No wigs or weaves!Just your own hair!How freeing!

[Mahalialee4]

I am really happy that I am comfortable with my hair and do not feel I have to wear a weave or a wig to look "appropriate or acceptable", at home, at church or at work or anywhere else> I know that some people are using this as a method to growing out their own hair. I am not knocking that. I am sure after they reach their goals they will be swanging their hair. But I know a lot of married ladies, even today are running around with a wig practically 24-7. Some have said they never saw these women even in their homes with out a wig on their head. And the Aunties and the Grandmamas are often "wigged" STILL. That must have been so stressful for the wearers. It made it impossible for them to get to know their hair and to nurture it and enjoy it. Some of the younger ladies, would not be caught dead without extensions in their hair. Oh the shame....lol. I am so happy to see so many woman embracing and wearing their crowns proudly. We have come a long way LHCF ladies! What are your thoughts? bonjour

 

[Lovelylocs]

I agree. This is a nice post. I am so proud of my long, REAL hair. Sometimes weaves look nice and undetectable, but many look dirty and ratty. On many people, it is not as nice and clean looking IMO.

 

[Elizabeth26]

I have always worn my natural hair. I think it came from my mom because she don't wear weaves or have a relaxer.

 

[natural_one]

i am always worn my real hair too, my hair has always been long and thick so i never needed a weave.

 

[dlewis]

I have never worn weaves or wigs. No matter what state my hair was in I dealt with it and managed to work it out. But for those who wear wigs or weave, do what makes you feel good but don't feel pressured my others to change into what you are not.

 

[Lucia]

I cant wait to reach my goal and kick my weave habit. It just really gives me good results.

 

[Country gal]

I have worn wigs, weaves, braids and now my natural hair. I just love versality of the styles with weaves. I don't wear them now that I'm 100% natural. I don't feel that all weave/wig/braid wearers have issues with their real hair. Many use it to cut back on wear and tear of their hair.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I've never been a weave/wig wearer either. At this point, I like dealing with my hair, and I'm not interested in how complicated weaves can be. Besides that, once you start getting all these dramatic lengths and colors, it looks crazy when it comes out. This chick in one of my classes has a TWA, and she came to class one week with a ponytail LITERALLY down to her butt...the following week she was back to the TWA...I know that's an extreme example and not every wearer does that, but stuff like that just turns me off from it completely.
When I was in middle & high school, I longed to have thin and stringy hair like the white girls b/c mine was just SO much to deal with (long & thick & unruly!)...now I appreciate the bulk it has because I know how to tame it without getting a relaxer every 6 weeks, but I'm not interested in adding to the work, lol. This is much of my reason for deciding to keep my hair trimmed just below bra strap instead of growing to waistlength...
For women who are comfortable with them, I think they can be excellent tools for extending relaxers and protecting the hair, but I just can't get with it.

 

[HoneyDew]

I think that the reason that site like this even exist is because many black women have been programmed that there is "good hair/bad hair", don't know how to handle highly texture hair, have fallen victim to the how commercial black hair care is, or are just tired of hair breakage.

But, those same women have busy lives and jobs and children and men to take care of. I think that weaves and wigs have made it a lot easier to live up to the beauty standards that are placed on us and still be able to handle all of our responsibilities.

I think wearing weaves and braids to retain length while growing out hair is a perfect and easy way for us to grow great lengths then continue proper maintenance.

But, I agree. It feels so good to wear your own hair. I am enjoying it right now, but I am still so scared of breakage while I am trying to reach my goal length. I may be forced to go back to a protective style to get my length.

 

[Philosophy]

I totally agree!! For the past 12 months I've been wearing braids and sew-ins to transition and grow my hair out. Last week when I took my sew-in down I absolutely fell in love with my hair

Unfortunately, I opted to use the same sew-in and braid routine for another 12 months until my hair reaches the length that I desire, but oh how I adore the lovely freeing feeling of my natural hair!!

 

[indefinite]

Weave is addictive. Especially if you live in a hip city, where everybody is fly. I wore weave for 2 years. When it came down to choosing whether to buy a house or keep paying $900 for weave, it came down to the house. Now my hair is growing and I have a stylist that makes my hair move when I walk! I love it!

 

[StartinOvah]

i remember in high school there was one girl (that we knew of) that wore a weave. and we thought it was the absolute worst thing she could have done. she was the object of much ridicule. a day didn't go by without someone making a comment about her hair. it was long and curly when everyone else was cutting it in asymetricals. and this was manhattan, where just about anything goes (or went!). a lot of things were assumed about her because of her hair and she really took a beating. good thing she was so self secure because she never "seemed" to be bothered by it.

now i have to find the woman is NOT wearing something. before, the point was to try to pull it off as your own. now its ok that it blatanly doesn't look like yours. i have worn weaves. but i never looked good in them...ironically except the one i wore for my wedding day. it looked nice. but it wasn't me. and that great looking weave prompted me to go natural.

i wear phonytails now for my protective maintenance. but, yeah, i soooo can't wait to be natural and free!

