As my inaugural post, I think I'll tackle a question that was posted by a "a brother from another mother" whose mother happens to be white. :0) Mind you, I try to never take offense to such questions and I'd hope my readers wouldn't either.Q: Why do so many black women wear weaves, hair extensions, wigs and the like?
A: Fake hair is a bitch! First, you pay for it - most times it's synthetic - but if you're a baller, shot caller... you get the real thang! Second, when you've worn the hell out of it you toss it in the trash like the hot garbage it resembles - all frazzled, frizzled, matted and tangled.
The installation of your new "pet" onto your head can cost anywhere from $55 - if your cousin Ray Ray and 'em gives you the "in the basement hook up" or you can pay hundreds (if not thousands according to a recent reader) for a trendy salon with a sassy, gay male telling you, "Girl, you better sit in this chair and let me fix yo' head!" In either case you're going to eat Raman Noodles for the next month to supplement this "necessary" expense so your girls will go, "Dang Tonya, yo' hair is laaaaaaaaaaaid giiiiirl! How much you pay for that?" And you'll reply, "Thanks, Girl! You know, I got it at that Korean shop on MLK Boulevard and Jenkins. It's 100% _______. You know I don't play! Neither does Lance when he put those tracks in my head!"
So why do so many black women like to wear fake hair? The real question should be, "Why do people choose to wear fake hair?"
Fake hair obsessions don't just belong to black women - it belongs to ALL women. What about Britney Spears and her awfully bad weave-a-liciousness during her much hyped return to MTV at their VMA's? Paris Hilton and her "hair today, gone tomorrow" stylings needs to be mentioned as well. Then there are white male celebrities from back in the day that live for the glory of the toupee. Burt Reynolds anyone? And how can anyone ever forget that fake ass spray on the bald spot stuff of yester-year? If memory serves me correctly, I believe there's a scene in the Fabulous Baker Boys where the brothers in the movie (played by two of the Bridges boys - Jeff and that other one) were spraying it on their "thin" spot.
Vanity is the culprit folks. Plain and simple. Sure, black women wear a lot of fake hair. Probably just as much as a yuppie will spend on lattes each month, black women will probably spend on their hair for a 4 - 6 week period. It's just a choice of how they spend their money. Hair helps everyone look and feel good. Having a lack of hair can do the same if you have the self-confidence of a Sinead O'Connor, Michael Jordan, et. al. It amazes me to see how women can be so attached to something that is a renewable resource for them. Watching these makeover shows, you'll see women crying about getting their hair cut. WTF? It's just hair. It'll grow back! It's not like you're trying to regrow breasts after a mastectomy!
However, black women do LOVE their hair but they don't always LOVE their hair. What the hell does that mean, you wonder? Well, it means they love the look and style of their hair (for the week or 6 weeks between appointments) but they don't respect it enough to leave it alone and let it just "be" their free, kinkily coiled , positive affirmation of their own unique beauty. America - you and your standards of beauty have messed folks up. Black women want that hair NOW and not LATER and don't always know how to care for it. So you'll see some busted up hair styles as well as some weaves that look like sage brush. It's all just too damn expensive considering they still need to get the nails done, the clothes bought, and the right knock-off bag just for the occasion. If short hair was in, you'd see PLENTY of folks rockin' the cropped styles - sadly, Toni Braxton gave up her short hair style and got weave-tastic on mofos in the late 90's, sending black women all over the nation into a tizzy. Short or long, bitch?! Short or long?!!!!
Since most most lower socioeconomic black women don't know how to take care of their hair - you notice more and more "around the way girls" wearing noticeably unruly, wild, man-made manes. They've aspired to have celebrity hair and will get it by any means necessary. When they do get those OVERLY SHINY locks (because synthetic hair shines like the plastic it's made from) the maintenance and overall upkeep is fuzzy - LITERALLY! When it comes to having the fake hair, the impression is that it takes less maintenance to have those Farrah Fawcett, Mariah Carey tresses... But HELL ladies... it still takes some work! When the goin' gets tough, the tough get a weave, a wig or braids and often neglect what their real hair needs - some good ol' TLC.
Having long hair is a standard of beauty that has been formed by the media and has encouraged black women to define themselves by that standard.
To quote a famous song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell....
Ain't nothing like the real thing, babyTHE FYI SECTION:
Ain't nothing like the real thing
Hair Extensions the Safe Way
More Hair Extension Info
Stumble It!
44 comments:
Actually weave can cost upwards of thousands of dollars, not hundreds (i.e. Think Tyra Banks!).
I wish I could change up my hair like that! My friend Reina is ALWAYS changing her hair and ALWAYS has a new look. I LOVE IT!!
