Why do we get so passionate about Weaves?

(Not replying to anyone's post...just posting MY thoughts.)

Do I get passionate about weaves? Not really. Never worn one and don't care to. It's not MY thing.

The only thing that bothers me about weaves is when I see BAD ONES: Tracks showing...dirty...2 inches of new growth..hair doesn't match the wearer's natural hair...woman with extremely coily hair wearing a "Japanese" textured weave...blond weaves on A-A women (Serena).

I'm not hatin'...it's not about that...I just WANT MY SISTAS TO LOOK GOOD, because I was raised to think that everything that I do will be a reflection on my race. When I see a black woman looking WHACK, I get embarrassed. I just do. I would LOVE FOR ALL SISTAS to be "into their hair." Nothing would please me more. I don't get off on people lookin' bad like some women seem to like to do--I get happy when I walk into a room or party or club (or subway car) and all the sistas look great. It makes me proud.

If I meet/see a sista with a nice UNDETECTIBLE weave, I think, "sista got it going on." I appreciate that she took the time to get a nice weave. Whatever your motive for getting a weave, just get a GOOD ONE and keep it up. When I see those cheap "tacked on" weaves, I just don't get it.

I agree with everything Tracy said (send me your email, girl!); mine is [email protected]. I also agree with Valleygirl's comments. It frustrates me that a lot of black woman feel like they have to resort to fake hair. Why do they think that their hair can't grow? Does it really take THAT MUCH INTELLIGENCE to realize that hot curling, not washing, relaxing too frequently and doing all kinds of harsh things to your hair would equal broken off, dry, unhealthy hair? Isn't that just common sense?

I was talking to a relative yesterday, she keeps her hair cut at a length right at her shoulders. She told me how she only washes her hair EVERY TWO WEEKS AT THE SALON. Ya'll know I was trippin'!! I tried to tell her how that wasn't healthy for her hair...her reply: "I don't like doing my hair, I'm not into my hair..and that is my FINAL ANSWER!" I dropped it.

If sistas don't want to care for their hair so be it. What pisses me off is that usually the people hatin' are the ones with the jacked up hair. If you want to walk around like that, that is YOUR choice, just don't hate on those sistas that TAKE THE TIME to care for their hair properly (weave or no weave).

And regarding entertainers weaving weaves: Isn't that part of the job? To look as glamourous as possible? Why hate? If you were an entertainer, whether you had hair or not, you would probably sport a fall or extensions or wigs AT ONE TIME OR OTHER to change up your look or give your real hair a break. EVERYONE in Hollywood and the music industry does it...Black and White.
 
blkmane, common sense or not, so many black women just do not know how to care for their hair properly. that's why they continue to "grease" their scalps with pore clogging products and wash their hair every two weeks. if it was just a matter of common sense, Doo Gro and Don't Be Bald would be out of business...

i don't think i'ts much of a stretch to assume that some of us were in that category ourselves. if not, we wouldn't be on these hair boards exchanging information and ideas. we'd already have had the hair that we wanted and kept on surfing...

so it's not so hard for me to believe that some black women choose a weave to get longer hair. they may think it's the only thing that they can do to get it. when i was in my 20's, i wanted more length in the back. so i added a track to the back of my hair. it was so subtle, the guy i dated for four years never knew it wasn't mine. at that time, i thought that's what i had to do to get longer hair.

the thing that gets me is when a woman sees someone who has figured it out for herself, she either won't listen or, like you said, turns into a hater.

adrienne
 
De-lurking to put my .02 in.

I agree with BlkMane in that I don’t feel passionately about weaves or extensions. I feel passionately about good-looking hair. I wear extensions – a strand by strand method. I’ve worn them for a year now. Before I found this method I didn’t have any really interest in traditional weaves (sew or glue or braids) because I didn’t like what I’d seen out there. I wear these extensions because I like the way I look. They are undetectable. I love sharing the knowledge with stylists and other people I come across because for one they are amazed when I tell them – and because it’s a relatively new extension method. I feel the same way you all do when you’re telling about a great new product you’ve discovered.

I don’t care what other people do to their hair – I just want us all to look good. I wince when I see a woman (regardless of her race) wearing anything that just doesn’t flatter her. I hate to see a bad weave because I know that woman is probably doing some damage to her hair. I researched this extension method for a long time – even going as far as to learn how it’s done – before I did it. I don’t understand women who after seeing the damage being done to their hair – by weaves or whatever – continue to punish their hair over and over again. If I saw one bit of damage on my head I’d get rid of the extensions immediately! Without hesitation. I’ve worn them for a full year now and I just had them redone, taking them completely out – and I couldn’t believe the difference. I knew my hair had grown but I remember my hair being a lot thinner and here I was looking at this thick bushy head of hair. Now I know, my hair is fine but its not thin (as in quantity).

