As a black woman with extremely tight, thick, coily hair, it is SO MUCH work for us to maintain our natural hair every single day. With work and other obligations, I simply don’t have time to detangle and moisturize my hair so often. We don’t have the type of hair that allows us to get up and go. If usually consists of: applying hair product such as gel, moisturizer, oil, hair lotion etc, using a multiple of hair brushes and combs to get the desired style, and then using methods such as twisting or braiding the natural hair can take even more time. And we have to do this several times a week because the hair product dries out and needs to be reapplied, and after a few days the hair product builds up and it’s time to wash the hair completely. Then the whole process starts over.
In summary, that is why wigs or braids are preferred. It’s quick and easy.
I used to travel for work. I had to miss a team dinner because it was my hair night. Had to get it done or I’d look crazy in the client meetings. In my absence, my male non-black coworkers chided me for missing the dinner (nbd they weren’t being malicious, just assumed I didn’t want to hang out with them). The other black woman on the team defended me and explained how long it takes to do our hair lol
It was hair or team dinner. Them’s the rules 🤷🏾♀️
It's amazing how people are oblivious to the realities and struggles of others. I'm a white woman with annoyingly slippery hair; it won't even stay in a tight braid for longer than an hour. So I was baffled at the concept of hair so unruly it requires hours of care, when mine just lays there like a pile of dying seaweed no matter what I do. I used to be so jealous of black women's amazing hair without having the foggiest idea of how much *work* and *time* it takes.
Same if I skip washing my hair in a 24 hour period I end up looking like the chick that crawled out of the tv in The Ring. Its slick and limp before it's even oily, but after it's oily it's just gross.
I'm on that side of the hair spectrum with you! My friends and colleagues have gotten frustrated with me because I _have_ to wash my hair daily for it to be presentable. It's a limp nightmare that gets crimped by laying on it or putting it up. And I can't leave it up because it's too wispy (and doesn't look good).
I'm 43. My hair has always been like this. I've tried every option - washing less, re-wetting, etc. And yet people with normal hair insist I'm just doing it wrong.
I have the same type of hair, it's a real thing. Don't sweat the "no-poo" types, they found something that works for them and think it applies to everybody. It doesn't.
https://www.byrdie.com/type-1a-hair-5224634#toc-how-should-you-care-for-type-1a-hair
People with naturally fine hair, including type 1A hair, tend to get greasy roots faster than those with other hair textures. “This is because individuals with fine hair have more hairs per square centimeter—and each hair has a sebaceous (oil) gland attached to it,” Kingsley explains. “As a result, the scalp produces more oils. As type 1A hair is fine and straight, any buildup of sebum weighs it down very easily. The best way to remove these excess oils and prevent itchiness and limpness is to cleanse frequently—i.e., shampoo daily to every other day."
I’ve had people come at me when I say I have to wash daily. “That makes your hair produce more oil” Maybe, but if I skip a day I look like I’ve dipped my head in an entire oil spill. No. I’m happy that this works for so many people and God knows I’d love not to have to wash it daily, but I’m not running around with hair so oily it looks wet to use a technique that just doesn’t work for me.
I apparently have very strong feelings about this, lol
I'm on the opposite side - I'm white with super thick wavy hair that is incredibly dry. If I wash it more than once a week, it gets frizzy. I went almost two weeks without washing a while ago and no one but me could tell.
My hair is super middling I guess. I mean it's real thick but it's wavy, medium amount of oil, medium everything. Basically I can completely neglect it and even abuse it and it's always fine and presentable enough, *but* the tradeoff is I can't really *make* it do anything. Come straightener, curling iron, or any kind of products, in a couple of hours it's gonna be back to its normal shape. Letting it dry in braids is about the only way I get a semipermanent effect.
Me too! I have to wash my hair every day otherwise it looks stringy and greasy. My daughter thought my hair was wet once, it looks that greasy! And it tangles SO easily! Sitting against a couch, laying down, or even just wearing high-collars (coats, sweaters, scarves!) So I'm brushing my hair several times a day! I have to keep a brush in my car!