Many sources say Weaves originated from europe...I doubt that though. I believe it's been around since early man.
I love the new blog man. This post made me think of a short poem by the sociopolitical hip hop group The Coup called "Fuck A Perm":
Apply three drips, rub softly with your fingertips/ And even though you flipped, don't trip cause now you're hip/ And now you slick it, you grease it, and you lick it/ And you're looking really wicked but your hair is now called "good"/ You moisturize and texturize and relax-ize and civilize it/ But yo I got a'fro, so a bro's misunderstood/ Kitchen in the back, give me dap I got a knapsack/ Knick Knack Patty's wack, cause in her mind it's firm/ That straight is in, and out is Black/ Cause Black went out with tenament shacks/ But beauty is a natural fact so I say, "Fuck a Perm!"
Damn Dennis, I was just talking to my girlfried the other day about starting a new business and having "hair parties" like "Pampered Chef" or "Sex Toy Parties". These suburban white women love that stuff. It is a novelty to them! I can go to NYC and pick it up by the truckload, you know the kind with the combs you just slide in!
why do black women always pass the buck on this question and say what about britney or paris when lets just face the facts in most places it about 8 out of 10 women wearing a weave compared to about 1 out of 10 white women so it is a black problem face it and start to deal with it fed up of black women making excuses admit and say your proud of your weave or deal with your problem
Black women do not pass the buck to say look at Britney or Paris, alot of people wear extensions or weaves black, asian and white. You are very ignorant to say 8 out of 10 black women wear weaves while only 1 out of 10 white women. I work at a salon and i have witnessed more white women than black women get extensions. Do not be so narrow minded it isn't always for the longer hair but also for thickness. Personally if you want to spend the money to get your hair done more power to you. Most black women that do get weaves do not make excuses for it so therefore it is not a problem. You have alot of hostility towards weaves so i say you deal with your own problems!
This post was so refreshing. I agree with everything (but not sure what a yuppie is and hope it's not a derogatory term for another race of people).
Anyhoo... great stuff!!
As a black women, I must say that I hate that society itself has become so darn fake... fake butts breast and most annoying hair. I'm already made at myself for having a perm, and I'll admit to cowardly to cut my hair off and start anew so I can't image having hair glued or attached to my hair by other means. I think wearing fake hair constantly is a sign of insecuirty or an attempt to represent what you think beauty is. For the women who claim that like to switch up their look, I would say that's bullsh.. because you can do that with your own hair. Black women are beautiful and need to explore own beauty and stop looking at others for the standard of beauty.
I always find it funny when folks get defensive at the truth and try to deflect from the real issues by using that tired, "white people do it too" excuse. The 8 out of 10 and 1 out of 10 estimate is right on the money. You don't have to work in a salon to see it. Its just like the fact that 5 out of 10black women are obese, versus 2 out of 10 whites. All ya gotta have is eyes. But that's another issue.
The fact is that most black women's hair is short, and they have A LOT of trouble attaining any decent length. If a female's hair barely grazes her shoulder, she is considered to have "long" hair in the 'hood. Nowhere else in society is that the case. In fact, that hair called "short" anywhere else.
Add to this the self-esteem implications that a lot of ghetto-mentality folks suffer from, and its easy to see why the self-confidence level suffers too. There's a need to "equalize" with others even if only temporarily; and weaves and wigs are usually cheap ways of (fooling yourself into thinking you're) doing so.
Yes, there are white people who wear weaves. But the difference is that under that weave is usually hair that can be grown to any length they wish, and weaves are a choice, not a necessity.
Most white women, if we're honest, have to cut their hair DOWN to the lengths at which black women's "max out." Hair down to their breasts and small of their backs are generally choices that are easily open to them when they want it. Meanwhile there are many black women who have never had a haircut in their lives, yet their hair has never reached the venerable shoulder-length stage, let alone to their breasts or beyond.
This is a very touchy issue. Issues tied to self-esteem usually are, and as such folks react with vitriol and outright hostility when called out on it. But let's face it, just about anytime you add something fake to yourself and (literally) cover up your real stuff, you're kinda sending the message that your real stuff isn't good enough.
When one thing (makeup or weave) is added that's bad enough. But this concept is truly exemplified when you've got makeup, weave, colored contacts, fake nails, fake eyelashes and a list of other things going on. You don't like yourself the way you truly are, and have very strong need to change it, even temporarily.
There are some females who go out into the world every day with all this "cover" on, completely concealing their true visage. You wouldn't even recognize them out of costume.