I personally don’t feel like I had to resort to fake hair. I chose it because I wanted a new look – just like when I pick a new shade of lipstick or a different type of outfit. This is what I want right now. I wore a short ‘do for years. I liked it a lot and I like long too. They both have their merits – they’re both flattering and fun – and that’s what hair is all about to me.

For me it wasn’t that I didn’t think my hair could grow – I just hadn’t been taught the proper upkeep and regime in order to encourage it. I’ve since learned and my hair has benefited. Wearing the extensions has inspired me to pursue my own hair growth goals, and I’m confident that I’ll reach my hair goals eventually. In the meantime I can do whatever I want to the extensions – its almost like practice hair – without damaging my own hair. I also like the versatility. I like being able to change up my color and style without making a long term commitment. Right now I’ve got light brown highlights and I’m thinking of doing some reddish highlights next. I’d never do that to my own hair – but I can with these extensions.

Sorry for the ramble but this thread really hit a nerve with me. I have seen some of “those” looks heard some comments but I chalk them up to small people with small minds. The compliments far outweigh the putdowns. And because I knew some people are just going to hate no matter what – I was prepared for it. When it comes down to it, I like it and that’s really all that matters.
 
i don't hate anybody, i see them for what they are. Don't tell me i need to grow up coz you are not more grown than me. talk to a group of black men, ask them to describe their ideal woman and check out the woman they go after. then you'll know, and maybe your eyes will be open, just like mine have been.

i love people, but i can't help it if they are dumb, a ho, or a heifer. thats not my fault. but i'll call it like i see it.
if you are not any of those things, then don't worry.
 
wow, i missed a lot over the weekend. this thread just goes to confirmed that, as the title suggests, we ARE passionate baout....WEAVES!!

very interesting thread
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
talk to a group of black men, ask them to describe their ideal woman and check out the woman they go after.

[/ QUOTE ]

My experience (emphasis on MY ) has been that black men don't care about the texture, the color or the style as long as the hair is LONG! Grown or Sewn! /images/graemlins/grin.gif
Unless the woman is Halle Berry or Toni Braxton... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Well here is my story.

When I was a teen with hair troubles I remember paying a $20 fee at a weave salon to learn about the weave process. I remember led into a dim studio by a gentleman who was probably in his twenties who gave me an introduction and showed me some pictures of hair styles with weaved hair. Then an older woman came in with what I looked like funny looking hair. The woman then explained to me that weaves are generally used by people who have some kind of medical condition like alopecia and then explained the glue process. I was freaked out. I just wanted to get out of there. All I really wanted at that time was to be able to wear a braid like Sade. I was like okay I'll call you if I want to get it done, with one foot out of the door. She called after me and said you look nice but you would look better with a little more hair. But I was like see-ya. Since then I haven't thought about weaves much until visiting the hair boards. When I see a sister with long hair my first reaction usually is, what does she do to maintain it?, not, is it hers?, but I guess that I have been naive. I guess that I'm not really bothered by the weave drama because it doesn't directly affect me. I think that people are overestimating the number of black women wearing weaves, just like people overestimate the number of black people on welfare.

Speaking of the guy perspective, my cousin told me that men like to see women with their own hair regardless of whether it is long or short. He asked his wife not continue to put extension braids in her hair. He told me that he likes it when his wife changes her style frequently. He doesn't like her to keep her extension braids in for months at a time.

P.S.
Actually when I started going to salons in D.C. a couple of years ago I started to see the weave process up front. On my first visit to a shop on U street a stylist was having a mad arguement with her client on the fee for doing the weave. The client was like, you told me $120 over the phone, for four tracks but the stylist wanted to charge her $250 because she did a relaxer and blowdry and other stuff. The client eventually paid the lower price. The stylist looked like she wanted to pull that hair out. The girl looked a little embarrased about haggling over the price, but she walked out with her head high. If I had seen the girl on the street, I would have never questioned whether it was her hair or not.

After seeing folks get their hair sewn in at the shop I think that it is pretty neat. And maybe someday I'd like to try it just for fun. Like if I wanted to be a redhead for a day.
 
I've had a track once for my bang, and the hairdressor put it in for my senior prom, because my hair was past shoulder length but my bangs were cut short at the time. I took it out the next day. I'm not really a weave wearer. I wanted to get braids but I just can't really afford them. I do agree on the part that many people don't believe that black women can grow long hair. When I had long hair and cut it off, one of my friends was pissed off. She had told her boyfriend: "How can she cut off all that hair, and I can't even grow mine". A lot of women feel this way. I for one, have never felt that way. I had a fascination with cutting off the back of my hair because I loved the feel of blunt cut hair. But that hair would always grow back.

