i don't have anything against weaves, but dang.

[RegaLady]

I'll speak from experience here as a woman in the entertainment industry, and there are other women here who I know are too so they can probably vouch for this.

I was recently reading an article with Sanaa Lathan who was talking about this same issue, and even Tomiko Fraiser mentioned this in Andre Walker's book as to why she decided to go natural. Sanaa said her hair IS long, and it IS healthy. But she chooses to wear weaves that are similiar in length and style to her real hair because if she didn't she'd be bald. You are in the hands of WAY TOO MANY STYLISTS... While yes, people like Tyra have her entourage of stylists who do her hair/make-up specifically, when you start talking about actresses who are working in film/television, you have basically NO CHOICE who is doing your hair/make-up. You have to think that these productions hire their own staff so you are the mercy of the hair and wardrobe department. Yes you can request that irons be turned down, if you're smart and not pushy and if you're really sweet about it, you MAY be able to get away with them using your flat-irons etc instead but a lot of time they will have stuff like Chi, and T3, and other top of the line tools. But they WILL be using hairspray... And under those hot lights if you think you're not going to sweat out that perfectly coiffed hairstyle you're crazy. They WILL brush your hair from root to tip and not worry about wide-toothed combs. THEY WILL attempt to use a bobby pin that doesn't have plastic coverings on the tips (I had this happen to me when a stylist was trying to put my hair up in a french roll - she almost got beat down that day).

Even though these celebs are in the spotlight, honestly a lot of them don't have the wielding power nor money to be a diva. The thing about tracks, you hair is still exposed. And knowing the condition of our hair and the meticulous care it takes to keep it in shape, leaving it out for just tracks added still exposes your hair to damage... They'll be putting HEAT TOOLS RIGHT UP ON THAT ISH..... AND HAIRSPRAY TOO!

I made the decision to move to LA to further pursue film and television work - was doing A LOT of theater and dance out here in NY. In theater 9x out of 10, you are doing your own make-up unless you are one of the stars and even then you may still be doing some of your own make-up and hair is SOME cases (a lot of times wigs are worn). In television and film - you WILL NOT be doing that. I've already decided that I WILL BE getting a lace front - actually two of them... One that is APL, and the other likely a longer BSL. My hair goals are to be around those lengths and I'm only a few inches from APL now so it makes sense. I will have them cut similar to my own hair to look natural as possible to make a smooth transition between when I wear them and when I dont. I just CANNOT risk wearing my hair out to prove to the public that we can and DO have long hair, while working at least... OUTSIDE of work, h*ll yes! But even me as a lowest wrung on the totem pole knows that to decide not to wear a lacefront/weave IS JUST ASKING FOR TROUBLE. Plus as a LHCF member I'm WAAAAAAY TOO ANAL about how my hair is handled. And I know my demands will get me a reputation of being difficult to work with. I don't need that right now. Antoher choice I've made is to wear my hair more textured (braidouts/twistouts) and to make sure I am represented as such (by way of my headshots and other pics) so that I don't have to worry about straightening all the time.

I wish that our celebs would follow the same sentiments - of a protective style but to not be afraid to show their real hair. But hell they probably still don't understand how to truly care for their hair or believe it can grow long at all... And they still probably deal with the same kind of stylists ideals/theories we all face as well...

ok enough of my diatribe...

I agree! I don't understand why that is soooo important. Do what you do, but please, to do it to prove something...that's utterly ridiculous. People are going to say whatever, whether a person wears their weave out or not. People always want proof of something!

 

[Lucky's Mom]

i just don't like seeing them all in the same place. my mum's watching the BET awards preshow and there was a lovely assortment of ladies on the stage (including one in the most garish pink i've ever seen) and all i could think was...
WEAVE ALERT!

i mean, i don't think a one of them was wearing their natural hair except for maybe the male host. well. maybe one of the girls, but i can't be sure.

but beneath my humor, for some reason, it annoyed me. if you've got money for an easily detectable weave (which is sad, actually, considering they've probably got money up the arse), you've got money to get healthy, natural hair.

so, you go Alicia, with that full, thick, beautiful head of yours! you go, Rihanna, with your healthy, shiny, stylish bob! way to represent!

LF's and weaves have just gotten ridiculous.
I totally agree.........

 

[Anna9764]

I feel ya OP,
Personally I can't stand them

. I mean not offense to anyone. It's not real and I can't rock a head full of hair that I didn't grow. I wear french braids with extensions and I pin those up. It took me years to wear a ponytail on vacations, they hold up really well from site seeing to hanging out in the pool, in the club at night , without ever doing my own hair, Leaving more time to spend enjoying my vacation, tie it up at night get up and go I'm 40 I came up in a time where you want hair you braid it care for it, and GROW it yourself and thats what I do. When I wear it down it's all mine

Anna

 

[Anna9764]

I know right? It's really sad that most female stars think they need to resort to weaves. I know they are not using them for protective styling. They can definitely afford natural, healthy hair and a personal stylist to maintain their own tresses. I am beginning to think that weaves come with stardom. Most of the weaves don't even look real or natural. It is really sad.

Very well said Honey, I second that emotion ,
Anna

 

[robot.]

someone mentioned that weaves came with the territory (of being a music artist, or something). well, an old episode of All That was on look and the group 702 was up there. i'm not claiming to be a weavologist who can spot one through the telly or down the block, but i'm pretty sure that was their real hair, which means this weave thing is recent.

just an observation.