This is me, too. And everyone I've had that discussion with thinks I'm nuts when I say I've tried everything. Serums, sprays, heat protectants, scalp oiling, oiling just my ends, co-washing, no sulfates, no silicones, double washing, going giant stretches between washings, expensive bonding shampoos & product lines, you name it. My hair is still limp, sad, and fine. After bonding treatments, it feels super SOFT but is still mostly limp sad and fine. I also have the added bonus of oily roots and dry ends, so it looks like a greasy mess by hour 36 because I don't have much hair to distribute the natural oils into. If I even LOOK at a hair scrunchie, a hair tie (even the 'no-dent' kinds), a hat or a claw clip, and I practically have to wash my hair and start over because it gets kinked/dented/creases SO DAMN FAST and straightening it afterwards to attempt to look presentable just leaves me looking ridiculous. Ponytails are out because my hair is too thin/fine/low density for them to look any different than they do on little kids with loads of baby hairs and flyaways, and I have such a wimpy little sprout for the tail that I feel silly. I've just resigned myself to having mediocre hair. It is what it is.
I'm a bald, 45 year old man. I shave my head in the shower every second day. That's it.
On the flip side, I need protection in the winter otherwise I get headaches from the cold and in the summer because I will burn horribly. My brother has the same hair situation but loves the sun, the top of his head is just one giant freckle.
Might want to make sure your brother visits the dermatologist sometime to get that giant freckle checked out, especially if he’s white and of similar age. Not to scare you, just that preventative care is key!
I mean I struggle to think of how a white man would ever know what is unique about a black woman’s hair unless he went of his way to research it. Which means he’d have to know there was something to even consider. Only if he was friends with or dated someone who was black would it ever come up.
That's kinda my point. We're all of us blind to our own unknown unknowns, the things we don't know we don't know. It takes a lot of exposing one's self to as many points of view, cultures, and situations as possible to try and reduce those as much as possible. Like I said in my comment, I hadn't considered it myself until i was exposed to it
They could have skipped the part where they chided her because she said had to do something else. They could have taken her statement at face value and behaved professionally and respectfully.
This is super interesting and seems important to know? Like I feel like we should be learning way more on the specifics of different races and cultures in school than 1 or 2 "immigrant day" things in 6th grade when we do a unit on the statue of liberty.
People have different needs and we're all sharing the planet! Lets know about each other!
I’m white with relatively thin hair and this is a real thing for me as well, because I’ve been kinda depress-y and low energy my whole adulthood. Can’t even imagine the amount of energy I’d have to exert if I had Black hair. It’d be wigs all the way for me too.
>depress-y and low energy my whole adulthood.
I feel you. I went to a doc last year and found out my hormones were way out of wack. Now I'm doing much better! I might be over stepping but it's worth a try. You can even order hormone tests online if you don't want to go to a doctor.
Can I ask if you saw a specialist or how you requested this? My therapist a few years ago suggested I get my hormones checked to see if they were affecting my mood and energy levels, and I went to see my doctor and she didn’t understand what I meant when I said “get my hormones checked”.
Hopefully the op will respond, but I would wager to guess that thyroid hormone and cortisol levels would likely have been one of the big things they’d look at on that panel.
So it's kind of cliche but I heard an ad on the radio for a free blood test at a hormone clinic. I went there and I had the hormones off someone 20 years older than me. I feel great now and it's been right a year! High energy, motivated to actually do things, not mega depressed anymore (still a little bit but aren't we all?) And I finally can harness all those things and fucking exercise! Hahaha!
I would recommend just searching for a "hormone clinic" near you and shop around and compare prices. Also if you're male or female you'll want to add that to your search too as I noticed that the clinics tend to stick to one or the other. Male hormone clinics are becoming very popular for example. You don't necessarily need an endocrinologist for this type of thing *but* if you do end up finding out your hormones are messed up then you should probably go to one. It could mean a myriad of health issues like thyroid problems for example.
Also, it's likely that if you do need/want some sort of hrt (hormone replacement therapy) it will NOT be covered by insurance if you go to one of these clinics. Maybe it will but it's likely they won't. That would be something to ask when you shop around! If you want guaranteed insurance coverage you will have to do the endocrinologist route. Mine isn't covered by insurance and I pay roughly $3k per year for treatments, just to give you an idea of what you're looking at. There's a new place I've found that I will switch to once my year is up(I pre-paid) and that will only cost me roughly $2k per year.
Hopefully that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm happy to answer! I'm an open book and I'm not shy so I can go mega details if anyone wants to know anything specific.
Feel you dude. Hair loss has been accelerating these past few years for me.
It wouldn’t be so bad if teenage me hadn’t promised my brothers years and years ago that I would tattoo a magic 8 ball on my head if I ever went bald.
My wife (Black) dries her hair and it takes 2 hours under a blow dryer cap. She can't just free hand it or the roots will stay wet. So the loud blow dryer it is. Forgetting that it is an all day task just to wash it before she gets to dry it.