This all strikes me as really sad, but as I stated the issue of low self-esteem and diminished self-confidence is almost a staple in our society.
I always find it funny when folks get defensive at the truth and try to deflect from the real issues by using that tired, "white people do it too" excuse. The 8 out of 10 and 1 out of 10 estimate is right on the money, especially in the ‘hood. And you don't have to work in a salon to see it. Its just like the fact that 5 out of 10 black women are obese, versus 2 out of 10 whites. All ya gotta have is eyes. But that's another issue.
The fact is that most non-biracial black women's hair is short, and they have A LOT of trouble attaining any decent length. If a female's hair barely grazes her shoulder, she is considered to have "long" hair in the 'hood. Nowhere else in society is that the case. In fact, that hair is called "short" anywhere else.
Add to this the self-esteem implications that a lot of ghetto-mentality folks suffer from, and its easy to see why the self-confidence level suffers too. There's a need to "equalize" with others even if only temporarily; and weaves and wigs are usually cheap ways of (fooling yourself into thinking you're) doing so.
Yes, there are white people who wear weaves. But the difference is that under that weave is usually hair that can be grown to any length they wish, and weaves are a choice, not a necessity.
Most white women, if we're honest, have to cut their hair DOWN to the lengths at which black women's "max out." Hair down to their breasts and small of their backs are generally choices that are easily open to them when they want it. Meanwhile there are many black women who have never had a haircut in their lives, yet their hair has never reached the venerable shoulder-length stage, let alone to their breasts or beyond.
This is a very touchy issue -- issues tied to self-esteem usually are -- and as such folks react with vitriol and outright hostility when called out on it. But let's face it, just about anytime you add something fake to yourself and (literally) cover up your real stuff, you're kinda sending the message that your real stuff just isn't good enough.
When one thing (makeup or weave) is added that's bad enough. But this concept is truly exemplified when you've got makeup, weave, colored contacts, fake nails, fake eyelashes and a list of other things going on. You won’t admit it, but you don't like yourself the way you truly are; and you have very strong need to change it, even temporarily.
There are some females who go out into the world every day with all this "cover" on, completely concealing their true visage. You wouldn't even recognize some of them out of costume.
This all strikes me as really sad, but as I alluded the issue of low self-esteem and diminished self-confidence is almost a staple in our society.
I always find it funny when folks get defensive at the truth and try to deflect from the real issues by using that tired, "white people do it too" excuse. The 8 out of 10 and 1 out of 10 estimate is right on the money, especially in the ‘hood. And you don't have to work in a salon to see it. Its just like the fact that 5 out of 10 black women are obese, versus 2 out of 10 whites. All ya gotta have is eyes. But that's another issue.
The fact is that most non-biracial black women's hair is short, and they have A LOT of trouble attaining any decent length. If a female's hair barely grazes her shoulder, she is considered to have "long" hair in the 'hood. Nowhere else in society is that the case. In fact, that hair is called "short" anywhere else.
Add to this the self-esteem implications that a lot of ghetto-mentality folks suffer from, and its easy to see why the self-confidence level suffers too. There's a need to "equalize" with others even if only temporarily; and weaves and wigs are usually cheap ways of (fooling yourself into thinking you're) doing so.
Yes, there are white people who wear weaves. But the difference is that under that weave is usually hair that can be grown to any length they wish, and weaves are a choice, not a necessity.
Most white women, if we're honest, have to cut their hair DOWN to the lengths at which black women's "max out." Hair down to their breasts and small of their backs are generally choices that are easily open to them when they want it. Meanwhile there are many black women who have never had a haircut in their lives, yet their hair has never reached the venerable shoulder-length stage, let alone to their breasts or beyond.
This is a very touchy issue -- issues tied to self-esteem usually are -- and as such folks react with vitriol and outright hostility when called out on it. But let's face it, just about anytime you add something fake to yourself and (literally) cover up your real stuff, you're kinda sending the message that your real stuff just isn't good enough.
When one thing (makeup or weave) is added that's bad enough. But this concept is truly exemplified when you've got makeup, weave, colored contacts, fake nails, fake eyelashes and a list of other things going on. You won’t admit it, but you don't like yourself the way you truly are; and you have very strong need to change it, even temporarily.
There are some females who go out into the world every day with all this "cover" on, completely concealing their true visage. You wouldn't even recognize some of them out of costume.
This all strikes me as really sad, but as I alluded the issue of low self-esteem and diminished self-confidence is almost a staple in our society.
