Texturism & Lengthism: At Home, At Work, and Within

Episode 1 of the Hair What I'm Saying podcast, hosted by Kinetra, titled "Texturism & Lengthism: At Home, At Work, and Within" was published on August 17, 2025 and runs 61 minutes.

August 17, 2025 ·61m · Hair What I'm Saying

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Summary

Send us Fan Mail Watch on YouTube! Nia Ford returns to unpack the deep, quiet ways texturism affects Black women's relationship with their hair, from childhood experiences to adult self-acceptance. We explore how external criticism and family dynamics shape our perception of beauty, particularly for those with kinky, coily textures. Nia shares how her childhood love for big hair shifted after hearing classmates with looser textures praised for having “good hair,” and we discuss the role famil...

Episode Description

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Watch on YouTube!

Nia Ford returns to unpack the deep, quiet ways texturism affects Black women's relationship with their hair, from childhood experiences to adult self-acceptance. We explore how external criticism and family dynamics shape our perception of beauty, particularly for those with kinky, coily textures. Nia shares how her childhood love for big hair shifted after hearing classmates with looser textures praised for having “good hair,” and we discuss the role family members play in either perpetuating or challenging texturism, including how parents with different hair textures approach their children’s hair. She rejects the concept of “bad hair” entirely, favoring the idea of “healthy” versus “unhealthy” hair, and addresses how shrinkage often causes people to underestimate both the length and beauty of type 4 hair. We also explore the importance of finding products that work specifically for your hair type rather than following trends, reframing hair care from being a “chore” to an act of self-love and acceptance, and why giving your hair a name (like Tabitha Brown’s “Donna”) can foster a more loving relationship with your natural texture. Finally, we examine the mixed impact of social media on texturism and natural hair acceptance..

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