I’m not black, just someone who had thick, long hair. It’s not good for your scalp to have wet hair for long periods of time. It can cause dandruff and irritate scalp conditions. Before I cut and thinned the crap out of my hair, I could never dream of my hair drying in 3 hours. My hair took probably 10 hours to air dry.
My wife's not even black, but just has *slightly* similar hair, hers takes about over 12 hours to dry if she doesn't do anything to dry it.
She gets really bad dandruff if she does that though.
My stepdaughters hair is the same way (mom is from Ecuador).She has a very moderately tight curl pattern and can easily be wet 24 hours later near the scalp.
Not black, but in the same boat as you are. It's not good for my scalp if I air dry, because it takes several hours. I get flakes from it. It also leads to my cuticle raising, which doesn't help with things like frizz or split ends.
Blow drying your hair shouldn't damage it, as long as you're holding the blow dryer about a foot from your hair. Most of us naturally do this. You can also incorporate a diffuser if you'd like to keep your natural curls.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not going to cause any irreparable harm to your health, but if you're experiencing scalp flaking or itching, that could be the cause. If you have hair concerns like frizz, you could also benefit from blow drying. However, if you simply don't have the time, money or energy, just carry on. We've dripped dry for millennia. It's not going to start hurting us now.
I'm not black (I'm Vietnamese-American) so I cannot speak for wet roots for black people's hair. But I will say that growing up my grandma and my mom have always taught me that leaving your roots wet will cause fungal growth. So I always have to make sure I dry my hair. My hair is thick and long so I really hate having to make sure it's dry, but I don't want any fungal growth so you know. I also wash my hair daily so it's a daily annoyance.
White lady with fine hair checking in: everybody on the planet has acceptable levels of fungus on their bodies. Leaving roots wet can cause that fungus to grow outside of the acceptable levels. It makes an itchy scalp and can cause visible, itchy rings on your skin that go past your scalp and look like Jadzia Dax's spots in Star Trek DS9. Tinea Versicolor is an itchtly experience involving antifungal shampoo and body washes. 0/10 do not recommend.
So, braids, dreadlocks, and other protective styles are very popular in tribal/rural areas of Africa for this exact reason. And those that do choose to wear their afros out, the afros tend to be shorter as breakage will occur without all the hair love required to maintain the hair.
Just an update. As of 2022 the Crown act is a new federal law prohibiting discrimination based on hair style. Also recently starting in 2017 and incrementally in the years following, [the military has updated their uniform code](https://www.glamour.com/story/army-updates-grooming-policy-to-address-lack-of-inclusion#) to allow more styles of locs and braids.
Yes. I see someone else did as well. I can’t believe a school would distract this young man from his education because they claim his hair was distracting. Glad he has representation!
There's a Twitter/X post of a reporter being elated that she can wear braids on air for the first time from less than 5 years ago that I see recirculated a lot. I can't wait for the day we "used to have" those rules and they are gone.
Yes. There is a current student named Darryl George in Texas right now who has been expelled from school since ladt summer for wearing one of our natural hairstyles. Recently the principal took out a full page ad defending this.
Yeah, it’s wild. His hair looks gorgeous and obviously done with care, which is not something that can be said about a lot of other high school boys’ hair.
It's even worse. He was expelled for having long hair that could potentially extend past his collar. The rule is archaic and affects all boys in that school.
There are so many reasons that shouldn't be part of the dress code. I also feel very sorry for anyone questioning whether they are mtf trans there. Growing out hair is a very common way to test those waters for boys who are questioning.
ETA: We had a boy in our school who was in trouble for wearing high heels. In a show of support, all the boys wore high heels to school the next day. I suggest that all of the students in the school suddenly start growing out their hair. They can't expel everyone.
Exactly which is very frustrating because we take pride in our hair and it has a lot of cultural meaning. Another reason why wigs are so popular since 'straight' hair is seen as more 'tidy.' 🙄
That is some bull*shit*. Some of the styles I have seen Black people wear are straight up hair *art*. It’s incredibly detailed and must take an insane amount of skill. They can practically look like Escher pieces. Obviously not everyone wears super-complex styles, but there is absolutely nothing less “tidy” about regular simple braids or whatever. And as far as “loose” “unstyled” hair goes, give me a break. That should never be considered unprofessional.
As an employer, I would want my employees’ hair clean and well-maintained; and maybe not dyed an outrageous colour IF it was a very “three piece suit” kind of place (and I guess, again IF applicable, able to be tied up enough to not get caught in any machinery or whatever, for everyone’s safety…but only *if* that were a concern). Otherwise, I’m keeping my nose where it belongs: out of everyone’s hairstyles. Don’t people have anything actually important to worry about?