I always find it funny when folks get defensive at the truth and try to deflect from the real issues by using that tired, "white people do it too" excuse. The 8 out of 10 and 1 out of 10 estimate is right on the money, especially in the ‘hood. And you don't have to work in a salon to see it. Its just like the fact that 5 out of 10 black women are obese, versus 2 out of 10 whites. All ya gotta have is eyes. But that's another issue.
The fact is that most non-biracial black women's hair is short, and they have A LOT of trouble attaining any decent length. If a female's hair barely grazes her shoulder, she is considered to have "long" hair in the 'hood. Nowhere else in society is that the case. In fact, that hair is called "short" anywhere else.
Add to this the self-esteem implications that a lot of ghetto-mentality folks suffer from, and its easy to see why the self-confidence level suffers too. There's a need to "equalize" with others even if only temporarily; and weaves and wigs are usually cheap ways of (fooling yourself into thinking you're) doing so.
Yes, there are white people who wear weaves. But the difference is that under that weave is usually hair that can be grown to any length they wish, and weaves are a choice, not a necessity.
Most white women, if we're honest, have to cut their hair DOWN to the lengths at which black women's "max out." Hair down to their breasts and small of their backs are generally choices that are easily open to them when they want it. Meanwhile there are many black women who have never had a haircut in their lives, yet their hair has never reached the venerable shoulder-length stage, let alone to their breasts or beyond.
This is a very touchy issue -- issues tied to self-esteem usually are -- and as such folks react with vitriol and outright hostility when called out on it. But let's face it, just about anytime you add something fake to yourself and (literally) cover up your real stuff, you're kinda sending the message that your real stuff just isn't good enough.
When one thing (makeup or weave) is added that's bad enough. But this concept is truly exemplified when you've got makeup, weave, colored contacts, fake nails, fake eyelashes and a list of other things going on. You won’t admit it, but you don't like yourself the way you truly are; and you have very strong need to change it, even temporarily.
There are some females who go out into the world every day with all this "cover" on, completely concealing their true visage. You wouldn't even recognize some of them out of costume.
This all strikes me as really sad, but as I alluded the issue of low self-esteem and diminished self-confidence is almost a staple in our society.
Yea yea yea dat musta been a white women who postd dat first of all if u ain Black get off da site second of all maybe we want our hair da same as everyone else yes I fell sometimes its a self esteem thing but u try being black watching white people n other races wit DAT HAIR how r we suppose to feel wow adding hair to me is like u gettin dress would u go outside with messed up clothes no so if its alright for people to dress up y can't I add sum hair I love my hair its too thin but maybe in my case weave helps it grow yes every race wear weave so wat if white women can wear weave by choice das really stupid cus if u can rock ur hair rock it n I done seen white people with wearning all types of cheap looking wigs to so weave is for everybody stop tryna make black girls feel bad about weaves if we was born with it like y'all we wudnt wear it neither so leave us alone one good thing tho about havin black hair is we gets no lice yea but we wasn't born with it like y'all so we getit how ever we can worry bout playing wit yo hair n stop worryin bout our black heads its a black thing n I seen plenty of white obese women so it ain't more black fat people cus y'all all dat way enjoy ur life n stop tryna make these gurls feel worser than they do u don't kno so don't speak on it u jus go bac to ur breast lenght hair n ima go bac to my breast lenght hair even if mines added nah say sum bout dat I love my weave n I don't need mine I'm black n its a choice jus like y'all white women so can y'all please leave this to da real sistas n mind yalls BLACK WOMEN ENJOY U WIT UR WEAVE OR NOT WHITE WOMEN WEAR EM TO SO DON'T FEEL BAD LOVE UR HAIR REAL OR NOT LOVE U U CAN ADD IT GON GLAM UR SELF UP HAVE EM HATN. LADIES LONG AS U GOTTA GUD WEAVE BUT OUR BLAK IS BEAUTIFUL so bacially gettn ur real hair done is a cover up cus dat ain't yo real texter so please OTHERS MINF URS THANK YOU N DIS CUMMN FROM ONE BADD ASS WEAVE WEARN SISTA HOLLA..........n my real stuff is beyond gud enuff my man ain't complaining so y shud u leave us alone WHIP UR HAIR LADIES BLACK LADIES LOL
Wow. What anonymous wrote on January 5, 2001 8:31 AM is about the most intelligent, honest response I've seen on the subject probably ever. Black women are so angry and hostile about the topic which really shows you how true some of this stuff is. I'd love to see my sisters start having more confidence in themselves, enough to show their true beauty and stop hiding behind someone else's. We all can't keep saying black is beautiful, but then try to hide everything about us that's black. Anonymous, you hit the nail on the head with that one!!!!
An imitation is always second best.