 

[lilsparkle825]

oh, and if the wigs are being used as a PS for the celebs, then their real hair must be bangin', if they remember that it's under there.

beyonce is the ultimate in fake hair wearing people IMO...**** got a different texture of hair every day...and last pic i seen her real hair was dyed blonde and SL at the most. (it was unstretched so real length is TBD)

Foxie makes a great point, I just don't undstand why some of those B and C list actress are seen out and about with weave down to their anus's. Most of them (i.e. Meagan Good) don't work half as much as say a beyonce and/or Alicia keys. Why are they out to lunch with a LF on?

thank youuu...

i get wearing fake hair as a PS when you are working...but if you are just out grocery shopping, whassup wi'dat?!

someone mentioned that weaves came with the territory (of being a music artist, or something). well, an old episode of All That was on look and the group 702 was up there. i'm not claiming to be a weavologist who can spot one through the telly or down the block, but i'm pretty sure that was their real hair, which means this weave thing is recent.

just an observation.

well i noticed this last month watching tv with the SO: go back and look at pam on martin. that'll change your mind about that one real quick. LOL!

 

[MA2010]

I agree! I don't understand why that is soooo important. Do what you do, but please, to do it to prove something...that's utterly ridiculous. People are going to say whatever, whether a person wears their weave out or not. People always want proof of something!

ITA. Who cares really? As long as you are content with what is growing on your head then why does it matter?

 

[kbfluff]

I don't like all the weaves going around either, but I usto wear them myself. There even usto be a time when I thought I would never have long hair again and would be wearin weaves for the rest of my life. I elevated.
Sometimes I hate fake hair, but then again I will wear my snap of hair short wig sometimes for a different look.
If anything it's disappointing when I like someone's hair only to detect that it's a super long weave.
Guess we all can't want to grow our own hair...we will get there... *sings* "kumbye-ya real hair, kumbye-ya"

 

[glamazon386]

Foxie makes a great point, I just don't undstand why some of those B and C list actress are seen out and about with weave down to their anus's. Most of them (i.e. Meagan Good) don't work half as much as say a beyonce and/or Alicia keys. Why are they out to lunch with a LF on?

It's about portraying an image. You never know when yoo're going to be caught by the paps and as soon as somebody is caught looking less than stellar please believe those pictures will be all over mediafakeout and wherever else talking about well dang what happened to her?!?! I mean what they're only supposed to get their hair done when they're working? Don't we get our hair done on a regular basis? You'll be damned if you do, you'll be damned if you don't.

Celebs have an image to maintain. That's how they make their money. Whether they have hair under there or not, they're still gonna wear fake hair, makeup, booty pads etc. I do agree that the whole everybody having a weave thing is recent though. You didn't see as many in the 90's and 80's as you do now.

And for the record, Alicia Keys wears weave and wigs too. That isn't all her hair either. Last time we saw her own hair out was 2 years ago and it was chin length and not a wig.

 

[jetera21]

What I think some people don't realize is, alot black entertainers have to appeal to a broader audience and try to be more "marketable". Yes Rihanna is sporting a short do now, but remember she had a long, brown weave for the longest. Also another reason why so many black celebrities are wearing weaves outside of work is maybe after wearing them for so long, their hairline is gone, i.e., Naomi Campbell and Kelly Rowland. Years of traction can really *** up your hairline! I remember Tyra Banks saying that her first seaon of modeling she wore her real hair. She couldn't understand why the other black models were laughing at her, until after the end of the season she had no hair, from all of the extensive styling. Also sometimes people think long hair complements them and celebrities don't always have the time that it takes to really take care of their hair. Think about when Mariah Carey had her breakdown. She later said there were times where she only had two hours of sleep at night, because she was so busy working. But the bottom line is EVERYONE in Hollywood wears weaves, extensions, falls, pieces, etc. Alicia Keys's hair is not thick at all, yet you see her with thick, big curls sometimes.

 

[MA2010]

What I think some people don't realize is, alot black entertainers have to appeal to a broader audience and try to be more "marketable". Yes Rihanna is sporting a short do now, but remember she had a long, brown weave for the longest. Also another reason why so many black celebrities are wearing weaves outside of work is maybe after wearing them for so long, their hairline is gone, i.e., Naomi Campbell and Kelly Rowland. Years of traction can really *** up your hairline! I remember Tyra Banks saying that her first seaon of modeling she wore her real hair. She couldn't understand why the other black models were laughing at her, until after the end of the season she had no hair, from all of the extensive styling. Also sometimes people think long hair complements them and celebrities don't always have the time that it takes to really take care of their hair. Think about when Mariah Carey had her breakdown. She later said there were times where she only had two hours of sleep at night, because she was so busy working. But the bottom line is EVERYONE in Hollywood wears weaves, extensions, falls, pieces, etc. Alicia Keys's hair is not thick at all, yet you see her with thick, big curls sometimes.

Very nicely put Jetera. Let's give these hard working entertainment gurus a small break for now.....lol!

at the "for now".

 

[tocktick]

if i was a celebrity, i would be weaved up too. celebrities usually have busy schedules and they go through a lot of styling. a lot of manipulation and heat can be applied to natural hair (relaxed or otherwise) to make it do certain things. imo, weaving up would mean that my own hair was not subjected to all of that. who knows what some of these women's hair looks like under the weaves.

many women are out there with blatant weaves becaue plenty of hair dresses don't know how to correctly apply weaves. this is so obviously the case even with "top" stylists when a-listers such as naomi campbell have obviously fake hair sometimes.

it's not all on the celebs for perpetuating the idea that black women can't grow hair. i really could go out of my front door and see black women with to' up hair in abundance, tbh. when the majority of black women have hair that looks well maintained, those celebs with jacked up hair will look like the exception and not the rule.