I think that weaves are such an heated issue because a lot of people equate it as a person who's failed the hair growing game and that's the only solution. I think that if many black women (whom this issue seems to be a big deal) grew past shoulderlength or longer hair, then weaves probably wouldn't be a big deal.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Black women dont believe we can grow long hair so they opt for a quick fix which contributes to the problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whew! I got kinda scared when I saw that! But I read further. I know you didn't mean it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

I had a weave, and though it was much more work than regular hair, I had a lot of fun creating different styles. It is not fair how black women get criticized for wearing weaves. But to be honest (don't beat me up!) I think the reason (and I think, don't know!) black women sometimes are the butt of jokes, is simply because I've seen tooooo many black women with gross weaves. And because they look the way they do, it becomes pretty obvious that they were weaves. I say this in all honesty. I've seen people where the wefts were visible (not just one), the track was barely hanging from the cornrow, nasty stiff clumps......

Okay, running away now....... /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
i dont like weaves per say and love wearing my own hair now that i know how to take care of it. also, since i dont like protective 'buns' i am looking into the idea of wearing a fake ponytail during the winter to protect my ends as the southern german winter hits minus 15 average!

i guess as long as the weave is properly done no one will have a problem. look at brandy as an example, we dont see much of her own hair at all, first braids then weaves. yet she can afford to have it properly done and maintained and she looks beautiful! /images/graemlins/cool.gif /images/graemlins/cool.gif /images/graemlins/cool.gif /images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
the southern german winter hits minus 15 average!

[/ QUOTE ] O.k! I'm not going to complain about the 17 degrees and snow and rain I have to deal with today. Good Lord!!
 
"There are more Caucasians in the world (over 80% of the US population is Caucasian, give or take 5%) "

I am confused are you talking world or US? I was under the impression that people of color (Asia, Africans, "middle east", Pacific Islander, Australian originals, East Indian and those mixed all together ) out number caucasian (not Encyclopedia term for people "they" call white)
If you say US then I agree. /images/graemlins/smile.gif But "People of color" the peoples mentioned before outnumber Europeans. As far as the planet is concerned.

The reason why today things are geared towards Caucasians is-- they rule. Simple as that. If Africans ruled, as was the case in ancient times, then every one would try to be African and go to African universities and learn African things. It is just a matter of who is wearing the pants. lolol.
(Recall the Greeks who were educated in Egypt, things that we are taught today that they say come from Greece are actually African philosopies, mathematics , and politics and even some of those Greeks were not "Greek" in appearance in those ancient days, if you get my drift.)

So I say this to say, It is the Europeans time to rule. Even though his population isn't what it seems. (Why do we think the wall came down in Europe?) He still has the guns.

So many people will cater to him, even if they may not like him. Then comes the imitations, the Euro education, learning of their version of his-story, and yes...some people will go to great lengths to get the hair and skin of caucasians.

I am not sure if you are into scriptures but after his rule (New Rome), comes the Christ..he he he he. Keep your eyes on this United States of Europe, not a good thing, not a good sight.

I hope my explanations were clear. Just droppin' some knowledge as I love to do. (I should have been a professor) /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

hada
 
To bubbles718,

Whoooaa girly...lol don't be so tuff. I understand how you feel though. But lets not put the others down. Some light skinned women are just a much of a "victim" as darker women. Some get tired of being seen as the Barbie doll of black people. And do want to be seen from the inside. Some lightskinned such as Halle Berry see them selves more as black women than some darker women.

But I do agree weaves are VERY ancient indeed. The wealthy would shave their head bald and smack a wig on top of it. LOL! It was about hygiene.

The only time I like to see weaves is when it looks neat and nice. But please don't go from neck length hair, to butt length.
For me, I don't wear them, it can get expensive too. But I think we as black women should try to grow our own hair.

hada
 
This was just my opinion and my particular take on things. I use the word Caucasian as I personally don’t like people being referred to as white &amp; black and I think it’s because I feel it’s harder to insult someone using these terms.

According to the numbers, Caucasians (White People) make up 75% of the US population with African Americans (Black People) making up between 12-13% and all the other beautiful people making up the other 13-14%. I got my numbers off the internet from the US census and various news publications.

When I expressed that things are geared towards Caucasians because there are more of them, this is my personal opinion. I know if I were selling something and I saw a group of 3 people standing together in a group and then right across the street there are 50……I’m going across the street first because I would feel in my mind that because there are more people across the street, I could make more money simply because there were more people across the street. That’s how I feel, it’s all about numbers and money….IMO.

I only mentioned these things because this topic turned racial and I got the impression that people were hurt and that's why I wanted to let them know that I feel they are one great group of people. Had it not turned racial I would not have mentioned any numbers or explanation!

By the way, I totally disagree with you and I'm happy that I don't think like that. You have the right to your opinion and I am moving on to another topic now....if you want further discussion, pick someone else please!
 
Thanks for the bump, it was interesting reading. I guess we really are more passionate about weaves than I ever realized.
 
I loved this post. Tracy has some really funny, poignant things to say. I only have to say: If you get a weave, get the best one you can afford. The kind where you always have to wear your hair so it's going straight back, or wear a headband is a giveaway after a few weeks. The new closures that give you a part really help. And also big, Diana Ross hair ain't foolin' any one...
 
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