What it comes down to is that society and specifically the media has given a certain image of what "beauty" is supposed to look like. Long and soft flowing hair which is consistently whats presented to the public as what is the acceptable definition of what is beautiful. Naturally, white women can obtain the length, softness and texture of the "beautiful-hair look" with some product and styling. Unfortunately, when it come to genetics, black women tend to have more thin and coarse hair without natural length.
Well I like to say. I dont think its a bad thing to wear weave I wear it and my hair come to the top of my breast. I dont think its over a lowself steam. Well yes some women do wear it because there hair short and will never grow are there hair nappy and cant act right whatever. But I dont knock nobody because at the end of the day im me you know. People going to always talk and say stuff so I just listen to there opinion and state minds and I dont get mad at these quesions because I can ask WHITE WOMEN questions too.I wear it because it makes me look older and I can change my hair color when I want. Also because I flatiron my hair to much making it fall out.But I wear my real hair too though. But wearing makeup nothing wrong with it too not every one born pretty are yea some people just feel the need to improve there selfs. Who cares. At the end of of the day we are who we are. So bye hair a nice day.
-sign Mariah Holiday
All you have to do is watch jerry springer and you'll see almost every black woman looses her hair in the fights.... that's a FACT!!
Ok, I have a comment. As as white woman, I have really thin, fine hair that shows my scalp, due to chemo treatments. I guess the chemo killed all my hair folicles because it has never grown back.
See, the problem with white people, is that they LAUGH and make jokes of people who wear weaves or wigs. Britney's weave, did you read the bad press? Everyone made fun of her. Paris? We all rolled our eyes at her extentions, who was she fooling? You see the little ole ladies with their crooked wigs on, and we just smile, trying not to notice. So with all this said, I'm hesitant to wear a wig, (I tryed a weave) and someone told me I was trying to be a wigga...huh?? Is weaves just for black women?
Oh well, one last thing. You know what really pisses me off? Is them commericals that show hair care products like shampoos and you know their (Beyonce) wearing a damn weave! I see the same thing with the mascara commericals too. You too can have spider lashes like Kim Kardashian with our product! BS!! Just my 2 cents...
Although weaves are seen as a necessity by a number of black women, the majority that I have seen look so disgusting. You think, ok ladies, if you are going to wear a weave then wear it like it is yours your put the weave down!
Nothing worse than a bad weave.
When I see women wearing a bad weave I simply shake my head in disgrace.
There is nothing better than natural hair ... and while black women are trying to hard to be something we are not, we need to embrace our uniqueness ...
After all, at 53 most of us still look like 27! Or at 43 look 17 and at 30 look like we are still in high school.
We need to wear our skin, be comfortable with who we are, stand tall and proud ... get educated and get back in school.
PUT THE WEAVE DOWN!
Thank you for posting such an important question. The answers to your question I believe go deeper than many of us think.
As a black woman, for so long I have wondered why my Asian, White, and Chinese friends hair is accepted the way it is, why they don't need fakery (weaves) to make it look 'presentable'. Over time I have learned that we are heavily influenced by popular media. And popular media has always (directly and indirectly) indicated that the definition of beauty is 'the closer you are to looking like a white person the more beautiful you are'. That ideal has been inculcated on our minds for so so long that we don't even notice. Hence why the weaves, they are closest to what popular culture portrays as bieng beautiful.
If you really look closely at weaved hairdo's they are trying to resemble the white woman's hair, and moving away from what a black woman is naturally born with.
It makes me cringe when I hear black people especially woman say that our hair doesn't grow long, or that it is so difficult to manage. Please, please, stop and listen. We are so ill educated about our own hair. First of all our natural hair can grow long, and it can look professional, classy, and once we learn to take care of it, it is easy to manage (no matter how kinky and nappy); we just have got to unlearn all the junk we've learned about our hair and learn about the proper care of afro hair. And ladies let me tell you, when black hair is well taken care of, it is absolutely beautiful and you can do so so many hairstyles with it! Yes natural as it is.
I'd like to encourage those woman who don't think they look beautiful with their natural hair to go on youtube and look at women who have gone on natural hair journeys and how gorgeous they look with their natural hair! And ladies learn to take care of your natural hair, believe me, when you do you will feel FREE and BEAUTIFUL! Embrace yourself, just the way God made you 'NATURAL and WEAVELESS'!
well, as an african american woman i love my natural hair. me and my mother are considered the "hair women" in the family and our hair is our pride and glory. we pride ourselves on the fact that we use the best of quality hair care products and we have always worn our natural hair, of course, relaxed, but lately i have been thinking about getting extensions. I only wanted to try a new look because different hair styles to me are like trying on a new outfit or reinventing myself. i understand how some people could do such a thing due to insecurities and low self esteem, and all that. But as an african american woman i can honestly say i love my real hair and would never trade it for the world. my hair is extremely important to me.