 

[honey_jammz82]

I have worn wigs, weaves, braids and now my natural hair. I just love versality of the styles with weaves. I don't wear them now that I'm 100% natural. I don't feel that all weave/wig/braid wearers have issues with their real hair. Many use it to cut back on wear and tear of their hair.

I agree I don't wear wigs, but I will rock a phony pony in a second. That is the main way I wore my hair to grow it out and reduce damage. I love my hair and have no issues with it, but I do think that most of the women on here wear them only to protect their real hair.

 

[secretdiamond]

I have never worn a weave/wig in my entire life. It was just too fake for me and it never interested me at all. I hate them so much. No matter how short my hair was from a BC I never even entertained the idea of putting a wig/weave. Plus, all the glue and sewing scared the crap outta me.

Before coming to this board, I used to think that people who wore them were desperate, lazy, abused their hair and now had to hide it. I felt bad that they had to go to that extreme for nice hair. And I thought they were only perpetuating the cycle of their own hair falling out and breaking only to keep weavin' it up. I also thought their scalp and hair was so dirty under there.

Anyway, among the many things LCHF has opened up my eyes about, I have found out that wearing a weave/wig is just like any other thing with black hair care---- You have to know what you're doing, you have to educate yourself about proper care, and by doing this and using the right techiniques and products, your hair will indeed benefit from it.

Seeing ladies here use it for protection and retaining length, I now know that not every person walking with a weave has bad hair and that wearing the weave/wig (if used correctly) can help your hair.

So, I just see wigs/weaves as one of the many options to use for hair care that fits your preference. I still prefer to wear my own hair out at all times and refuse to wear weaves. But it's just like people who refuse to use MTG, or take prenatal vitamins, or refuse to wear protective styles in general. It's all in the beauty of choice/preference and what we think is best for our hair. & this is one of the best lessons I've learned at LCHF.

 

[Mahalialee4]

My point was as stated: I do not feel I have to.....and that it is freeing when no one feels they Have to wear a wig or weave to be acceptable because their own hair is not good enough etc. because many were shamed into covering up their real hair with these items and so to this date even in 2005, some are wig and weave dependant and never have come to terms with their hair or learned to embrace it or care for it. So the post is about acceptance of your hair and knowing that your own hair is just fine...not knocking wigs or weaves, they have their place. Just further clarification because perhaps my first post was not clear enough. So if you like to play or experiment with wigs...go on and get wiggy wit it!!!lolol Hope this helps bonjour

 

[Synthia]

I think hair is only a glory if it's growing out of your scalp.

The glory is that you have nurtured yourself and been rewarded with a beautiful unique mane. The texture and finish are achievements of sacrifice, good care, self-love, and a commitment (in some measure) to healthiness.

If you don't have that, pretense can't rescue you.

I'd never wear a weave or wig (unless a medical condition made it a necessity).

Even short healthy hair is better than fake hair to me, no matter how real the fake hair looks.

 

[secretdiamond]

@Mahalialee: I don't know if you were referring to my post or not, but I also want to clarify that I'm not saying that you are attacking those who wear weaves. I was just saying that I used to look at them bad and now I don't. I also said that I don't wear them and like you, I accept my hair and love it anyway it is

What sparked me to write what I wrote in my post was, in fact, what you wrote in your inital post about not knocking those who wear weaves/wigs for growth. It made me realize that I used to be that way-- knocking people for wearing them, which was wrong and I just had to realize that people have choices and preferences in their hair care. I was just putting myself on blast not you.

I really liked the fact that you started the thread b/c it showed that I wasn't wrong for not wanting to wear weaves or thinking they were bad (for me) and just loving my hair--- WHILE at the same time, I could accept the reasons why others wear them.

I'm really sorry if it looked like I was saying that you were knocking them. I know you weren't at all.

 

[SweetNic_JA]

I wear a weave loud and proud!!! Say it again, loud and proud!!! HA!
I weave weave's for 3 reasons.

1. I'm growing out my own hair and I'm getting ample resting time
2. I can style my "hair" easily in the morning, wash'n go, curl it up every day if I wanted to - all without manipulating my own hair. How freeing is it when you have to struggle under the drier trying to do a wash'n set on your own hair or burn it with a hot iron? hmm, I don't know.
3. I like the style and the flexibility ...so much that whenever I reach my hair goal I still rock weaves occassionally.

It's good to wear your own hair out ! Yipee but my hair is fragile and I'll keep it protected for as long as I 'll have to.

