Article I Found Interesting - Hair Weaves Tangle Self-Image for Black Women

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Hair Weaves Tangle Self-Image for Black Women Run Date: 02/19/07 By Malena Amusa
WeNews correspondent As hair weaves and wigs have become more popular among African American women, writer Malena Amusa finds an embrace of femininity in their use as well as a broader cultural rejection of natural black beauty.
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(WOMENSENEWS)--This past winter, I noticed something very unsettling while I was visiting my family in St. Louis.
Almost all the black women I encountered were sporting lavishly long hair weaves, fake locks that can add length and volume after being sewed or glued to the scalp. Weaves come in straight, curly and kinky textures. But most black women with weaves wear them to extend and straighten the appearance of their naturally coiled and nappy hair.
Everywhere I turned, from the church to the mall, black women suited up in this straight-hair uniform. Was I missing something? I thought. Would my close-cut Afro set me too far apart from other black women?
Natural, kinky hair--which is most associated with blackness--has also been tied to inferiority in the United States. We can thank Madam C.J. Walker, the late 19th century entrepreneur who popularized the hot pressing comb--literally a comb-shaped iron--for the subsequent years of black women burning their disobedient hair into submission. Still today among African Americans, there exists a strata between those with "bad hair" and "good hair," the latter being hair that is most in sync with the dominant culture.
Walk into any pharmacy and you'll see a deluge of harsh chemical products that promise black women unnappy hair. Many believe this is a demonstration of self-loathing.
The January 2007 copy of Essence magazine I picked up didn't help. "Look Beautiful in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s . . . Real Women and Celebs Share Beauty and Health Secrets," the cover read. Featured were three celebrities with flowing, bouncy weaves and another woman whose silver hair was visibly straightened to suppress the real curl underneath.
Essence had made it clear: There was no way to be nappy-haired and beautiful at any age.
Myopic Beauty Image

This perplexed me because around St. Louis, so many everyday women who have no celebrity stakes to claim were subscribing to this myopic image of beauty wrapped around these hair weaves that, by the way, can take hours to glue onto the scalp and cost hundreds of dollars.
I wanted to walk in their shoes and understand them, so I decided to get a long, straight wig. Without the labor-intensive process, I achieved the luscious locks of a weave so I could learn what the non-celebrity woman had to gain from emulating the straight hair of non-African woman.
After several days of wearing the wig and interviewing black women, I found that the straight-hair phenomenon has little to do with a need to fit into mainstream social settings. Rather, these long weaves may reflect our desire to try on a different feminine persona that has historically been appropriated for white women.
Throughout time, weaves and wigs have served as costumes for black women to put on when they want to look sexy, such as in the 2006 movie "Dream Girls" that's loosely based on the 1960s rise of the Supremes, a Motown sensation.
In the opening scene of the movie, before the Dreams enter their first big show, they shift their poofy, European-hair wigs around. Finding a perfect fit, they then put on a killer show. As the Dreams become more successful and switch from mostly black to mostly white audiences, their hair get-ups become longer and bigger. The Dreams begin to look like white women in black face. And when one of the members gets kicked out of the band because of her hefty appearance, she quickly reverts to wearing an Afro.
Buying a Wig

I knew my hair was being mistaken for my femininity upon entering the Asian-owned beauty-supply store in my predominantly black neighborhood where I went to buy my wig. Perhaps because the elderly Asian sales lady kept saying: "Oh you pretty . . . with the wig."
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It became even clearer once I returned home with the long, black, straight wig in hand and saw the label name Nikita. Even the manufacturers figured that by wearing this wig, I was to transform myself into another woman.
A few weeks later, I moved to New York and met an actress and professor of aesthetic studies at the University of Texas-Dallas. Venus Opal Reese has interviewed hundreds of black women in researching this hair transformation.
During the opening night of her one-woman play "Split Ends," which takes an in-depth look at black women and their historical tangle with hair, Reese bombarded a small stage wearing a skimpy dress and a Tina Turner wig just as wild as her flailing arms. Seconds later, the wig flew off and fell to the floor. As the crowd yelped with laughter, Reese hurried to pick it up, and kept waving the hair in her hand as if still attached to her swirling head.
"Being a woman is a performance," she said in the skit. "It's a full-time, thankless job."
Dressing Up in Drag