So the best advise i can give on wearing extensions is do not wear them because you hate your natural hair and understand that black hair is beautiful in it's natural state. Yes, all races of both men and women wear weaves, but for some reason african american women are targeted and i think that is unfair. we should not be told why we do the things we do by people who do not know us as individuals. that is like implying that we as people are incapable of knowing why we do the things we do. with that being said, all black women do not wear weaves because we are insecure and the last thing i need is some crazy black man walking up to sayin things like "sista why do you hate yourself?" cuz i tell him to fuck off.
I have hair past my breast and I'm black without a perm in my hair. My grandmother had hair up to her up to her waist. Long hair runs in my family so before you say that us black women have short hair remember this.
I have hair up to my breast and I'm black without a perm. My grandmother had hair up to her waist. Long hair just so happens to run in my family, so before you say that us black women doesn't have or can't have long hair remember this.
I have hair up to my breast and I'm black without a perm. My grandmother had hair up to her waist. Long hair just so happens to run in my family, so before you say that us black women doesn't have or can't have long hair remember this.
short ,long, nappy or straight- AS LONG AS IT'S YOUR REAL HAIR!!! The article points out that other women of different ethnicities wear hair weaves, but for TEMPORARY "vanity" or fashion reason!!
WHY black women( not just african american, but it seems a growing trend on women of african ancestry around the world) DEBASE themselves by throwing synthetic or the DEAD hair of someone else, id BEYOND ME !! Who are they doing it for- Blk men? NOPE! To attract the interests of Wht men? again, NOPE!
Many spend their last dollars to gain the image of long and luxurious "locks" that look as realistic as a pig with glasses and a moustache!!and befdore someone comments that "Beyonce" wears a weave, REMEMBER she is an entertainer, selling illusion and image- thats part of her job to wear wigs and weaves.
Beyonce can also easily afford the TOP notch hair stylists to keep herself pampered, while the average "Lashonda",who works everyday can't afford to realistically do that.
I am so tired of seeing beautiful blk women with that digusting ,smelly mess in their head( no doubt its ruining the "good hair" underneath) and even more disgusted by the FAT, ghetto tattoed blk women wearing the worst of those things.
Take back your PRIDE and honor Black women!!! Save your money for the gym or for cosmetics and perfume, or dresswear- a natural, afro puffs, halle berry/nia long short cut style, or - if you must, the good ol' press n' curl looks so much BETTER on you than that fake ,filthy crap!
to "anonymous" on Oct,7th, 2011- I feel you must fall in that category of self loathing blk women who arrogantly take pride in having 100% "pakistani"( DEAD HUMAN HAIR) tied and glued to your skull!!! "the last thing I need is some crazy black man" telling you anything statement is ENOUGH to tell most of us REAL Blk men that you have some serious issues!
I have seen countless blogs with Blk women pathetically justifying negatvie attributes and behaviors by claiming idiotic things like "if we don't do this or that Blk men won't notice", or "if we don't do this or that ,Blk men will look at other races", but if Blk men did HALF of the self debasing things some of you blk women do( skin lightening creams, fake light colored contact lenses, "straight hair weaves", etc, you'd have NO PROBLEM calling us out for it.
As one of those so called "sell out brothas" i have dated women of other nationalities and they don't even understand WHY Blk women do that to themselves( some of the asian and hispanic women I have dated think BLK women are beautiful and rightfully so!)
My latest girlfriend got "upset" because I compared her looks- body and short hair style to the olympic runner Carmelita Jeter; to me Jeter and many of her sister athletes are the pinnacle of beauty (sans the "weaves") of Blk women!!
Now guess what my "girl did?" she went and got a short curly MOP looking weave !!! Now that the heat is up this summer, she whines how hot it is and is going to take it out( thank GOD)
You DO wear weaves out of insecurity and wanting to "keep up with the proverbial jones' copy cats". You want to be beautiful? Keep your faces CLEAN and blemish free, keep your bodies in shape( sorry ladies, "thick" is FAT, and fat is unhealthy, no matter how tight the clothes you squeeze in or the belly bands you wear make you think you are curvy only)Also, SMILE- walking around "mean mugging" and acting angry is what TURNS OFF Blk men!Celebrity chef Kai Chase, a beautiful Dark complexioned blk women smiles ALL the time in public, and she would rather "press in curl" or go kinky curly, than wear a weave !!!
