The hidden cost of black hair

Hair is an important part of black women’s identity, but throughout history it has also been a target of oppression. What is the true cost of having black hair?
00:00 - What does your hair mean to you?
01:17 - Current attitudes towards textured hair
02:37 - How has black hair been viewed historically?
05:12 - Adhering to white expectations
06:14 - Why is black hair so expensive?
07:30 - The economics of the black hair care industry
09:16 - The health detriments of products and treatments
11:12 - What is the natural hair movement?
Read Tamara Gilkes Borr’s 1843 piece on the secret economics of hair: econ.st/3B368gm
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter to keep up to date with our latest stories: econ.st/3gJBH8D
Read more about race in America: www.economist.com/race-in-ame...
Read about Nigeria’s hair trade: econ.st/3phPasw
Hair in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels: econ.st/3ATCsCs
The dark side of human hair trafficking: econ.st/3C0jk7b
The history of First Ladies’ hairstyles, untangled: econ.st/3vsuA9Q