Her point was to show that by wearing weaves and wigs, black women are dressing up in their own drag, whereby they can become the type of woman they aren't otherwise expected to be. Black women weaving up has so much to do with our need to feel feminine and strong at different points in our lives, Reese argued later in a phone interview.
"Hair is a navigator," she said. "It's a negotiator, it's a deal-breaker."
I'd say. In a world where black women are constantly blunted by racial and sexual discrimination, it makes sense that we'd begin adopting counter-representations of ourselves.
That's what the wig did for me. It gave me the freedom to be aloof, to flirt and to smile without fear of not receiving smiles in return.
I made several outings with the wig. During one trip, I went to a mall. The weave made my confidence soar. Heading there, I drove faster than usual. And every time I reached to pick up my cell phone, I dramatically tossed my hair back and said "Haloh!" roaring and perky like a valley girl. I was ready to explode onto the mall scene and attract all kinds of men.
As I entered the sliding doors, my hair swooshed about my face and I loved it. And after some time, I noticed that I was moving around like a butterfly, flighty and irregular. I couldn't stop giggling like a school girl and tossing my hair lightly back as I rolled my eyes sensuously around while talking.
The wig had changed me; with it, I felt excited to become Nikita, who I assumed was a fun-loving white woman.
I believed I could seduce with my hair without thinking men wouldn't return my vibes because I was too black. Whatever that feeling--call it femininity if you like--I had more of it. And while I hated the persistent itch of the wig and those fluffy bangs scratching my eyes, for the first time, I saw clearly the power of weaves.
Malena Amusa is the communications associate at the Oakland-based racial justice Applied Research Center/Colorlines Magazine in New York. More of her work appears at ARC's blog at Racewire.org.


http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3072/
 
Kind of makes you think. I believe what she says does have some merit--I often hear from black women who wear weaves attribute their choice as just "a look," which arguably is true, considering the author of that article also became seduced by her wig. As for me, the one and only time I got a weave was specifically so I could have the long hair I'd always coveted. But now I feel empowered that I can grow my own hair and wear it kinky, straight or in between.
 
It is painful to think of how much of this is true.

Hair, as insignificant as it is in the overall scheme of things DOES change how you are treated and perceived.

When my hair was APL+ and wavy I DID get very different reactions from men (this also may have to do with my very suburban upbringing as well, I say: "Like, I know right?", "Oh-my-gosh!", and "Like, I mean...totally!" more than I ought :lachen:) in particular Black men then when I BCed.

Before I BCed the "brothers" were quick with the "Hey, lady!" and "You look like you could be in a video girl!". Yeah...high praise I know (I AM being sarcastic just to clarify).:rolleyes:

White guys (my age) treated me as a little sister...when it went short (I'm talking TWA)...suddenly I was assumed to be some sexual goddess (or freak :look:) and men from 20-45 yrs (who were all upper middle class for some reason, where as before they didn't notice me) tried to see if I could be swayed from my innocence with an inviting smile. Even dudes in thier 70s were eyeing and smiling with a glint. :nono:

BLACK men on the other hand went so far as to SCOWL at me. Now some, middle aged men smiled with appreciation...perhaps I reminded them of pleasant 60s and 70s memories. Afro-centric guys thought I was "fighting the power" or something and saw me as a sister in arms. I wonder if they'd have been so pleased if they knew my slave ancestors were mostly house negros? :rolleyes: :lachen:

Now, that it's long enough I wear my hair in updos (straightened) that are very "mainstream" looking, I'm back to "little sister" status with white guys and "Hey, lady!" status from black men in my age group (20s).

