We don’t go natural, we return to natural because it’s where we began.” This is quite a popular quote that you find shared on Facebook, Twitter and other social media these days.

It speaks absolute truth, of course, but in spite of that we all know that it matters for nothing because majority of black women today still chemically straighten their hair.

I don’t say this as a criticism, after all how one wears their hair is a personal choice and far be it from me to interfere.

I say this instead as a simple observation that in spite of all our feverish support for all things natural in the online world, it accounts for nothing in the real world. To many women the default hair is relaxed.

This fact was very evident in the throng of women moving from stall to stall at the Afro Hair & Beauty Show last weekend. The event was really good, a bit hot and sweaty with no AC but enjoyable all the same.

So many hair product brands were on show, Beautiful Textures, Mixed Chicks*, Taliah Wajid, Hairfinity*, Sleek, ORS, Auntie Jackie, Design essentials and many many more.

I was there on Sunday afternoon and I hear that Patrice of Afrobella along with a few other UK bloggers attended on the Monday. In among visiting stalls, watching the fashion show and hair demonstrations, a few things about black hair care struck me . . .

Hair Extensions* Still Rule The Market

Some women completely give up weaves after going on healthy hair journeys while some use them exclusively to grow their hair to longer lengths but whichever side of the fence you are on the fact is is that hair extensions* essentially pay for the party.

Yes, the largest sponsors of many of these major events that allow us enthusiasts to come together for a chat about all things hair are made possible by hair extension companies. In fact majority of the goody bag inserts were for hair weave sales or salons exulting their expertise at installing said weaves.

Based on observation, a large percentage of women attending the event wore extensions* in one form or other. A full weave here, a half wig* there, a few clip ins* added for fullness, they were there in their droves.

Natural Hair Is Extremely Product Driven

I always said that the person who finally invents the ultimate product that you can sell to any black woman on earth and tell her ‘Use this, it will grow your hair, make it soft, shiny, curly/wavy/straight and healthy’ and the product actually works, would become a very wealthy person indeed. Well, nobody has yet invented that product but based on the wares available at the hair show, lots are sure giving it a go!

Natural hair has become as commercial as Christmas and I am of two minds as to if this is a good or a bad thing. The advice pellets overheard from the vendors and non vendors alike sounded like a product junkie’s secret stash. ‘Grapeseed oil* is the best thing you can put in your hair’, ‘OMG that curling custard is the truth!’, ‘Their shampoo is the best for natural hair.’ etc.

More often than not, these brand new products are just the same old stuff re-fragranced and re-packaged. Yet another curling cream that promises to give your curls hold while keeping your hair soft but you find that it works just the same as all the others you’ve ever tried; Averagely.

Women Seem Almost Apologetic For Being Relaxed

Maybe this wasn’t true for the entire event or every single relaxed woman but I was there on Sunday afternoon for just a couple of hours because I was coming down with a cold. Yet in that time 3 separate women, two of them vendors, explained to me, almost apologetically, why they couldn’t go natural, although I didn’t ask. All I wanted to know was how their products worked on 4a/b natural hair and after pawing my straightened hair one of them declared that since I had really good hair anyway, the product would work really well for me (if only she had met my hair before I started taking care of it!).

I also found it very odd that one of the spokespeople for a popular relaxer brand was clearly natural! I suppose that you can’t discriminate based on hair type but I would imagine that there would be a strong conflict of interest no?

Everyone Is A Self Confessed Hair Expert

Again this is just a casual observation, not a dig at anyone. I actually think it’s great that so many people are interested enough in hair to be bothered to attend these events and dispense advice to those of us not in the know.

What was funny was while one vendor was busy extolling the benefits of mineral oil* to me, across the path another product vendor had a large banner emblazoned with ‘Paraben Free, Mineral Oil* Free’ obviously telling their customers to avoid mineral oil. Ha, cruel irony!

But then I suppose it’s difficult to have a clear consensus about what is best to use of your hair because essentially products don’t matter all that much which brings me to my next point.

You Will Never Learn About Hair Care From These Events

Surprised that I have included this here? Well it’s true. While attending such an event can stimulate ones curiosity enough to find out more about black hair care after leaving which could then lead to actual knowledge, the truth is majority of the women leaving the hair show armed with the goodies they were promised would work wonders on their hair didn’t learn enough to make an actual difference.

Here’s the hard truth, you can’t sell hair regimens in a box for 29.99. For that reason the primary focus of the industry is to teach women to achieve certain hairstyles with products that you can actually sell. This is actually true of many industries, not just hair care, so nobody’s really to blame.

Hair shows, meet ups and hair events are great and I plan to attend as many as I can over time but they cannot substitute actual learning from hair care books, websites, blogs & videos.

In the same way it’s naive that some of you think that by just liking our page on Facebook that you are learning all you need to know about hair care. Nope ladies, you’ve got to take the time to read, absorb, learn, make mistakes, correct them, learn some more and most importantly enjoy every minute of it!