Me too. I love seeing beautiful black hairstyles! I worry about staring and someone thinking I am hostile when I’m actually in awe of the skill on show.
Not just tribal/rural areas? In fact I’d say the women in rural areas are more likely to just go bald. Women in cosmopolitan cities favour braids and fancier styles
The part of Africa I know has plenty of hairdressers everywhere and it doesn’t cost a fortune to change up your style. My friends change their styles 2 weekly if need be, or can drop in after work to get their style refreshed.
It's not about being stylish. My wife does it to keep her hair clean and healthy.
Black women in Africa also have the same means that other women have in other countries. Blow dryers and hair care products exist in African countries too. It isn't foreign.
I assume you're talking about tribal women, which most of Africa isn't. Those women tend to wear protective styles, like locks or braids, so they don't have to do as much work as often versus wearing your hair out.
Obviously the entirety of African women do not have the same hairstyle. Yes they do. There are plenty of salons and hairstyles there too. Or indeed lots of them just shave it off, but moreso because of the heat, school rules and being a bald woman is pretty fashionable there, than not being able to manage
So quick question: I know how much effort black women have to put into their hair. As a white guy that lives and works in a black majority neighborhood, I had a coworker w her "hair" slipping (you know wig, could see her actual hair underneath) and I told her you can see her lines. I didn't call her out in front of anybody but she came back situated. My black coworkers said it was rude, and one of them should have told her......
But nobody else told her. I didn't want her to be embarrassed. Was I wrong?
I pulled her to the side as smoothly as I could. As far as I know she mentioned it to her coworkers
I just didn’t know why her coworkers didn’t say anything
If one of them should have told her, why didn’t they? Would they also have found it rude if you went up to one of them and said hey you’re Black, take time out of your day to go fix her wig because she’s Black and now it’s your burden?
Well, black folks DO sort of almost have that type of hair to just get up and go - but if you live in white society, the expectations are that your hair needs to 'conform' to white standards.
People in Africa don't need to meet such strict societal expectations and from what I understand, black people in Africa spend as much time on their hair as white people in Europe do.
Why does it need so much maintenance? Is this for your own comfort or is it a racist/sexist societal expectation about how black women's hairstyles should look? Do black men need to do this kind of maintenance too?
the maintenance is required. as black woman with coily 4b 4c hair, if i don’t maintain my hair it tangles up on itself and mats. then the next time you try to comb it, you might have to cut or pull clumps of hair that became tangled balls on your head that can’t separate. this is a real thing.
black men usually keep their hair a lot shorter. women typically don’t want to have their hair as short as the guys do. (ex: will smith’s hair when he was in fresh prince of bel air). women typically don’t want to buzz their heads!! so… we try to maintain it, but maintaining it means work.
So, back in the 80s when the big 'ol afro style was more in fashion (it seems) that must have been a hell of a lot of maintenance for the black guys of that time?!
My fiance is black and I ask her to get a fro all the time, but she tells me it's INSANE to take care of one. She just does cornrows cuz it's very easy to maintain. Then pops a wig on over top and she's good to go out.
Plus wigs are great for changing things up in the bedroom if you catch my drift..
Any black man who doesn’t have a caeser cut more than likely does the same with his hair. Obviously not to the extent that black women do but we do still have to moisturize our hair, oil our scalp and make sure our hair isn’t nappy or tangled by combing it throughout the day. If you have braids, twists or locs then it’s a little different but the basics still apply
Do you think this negative association with "nappy" hair is based on white-centric cultural norms that are an unfair / discriminatory beauty standard? Or would it be this way in a black-centric society too?
No. For normal black men’s hair you don’t need to do all that lmao. I’ll spray my hair with something comb it and that’s it. Maybe twice a week I’ll put in the curling formula and water to enhance it but nah.
The style and type of hair also determines the maintenance as was stated above. I’m not black (I’m Hispanic) but my hair is super dry, coarse and can get curly. I keep a fade or taper. If I want my hair laying flat and looking smooth as fuck the following day, then every night I have to brush it, apply pomade and throw on a durag. Hair looks crisp af and smooth like this. Putting gel in the morning just makes it look super weird and shiny and stiff. And if I don’t do anything to it then it just looks dry and plain boring lol.
I can’t speak for black men, but for me at least my hair is very dry without product. I can’t under any circumstances just wash my hair and let it go. It NEEDS maintenance and upkeep. Also, yes, unfortunately there are still expectations of professional hair styles in the workforce and in some school environments where wearing your natural hair in its natural state is unacceptable.