Let me wear it down though, SL and curly...and its back to "get a perm" (black guys) and "I bet you'd wear me out!" (white guys). :rolleyes:

It's a SHAME hair means so blasted much. Particularly when it doesn't look like what we were born with. :wallbash:

Of ALL things to evaluate a woman by...why something so easily lost and gained (in comparison to fame, wealth, HAPPINESS, a KIND HEART, etc.) as....HAIR!?


Interesting article, OP. Thanks for sharing!:yep:
 
I agree some points are true in this article. But at the same time..I feel like this. Every other race changes their hair jsut like we do and no ever says anything to them. the only reason we are looked down upon is cause our hair is so different which is definitely not a bad thing and people feel that people are hiding it. Thats why I dont wear weaves anymore but I am relaxed so dies that make me just like a person who wear weaves i dunno. and i dont think hair weaves are not necessarily about looking white as some may say.. ask any black girl who wear weaves they would not trade being black or looking black for anything... changing your hair doesnt automatically make u look just like another race of people.. you would have to do way more than just straighten your hair... I do agree more blacks do need to accept their natural hair as beautiful but at the same dont make it seem like we hate ourselves if we want to change up a bit sometimes.. i think thats wear the problem lies.. Girls who wear weaves all the time and you never see their real hair.. but alot of that comes down to poor hair care and them not have the vast knowledge like some of us on this site.
 
Yea I agree that it's interesting to see how hair can change our appeal, even to ourselves. But the key is to learn to love your hair and manage it however you want. If more BW weren't walking around with the jacked up hair they have, natural or relaxed, and knew how to take care of it, we wouldn't have so many assumptions.

It's ridiculous that when you have well kept or long hair, someone's always trying to weave check or assume you got lucky and were mixed. Like BW don't possess the genes to take care of their hair.
 
I agree some points are true in this article. But at the same time..I feel like this. Every other race changes their hair jsut like we do and no ever says anything to them. the only reason we are looked down upon is cause our hair is so different which is definitely not a bad thing and people feel that people are hiding it. Thats why I dont wear weaves anymore but I am relaxed so dies that make me just like a person who wear weaves i dunno. and i dont think hair weaves are not necessarily about looking white as some may say.. ask any black girl who wear weaves they would not trade being black or looking black for anything... changing your hair doesnt automatically make u look just like another race of people.. you would have to do way more than just straighten your hair... I do agree more blacks do need to accept their natural hair as beautiful but at the same dont make it seem like we hate ourselves if we want to change up a bit sometimes.. i think thats wear the problem lies.. Girls who wear weaves all the time and you never see their real hair.. but alot of that comes down to poor hair care and them not have the vast knowledge like some of us on this site.

I would have to agree with this statement. Why are black women always the one's to be called out when it comes to our hair? Black women just can't win. We can have long healthy hair and it’s assumed to be a weave, or we can have a weave and people will think it’s a weave. There's also several factors as to why a woman choose to wear weave or wig, for many I know including myself it's not a long-term option and it definitely doesn't mean I want to be white. All women (black or white) like to look good, when you look good you feel good, it’s that simple. So I could care less about what people think of me or my hair.
 
I completely understand the perspective of this article but consider that people have been wearing false hair since the beginning of time. In ancient egypt, wearing a wig was a sign of nobility and only the royal families wore wigs. In France, the population wore white powdered wigs. And the same was done in England with the Tories. In some of the ancient African cultures, wigs were worn on special occasions. My great grand mother from Sierra Leone would use a fork to straighten out her hair from time to time and she was living in a village that the people there hardly saw white people. I have been blessed that when I wear my natural hair all I ever get are compliments from black men. In fact, I see many black women staring at my hair and I can see that they wish they could have the courage to just let their hair be especially when the natural hair is healthy looking. When my hair was also short-afro (no texturiser and drawn), and I never had any lashback or anyone telling me to get a relaxer except for a few friends who said my hair was too thick and time consuming natural. I recently got out of my hair extension rut and I recall telling you ladies that one of my colleagues who is not black told me that he preferred me with my natural locks then when I had the extensions. I think it is the way one carries themselves. If you have a perception that people don't like your hair and you carry yourself angry and sad then you will get that negative attention. When one is considering to wear their hair natural one must do it with pride and love.

