Turkish nose job. Brazilian butt lift. Korean facial contouring. Beauty tourism is a niche market worth $830 billion dollars globally. But, for the African diaspora, returning to the homeland for our appointments is a much more sacred ritual.
Specifically, “the beauty industry is huge in Ethiopia,” stylist and creative director for the likes of Ari Lennox and Tink, and Plugged NYC designer Tizita Balemlay tells ESSENCE. From nails to spas, and of course, hair braiding, the Horn of Africa is projected to generate over $5 billion dollars to the beauty industry this year, with the haircare market predicted to reach nearly $900 million alone.
“In Ethiopian culture, braiding styles can represent the tribe you’re from,” Balemlay says. For example Golbichi braids are often associated with the Tigrayan and Amhara ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Asa Shuruba braids (“asa” meaning fish and “shuruba” meaning braiding directly onto the scalp) are worn in weddings and other rites of passage, mimicking the shape of a fish through a layered braid technique called Dirib (or Albaso).
While hair reminds us of our personal history, from cornrows in Black American culture to red ochre paste (otjize) in Namibia’s Himba Tribe, it’s also a reminder of the traditions we share through blood. For hours, sitting on the floor between our mother, aunt, or cousin’s legs while they braid our hair is a ritual rooted in culture and community, and remembered throughout all of Africa and the diaspora.
Upon entering an Ethiopian salon, the smell of tea and coffee fills the air. “A lot of people come to Ethiopian and get hair treatments like “Kibey,”” she says, the practice of using raw butter to reduce breakage, improve length retention, and stimulate hair growth. According to Balemlay, Redwan Nurdin at Red Beauty Salon in Bole, a district in Addis Ababa, is the city’s top hair salon. “Red Beauty Salon specializes in sew ins, wig, and braids,” she says, with reputation and customer service a cultural adage.
However, the most popular for the African diaspora is Boston Spa, which is part-hair salon part-spa that offers manicures, facials, massages, and other services. At Kuriftu Resorts, Balemlay says Boston Spa and Spa Entoto are a hotspot for beauty and wellness tourism, offering holistic remedies and massage rituals honoring Habesha heritage. However, one traditional wellness ritual practiced heavily in the country isn’t Ethiopian at all: “Another Ethiopian beauty must do is a Moroccan bath, which is the best here,” she says.
While most people return to Ethiopia in the winter season, from December to January, as we approach summer, now’s the best time to plan what services to receive and when. Visiting her home country regularly, “I have tried so many places in Ethiopia and I feel like this year I know where to go to for what services,” she says. “The spas are top notch, truly one of the best I’ve been to in my life.”
