Coiled

‘How did our African ancestors look after their hair? I’m sure they didn’t use 5 products!’ Black hair is a lens that we can use to discuss culture, race, identity and history, and in this first episode of Coiled, join host Leanne Alie as she starts her transitioning journey from chemically straightened back to natural and explores the evolution of attitudes towards Black hair throughout history.

To start this journey she speaks to Dr Kadian Pow to explore the history of Afro hair, how attitudes to Black hair changed with colonialism and how these attitudes still present themselves in our society today. She also speaks to world renowned, award winning hairdresser Derrek Clements who talks about the changing trends and attitudes towards Black hair from the 1970s to the present day, as well as speaking to her childhood friends to discuss how their school experiences influenced their attitudes towards their hair today.

If you do anything after listening to this podcast, make sure you share this with a younger, sister, brother, cousin or friend so that we can empower the next generation to fully embrace their natural Black hair because all hair is good hair.

Follow us on Instagram @coiledpodcast and use the hashtag #coiledpodcast to join the conversation on Twitter.

Hosted and Produced by Leanne Alie

Twitter: @leannealie

Instagram: @leannealie_

Assistant Produced by Sylvie Carlos

Twitter: @sylvie_frizzy

Instagram: @frizzandgo

The theme music and closing music was composed by Ony Iroha

All other music was sourced from Uppbeat.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Black hair industry is worth an estimated £88 million in the UK, with Black Women spending 6 times more on hair care than their white counterparts, yet Black people only own around 5% of this industry. It is widely thought that the South Asian Community dominates the ownership of the Black hair sector but how did this come about and was this always the case?

In this episode of Coiled Leanne explores the evolution of the Black hair industry and how the UK’s first afro hair care distributor, Dyke and Dryden, set the foundations for the industry that we have today. She explores the importance of buying Black owned when it comes to hair products by speaking to Rudi Page, former Marketing and Sales Manager of Dyke and Dryden, Sandra Brown Pinnock of XSandy’s and Khalia Ismain, co-founder of Jammi UK, as well as Peter Mudahy who is the CEO of Pak’s Cosmetics who expresses that he sees ‘no real value of Black owned businesses.'

Follow us on Instagram @coiledpodcast and use the hashtag #coiledpodcast to join the conversation on Twitter.

Hosted and Produced by Leanne Alie

Twitter: @leannealie

Instagram: @leannealie_

Assistant Produced by Sylvie Carlos

Twitter: @sylvie_frizzy

Instagram: @frizzandgo

The theme music and closing music was composed by Ony Iroha

All other music was sourced from Uppbeat.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you listened to the last episode we learned that Black people own a really small percentage of the Black Hair industry and that there is so much power in buying Black as Black businesses are more likely to hire Black people, have Black supply chains and are more likely to serve the Black Community.

We wanted to spotlight some smaller Black owned businesses that we think you'll love so that you can buy Black owned for when it comes to your hair products.

Brands featured in this episode:

@niyohairandbeauty

@hairpopp

@maallure_

@thewashdayco

@tiwaniheritage

@ataji_hair_care

@newshelluk

@mojiskinclinic

@Oriallure

@kiyacosmetics

@eternalrootsco

@kinkyapothecary

@laidlocs

Follow us on Instagram @coiledpodcast and use the hashtag #coiledpodcast to join the conversation on Twitter.

Hosted and Produced by Leanne Alie

Twitter: @leannealie

Instagram: @leannealie_

The theme music and closing music was composed by Ony Iroha

All other music was sourced from Uppbeat.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ban on Olympic swim caps for afro hair shows that we still have to fight for the protection of afro hair, however there are some brilliant Black changemakers that are changing the narrative when it comes to afro hair.

In this episode Leanne speaks to Michelle DeLeon founder of World Afro Day, Lekia Lee of Project Embrace, Serlina Boyd of Cocoa Girl and Cocoa Boy magazine and Zine Alfa, member of the Halo Collective who is petitioning for the discrimination against afro hair to be added to the 2010 Equality Act. All of these women are paving the way for better representation of afro hair and are educating the next generation about afro hair so that they can grow up to embrace their natural hair.

You can sign Zina’s petition to add the discrimination against afro hair to the equality act here:

https://www.change.org/p/uk-government-ban-hair-discrimination-in-the-uk

You can find the Halo Toolkit here: https://www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project/help-for-parents/my-hair-my-crown.html

You can find more about World Afro Day at: https://www.worldafroday.com/

You can find out more about Project Embrace at: https://www.projectembrace.org.uk

You can buy and find out more about Cocoa Girl magazine at https://www.cocoagirl.com/

Follow us on Instagram @coiledpodcast and use the hashtag #coiledpodcast to join the conversation on Twitter.

Hosted and Produced by Leanne Alie

Twitter: @leannealie

Instagram: @leannealie_

Assistant Produced by Sylvie Carlos

Twitter: @sylvie_frizzy

Instagram: @frizzandgo

The theme music and closing music was composed by Ony Iroha

All other music was sourced from Uppbeat.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We cannot underestimate the relationships that Black men have with their hair. Getting a fresh trim is very important and it is criminal to cheat on your barber, but the relationship that Black men have with their hair and what really matters to them is something that isn’t discussed as widely.

In this episode Leanne explores the changing relationship between Black men and their barbers and the importance of the barbershop space to the Black community by speaking to Dr Karis Campion from the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and Mark Maciver, founder of Slider Cuts, as well as exploring some of the newer technologies for men’s hair maintenance such as male weaves, PRP and hair transplants.

If you’re thinking of undertaking a medical procedure to stimulate hair growth, make sure you consult a medical professional and do your own research.

Follow us on Instagram @coiledpodcast and use the hashtag #coiledpodcast to join the conversation on Twitter.

Hosted and Produced by Leanne Alie

Twitter: @leannealie

Instagram: @leannealie_

Assistant Produced by Sylvie Carlos

Twitter: @sylvie_frizzy

Instagram: @frizzandgo

The theme music and closing music was composed by Ony Iroha

All other music was sourced from Uppbeat.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices