Natural hair chronicles of black female vloggers: Influences on their psychological well-being

Abstract

This study explored how hair texture chronicles in a post-colonial country is influenced by psychological well-being and a sense of self in women. Our informants were 10 female, black, South African YouTube vloggers, with Afro-textured, frizzy, natural hair. The participants completed qualitative descriptions of their hair chronicles with vlogging. Thematic analysis of the data yielded the following themes: (i) untangling the politics of hair, identity, and race through transitioning hair stories; (ii) hair chronicles for psychological well-being; and (iii) empowerment from wearing natural hair. The results suggest that the reconstruction of society’s norms of beauty through alternative hair narratives for social change has the potential to improve the psychological well-being of black South African women with Afro-textured, frizzy, natural hair. The findings suggest that YouTubers who chronicle their natural hair journeys improve their psychological well-being and sense of identity from social support by similar others.

Keywords:

• black women
• natural hair
• psychological well-being
• South Africa
• vlogs
• YouTube