We are killing our hair....one weave at a time

[MsLizziA]

Ya know I think its so ironic that the very thing we use to grow our hair our (weaves), and I'm not saying everybody wears them, is the very thing that's killing african american hair in our community. Really if you think about it, we should have some of the longest hair in the world!

Most african american women live and die by tracks..lol. Here on LHCF we use weaves as protective styles to grow our hair out. Well let me tell you,in my neck of the woods, I very seldom see a african american chick rocking her own hair. And if she is its shot to shyt. I know its because they don't take care of the hair under the weave but the irony in it all is just crazy to me.

Just sharing some thoughts

 

[~Sparklingflame~]

I think it originates with bad relaxers, not with weaves.

 

[Adaoba2012]

I think it is all in the mindset of the woman wearing the weave. There are some women who wear weaves as a protective style but even more who will never show their real hair. I feel like if you do wear weaves you should be able to rock your real hair for a couple of months as well.

 

[kellistarr]

I believe I know where you're coming from. I really believe in "to each his own" but I guess I've never understood the "cover up." My Grandma used to have a wig for each day of the week. She did take care of her hair underneath, but the only way I ever remember seeing it was in plaits and not for public consumption. Her plaits were long, but I believe that she got caught up in the ease and addiction of the wig. She'd style them just as if they were her own hair, she took great pride in that. My mom started out going to the salon, then she jumped on the same wagon with Granny, except she forgot about her hair underneath. You NEVER saw her hair. She SLEPT in her wig and now it's no different with women today.

I understand wigs and weaves and the attraction, but why forget about the hair? Why have black women abandoned their hair?

 

[~Sparklingflame~]

I think what gives weaves a bad wrap is the fact that a lot of times weaves are used to cover up damaged hair that is never fixed. Plus when Pookie is putting in your weaves and they don't know what they are doing, well, then there's more disaster.

 

[~Sparklingflame~]

I understand wigs and weaves and the attraction, but why forget about the hair? Why have black women abandoned their hair?

Because its easier to just cover it up with wigs/weaves. It takes a lot of time and patience and know how to nurse set backs and its an easy fix just to cover it up with a wig or whatever.

 

[LittleLuxe]

The reality is weaves are a quick and easy solution provided by an industry that isn't working hard to actually care for black hair. Sure, there are some companies and people but the reality is it's a jungle out there.

All we have are shelves and shelves of products with confusing names (sheen, hairdress, conditioning wax) it can be completely overwhelming and bewildering. Except unlike going to a specialty store (Sephora, Ulta) where someone can carefully go through your needs and offer advice you have hairstylists lying about what you need and how much you as a consumer can do on your own, products laced with terrible ingredients, and very little information. Pick up a black hair magazine and they can tell you 360 ways to wrap a curling iron around your precious strands but won't say boo about styling in healthier ways or doing special things to care for your hair.

The world doesn't expect much from black hair and for women still caught up in the system of bad hair care products, misinformation, and lousy stylists I think weaves become a safe haven so they can look good.

Just like I think some women pile on makeup because they don't know how to care for their skin but still want to look pretty and appear flawless, some black women use weaves so they can have longer hair and look attractive.

 

[Ozma]

^^^^^ Yeah, that.

 

[miss.phi]

The reality is weaves are a quick and easy solution provided by an industry that isn't working hard to actually care for black hair. Sure, there are some companies and people but the reality is it's a jungle out there.

All we have are shelves and shelves of products with confusing names (sheen, hairdress, conditioning wax) it can be completely overwhelming and bewildering. Except unlike going to a specialty store (Sephora, Ulta) where someone can carefully go through your needs and offer advice you have hairstylists lying about what you need and how much you as a consumer can do on your own, products laced with terrible ingredients, and very little information. Pick up a black hair magazine and they can tell you 360 ways to wrap a curling iron around your precious strands but won't say boo about styling in healthier ways or doing special things to care for your hair.

The world doesn't expect much from black hair and for women still caught up in the system of bad hair care products, misinformation, and lousy stylists I think weaves become a safe haven so they can look good.

Just like I think some women pile on makeup because they don't know how to care for their skin but still want to look pretty and appear flawless, some black women use weaves so they can have longer hair and look attractive.

you are exactly right ! I know exactly how it feels to be overwhelmed. I use to just walk in the BSS and just didn't know where to go. Luckily I make a list before I get there . I am always always always reading the ingredients now !

If people knew better they would do better. .

 

[LittleLuxe]

miss.phi you're so pretty in both your pics!

 

[femmemuscle]

Well, all i know is there are nationalities/cultures that are dominating the hair and haircare industry. And it isn't US.

