This story has been floating around for quite some time now, and I’m posting it because it’s still very relevant from the year 2000 until now. The article brings a lot of awareness to how big players plagued by power come in and snatch up dollars out of the ethnic communities. Although more and more big players are taking advantage of the billion dollar ethnic beauty market which is bringing quality products to the marketplace for people of color, there’s still a long way to go before ethnic beauty is actually considered mainstream. Because of this, many people of color settle for what works best rather than what actually works.
Like many other black women, Dori Wilson spares no expense when it comes to her hair. The Chicago publicist spends as much as $10,000 a year on shampoos, conditioners, color treatments, weaves, wigs and weekly trips to the salon. “I spend a lot of money because I don’t want to look the same all the time,” said Wilson, who believes that for black women, hair grooming is “a different discipline” and a form of self-expression.
Not every black woman has Wilson’s disposable income. But her discipline is well-known to beauty industry insiders. Black women, with their unique hairstyles and hair challenges, spend two to three times as much money on their hair as white women.
[mashshare]
