True story, I was in a nail shop once where I overheard a conversation between a white client and an Eastern European nail tech on the subject of hair. The client said it must be an inconvenience for black women to wear weaves and a painful process.
I was in a different room, but when I was done with my pedicure, I made sure to give them a proper explanation of why we resorted to such measures. I politely told them that I overheard their conversation about the topic and wanted to let them know that wigs and weaves weren’t an inconvenience or burden for us at all.
She looked a little embarrassed, but I did smile and even made a joke about frying your natural hair to keep it straight all the time. We ended the conversation with smiles, but it made me wonder how many people actually thought the same thing.
My name is Lauren, and as a black woman and hairstylist, I have found wigs to be a saving grace in my life and the lives of others. While everyone has their own theory on this matter, I’m going to give you actual reasons on why black girls wear wigs.
This article is meant to be informative, fun, and a way to educate those who have always wanted to know the answer to this question. Keep reading to learn more!
Why do Black Girls Wear Wigs (5 Main Reasons)
Here are a few of the many reasons why black girls wear wigs. While these may not be the only reasons, they are some of the ones that are widely agreed upon.
Damage Control
As some may think, you don’t have to be bald or have short hair to wear wigs. In fact, many black girls that wear wigs have long and healthy hair. Many credit the reason to the protection of their natural hair that a wig will give them.
Protective styles are becoming all the rage when it comes to having healthy and lengthy locks. It’s not about what your hair can do for you, but what you can do for your hair. Wearing a protective style keeps your hair healthy from heat, chemicals, and climate.
Wigs give you the freedom to curl, straighten, color, and bleach your hair without putting your natural hair at risk for an onslaught of problems like dryness, breakage, and thin hair. Just knowing that this is an option is a reason of its own to wear wigs.
New Era
Long gone are the days of relaxers and perms, or as some might call it, that creamy crack. The new era of the natural hair trend has come, and it looks like it is here to stay. However, some may disagree that the natural hair trend is new and maybe we didn’t take as much notice as we should’ve all along.
When the knowledge of how bad relaxers and perms were for your hair popped up, it spread like wildfire. The chemical straightener was boycotted and many of us turned to alternative options, leaving our hair in its natural state.
While this turned out to be the better option, in the long run, getting blowouts and flat ironing our hair brought on a new set of problems, heat damage. Not only did our curl pattern change with the use of heating it constantly, but breakage was an unwanted bonus.
Wigs gave us the opportunity to wear our hair straight without the use of chemical or heat options. This would change the hair industry and even grew our affinity towards wigs, weaves, and extensions as a whole.
Convenience
Nothing beats spending half your day in a salon to look beautiful, said no one ever. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to get pampered here and there, but time can be a precious commodity.
I can remember the amount of times I spent spinning around in the salon chair to stare back at that beautiful woman in the mirror. It’s a great feeling to have a new do and walk out of the salon looking like a million bucks. While this is something that I do enjoy, I really enjoy having more time to get up and go.
Wigs offer the convenience of the salon, minus the time spent. The beauty of wearing a wig is that it comes pre-styled if it’s synthetic, or you can style it yourself if it’s human.
Wigs have spoiled us. Not only do we have more time to do other things, but that convenience has gone a long way when it comes to the upkeep of our hair.
Savings
Who doesn’t love a good splurge when it comes to beauty? Things can get costly when it comes to maintenance and keeping our beauty regime intact. Going to the salon every month nowadays is a luxury if you can afford it.
Wigs let your wallet take a break from this expense however often you do it. Having a quality wig might even keep you out of the salon for months at a time. However, I recommend still seeing a professional stylist trimming your ends and general upkeep of your natural hair while you wear wigs.
With more money in your wallet, you can spend it on other things or just save it in general. Also, with a few different wigs in your collection, you might not even step into a salon at all.
Style
Wigs are a fashion statement. Maybe today I want to wear my hair short in a pixie cut and tomorrow wear it long and flowing down my back. Wigs allow us black girls to rock a new do in a matter of minutes.
If you’ve ever played dress-up as a child, then you know the feeling of transformation and the joy you feel. I love the compliments I get when I’m wearing a different wig and all the looks and stares make me feel like a brand new person.
The opportunity to feel beautiful in any hairstyle is a confidence that you can only get from wearing wigs. It’s like Halloween every day and I get to pick who I want to be. That may be a bit extreme, but switching your wig style isn’t.
Wrap Up
Black girls wearing wigs and weaves are really no one’s business. Other ethnicities have adopted wigs and weaves, and it’s not really a conversation piece. While this article lists common reasons that may answer this question, we really don’t need a reason at all to wear wigs outside of it being a personal choice.
Regardless, I hope this article sheds some light on this topic and will give you some insight on this subject. If you have anything to add, share it in the comments below. Stay flawless.