What's ironic to me, is these very same cultures, in general that whole-heartedly capitalize on US - don't particularly like US, don't give a rat as&*&s about US, yet will take YOUR money faster than a five dollar whore after a twenty dollar tip.

Otherwise, the money that comes from our hard work, goes straight to their own coffers.

We're talking the Russians/Europeans, Asians (korean especially), and Eastern Indians. I think the next best thing on the hair market is the Arjuni hair (Cambodian?)... Folks are CLAMORING over themselves in the BHM Weave section for that hair. (Some folks have even been scammed on that board - trying to get that Arjuni hair). It's also been advertised on YouTube by you guessed it - one of US

I can't say i would condemn anyone that wears them. I wore them, back in the day, and like for many women - the wrong reason. I took better care of what wasn't mine - than what WAS mine. Many of us had no idea that a weave was a Protective Style. It was quick fix - period. Screw your own hair. Just ask Naomi Campbell - before she whacks you over the head with her cell phone. it's a quick fix for thousands of women, white, black, or otherwise.

The koreans didn't tell me how to take care of my own hair. And no other culture will.. they'll stand there watch you buy that hair, ring it up, and donate the proceeds to anywhere but the united negro college fund.

 

[Harina]

Well, all i know is there are nationalities/cultures that are dominating the hair and haircare industry. And it isn't US.

What's ironic to me, is these very same cultures, in general that whole-heartedly capitalize on US - don't particularly like US, don't give a rat as&*&s about US, yet will take YOUR money faster than a five dollar whore after a twenty dollar tip.

Otherwise, the money that comes from our hard work, goes straight to their own coffers.

We're talking the Russians/Europeans, Asians (korean especially), and Eastern Indians. I think the next best thing on the hair market is the Arjuni hair (Cambodian?)... Folks are CLAMORING over themselves in the BHM Weave section for that hair. (Some folks have even been scammed on that board - trying to get that Arjuni hair). It's also been advertised on YouTube by you guessed it - one of US

I can't say i would condemn anyone that wears them. I wore them, back in the day, and like for many women - the wrong reason. I took better care of what wasn't mine - than what WAS mine. Many of us had no idea that a weave was a Protective Style. It was quick fix - period. Screw your own hair. Just ask Naomi Campbell - before she whacks you over the head with her cell phone. it's a quick fix for thousands of women, white, black, or otherwise.

The koreans didn't tell me how to take care of my own hair. And no other culture will.. they'll stand there watch you buy that hair, ring it up, and donate the proceeds to anywhere but the united negro college fund.

DAyuuuuuuummm! It's so true though. I stopped going to us-owned beauty supply stores. I know some people just see as business but to me it's not. It's a bit disturbing how so many people have capitalized on our hair except us. The uniqueness of our hair. It's very weird.

 

[EllePixie]

Where are all these weave posts coming from? Did something happen? This is the third one I've seen in the past day!

 

[miss cosmic]

It is a cause for concern, the damage black women do to themselves to change the way they look, starting with skin lightening creams to the present day damage caused by bad practises regarding hair care. I myself have been relaxed for years, I'm transitioning and that is only because I feel confident enough now to handle my natural hair, which in turn is because i did and am still doing the research. People just don't have the knowedge and skills to do their own hair, and so rely on stylists who don't always know best, and solutions like weaves and wigs.
exploitation is a terrible thing but in this day and age you can't really blame the exploiters when they are exploiting our (black women I mean) failure to educate ourselves about what is best for us. If we can't be bothered to do our research we really shouldn't cry foul when someone exploits that laziness to his benefit. After all, the information IS out there.

 

[supermodelsonya]

Where are all these weave posts coming from? Did something happen? This is the third one I've seen in the past day!

Really! I mean seriously? Let people come to their own journeys when they are wearing hair. Worry about your own head.

 

[AlliCat]

I think it originates with bad relaxers, not with weaves.

So how would you explain all the (NON-LHCF) naturals with tore up hair?

 

[hair4romheaven]

Really! I mean seriously? Let people come to their own journeys when they are wearing hair. Worry about your own head.

I agree.

 

[ms.blue]

I know some women who only care about the "health" of their weave but don't give a flying fig about their own natural hair underneath their weave. They can wash and deep condition their weave hair but what happen to their own hair. Then when the weave is removed the hair is all broken off which a weave is put back on. Its a repeating cycle.

