The Influence of the Black Influencer
By Faith Armstrong
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many Black women have admitted to learning and experimenting with their natural texture for the first time in their lives.
With less trips to the office and more time on zoom calls, the need for diverse hair content has never been more necessary.
Before 'influencer’ was a job title and social media was limited only to college students, black women relied on their hairstylists to give them inspiration for new looks. Popular magazines such as Black Hair and Hype Hair gave us looks and moods we couldn’t wait to have our stylist recreate for us. As Black women flipped through the glossy pages of these magazines, they saw themselves reflected back at them. The curled, coiffed, and meticulously cornrowed hair that graced the pages inspired us to be our own kind of hair models and celebrities in our neighborhoods.This gave professionals the upper hand in cultivating beauty trends, since many of the styles found in magazines were created by celebrity stylists and creative teams. But what these magazines rarely showed was a look into how to create your favorite style-- and building the confidence to do it yourself.
Nowadays it’s no surprise that social platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tik Tok are becoming increasingly popular for inspiring more creative freedom in Black hairstyles.
Black influencers have successfully carved a niche for themselves by targeting an audience who may share similar struggles with hair care, have been historically marginalized in the beauty industry, or are learning to accept their hair in its natural form. Many aim to offer solutions that help their viewers gain the confidence to explore their own style through short videos and step-by-step tutorials.
So, what exactly is the effect of a Black hair influencer?
It goes a little something like this..
We start by typing in hashtags such as “hairstyles for 4B hair”...”Natural hairstyles for work black women” and find a thumbnail image we like that has us immediately engaged. ‘What products will she use?’ How will she section this hair?’ How will this style turn out? We sit to watch her dip her knuckle into a jar of gel and apply it to her roots before starting to braid her hair. The process of brushing..parting..applying..braiding is so satisfying, almost more important than the finished look itself. You then ask yourself; ‘Is it her makeup? Is it her confidence? The way she parts her hair is different from how I part mine, let me go to her page to see more…
“Oh! Saving this style for later.”
“Let me send this one to my friend who’s looking for a hairstyle for vacation.”
“Yesss! I’ve always wanted to know how to do this.”
Clicks follow.
We go through this process unknowingly multiple times a day, especially when searching specific hashtags ( just type in #4C hair - you will be amazed at some of the content that pops up!). Relatability is what we’re all craving to see, whether it’s someone who looks like us, lives like us, has hair like us, or pushes us to think beyond our texture.
Check out a list of 5 Black content creators who are working hard to inspire us all!
Ky, @laetitiaky
Ky’s abstract hair styling and strong stance on body acceptance and women’s rights is all the reason to follow her on Instagram & Tik Tok (She also has a tutorial on YouTube for her Kybraids that is a must see!)
Link to Kybraid tutorial
2. Kia Marie @thenotoriousKIA
With her signature stretched afro and her ability to make a sneaker go with (literally) any sophisticated look, Kia’s approach to fashion & beauty stems from her relatability and authenticity.
Link to Wash day routine & Fro-hawk tutorial
3. Aisha Beau, @aishabeau
Beauty & wellness influencer Aisha Beau creates content that’s specific to Type 4 hair, and shares her tips to creating your own successful content on her IGTV series, ‘Black & Blogging.’
Link to beginner friendly twist out on Type 4 hair
4. Fatou Diedhiou, @abanaturelle
Fatou’s romantic upstyles and voluminous 4C hair is sure to inspire anyone who lands on her page!
Link to natural updo on stretched hair
5. “Shanillia”, @shanillia26
Mommy-fluencer who shares fun hairstyling techniques for all ages. Her tutorials often feature her two daughters, giving black mothers the confidence to tackle their children’s hair.
Link to 8 Gorgeous Poodle puff hairstyle tutorials in 8 min
Faith Armstrong (Huffnagle) is a fiber artist, licensed hair stylist and director of education for Prose haircare living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her writing focuses on the science of hair, how it behaves in different environments as well as texture diversity and appreciation. As a visual writer, she uses photographs and illustrations as a starting point for conversation with herself that helps to support the depths of her storytelling.