Lori van Echtelt from the Netherlands
If I had a euro for every time a guy called me up and asked me what he can get for his girlfriends hair because “she is wearing a weave and I hate it”. I would be on a private island somewhere. We have seen the explosion of weaves not only within the black community but with white women as well. I can understand that there is a convenience to wearing weaves. It is “get up and go” hair but we are paying an emotional and financial price.
I have dealt with way too many women who are just plain addicted to their weaves. They will not stop weaving their hair even though they are losing their hair to weaving. I have seen women with absolutely no hairlines. First off, not every hairdresser is skilled at weaving. If it is pulling on your hair that is just not good. Some customers like it tight because they feel the weave will last longer. However the weave is pulling on the customers own hair. After a time the customer will develop traction alopecia. What is traction alopecia? It is baldness as the result of pulling on the hair. This can also be caused by tight ponytails and braids. In some cases the hair will not come back. I have seen women in their early 20’s with complete hairline baldness. The scalp is completely smooth, no hair. Hairdressers will see this and ignore this because they are making the money. At this point the customer will then go to lace front wigs because the permanent damage has been done.
Also the hair is often neglected under the weave. Too often when the weave is taken out, a huge amount of hair breaks off. The hair has not been moisturized while wearing the weave. Wearing a weave is not an excuse for neglecting the hair underneath. Sometimes the customers own hair is accidentally pulled out during the weave removal process. It is upsetting.
I had a hairdresser say to me, “why do women wear weaves, it just does not look good”. I told her that she is honest but not all hairdressers are honest. I am against weaves but if you do choose to temporarily wear a weave, it should look undetectable. It should be “be-weaveable”. Nothing looks as bad as a weave that screams fake Asian/Brazilian hair.
Weaves are not a solution to not loving your hair. If you do not love your hair, other people can see it and feel it. You are not fooling anyone. There is an interesting show on TV where they asked total strangers to give their opinion about a person they just saw. It was amazing how accurate they were. We are sending out a message to the world when we step outside the door about how we REALLY feel about ourselves.
Children and weaves…. I am totally against seeing children with weaves. Children are still developing. I think it is just ridiculous to put fake hair in the head of a little girl. She is beautiful just the way she is. She will learn to love herself from her family. I felt beautiful as a little girl because I learned that from my mother. Even though I was an underweight and a bit odd looking. I felt beautiful in the world. If you are a parent, do not let that critical period in a child’s life slip by.
The hair from weaves is often not hygienic. Forensic scientists have found skin cells from the hairs original owner attached to the weave!!! The hair should be washed prior to use. They are treated with chemicals before transport.
Weaves are not an excuse for proper hygiene. I have asked women, “when was the last time that you washed your hair/weave?” and I would hear silence. The smell of the weave was just stomach turning. A weave should be in for a short time, not for 6 months!
The amount of money that we are spending to walk around with someone else’s hair is staggering. Really.
I cannot stop thinking about the economically disadvantaged women who shave their hair because they need the money. We as women know how emotional hair is. I could not walk around with that energy on my head.
I have worn weaves in the past. I stopped when my partner told me how it really looked. I thank him for his honesty. Sometimes the truth hurts. Never again for me.
Please visit the following link “Whose Hair is it anyway?” By pop artist Jamelia. It is a 6 part video
If you need help breaking your weave addiction, do not hesitate to contact me via Mariposa Import. I have helped so many women to end their weave addiction and to enjoy the freedom of their own beautiful hair.
Love Your Hair!
Lori
Mariposa Import
Lori van Echtelt is the owner and founder of Mariposa Imports (MI), based in the Netherlands. She was on the Black Women in Europe™ 2010 Power List. Mariposa Import started in February 2004. It is the first and original shop focused on curly and frizzy hair in Western Europe. MI specializes in unique, high quality, hair and skin products from America and Afrika. We only sell products we ourselves use. The products we sell do not contain mineral oil or petrolatum, ingredients which block moisture absorption by the hair. We select products is based on our personal experience and that of our friends.
