With extensions in all colors, lengths and textures available to us these days has naturally long hair become irrelevant?
The hair industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. In the past, extensions were targeted directly to black women but these days sales come from all races with women from different backgrounds all wanting a piece of the action. With celebrities and tv adverts constantly bombarding us with images of fantastically shiny and long hair, it’s no wonder that we all want some of that hair extension magic to emulate them.
But are we worshipping our weaves at the expense of our own hair? In this you can find some parallels with the diet industry; The more we diet, the further our waistlines continue to expand. This is simply because the emphasis is put on weight loss rather than being healthy and every year yet another new fad diet is on the market, but I digress. With hair, some ladies are also putting the emphasis on the wrong thing. The health of our hair should be our top priority with extensions as a tool to help us attain it.
As fabulous as weaves are at giving you a new look, it’s not always easy wearing them and there will always be problems associated with wearing extensions all the time.
It can become an expensive habit: Some women become so obsessed with changing their look every couple of weeks. When they see the newest shot of Beyonce wearing different hair, they feel compelled to try it themselves. It takes keeping up with the Joneses to a new level!
You might say that this may not necessarily a bad thing but the cost can quickly add up. It is not uncommon to hear of some women spending upwards of $20,000 per year on their hair extensions. I don’t know about you but I think that’s ridiculous! The whole point of buying the best virgin Indian hair is so that you can wear it again and again.
It’s also important to note the potential risks of extended hair extension wear. Traction alopecia is caused by very tight braiding and women who wear weaves all the time are at a high risk of getting this condition if their braiding technique is not good. Not all of us know how to install our own weaves and as such we have to depend on the wisdom of the stylist and hope that we are in safe hands. All to often however, women complain about losing their edges then being put in a position where they feel they have no choice but to continue wearing weaves to cover the damaged scalp.
No matter how wonderful and natural your weave looks, you will always know that it’s not your own. I’m sorry to say this but there is no substitute for your own hair. If you have a good solid regimen then there is no reason why you cannot continue to wear great looking weaves and use them as a tool to grow your own hair.
Aside from the fact that men prefer women to wear their own hair, your own hair can also be cheaper to look after. Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that your hair is every bit as long as the weave that you are wearing and the only reason you have it on your head is because you want a change of hairstyle. Long natural hair will always be relevant!
