Wearing Twistouts in the Workplace

[TRINITY05]

I absoluteley love my 4B hair at it's natural state. I alternate with weaing my own natural hair in twistouts and wigs. I usually wear my wigs when I get too lazy to twist my hair at night, so it's really just a back-up. My DH hates wigs period and wonders why I even wear them. Anyway here is my situation:

When I wear my wigs, I don't get any funny looks from the (and I hate to put it this way) white people. When I wear my twistouts(which I adore) they look at me funny like they have never seen a black woman's hair at it's natural state. I don't understand because where I work, there are a lot of women here with locs, twistouts and so on....so I don't understand why they are looking at me so funny.

Is anyone experiencing this now or in the past?

 

[Freespirit02]

Well maybe because you don't wear it all the time..so it's a shock to see you with one texture on Monday..and different one on Tuesday. Or maybe they didn't know you had so much wonderful hair..(whether it's short or long..I'm sure it's lush..). Other races are still at awe of all the different things we can do to our hair. So don't worry about..

 

[TRINITY05]

Yeah and we can do so much to our hair I LOVE IT!

 

[TruMe]

I actually experienced the opposite. When I finally started wearing my hair in twist outs, people at work were actually upset when I decided to bun it. LOL! They are like "Where's the puff? If I had hair like that, I'd wear it out all the time."

 

[FutureMD]

Seriously, whether you are white, black, or Asian, if you are coming with a different hair texture every other day, people will eventually notice (although in my experience, whites and Asians are less savvy about weaves and wigs-they don't notice people who change their hair length every day at ALL). And I agree that they love to see big hair since they don't have it and many haven't seen it on a black person since the 70's.

 

[TRINITY05]

I understand what you are saying but these are people who haven't seen me before that are giving me the funny looks. I work in a large federal bldg in Washington DC, so most of the funny looks are from people whom I don't know.

 

[Sistaslick]

Seriously, whether you are white, black, or Asian, if you are coming with a different hair texture every other day, people will eventually notice (although in my experience, whites and Asians are less savvy about weaves and wigs-they don't notice people who change their hair length every day at ALL). And I agree that they love to see big hair since they don't have it and many haven't seen it on a black person since the 70's.

I agree. When you go from straw set, to flat iron, to corn rows, to whatever--- people are going to be like- say whaaaat? LOL . Especially if their hair only accomodates one plane jane style!

 

[dlewis]

Maybe they're just amazed by your hair?

I normally don't give to much thought to what other may think. Some people just crazy, stupid and some are just amazed by certain hair types.

I saw a lady recently with what I believe was an afro wig, it was beautiful, I couldn't stop looking. I find it very bold of anyone to wear a afro wig that big. Though it was beautiful is was just too much.

 

[dlewis]

Hey Siata Slick!!!

 

[ellebelle88]

Damn dlewis, you are pretty.

OP, don't worry about yt people looking at you and your hair. If you like it and you feel you look good, continue to rock the twistouts. Please don't let them discourage you. When they give you a confused look, look at them all confused back.

 

[faithVA]

Wear your twist outs as much as you want. I wear one weekly and it is my style of choice when I go on interviews. I'm south of you and if they are cool with it here I know they are cool with it where you are. If you are in DC I know they know whats up. Sometimes we may feel self-conscious and people aren't even thinking what we think they are thinking. So unless they say something assume they think your hair is looks great and wishing they could do it.

After I had worked here a while I found at the reason they looked at my hair was because they were surprised that I changed it so much. I never thought of that. I thought everyone changed their hair every few days. I was as shocked as they were. I never noticed that people wore the same style for years. Who knew?

 

[Rae81]

I used to wear my hair in a straigt wrap everyday to work and now I an switching up my hairstyles between bantou knot out or braid out. I had somebody at work ask me how can I go from curly one day to straight the next. I told her its not difficult and she looked at me like I was crazy ..

 

[faithVA]

I told her its not difficult and she looked at me like I was crazy ..

I initially thought it was a white thing but found it was not. My AA girlfriend says she has worn the same 2 hairstyles since college. And we haven't been in college for years. I wear two hairstyles in a week. I can't imagine wearing 2 hairstyles for 20 years. But when I think back over the years and really pay attention, my friends, church members didn't change their hair that often either.

I think it is the change they notice most.

 

[ellebelle88]

I initially thought it was a white thing but found it was not. My AA girlfriend says she has worn the same 2 hairstyles since college. And we haven't been in college for years. I wear two hairstyles in a week. I can't imagine wearing 2 hairstyles for 20 years. But when I think back over the years and really pay attention, my friends, church members didn't change their hair that often either.

I think it is the change they notice most.

I know most black girls/women who I grew up with and they will not deviate from a wrap to save their life. Their hair is thin, lifeless, and greasy because after getting their relaxers they will not wash their hair because they don't think they recreate it on their own.

 

[Sistaslick]

Hey Siata Slick!!!

Hey Dlewis!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought that your avatar was Tina Knowles at first! haha! But that's you! Ms. Dlewis you betta get it!!!!

 

[pookaloo83]

Yep. I get more looks with my puff than I do my wigs. I stopped wearing the wigs for a while. Just the other day I went to Publix and the yt people were staring at me so bad! I even thought I heard giggles. I was a little embarrassed. I don't know why. Now I walk with my head high. I don't care what anyone says about me anymore. I've been getting better about that the older I get.

 

[Rae81]

I think it is the change they notice most.

May be thats it and they wear there here the same way all week. But i just got tired of wearing my hair straight everyday, so i switched it up. When people ask me how i do my hair when i am wearing a bantou knot out, and i tell them i just twist it into little knots they laugh and shake there heads and ask me why didnt i just use a curling iron

 

[SimJam]

I actually experienced the opposite. When I finally started wearing my hair in twist outs, people at work were actually upset when I decided to bun it. LOL! They are like "Where's the puff? If I had hair like that, I'd wear it out all the time."

I've been having simila experiences. Ppl actually have started "requesting" hairstyles lol, and what Ie found is that the women typically like nice braided (corn rows) styles and the men prefer the puffs, twistots etc

BTW when I was relaxed no-one, (excet for 2 male co-workers) rlly admred my hair or commented on it.

Go figure