2022
Curl COmmunity Survey
Intellectual property of Radical Beauty Collective
Why?
The Mission
This study aims to share a snapshot of today's international curly community.
More than half (65%*) of the U.S. population alone has curly hair, yet there is little current global data that curlies have access to.
Our goal is to understand the range of identities that make up our community and share our individual and collective experiences, habits, goals, and relationship with our hair.
*Source Breyer, Curl disconnect: Are retailers meeting the need of the textured hair consumers? Naturallycurly.com
Phase One: Survey
Online questionnaire focused on gathering a general impression of demographics and grooming habits.
The Methodology
How?
Phase Two: Interview
Human-centric, long-form interviews focused on personal experience and emotions.
1,400
The Demographic
Total Respondents
Who?
18-65+
Years Old
40+
Countries
45%
BIPOC Identifying
Collective Themes
Curls + Identity
Routine + Self Care
Goals + Dreams
Curls + Social Impact
We all have
Hair Memories
Lasting Impact
Average age
5
When was your earliest hair memory?
11
When did you start doing own hair?
Of those interviewed...
100%
shared at least one positive
hair memory
91%
shared at least one negative
hair memory
Sharing our earliest
Hair Memories
4C | Paris, France
"Sitting between my mom's knees and brushing my hair into afro puffs. My mom and I both wore puffs to a wedding; we were matching. It was awesome."
4B | London, UK
“When I moved to Manchester from Nigeria when I was 10 years old, a boy came and pinched my and pulled my hair, making fun of its shortness. That's what kick started the journey and stress of hair growth. “
2B | Los Angeles, USA
"Being in Hawaii and having a crowd of people touching my hair when I was 4 or 5. I had very light, strawberry blond hair and it was curly. And with the humidity, it went a bit crazy."
Curls + Identity
Radical Sense of Self
Our curl pattern is our hair's fingerprint. No two curls are alike. Not even on the same head.
Our hair can mean everything or nothing to us. Curls have sparked confidence, joy, frustration, regrets, and trauma. They have the power to connect us to our community and heritage, or
make us resent it.
Curls + Identity
3C | London, UK
"I had a bad relationship where I basically hated my hair. I wasn't comfortable to wear it curly until I met a friend in London. I realized I loved her hair, and if I loved hers, why couldn't I love my own?"
4C | Zurich, Switzerland
"It makes me feel connected to a wider community and culture of taking care of our hair. I also feel like it's important to me to not feel pressured by what other people are doing with their hair."
2B | Los Angeles, USA
"I don't get many compliments on my appearance, but I do get a lot of compliments on my hair. That's where I find most of my confidence."
Routine + Self-Care
100%
A Love/Hate Relationship
A solid hair routine is how we build a strong relationship with our curls: taking the time to learn what it needs and how it responds. It's a fragile balance between how it is and how you want it to be.
50
/
50
The curly community is evenly divided between those who consider their hair as part of their self-care routine and those who see it as a chore.
1
2
3
Style
The Basics:
Most curly hair routines follow these three fundamental steps, combined with the right product to achieve their desired goals.
Routine + Self-Care
Treat
Cleanse
44%
of curlies wash their hair
twice a week. We found that the looser the curl, the more frequent
the wash.
Bobby pins and hair clips are the most popular accessories across all hair types.
Goals and Dreams
Top 3 hair goals across all hair types
1
Hydration
2
Curl Definition
3
Hair Retention
The Curly Revolution
Despite being so common, curly hair is often called "unprofessional" and "rebellious". Curlies, especially Black women, face judgement and discrimination for their natural hair everyday and from a young age.
Crown Act Resources./www.thecrownact.com/resources
Curls & Social Impact
100%
of Black girls in predomnantly white schools have faced discrimination against their hair since age 10*
80%
Black women are 80% more likely to agree with the statement “i have to change my hair from its natural state to fit in at the office.”*
states in the U.S. have passed the CROWN Act to ensure the protection of natural hair in the workplace and K-12 schools.*
15
"People immediately will start to have an idea of what kind of person based on what your hair is like."
4C | Lagos, Nigeria
"As a Black woman, my hair can sometimes feel like a political statement, whether
I want it to or not."
4B | London, UK
"I went from manipulating who I was to conform with the world. And then came into my natural hair, owning who I am."
3C | Dubai, UAE
Final Thoughts
Takeaways
Curly is more than a hair type. It's an identity for many curlies that has been crafted and cultivated since childhood. Ultimately, we choose how our
hair defines us.
Curlies are looking for community. Many feel isolated with little access to the right resources. Sharing our experiences brings us closer together.
Our findings reinforce the need for more research, resources and communal spaces for the curly hair community.
It's Your Turn
Join the Curly Revolution!
Be the first to know
when the next
Curly Community Survey drops.
