I Got That Good Hair!

On Tyra Banks’ season premiere of her show, she did something no black female celebrity has done: She revealed her natural hair to all of America! Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little by saying NO black celebrity, but this is certainly a huge event for TV and American women. This new move covered headlines and is still being discussed today.

This action may have been something small, but the meaning is quite significant. Women around the world count on weave to help their appearance, especially those in the media. We look up to those women and want to look like them, and someone as influential as Tyra Banks showing off her natural look and loving it, will inspire many women.




Tyra Banks on the Larry King Show
(She discusses her new look as well as some other body issues)



So I want to ask…have we gone too far. Nowadays it is no longer women getting just a few hair pieces to make their hair look fuller or longer, MANY more women are wearing full head of weave or wigs. Women used to feel ashamed to admit they even wear wigs, but now Wendy Williams talks about it in almost every episode of her show. One guest actress even admitted that her husband has never seen her real hair!

It may have come to the point that women are even ashamed of their hair, especially black women. It is neither cute nor stylish to walk around with an afro like back in the 1970s. If you do, people stare or make comments, or call you “eclectic” , “retro”, or "revolutionary". Revolutionary to walk around with your natural hair texture?

And this weave business does not just apply to adult women, but teenagers and children as well. I myself have been wearing extensions since the age of 5. More and more children, mostly African American are getting weaves put into their hair, and teenagers now basically cover up their whole head with fake hair as well. The dislike for thick and kinky hair has made its way down to the younger generation of females.

Besides all the weave adding and wigs, we spend years of perming , frying and dying, that by the time we are in our twenties, our hair is so damaged we have no choice but to add weave to our hair. Our need to look good in the moment allows us to risk our hair's health and natural beauty.

( I think I see a resemblance)

As a woman that does all the weaving, perming, frying, and dying myself, I know it is really hard to get out of that web once it is spun. Once you begin perming, you feel can never go back to your natural kinkiness and your hair finally becomes manageable, not to mention silky. When you begin hot ironing your hair, you look into the mirror and love the results because now you look like your favorite celebrity. Then once you start weaving and wigging, you think it is the answer to life because now you can have your hair look anyway you want it to look and you barely have to watch out for the rain!

All of these feelings are magnified by of course the media (we always gotta blame them), other women around us , and the men in our lives that love our silky, long, fake(including perming) hair.  We already know that we play monkey see, monkey do with the media and that our environment also influences us. It is customary for women to ask other women where they got their hair done. But the men in our lives are also very important. First of all, what woman is going to snag a man with unattractive or out of style hair? And like black women, black men have also created a dislike for the natural 70s afro look. Even women of other races and cultures that tend to have beautiful curly or wavy locks are straightening their hair for that typical all American look.


Women are dying their hair not just to be different but to give themselves a certain “look”. Over the past few decades, more and more women have gone blonde because supposedly “blondes have more fun”. When you open up Playboy Magazine, which is also looked up to as the pinnacle of sexy for mostly Caucasian people, most of the women are blonde, which of course influences women to get that look. Not to mention, Marilyn Monroe, who is often thought of as America's longest running beauty icon. Even many women in Asian countries are dying their hair as well to have a more European or American look.Women are willing to spend thousands of dollars to maintain their hair, but can barely pay for their bills.



Using your hair to show individuality:

But I am neither defending nor reprimanding the different uses of hair beauty. I think having all these options have helped in many ways. For people with damaged hair, weaves and wigs help, and for many others it is a way of showing individuality like the pictures above. But I do feel that hair beauty has gone too far. When little children are learning not to love their natural hair and people are using it to cover up their natural hair’s beauty, it shows that it has become a widespread issue.

My progression of weaving, perming, frying, and dying!

                            

TOP 9 RULES TO WEAVING:

1) Always wrap your head at night with a scarf
2) Beyonce said it herself, "Pat your weaves ladies!"...don't be a scratcher
3) Gease your scalp everyday
4) Let's be honest...don't wash it everyday, you WILL damage it
5) If you are wearing a weave make sure your real hair is not ten times nappier than your weave, it just looks tacky
6)  Make sure your wig is not pushed too far back
7)  Do not let your boyfriend run his fingers through your hair
8) Do not be afraid to wear your scarf during the day if you are having a bad hair day, it beats having an ugly looking weave, trust me
9) And if you your hair is all natural, rock it loud and rock it proud!


Chris Rock has a very interesting movie coming out on this very topic called Good Hair coming out October 9. He talks about perming and weaves as well, most especially in the black community, but it really speaks to all people both women and men. It is not only very informative and interesting but hilarious as well.

 Good Hair Trailer:




~{Don't ever touch a black woman's hair!   -quote by :Every black man on earth~}

Which one of my hairstyles is your favorite?

What do you feel about women and weaves in general?

Leave a Comment Below!!