White women and women of other ethnicities have no problem smiling at men and each OTHER- try it sometimes- and you'll see how people will complement you on your looks- YOU'LL NEVER get anyone ,other than weave wearing delusional blk women, who'll call your weave "beautiful"...
I do not like or wear weave.
Why can't the sisters just go with all natural hair instead of that fake shit ,it's nothing more than a esteem issue folks all the brothers have white girls man ,so the sisters want white hair be real black women take that shit out to heads!
You are awesome! The way you write, what you describe , everything is perfect to the T. I really love your writing style! To answer the subject, I've spent quite some time , wondering about the question of black women and weave. As an African girl, myself, I always thought ( due to the environment I grew up in) that weave would make us look and feel beautiful, and I struggled a lot before accepting my hair in his natural state. I would still see some women with nice weave and would want to get one ( maybe to also impress the guy) but I would always come back to telling myself that it is only a front and none of that is real.
Such a satisfying read! Thanks so much for the clarification. I am an AA woman, and I often wondered why so many black woman wear weaves? It is so unpleasant to see a potentially attractive blk woman who is overweight for no reason, wearing a messy weave, and looking angry! I mean wtf? AA hair is something that has to be tought to care for. I just wish more AA women would take more pride in their appearance, because if you look around at your average blk woman; she is a hot mess for no damn reason! Media is doing alot better with the presentation, but as individuals we still have a long way to go! Starting with that oppressive weave!
Just looks fake. Not kidding anyone. Fake as hell aka Beyonce shaking some Indian woman's hair around like it grew out of her head. Pleassssse. Tough like coconut that's what u have.
I am an AA freethinker...natrual over 10 years now no pressed straight hair and definitely no weave...AA women have a form of self hatred..they hate their ethnic textured wooly hair..if it wasn't so they wouldn't spend the billion they do spend on it a year (through weaves, perms and other associated products) it is implanted in us from birth and thru generation to generation to hate our hair. ."you can't go out with your head all nappy" etc etc. Naps are something to be ashamed of..because we have been sold out to the European standard of beauty, media, enternment reaffirms this so. AA women wish they were born with european hair (some call it good hair lol) they wont admit this..but wouldn't be easier to be born with the hair you are trying to dublicate? Yes they loath their hair...I think they think God made a mistake on their hair.."why do our hair grow up towards the sun and doesn't blow in the breeze like all the other races" mentality..I see it as God truly made us special and set us apart from all the other ethnicities. .just so we can SCREAM we dont wanna be different. I love my our ethenic hair..it is soooo beautiful AA women and men are lost...when you start trying to change your ethnicity. ..you have already drank the koolaid. I say the same to any race who change their looks to look more European. Exmp. Asians getting surgery to open their eyes...dark skinned people from any race lighting or bleaching their skin, thinning an ethnic nose. Its sad...but AA women are lost in loving and embracing their true beautiful nappy-headed selves..but the Koreans are very happy we have self loathing over our ethnic textured hair and also the perm makers/sellers are pleased too
yeah that definitely was a white woman talking because she knows how to talk not like the black people that have no vocabulary whatsoever
As a European haired woman, it always wondered me why girls with African hair wear weaves/wigs. And I have to respond to the comment "Wondered why African hair isn't accepted as presentable". Speaking 100% for myself, I'd love to see more girls with their natural hair. While I understand that it's harder to take care of, it's so beautiful when properly cared for. Whenever I see a girl rocking her natural hair, I always have to restrain myself and not go up to her to say how stunning she looks. I'm no creeper :).
aaahhh, notice the first thing this blogger did was in effect say "white women do it to"
so that makes it okay for you to do it? at least it looks like the white womens actual hair.
when black women wear wigs or weave, its never a wig of their own hair texture, its the hair texture of another race.
I can't believe boob jobs haven't come up. Talk about a double standard. Black girls worry about their hair, white girls worry about their boobs and thighs. The media messes up everyone's standards of beauty. Remember they tryna sell somthin people! If you got it, they can't sell it. They make this insecurity on purpose
Why is it that every time there is a question asked about a black women such as this...Why do so many black women wear weaves, hair extensions, wigs and the like?...the answer usually involves "White women do it too." Why can't the majority of black women just give an honest answer to whatever question is being asked?
Yes, some white women do where extensions, however the reasons and the outcome are usually much different. I believe most white women do so to add fullness or length to their natural hair. And when they do, it most often is matched to their real hair in regards to color or texture. The desired result is to blend in with their real hair and not look fake. Most people, especially men, do not even know that it is not their real hair. I think it is a totally different concept to have an entire head full of fake hair that could never be attained naturally.