Best,
Almond Eyes
 
I think the problem is more prevalent here in the US. In most countries in Africa, it really makes no difference what you have on your head as long as it's neat and good to look at.
 
Great article!

This part made me laugh out loud "I made several outings with the wig. During one trip, I went to a mall. The weave made my confidence soar. Heading there, I drove faster than usual. And every time I reached to pick up my cell phone, I dramatically tossed my hair back and said "Haloh!" roaring and perky like a valley girl. I was ready to explode onto the mall scene and attract all kinds of men.
As I entered the sliding doors, my hair swooshed about my face and I loved it. And after some time, I noticed that I was moving around like a butterfly, flighty and irregular. I couldn't stop giggling like a school girl and tossing my hair lightly back as I rolled my eyes sensuously around while talking.
The wig had changed me; with it, I felt excited to become Nikita, who I assumed was a fun-loving white woman."


I'm not sure if she's telling the truth or being really sarcastic, either way that's really funny.
 
I think the problem is more prevalent here in the US. In most countries in Africa, it really makes no difference what you have on your head as long as it's neat and good to look at.

Well the problem is starting in Africa the only time you see ppl wearing natural hair is when it is braided,... but when I lived in Accra Ghana, Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire hair weaves was a big thing,
 
I don't think we are the only ones who are swayed by the way a wig can help you achieve a new look and new image.

Anyone remember that episode of all in the family where Gloria was wearing the wig and her husband wanted her to wear it to bed and she had an issue with it?

Even men wear weave. Hair is a powerful statement for everyone.
 
Great article!

This part made me laugh out loud "I made several outings with the wig. During one trip, I went to a mall. The weave made my confidence soar. Heading there, I drove faster than usual. And every time I reached to pick up my cell phone, I dramatically tossed my hair back and said "Haloh!" roaring and perky like a valley girl. I was ready to explode onto the mall scene and attract all kinds of men.
As I entered the sliding doors, my hair swooshed about my face and I loved it. And after some time, I noticed that I was moving around like a butterfly, flighty and irregular. I couldn't stop giggling like a school girl and tossing my hair lightly back as I rolled my eyes sensuously around while talking.
The wig had changed me; with it, I felt excited to become Nikita, who I assumed was a fun-loving white woman."


I'm not sure if she's telling the truth or being really sarcastic, either way that's really funny.

Some of the article was funny seemed to be more revealing of the author's personal issues about insecurities and hair. I just don't get with the idea that you have to sport an afro to be a self-loving confident black woman.
 
Us black women do have a lot of issues with our hair, myself included. We just don't have a good image of our hair. When i was natural in college, my white roommate did not know at the time because I had braids in, but when I took em out, She was like "how did your hair get so jacked up?" when she was drunk one day, she said my hair looked like a "Brillo Pad". And I say no wonder Black people have hair issues. I have dated guys who always say, your hair looks so much better when it is straight. And even though I like straight hair, I equally like curly hair, if not, why do I have flexirods, Caruso rollers, and why am I doing braid outs all the time.
There is nothing wrong with the way our natural hair looks, Honestly we have the most unique hair type of any race, and that is something to be proud of. My hair is not bone straight, but it is too straight for my liking and I would like to go texlaxing from now on.
There is nothing wrong with wearing a wig or a weave, its convenient and its a nice look, but It becomes a problem when you are ashamed to be seen with your own hair
 
It's ridiculous that when you have well kept or long hair, someone's always trying to weave check or assume you got lucky and were mixed. Like BW don't possess the genes to take care of their hair.

TheLaurynDoll, This post was dead on especially the bolded. And until "We" come to terms with our natural hair texture "WE" will always have this problem.

