ATLANTA – Before the oppressive summer heat descends in Atlanta, therapist Brittany Sims usually braids thick, curly hair in the salon to maintain her healthy mane.
But this year it’s even more expensive. So she only gets a summer hairstyle for her teenage daughter and son. Not having braided hair “makes all the trouble,” said Sims, who relies on millions of herself among the millions of women who regularly spend the black hair care industry.
Now she said, she said, “I have to go home and understand what I’m going to do with my hair in the morning after I go to the gym.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have raised prices for products that many black women consider essential, narrowing more shoppers and stylists to tackle inflation and rent increases. Synthetic braided hair, human hair with extension function, wigs and weave human hair, styling tools, braided gels and other products are imported from China, which was subject to a total of 145% tariff in April, or packaged from China. India is also a major global source of human hair.
Many black women have their hair types and their favorite styles at work. These styles require careful attention and can be spent hundreds of dollars each month at the salon on extensions, weaving, wigs and braids. The Associated Press spoke with several black hair professionals, beauty supplies store owners, wholesale companies, and nearly 20 black stylists and braiders.
On Thursday, the federal court of appeals revived most of Trump’s tariffs on imports after being blocked by a three-judge panel at the U.S. International Trade Court the previous day.
Earlier this month, the US agreed to lower the 145% tax on goods imported from China to 30%, but the two economic superpowers negotiated a new trade agreement. Imports from most other countries face a baseline tariff rate of 10%.
Anyway, Marty Parker, a business professor at the University of Georgia and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry, said he was “already shot” for the next few months. The costs facing businesses at ports are moving towards consumers, supply shortages are exacerbated, and it is unclear what will happen if negotiations collapse.
“Prices go up very quickly and very slow,” Parker said.
Costs for Atlanta stylists
Some stylists say they have fewer clients as virtually all prices are rising.
Stylists in Atlanta pay more for Chinese hair. Atlanta stylist Jana Ellis, who also sells products such as wigs, added an additional $245 for 52 bundles of hair in March, compared to the December 40 bundle. Aaniyah Butler said that human hair shipping costs have more than doubled between February and May. And in early May, Dazia Blackshire discovered that beauty supplies stores had increased the cost of hair types they’ve been using for years by $100.
The shopkeeper said he might have to stop selling the brand’s hair. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores are likely to have higher costs or are looking forward to the coming weeks. Even the typical cost of a synthetic hair pack creeps up at $6 to $10.
Blackshear doesn’t want clients to bring their hair because they like to screen quality. But if the costs continue to increase, she may need to raise prices.
“It’s going to be very difficult,” she said, especially for clients who have to make those difficult decisions, between “Would I get my hair done or pay the bill?”
Janice Lowe, who runs a five-star salon in the lower income district of Atlanta, begins asking clients to bring their hair and is unable to purchase certain products.
“I’m behind my duties,” she said.
The industry is uncertainty
Consultants can say how much prices will rise, when they will rise, how long they will rise, and the complete harm to stylists and consumers can be months away.
According to Market.US, the global black hair care industry was worth around $3.2 billion in 2023, with black women spending six times more on hair care than other ethnic groups.
Stylists often buy more difficult professional products from door to door distributors who buy from wholesale companies or large companies that buy directly from other countries.
Lowe has seen some of her distributors disappear completely, making it difficult to acquire a professional line of things like black-owned professional hair care brand design essentials manufactured by McBride Research Laboratories in Atlanta.
Design Essentials is trying to slow down significant price increases until 2026 or 2027, and could try to save money by suspending layoffs and promotions, Cornell McBride Jr. said.
“No one wants to put it in the consumer, but the person who pays is ultimately the consumer,” McBride Jr. said.
Hawaii Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $160 and $250 in braided African hair on Eve in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to incur losses as customers “cannot afford Atlanta prices.”
The cost of braiding 100 packs of braided hair from China has risen for the first time in two years from $250 to $300, Keita said. They often order multiple boxes each week. Some companies say they’re going to raise prices soon or run out of stock.
Making your customers happy is ultimately a business floating around, Keita said. She smiled as she spoke of braiding the hair of a young woman for her birthday in the style she suggested.
“When we were finished, she gave me the biggest hug and she was screaming and screaming here.
Price consumers face unfair beauty standards
For many Black Americans, especially women, providing hair care also means facing unfavourable beauty standards. Tanya Washington, a law professor at Georgia State University, said recent discoveries about dangerous chemicals in synthetic and straight hair products sparked conversations among black women looking for hairstyles that don’t require much imported products.
But accepting natural hairstyles can be challenging for women like lawyers and scribes soon.
“It puts everyone who doesn’t have straight hair that is organically derived, at the disadvantage of these spaces,” she said. “I think the definition of professionalism that prefers all other phenotypes – European phenotypes is inappropriate.”
The long-standing income gap between black and white women can sometimes not accept higher hair care prices. According to the US Census, as of 2023, the median household income in Atlanta was $131,319 for white households and $47,937 for black households.
What professional hair stylists know nationwide is a matter of inequality.
Mitzi Mitchell, owner of PIC One Beauty Services, said he has stocked certain products and tools for another year in anticipation of price increases.
She wants to avoid “pirated” products that have been made illegal and often less secure, but have become much more common in the market during the economic downturn.
“I’m really conscientious about black minority clients because we do much less than other nationalities,” said Mitchell, a black man. “I’m trying to keep the prices low so I can continue with the same service, but I know I have to raise it.”
Original issue: May 31, 2025 2:02 PM EDT
