The Hidden Cost Of Braids
There are few things more familiar than the sight of hair extensions being stretched. It’s a scene we’ve witnessed so many times. Hair is one of the most intimate things we share on this continent. It’s the go-to for self-expression, reinvention, and making a statement.
However, in all that our hair beauty routine leaves us with, we rarely talk about one thing – the waste.
When we take our braids down, we toss handfuls of synthetic hair into bins. Some people burn them too. These strands of kanekalon or toyokalon are made of plastic fibers that will sit in landfills or drains for years, think centuries. They’ll leach chemicals and release microplastics into the soil and air. We’re literally wearing plastic and throwing it back into our environment.
The hair extension industry is worth billions. From every city in Africa, women have built livelihoods around it. There are stylists, traders, factory workers, and more who, in a way, depend on this. It’s one of the few industries where women’s creativity directly translates into income. But it’s also one that contributes to our continent’s biggest crises: waste.
In most African cities, waste management is already a nightmare. Lagos alone produces over 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, and the majority of it isn’t properly recycled.
I mean, it’s funny how the very thing that helps us feel beautiful also pollutes the spaces we live in. It’s not easy to talk about this. Hair for African women is political and personal. We’ve fought to wear it anywhere, and however we want. So to say that our extensions are harming the planet is quite a lot.
The next step is actions. In Nigeria, Temi Ajayi is experimenting with biodegradable hair made from plant-based polymers. In Ghana, small labs are testing fibers created from banana peels. On Instagram, there are discussions about reusing extensions instead of throwing them away. It’s a movement, and we can take small steps to help.
Beauty is not a luxury, and it’s why we may not be able to focus on answering whether we should stop wearing synthetic hair. I mean, eco-friendly alternatives are expensive, and this is not something women can just stop doing. So how do we make beauty sustainable for everyone?
It’s quite ironic that the global hair trade moves billions of dollars, yet almost nothing is invested in cleaning up what it leaves behind.
You and I know the answer isn’t to stop braiding. Looking at it, African hair has always been about innovation. We’ve been shaping, twisting, and transforming it for years. This time, we just need conscious innovations in the industry.
The future of the African beauty industry isn't just what we put out to the world. It’s also in how we live. We can take conscious efforts to reuse extensions, recycle what we can, and hope for the best for our lands.
There are so many lovely hairstyles we want to pass on to the next generation. But it would be nice if they had a healthy land with it. So we can continue with sustainable practices while innovation around our hair continues. Hopefully, it leads to a path where almost all our extensions are sustainable.