ALSO, I hate to say this but I resent the statements ...."trying to look european". EUROPEANS (White folks) are not the only ones with straight hurrrrrr! I resent that we give them tooo much credit (bad spelling done intentionally)
"We" experiment because we desire different hair textures/colors/lengths; or we want to feel more excepted. It's not at all accurate to assume we're trying to be White. Micheal Jackson & Pdiddy's mom (to me) are examples trying to be white. We just want a hair texture different from our own; the desire may well be indicative of lack of satisfaction with what we have naturally; but I don't think we're trying to be white. JMHO
 
Well the problem is starting in Africa the only time you see ppl wearing natural hair is when it is braided,... but when I lived in Accra Ghana, Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire hair weaves was a big thing,
I have to disagree with you there, I dont think that most women in Africa have image issues associated with natural hair. I grew up in Nigeria, most women in my family are natural. It has never really been a big part of west african culture to rock an afro, if you research back to the time before the white man showed up, you will find that we mostly wore our hair in cornrows and braids (no extensions), that is my culture and heritage and I am very proud of it. I grew up with my mom and cousins plaiting my hair every weekend, and I would wear it out only on the weekend. I think braided styles are beautiful and convenient, I hated the idea of detangling natural hair everday, and I looked forward to what new style I was going to braid every week, I was always looking for one of my family members to braid my hair on sunday. And there is nothing wrong with weave, unlike here in the states, women are glad to brag in public that they are wearing a weave, no one ever lies or tries to front like its their own hair. And most women back home only wear a weave for a few weeks not a few months. Black women especially in africa tend to be very versatile in the styles that they wear in their hair, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.
 
TheLaurynDoll,

ALSO, I hate to say this but I resent the statements ...."trying to look european". EUROPEANS (White folks) are not the only ones with straight hurrrrrr! I resent that we give them tooo much credit (bad spelling done intentionally)
"We" experiment because we desire different hair textures/colors/lengths; or we want to feel more excepted. It's not at all accurate to assume we're trying to be White. Micheal Jackson & Pdiddy's mom (to me) are examples trying to be white. We just want a hair texture different from our own; the desire may well be indicative of lack of satisfaction with what we have naturally; but I don't think we're trying to be white. JMHO


Ummmm well who should the credit go to... Europeans are the ones who colonizes and indoctrinated us to think and feel that nappy hair is bad and inferior to straight hair.....

And why is Micheal consider trying to be white and wearing straight blond/black hair weave not.. its still changing or altering ones natural self
 
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Interesting. The feeling her wig gave her, the feeling she believes is evoked all day everyday by weave wearers is easily achievable by being comfortable in ones own skin.

I'm glad to recognize this confidence in my NAPPY self!

God help us all if a black womans self confidence and self worth is wrapped up in wigs and weaves:yep:

ETA: The Afro is a purely Black American invention. For most Blacks through out the diaspora, braids and plaits are the main way of caring for, taming, styling our hair.
 
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Interesting article...I really didn't expect the author to end on the note she did...but..:ohwell:. I love my wigs because they protect my transistioning hair and ease my morning get ready for work stress. Only one of my wigs has a curly afro texture and this is the only wig I wear to work which elicits the negative, "crazy, wild, I don't like that one on you" comments. Some feel the straight looking wigs are more 'natural'.:nono:
 
well my friend told me that everybody don't look good with natural hair, some people can rock it and some need chemicals and weaves to make their hair look better. what does that mean? a lot of black people feel that way. they think natural hair is a style. an ugly style at that.
 
I have to disagree with you there, I dont think that most women in Africa have image issues associated with natural hair. I grew up in Nigeria, most women in my family are natural. It has never really been a big part of west african culture to rock an afro, if you research back to the time before the white man showed up, you will find that we mostly wore our hair in cornrows and braids (no extensions), that is my culture and heritage and I am very proud of it. I grew up with my mom and cousins plaiting my hair every weekend, and I would wear it out only on the weekend. I think braided styles are beautiful and convenient, I hated the idea of detangling natural hair everday, and I looked forward to what new style I was going to braid every week, I was always looking for one of my family members to braid my hair on sunday. And there is nothing wrong with weave, unlike here in the states, women are glad to brag in public that they are wearing a weave, no one ever lies or tries to front like its their own hair. And most women back home only wear a weave for a few weeks not a few months. Black women especially in africa tend to be very versatile in the styles that they wear in their hair, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.


