Hair Ramble!

March 2, 2013 by · 8 Comments

So…I’ve realized that there are certain looks I only like “on screen.”  On celebrities, on vloggers, on a movie screen…but on me?  I feel a lil bit silly, albeit glamorous   The wig I just made is one of those looks.  I am so extremely happy with how I constructed the unit and the texture but doggone it…where am I going with all this hair?  The funny thing is, it’s exactly what I envisioned.  My mother actually visited the site to see what it looked like because every time she asks me “What’s going on with your hair these days?” I respond “Well, ya know I have a post on it.”  She died laughing when she saw it.  She knows that I do love big hair – always have – but had to admit it looks like a bit much, even for me.  So here is my dilemma, should I make some adjustments so I’m wearing only about 8-10 ounces of hair or leave it as is for “special” nights.  Such as celebrating my 30th birthday in Miami? *decisions, decisions*

full wig with a closure

Every time I wear fake hair of any kind…some of ya’ll get so bent outta shape.  And some of your reactions are so amusing!  Even if you are anti-weave (which by the way is perfectly fine with me, there are tons of ladies who hate it and have never worn extensions), you should know by now that I’m not.  I enjoy hair as my accessory and right now, I’m swamped and needed something easy that wouldn’t harm my hair due to neglect.  I’m not weave dependent nor do I neglect my real hair while wearing them (in fact I even have videos on weave care & maintenance from start to finish) so what’s the deal with the anger?  It always seems a bit strange when the hair of someone else causes extreme emotions in some people.  Opinions – good and critical are welcomed, but the antagonistic, sometimes passive aggressive comments are just odd.  I’ll be honest with you…until life eases up a bit, I’m gonna be in hiding but I’ll be sure to intersperse some “real hair” posts in between!

best 2012 celebrity hairstyles

I have some new hair from another company that I plan to make another wig with.  Its less expensive hair – still of a decent quality – in a kinky curly texture.  I originally asked for 16-14-12″ bundles but they wanted to send me longer lengths, so I have 18-16-14 and a 14″ closure.  THIS time though I’m going to do a shorter look with a bit less hair so I’ll probably only use the 14 & 16 inch bundles.  Brandy is my inspiration, goodness knows I’ve crushed on this look enough.  I’m excited about it….although it won’t be complete for a while because like I said, I’m busy these days and I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m just not able or into wig making enough to crank them out every week!

You know…I really love the flexibility of wigs.  I mean I still like sew ins, but there are always those random occasions that pop up  for which I want to wear my real hair but am “stuck” with a weave.  With the wigs, it’s nothing to take it off and rock my natural tresses on a whim.  I doubt they will ever completely replace sew ins for me but I must say, I’m digging it right now.  Even just being able to take it off and sleep without a bunch of hair swirling about my head is nice.

Random hair thoughts…thanks for listening!

Filed Under: Hair Chatter · Tagged With:
Soul Seed Tees
  • fujoshifanatic

    I don’t know. It’s such a sensitive subject, especially for us black women. Me personally, I don’t like the overwhelming dependance, even addiction, so many of us have on extensions to feel presentable, protective style or not. And I especially hate the nature of the hair industry that we largely support to feed that dependance.

    The vast majority of the human hair we buy comes from Third World countries off the heads of people who either donated it for religious purposes, never knowing it is going to end up on the heads of vain or insecure women, or who sold it for pennies on the many dollars I would be paying for it to feed their families.

    The only people who make any real money off that hair are largely Asian brokers who view us, the end users, as substandard “monkeys” to exploit and laugh at in our attempts to emulate them by sewing their cast offs on our heads. Knowing all this leaves such a bad taste in my mouth over it all that I would rather do the work to wear what’s growing out of my head than to resort to extensions solely for the look or convenience of them.

    Even if God forbid I was forced to resort to wigs or extensions due to illness, I would go out of my way to look for wigs made of real type 4 hair donated by a black person (does that even exist I wonder?), or wear the best synthetic hair I could find. Many people might think it’s just hair, but there wouldn’t be so much hostility, dishonesty, exploitation, and such large amounts of money to be made off that exploitation if it were simply just hair.

    • http://www.longing4length.com/ EbonyCPrincess

      You bring up great points, thanks for chiming in! But I have a couple points of my own. One, every Black woman doesn’t have type 4 hair, you know? Secondly there are plenty of kinky haired extensions – I’ll be posting about a great company this week that offers ONLY type 3/4 curly hair. And I think less and less Black women are weave dependent, more than every before we have our own long hair beneath the wigs and weaves, hence the growing trend of celebrities tweeting their real hair photos. Just as food for thought, would you rather the majority of us still have short, damaged hair (regardless of whether it is natural or not…my natural hair wasn’t APL or longer) but be weave free? Or use wigs/weaves/extensions to help protect and care for our hair as we grow it long? Something to consider…again thanks for your comments, definitely enjoyed reading!

