The Wonderful World of Weaves, and Wigs!

Ahhhh, this brings back memories of a time when all I did with my hair was wear weaves. The ease and versatility that a  weave provided me was simply heaven compared to the stresses of maintaining my own natural hair. I loved going from a short bob, to a curly fro, to a cropped cut, then a long wrap, and back again. It was fun and exciting, until it started taking a toll on my hair. I had literally become addicted, and started neglecting my own hair, but taking very good care of my weaves. This is where I went wrong.  

      

                                                     

     
WEAVES:


I may have delivered the wrong impression when I mentioned weaves in my previous blog posts. Truth is I am not against them. I have just taken notice to the manner by which thy are abused, and misused, which has kind of turned me off to them. 

  

 

   

In most cases it is true that people are aware that you are wearing a weave. But in the interest of being tactful, it is still a good idea to try to match the color, and texture to at least resemble your natural hair.  At the same time, when not implementing a full weave, use the hair that is left out to cover the wefts. It is distasteful to have the evidence of the weave visible for the world to see. 

On the other hand, when wearing a full weave, try to have it styled in such a way that appears natural.  In other words do not have a mountain of hair at the closure, and avoid having an overly thick and unnatural looking bang.

 In actuality, weaves do serve multiple purposes, for some women they provide freedom. Giving their natural hair a break from the harsh realities that everyday styling can impose on our fragile hair. For other women, a weave provides variety. Allowing them the opportunity to wear their hair in an abundance of different styles without ever having to alter their natural tresses. Some women may turn to weave because of their lifestyle. For example, actresses, and models. And a lot of women do it for experimental purposes, it's just fun! 


On the contrary, there are those that have become dependent on a weave. They may be ashamed of their natural hair, perhaps because of damage. In my experience with putting in weaves for women who fall in this category, a lot of them may be ashamed of damaged hair. They would turn to weaves because of bald spots, breakage, or lack of growth. For most of us weaves are all fun, opening up a whole different world of possibilities as far as variety is concerned, but for these women it is a way of life.  They become dependent on weaving, and it is at that point that the weave turns from functional to detrimental. 

  

This is the point that I realized that I was destroying my natural hair.  My usually thick head of hair was becoming thinner by the constant weaving, and my edges were almost nonexistent.

So let's see, what have we learned???  Weaves are an asset to the world of styling, however too much of anything will eventually cause a problem. 

WIGS:

Just like weaves, wigs are a wonderful asset to styling. They are good for bad hair days, versatility, and just plain laziness.  Again, I have been a victim of all three. In my opinion, wigs are a better alternative to weave. There is no time spent getting it put in, there is no tight pulling, and there is the option to take it off without the hassle of cutting out wefts, or unbraiding tracks. And when utilized correctly, they look just as good as a properly executed weave. 

Just like weaves though, wearing wigs excessively can result in thinning, and breakage around the hairline. So please use in moderation.

Well ladies, it looks like we've come to end. Next time we will visit extensions, and braids.  Until then... Hold on to your hair!