Well I'm speaking about Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire maybe Nigeria is different. I'm not talking about ppl in the village.. In the city u can see the weave, weave, weave and they are in blonde, brown and black color... Even when in braids the people in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire still have hair relaxer... the only ppl I saw really rocking natural hair.. were mostly in the village and older women.... But the weave is in Africa and with force... just check out the music videos or movies ... I mean this summer when I was in Togo my sister and I was counting the weaves.. cause African weaves have that look :lachen::lachen::lachen::lachen:

Come to think of it in Nollywood movies the women mostly weaves.. which ppl try to copy sooo I will say without a doubt weaves are in Nigeria and West Africa and African ppl ( the new generation) do have a problem with natural hair... Do u know how many Africans ppl.. Liberian, Ghanaian, Togolese , Ivorian ppl have told me to do something with my hair... Natural hair.. Hair that is not relaxed in Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivorie are associated with the village...
 
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It just goes to show that weaves and wigs are infinitely easier to manage than kinky hair. Also, for those of use with the real kink, we lack the "swang" that we crave when our hair is straigtened. It can be accomplished, but again, it takes time and patience to get your hair to a point where it can do that.

I see it all around me too. The funny thing is, that once you put in your time, your hair can be equally if not more beautiful that fake hair.
 
Did anyone ever think about the reason why some of these women in Africa wear the weaves and extension braids? I used to also be quite judgemental, until I opened my eyes to other perspectives. In many parts of Africa, the dust from the ground is unbearable and the water situation is not good. With our natural hair when you don't have access to water and you don't want the dust to get to the hair, many of the women choose a weave because its protects the hair from these elements.

Also, I wondered why the author felt more of a "Nikita" when she had on the wig. If she truly liked her natural hair she would have that self-confidence regardless and her personality would not have to change with the wig on.

Yes, in some parts of Africa having a relaxer is seen as more modern as opposed to a natural afro which is seen as village and not wanting to ape white people.

Best,
Almond Eyes
 
While I have no deep-seated disdain for weaves & have worn them from time to time myself, I often feel sad when I get on the bus or the train here in DC and 80% of the black women that I see have some type of extensions in her hair.

While it is true that different races dye their hair and wear extensions, there has to be a deeper psychological reason why black women are so much more apt to wear a weave and/ or relax our hair.

It may be a painful topic to think about and a sad thing to admit, but it obviously has a lot to do with the emulation of European culture. You just don't see a large percentage of women from other cultures walking around wearing yaky-perm or Afro wigs, so let's not pretend that "all women change their hair" the way we do.

Good article.
 
Well I'm speaking about Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire maybe Nigeria is different. I'm not talking about ppl in the village.. In the city u can see the weave, weave, weave and they are in blonde, brown and black color... Even when in braids the people in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire still have hair relaxer... the only ppl I saw really rocking natural hair.. were mostly in the village and older women.... But the weave is in Africa and with force... just check out the music videos or movies ... I mean this summer when I was in Togo my sister and I was counting the weaves.. cause African weaves have that look :lachen::lachen::lachen::lachen:

Come to think of it in Nollywood movies the women mostly weaves.. which ppl try to copy sooo I will say without a doubt weaves are in Nigeria and West Africa and African ppl ( the new generation) do have a problem with natural hair... Do u know how many Africans ppl.. Liberian, Ghanaian, Togolese , Ivorian ppl have told me to do something with my hair... Natural hair.. Hair that is not relaxed in Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivorie are associated with the village...
Its funny you say that, because last time I checked most white women in hollywood wear weaves too, so please dont assume, because Nollywood does not measure how Nigerians wear their hair. FYI, most Nollywood actresses just wear a wig for movies, and if you pay close attention, you will notice that they wear 3-4 different wigs in the course of one movie.
I am not saying that Women in west Africa dont wear weave, I am saying that they are not a slave to it. It is clearly a choice for a style, I wear weave, braids, My hair is relaxed, But I also wear my hair out.
Why do I have to conform to the Afrocentric American standards of hair style any more than I have to conform to the Eurocentric Standards of hair style. When I was in college, I was told by so many african americans that relaxer is for girls who want to look white, and I found that to be very judgemental