A perfect example would be a girl that I work with. She only buys real hair and spends a ridiculous amount of money on it. She changes it every 4-6 weeks and each time it changes drastically by color, length, and style. It is almost always tastefully done (except for the fake braid style that is about 2 1/2 feet in length...???) but the drastic changes seem so strange to me. One month it will be a short bob that is straight and light in color. The the next time it will be long, dark, and feathered like Farrah Fawcett. Then mid length, brown, and spiral curls.
She said herself that her own boyfriend does not like most of the styles and the fact that she changes it constantly. I have seen her natural hair, once in 4 years, and it actually looks very nice. It goes just past her shoulders. I told her I really liked it and she said it's too thin and plain. So I have to wonder: Who does she think she is impressing? and... Where did she get the idea that these unnatural hair styles somehow improve her appearance?
Thank you to the black women who answered the question truthfully. I think natural hair looks beautiful on everyone when taken care of properly. And that applies to all races of women.
The anonymouse person who posted the same thesis more than four times has very low self esteem to begin with, & let my explain why :) And for the record, we not trying to look white. When A Black women in fact puts on make-up and gets her hair done (weave or exstensions added, mind you, by white stylist...) with wardrobe, she looks so good infact, that she almost always wins the beauty pageant Missy. Go and ask your white male counter-parts who have been selecting black beauty queens as the winners. LLLMMAAOO
Waering weave is not the issue, having low self esteem is.
P.S. - Hair/Weave is an accessory not a neccessity. GET A LIFE, smh.
I hear black females makes excuses to explain why they have a weave all the time once "self hate" comes up an excuse comes up. Yea white and Asians females get weaves as well but it mimics their natural hair black females cover the hair God gives them completely. I think it's sad a person has to have different hair texture to feel beautifull however if it makes them happy do cause you only have one life to live.
wow, when i looked for the answer to this question, i didn't realize there was such a social stigma attached to it.
when i was in 5th grade, i was introduced to my first black person. i loved her hair. she wore the (dunno what it's called) puff pony tails with the two ball rubber-bands and twisted in the middle. (it was the 70s) she had 5 of them. i tried for days to do that. :D i finally asked her how she did her hair. the explanation was lengthily and sounded contortionistic. i had since assumed it was a matter of comparative ease or was an old cultural tradition that has come up again and again as all fads and styles do.
sure it seems like every black female celeb is weaving their hair, but that's because the media makes it seem that way - which makes the fad-consumer think "well if so-and-so is doing it, it must be IN. my turn to be IN." so now your mates are doing it too, cuz well... the media told them too.
which brings me to white folk like Bo Derek and Paris Hilton - you all look ridiculous!!! Stop trying to look "ethnic", you already are! it just happens to be Anglo-Saxon.
...at some point in every life, ALL women (and MEN) are insecure with their countenance...
...thus, the "epidemic" use/abuse for the wigs, extentions, braids, weaves, highlights/color, tanning, skin bleaching, Botox injects, shaving, waxing, silicone/saline breast implants,tummy tucks, breast lifts, plastic surgery, nails tips/overlays, false eyelashes, cosmetic tattoos, and even make-up. ALL (majority) women seek attention/approval or simply hide their insecurities and low self-esteem using these "beauty" tools.
REALITY CHECK: It's NOT a matter of race/nationality/gender; it's the natural need of the competing FEMALE to be the best. TIP: REAL beauty is from within...and ONLY a REAL woman secure in her OWN would know about and represent this. Doff all that ridiculous and learn to love yourself the way God made you.
I am; enough said.
I appreciate the information. Even as a white woman, I can understand the impatience of growing out my hair. It has taken almost 2 years for it to grow 8 inches. Years ago I decided to stop coloring it to keep it from getting weak and breaking and I try to use minimal heat and other products. I'm pretty sure it's the same for everyone, if you don't take care of your hair, it doesn't grow well.
I have thought of trying hair extensions in the past but could never afford them. I know a woman who wears a wig because she has thinning hair and it is very fake looking. I think both draw an equal amount of negative attention. If I needed a wig or wanted extensions, I think I would save up until I could afford something that was real and looks nice.
Also, a few people said they think the typical standard for beauty is only white beauty. I don't believe that. I see all kinds of beautiful people in the media. However, if you do believe this, stop blaming the media and change the standard of beauty. Or better yet, we should stop comparing ourselves to what we see in the media.
To the person who suggested that "if you're not black, get off this site" I would like to let you know that it is people like you who perpetuate racism. Why should anything be for one specific race? I'm here out of curiosity and to educate myself. I would suggest you do the same.
Post a Comment