 

[SUPER SWEET]

I wear phonies and weaves because I'm trying reach armpit. I find wearing my hair in a protective style is the best way to achieve this goal. Kinda like crown and glory with phonies and weaves. Three hair appointments covered and the fourth my natural hair. But i have no problem showing my hair. I like it but i just want more length for braidouts.

 

[Mahalialee4]

>secretdiamond: I'ts Okay. (smile). I just went back and reread my post after I read yours and came to the conclusion that it was possible that I was sending a message that could be interpreted that way by at least one person...so I felt I owed it to the posters and to you to clarify exactly what I meant and not leave it open to interpretation... That I could have stated it more clearly and so I did. Happy Hair Growing...bonjour

 

[PoeticJustice]

My point was as stated: I do not feel I have to.....and that it is freeing when no one feels they Have to wear a wig or weave to be acceptable because their own hair is not good enough etc. because many were shamed into covering up their real hair with these items and so to this date even in 2005, some are wig and weave dependant and never have come to terms with their hair or learned to embrace it or care for it. So the post is about acceptance of your hair and knowing that your own hair is just fine...not knocking wigs or weaves, they have their place. Just further clarification because perhaps my first post was not clear enough. So if you like to play or experiment with wigs...go on and get wiggy wit it!!!lolol Hope this helps bonjour

Giiiirrrrllll!! You must either be my twin right now or a clone. Not only do I know exactly what you mean but I too have just recently been wearing my own hair. I hardly ever wore my own hair out or at least not more than a few days after a touch-up. It's been 2 weeks and not only have I embraced my hair and LEARNED to love my hair and everyone around me has also. Even some co-workers who probably had less than positive assumptions when it came to my real hair even complicated me...consistently.

So I know exactly what you mean and freeing is a perfect word for it. My hair is either in a phony pony, bun, weave (maybe 1-2x a yr) or braids all year round. I went to the dominican salon before the holiday and it's been bliss ever since. I even had an agressive trim, too

I have decided to do the weave routine in the next few weeks just because my hair needs the rest. Now because I choose to not because of feeling self-conscious as I have in the past. To know my hair actually is loving me back feels great!!!

 

[HoneyDew]

I have decided to do the weave routine in the next few weeks just because my hair needs the rest. Now because I choose to not because of feeling self-conscious as I have in the past. To know my hair actually is loving me back feels great!!!

I agree - does feel great. I have not had a weave in 3 weeks but I am getting one next weekend because my hair need a break, as well.

Tonight my mom had the family over for a little get together. She called me after I got home to tell me that my hair looked really good and shiny and healthy and she wanted to know what I was using. Last night at a function for work, my co-workers wife commented on how thick my hair is. I have never gotten compliments like that because I have been covering my hair up for years. It feels good to embrace that beauty.

 

[CynamonKis]

Big up to wig/weave wearers, AND to those who are enjoying their own hair! I am glad that as women we have the right to CHOOSE. I think most of us on this board advocate PRIDE in our own hair, which is why we are constantly learning about products and tips on how to care for our own hair, whether we wear weaves/wigs, or not. Back in the day, many people wore weaves/wigs due to a lack of pride in their own hair, and perhaps there are many who still have this feeling now.

Right now, I am wearing my own hair at least once per week, and have not used a relaxer for nearly 2 years. I LOVE the way my own hair LOOKS, and the fact that it is in PERFECT condition. It took a couple of years of hard work and advice of many people on this board to get it that way.

THEREFORE I REFUSE TO ABUSE MY HAIR WITH HEAT PRODUCTS--I do not use heat on my hair more than once or twice bi-weekly, and I have a good weekly conditioning regiment.

After wearing my hair flat-ironed and curled (on days where I REALLY want my hair to look nice), the remaining days of the week I condition/moisturize my hair and pull it back and stick a phony bun on it. To minimize the stress on my hairline, I alternate parting my hair in different ways. This is especially true on days that I exercise. To do anything else to my wet hair after exercise would require heat abuse on my part, which would take an enornous toll on my hair. So I use a fake bun most of the week as a protective measure.

On and off, I use a weave a few months at a time to protect my hair and enhance growth. But in most cases I get sick of the weave and crave my own hair again. I know my husband HATES it when I wear a weave. The freedom I get by wearing my own hair is not having to hear him complain about the weave! LOL!

But I am just thankful that I have a CHOICE.

 

[newslady]

i once said i would NEVA..EVA..EVA wear a wig or a weave until i tried on a wig last weekend and now i'm hooked.
between working out and having to style my hair (just right) FIVE DAYS A WEEK, i'm now in search of the perfect wig.
my best friend bought me a half wig that's shoulder length last weekend and i fell in love.

what do the wig wearers do to their hair underneath? baggie? wig cap? looking for help here!