People in the village normally cant afford relaxer, so they are all natural, most people in the city do try relaxer at some point, some continue and some get tired of it. My mom, and my cousins are natural, and they live in the Capital city, Abuja, not the village. So you have some misconceptions there. Whats the point of relaxing hair if you want to keep it braided? And I have never ever seen a woman in Nigeria keep in a weave for more than 4 weeks, its just unheard of. And mind you, many women wear short weaves, because the long ones are uncomfortable in hot weather without airconditioning
I am saying that we are very versatile in the styles that we do, but Afro is not and has never been part of my culture (except in the 70s when we were copying the americans), however braids are. Dreadlocks are associated with Insanity and homelessness where I come from, so its just not popular.
The difference between the average African woman and average African American IMO is that africans dont have self esteem issues associated with their hair. I never felt my hair made me less attractive than any other person, at least not till I came here and so many guys wanted mixed girl hair, lol .Its really not a big deal, if you want a different style, weave is just one of the many options. Most white women don't even like their own hair, no one is perfect.

And about your friends telling you to do something about your hair, a relaxed person will advice you to relax because that is what she feels is best for her. My mom thinks I should go natural because she is natural

We all need to stop caring what other people do with their hair. Accept and love your own hair, decide what you want to do with it and be happy with it.
 
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I wear weaves and wigs to give my hair a break. My natural hair is really thick but I want it to be longer. I do notice I feel sexier with straighter hair than my twa
 
Ummmm well who should the credit go to... Europeans are the ones who colonizes and indoctrinated us to think and feel that nappy hair is bad and inferior to straight hair.....

And why is Micheal consider trying to be white and wearing straight blond/black hair weave not.. its still changing or altering ones natural self

Wow. The bolded can not be denied.
Self Image could be an issues but when it comes to the styles we're sporting nowadays Europeans aren't the only "source" for our styling preferences. :gorgeous:One could easily say that many prefer the curly hair textures and the hair stylings of: Hispanics/Latinas/Asians, for example. .

I mention MJ because not only did his hair texture change, so did his features and skin tone. PDiddy's mom (and contrasting complextion) would be an example of the straight blonde look you mentioned. Again as the JMHO means this is "Just My Humble Opinion".
 
I have to disagree with you there, I dont think that most women in Africa have image issues associated with natural hair. I grew up in Nigeria, most women in my family are natural. It has never really been a big part of west african culture to rock an afro, if you research back to the time before the white man showed up, you will find that we mostly wore our hair in cornrows and braids (no extensions), that is my culture and heritage and I am very proud of it. I grew up with my mom and cousins plaiting my hair every weekend, and I would wear it out only on the weekend. I think braided styles are beautiful and convenient, I hated the idea of detangling natural hair everday, and I looked forward to what new style I was going to braid every week, I was always looking for one of my family members to braid my hair on sunday. And there is nothing wrong with weave, unlike here in the states, women are glad to brag in public that they are wearing a weave, no one ever lies or tries to front like its their own hair. And most women back home only wear a weave for a few weeks not a few months. Black women especially in africa tend to be very versatile in the styles that they wear in their hair, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

My thoughts exactly. That was what I was trying to say but didn't want to go into too much detail. I used to have either cornrowed, plaits or a short cut when I was growing up in Nigeria. Weaves started becoming very prevalent in the late nineties and it didn't matter and still doesn't matter how you wear your hair. Most women prefer weaves because it's more convenient for them, some prefer relaxers and there are others who wear their hair natural. It just depends on the individual
 
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