Q: I was curious to know your opinion on hair weaves? Are they good or bad for your hair? I’ve been natural for a year now, and I find that when I take my sew in out my hair is SO hard to maintain. I have to do a wash n’ go like everyday just to get my curls right! It’s somewhat tedious cause my hair is still in that in between stage. Not long enough for a ponytail when curly…just complicated!
A: Well, I’ll be honest, I have never had a weave in my life, and the reason why is because I have an obsessive need to “check” on my hair. Putting it away where I can’t really see it for months concerns me. But no, I do not think that weaves are bad for your hair – in theory. When worn properly, weaves are a great protective style because your ends are tucked away in order to prevent hair breakage. I think the issue many women have with weaves is that they do not attempt to care for their own hair in any way while it’s weaved up, so when they take the weave out, their hair is very dry. I shudder at the thought of not moisturizing my hair for two months. Also, there is the excess tension on the scalp if the braids are done too tight (yes I am aware that a good stylist alleviates this issue), and sometimes women get straight weaves and leave their natural hair out in the front and flat iron it to go with the weave, then wonder why they only have heat damage at the front of their hair. If you are having issues with your weaves, perhaps start wearing wigs instead (I like wigs because I can take them off at the end of the day and moisturize my hair and make sure my edges are lubricated), or re-evaluate your regimen for caring for your hair while it’s in the weave.
xoxo
questfortheperfectcurl.com 
in a few days i am going to cut my hair down to a twa and the day after i am going to get senegalese twist but i dont know if it would be a good idea becuase im low porosity and not sure if getting moisture in would be completly different than it being out. my question is do you think it would be okay for my low porosity hair and if so do you have any tips to help get the moisture in and just with the twist in general. ( also i would be leaving them in for a month and a half to two months)
Weaves can be bad for your hair if:
You pay them more attention
Care for them “better” your real hair
Cause too much tension on your scalp,
Do not keep your scalp clean, or your hair moisturized,
Keep them in too long.
There are possibly more issues behind this topic but I think the key to hair growth for most black people is less hair manipulation. As a child, our hair, (if we werent raised to “care” about it too much by our parents and or family), wasnt too much of a concern to us. Then when we go older, and cared about it more and more. If many of us had correct guidance and learned better ways to take care of our hair then we would probably not get or want weaves. But if we do want to get one, our hair health should be the number one priority. We should ask ourselves “How can i get that hairstyle without gluing tracks in, sewing tracks too tight or combing my hair too much and have it look like my hair?” Trust me alot of thought and consideration goes into that.
And over time, you learn through independent research and through trial and error whats good and bad for your hair. It might take years but you will find a way. You have to make the weave benefit and work for you. You might have to give or take some circumstances, but make sure they dont jeopardize your hair.
OMG. my hair was soo dry after braids! I think i would like to try a curly sew in but this time i will make sure to keep it moisturized! but how do you keep it moisturized in braids or a sew in?
With braids, even with added hair, you have easy access to your hair and scalp to moisturize it, whether it be with a spray, applying condish down the hair length, washing hair, etc… However, a weave is a bit more difficult, which is why I have never gotten one. I’d probably feel like I wasn’t doing it right and take out the weave in two weeks and waste my money…
Well i now only moisturize my hair with coconut oil. I was using avocado but I realized it made my scalp too flaky and itchy, though it was an excellent moisturizer. But when i wash my hair, I usually put coconut oil, let it air dry then braid it up and put the weave (which is sewn onto a wig cap) on. It gives me: full head coverage, warmth (esp in the winter), and breathability. my hair stays moisturized and even though its not being combed and all that, it still gets a lil dirty so i still wash every 2 weeks. But im doing a U part wig cap now, and im in LOVE. look it up on YouTube.
I too am in the category of never wearing a sew in but I’ve definitely worn braids and wigs before. The thing about me is that I can’t tolerate styles for more than two weeks. I just put mini twists in my hair saturday and i’m already thinking I might take it down by mid next week. I just need to wash my hair and get with it. Alot of people tend to feel like because their hair is underwraps it’s cool to just leave it be, but they definitely find out the hard way that’s not so cool. My friend has been wearing wigs for so long and they have been affecting her hair tremendously so now she HAS to wear them instead of them just being a fun option.
More often than not, I’ve found that (after viewing many blogs, posts, and videos) women who wear weave for EXTENDED periods of time can grow their hair to long lengths, due to the low manipulation of the hair. However, MOST of the women NEVER get to KNOW their hair, and therefore do not and sometimes CANNOT style their OWN hair. There in lies the problem with wearing weaves during growth process.
ive realized this, my hair grew from like neck lenght for me to like my mid back in the middle and should lenght everywhere else, and whenever i wear it out, i just put it in a bun cuz i feel like if i comb it too much or do anythinge xcessive it will start breaking. So i just keep wearing the weaves its like an addiction.
Yes you definitely have to keep your hair moisturized while wearing a weave. A friend of mine recently had a sewn-in taken out and the stylist found a bald spot on her crown. She’s natural but wears her hair straightened all the time, so she fortunately has long enough hair to do a semi-comb over. I’m like Elle, I’ve never had a weave either. I’m also sorta OCD when it comes to my hair so…it’s never been an interest to me personally. However, I’ve had a lot of friends with weaves and it concerns me that their unable to naturally shed the 100 – 120 hairs we’re supposed to lose daily. Like that, to me, would seem to cause some serious tangled and notted hair. Which, in any case, would not make for “good hair”. It’s a wonder your hair would rebel against you.
I think the problem is also when you wear a weave, 2months is a fairly long period and once the weave is out, a lot of women are stuck with having to manage hair that was hidden for 2months so it can be even more problematic taking care of your hair. I read on Curly Nikki that when you go natural try sticking with it for 6months and it’s kind of like a learning period where you find out what works best for your hair (I call this the product junkie stage) that way if you do weave it up, you already know how you’re gonna tackle your hair when it comes out of hibernation. I think any natural can apply this to their hair journey because hair needs often change as time goes by.
That’s also true…I just didn’t want to tell anyone what *I* think they should do with *their* hair outside of things that may damage it (ie, not caring for it in the weave). Some women don’t feel comfortable enough to wear their short hair (or even if it’s longer) out after bc’ing, and I try to respect that.
Ever since I read that if you don’t dry your hair properly it can cause mildew, it scarred me for life lol and like you sometimes I just want to touch my hair, right after going natural I had a weave and the net made my scalp so damn itchy that I just tore it off, wasn’t good for my hair but at least I didn’t have to pat my weave anymore 😛