      • fujoshifanatic

        Thanks! And I agree, not all of us have type 4 hair (my mom and sis have type 3), but I would say that the majority of us do, so it would still be great if they were readily available for those of us who want or need them.

        And I would be intrigued to hear about a company that offers those types of hair, as when I did my own search, I only found companies that offered types 1 and 2 treated to look like type 3, but not 4.

        As for women being less dependent on extensions, I think this is a regional thing. In the Northeast, I would definitely agree with you there. But here in the South, that is definitely not the case. For every 10 Black women I encounter, 8 are wearing a wig or weave, one is relaxed and one is natural (and I think I only see that many naturals because I live in a city with a lot of NY transplants). It’s getting better, but with all the information out there that is available on how to care for our hair, I would think I would see more.

        I totally understand how Black celebrities would need to utilize wigs and extensions to protect their hair in their line of work, but as I said before, with the knowledge that we have now, it’s a shame that more of us don’t make the time and effort to care for and grow our hair without supporting the hair industry.

        I NEVER had hair that grew past my shoulders growing up, but thanks to the knowledge I gained from yours and other blogs and forums, I was able to grow my hair to APL as a natural, and now APL and beyond as a relaxed girl (something I thought was impossible). And I didn’t have to use extensions of any kind ever.

        So I guess in answer to your question, I don’t think that the two options you presented are the only ones available. There’s the one I chose, and honestly the one I would rather see, if only to show that we are not slaves to the Remy. It isn’t easy (Lord knows there are days where I just slip on a cute hat to keep it moving!), but it’s very gratifying to me that I can and enjoy my own hair while taking pride in the fact that I now know how to grow it to where I want. But in the end, it’s what works for me, and I understand YMMV for others. That’s what a personal HHJ is all about!

        Thank you for letting me speak my mind with an open mind and heart, and I think L4L is fun, informative and a pleasure to read. *End of novel-writing* :-)

        • http://www.neishajo.com/ Neisha Jo

          Great comments fujoshifanatic. It’s interesting that you said you find more women in the South are dependent on extensions. I observed the exact opposite to be true. Granted, I do see more people in DC since I take the metro, but I’ve never in my life seen so many women, especially young girls wearing weave. TERRIBLE looking weaves at that. I found relaxed hair to be the norm in the South, with extensions utilized for special occasions (prom, wedding, etc). Your comments lead me to believe you live in ATL?
          Either way, you’re definitely right about some women not taking the time to care for their hair, but I can completely understand their view as well. Dense, coarse hair can be hard to manage (in a timely fashion) and sometimes other things have to take priority. You mention that you have a relaxer. Extensions allow for the same look, without chemicals, heat, or potential breakage from roller sets.
          I used to feel the same as you about fake hair, but you never know you might come around ;)

  • LaQT/ Ty

    Ebony, wow I didn’t know you were wearing this as an everyday look. I do believe its nice, but like you said too much for everyday. You like it so keep it the way it is and rock it with your freakum dress. I always keep a daily wig and a special occasion wig. Just create a lighter look for day wear. Seeing your blog and somewhat knowing you, I know your not weave dependent. We are here promoting healthy hair care, proper weave techniques and care. Why do you have to explain? How many posts, webisodes, a refinterviews, YouTube videos, articles, etc do you have on caring for your hair mainly without weave, but also underneath? Why is your weave a topic? From those of us whon feel indifferent, keep it coming because I am reformed “weave snob” looking to pick your brain for weave tips.

    • http://www.longing4length.com/ EbonyCPrincess

      Oh no, I couldn’t wear it everyday. I wore it out the day I recorded and once to work with it pulled tightly back in a ponytail…then I went with the u-part showed! lol. I know you are so right, why do I have to explain – it’s so weird to me because I definitely show the full scope of caring for our hair regardless of how we choose to wear it, but the comments and responses always come every single time I wear any hair that is not my own. *shrugs* But thanks for the support, I always appreciate you.

  • Lisa

    Interesting post. Didnt know people were so emotional about wigs. I think wigs are a fun and Quick change. I would never wear a wig at work or when shopping or so but for a festive occation i dont see a problem. I have huge afro wig that i used a few Times at parties.

    If you have problems with you hair, or thin hair then i understand a wig is practical. But not if is something people wear cos they are not happy about the nature of their own hair.

    Lisa

  • http://www.neishajo.com/ Neisha Jo

    It is a LOT of hair. Maybe if the curl pattern/texture were different? But it could be fun for nights out. But you’re right, because it was a wig, you could take it off and re-evaluate, all while rocking another style you’re comfortable with. I NEED to make a wig because trying to fit my big head under standard caps is difficult, even with cornrows! PhillyJamzPoet must have a small head…