 

[lea86111]

the truth of the matter is BLACK HAIR IS A HARDER TO CARE FOR. You have to make sure you moisturize and seal, keep the moisture/protein balance, combat breakage, if you're relaxed, you gotta make sure you don't overprocess, you're hair is weaker etc etc. Also it's harded to get it longer. Longer, swingy hair is the status quo of beauty (like it or not) so that's where weaves/wigs come into play. There was a time when me and my sis didn't know how to care for our hair and at some point i thought, "why care for my hair when i can have long hair instantly?" also my sis is now taking care of her hair and she told me that even if her hair gets really long she'll add weave for that swing and silkyness

 

[lea86111]

..........

 

[MsLizziA]

the truth of the matter is BLACK HAIR IS A HARDER TO CARE FOR.
You have to make sure you moisturize and seal, keep the moisture/protein balance, combat breakage, if you're relaxed, you gotta make sure you don't overprocess, you're hair is weaker etc etc. Also it's harded to get it longer. Longer, swingy hair is the status quo of beauty (like it or not) so that's where weaves/wigs come into play. There was a time when me and my sis didn't know how to care for our hair and at some point i thought, "why care for my hair when i can have long hair instantly?" also my sis is now taking care of her hair and she told me
that even if her hair gets really long she'll add weave for that swing and silkyness

Not really though. I have visted that site LHF and white women there do pretty much the same things that we do... ill say the hair care practices are new for black women but I won't say our hair is harder to deal with

 

[Lady S]

There were people with jacked up hair back in my mom's day pre-weave. We live in a white dominated society whose hair care needs are different then ours. Hell even white people with curly hair have issues. Basically, we're just now figuring out how to manage our hair.

I see a lot of black women not wearing weaves. Matter of location?

 

[MsLizziA]

Anyway I was just in the hair store yesterday and the irony of it all really hit me. 99% of the women coming in there where either buying weave or replacing the one the already had. My mind couldn't help but wander off and think about how their hair looked under it all

 

[~Sparklingflame~]

So how would you explain all the (NON-LHCF) naturals with tore up hair?

How many naturals with tore up hair do you think wear weaves constantly?

My guess in not too many.

The other majority is to whom I was referring.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

Like I always say, it's all about the technique. Braids can help you grow out your hair but if done too tight then can cause breakage.

 

[4bslbound]

Not really though. I have visted that site LHF and white women there do pretty much the same things that we do... ill say the hair care practices are new for black women but I won't say our hair is harder to deal with

Our hair is definitely more difficult to deal with due to the nature of the texture as well as moisture problems. I have tried everything under the sun to retain and grow. It's growing, but definitely not as easily as women with straighter textures regardless of race.

It's not just a cultural thing(black hair issues), it is mostly genetic. I think that people are a product of their environments and in Africa, near the equator the temperature is much hotter and the winters are short if any. It think that the up an outward growth is something that is more conducive to that. environment.
It isn't easy, believe me, otherwise I would not be here (like my friends who have no problems or difficulties growing waistlength hair.

Just my opinion

 

[luckiestdestiny]

I think what gives weaves a bad wrap is the fact that a lot of times weaves are used to cover up damaged hair that is never fixed. Plus when Pookie is putting in your weaves and they don't know what they are doing, well, then there's more disaster.

or when pookie takes them out...
I find that's where most of the damage happens. Or when We ourselves take them out.

I know that there have been plenty of people here who have used them, took them out, and enjoyed their mbl/wl hair afterwards

 

[luckiestdestiny]

And also white people use them too. But you don't see anyone talking about that. Or the fact that they start as tweens dying their hair, and flat ironing it till it's brittle as straw. And there's plenty with weaves too. They just don't talk about it. ER society just doesn't talk about it.

 

[southerncitygirl]

there are so many issues as to why we don't have healthy hair and weaves are only one of many. how do you teach someone how to care for their hair when they hate it and think its bad, many of us are told by our own or clear folk that our hair is not pretty, adequate, or professional....it is made to seen like having "our" hair is a curse when it should just be taken care of like a fine cashmere sweater. this brainwashing has been going on since we were colonized and were dragged off slaveships....slaves didn't even have the proper tools to care for their hair.

 

[WhipEffectz1]

The more I hang around my white friends, the more I see how tore up their hair is. Black hair is harder to deal with especially some of the coarser types. If a person wants to wear weave them let them. It's gonna take a whole lot to stop all women from wearing some form of extensions. I view extensions as an accessories just like my earrings, bracelets or necklace. However, it makes me feel very good to know that I can live without it as well.

Besides, I rather see a nice wig then someone with thin gawd awful long hair. There's a lot of that around and its funny and its hysterical. I'm like shorty yo...go get you a good look. haha They will be the first to chant, "I don't wear weaves" but their long hair look like Woody the Woodpecker dun did some damage on it. There should be a thread for them too. So ummm yeah, no better than the messed up weave wearers.