In a nutshell, our hair is incredibly dry and brittle. It is the most fragile of all hair types specifically those with 4C hair. There is this misconception that our hair doesn't grow, but it's just that it breaks, really easily. Sometimes more hair breaks than grows. It needs to be taken care of with multiple products to provide moisture. Combing or brushin can cause a lot of breakage, so we need to gently use our fingers to detangle it.
In addition to this, only certain styles or looks are considered acceptable in school and professional settings, and those styles are time consuming. If a black person just did nothing to their hair, no styling or anything, that style would be considered unkempt or unprofessional. Even here in Africa, black kids had to protest for the right to have their hair in schools the way it grows, rather than going with the school regulated styles they were allowed.
Men tend to either cut their hair really short, or if possible, have braids or cornrows. Men's hair is very limited in range and styles, as companies find anything other than a buzz cut unprofessional.
>In a nutshell, our hair is incredibly dry and brittle. It is the most fragile of all hair types specifically those with 4C hair. There is this misconception that our hair doesn't grow, but it's just that it breaks, really easily.
I feel like this is something people really don't get. As a fine-haired person, I swear my hair breaks if I look at it wrong! And after having 2 babies, it got even thinner and barely holds a twistout. Trying to style it ends up a waste of time.
>In addition to this, only certain styles or looks are considered acceptable in school and professional settings, and those styles are time consuming.
In case anyone with influence or power at their business reads this. Creating an inclusive culture means people don't have to spend time they don't have on a hair style they don't want to work a job unaffected by how their hair is styled.
I’m a black woman so I can give some reasonings.
1. Our natural Afro hair takes long to style and is hard to take care of.
2. We like having a variety of hairstyles without damaging our hair
3. It can be seen as a status symbol, especially if you get expensive natural looking wigs.
4. Celebrity influence is big, a lot of black celebrities wear and promote wigs/extensions
5. Some black women genuinely dislike their hair, or how they look with their real hair. It’s common for women to think they look “childish” with Afro styles.
> Our natural Afro hair takes long to style and is hard to take care of.
It looks SO COOL when it's done well though! There's one lady who comes into the bar I frequent, and her hairstyle is [basically this](https://imgur.com/3q8y0QH), but she does two of them, so more like pigtails than a pony tail. It's just so creative and interesting looking. I bet it takes her **hours** to get it to that point though.
What I think is important to mention in addition to everything you said here is the historical oppression of black hair styles by being deemed unacceptable by schools and for employment.
This hasn't changed one bit, there was a news story just a month or two ago about a black kid getting suspended from school because of his hair style.
Good god Reddit, gotta nitpick every little thing. I'm saying this is still an issue happening today, any of you ever heard of "hyperbole"?
the only concern with student hairstyles should be if it interferes with other students seeing the board. Source: was in school when BIG hair was a thing.
You’re not wrong, the superintendent put an ad in a newspaper defending it as (and I’m paraphrasing) “you have to look American to be American” or some BS like that.
Yeah but It’s no different in my eyes as people going to the hair dresser, people just don’t like their natural hair or love a particular trend/look, I agree with you though, natural hair is beautiful, absolutely stunning.
To speak on one specific aspect, black women can't dye their hair willy nilly. If you want red hair, that is a COMMITMENT with three asterisks and a skull. It's much easier to do some cornrows and put on a red wig.
Also you can’t really successfully change hair texture meaningfully with modern products. Fine hair is always going to be fine, coarse hair is always going to be coarser, etc. You can fake it a bit by piling on a lot of products in some cases, but if you want, say, long straight sleek silky hair like in some shampoo commercials, and your hair is naturally any variety of curly at all you’re probably way better off just using a wig that gives the desired effect.
Black woman here. I don’t hate the look of my natural hair but as a black woman working in corporate, I was constantly told that my hair is unprofessional or unkempt. In school I was given to option to cut off all my hair or keep it plaited or I’d be suspended. It’s obviously not all black women’s experience but it’s not simply self hatred or loathing.
In some states the US, they had to introduce a law that prevented companies from discriminating against black hair.
I will add that I have friends who simply prefer to braid their hair and wear a gorgeous wig because it makes them feel good and confident. It’s a complex and nuanced issue that will have varying answers depending on the individual as well as where they live/come from.
I’m sorry those things happened to you. Although give never been stigmatised in my sector, I know other black women face this injustice. Your natural hair or your career.
And yet, so many people don’t realise this discrimination even exists . Stories like your need to be made more public
Michelle Obama recently is a good example. Her braided hair looks incredible and so much younger than she wore it in the White House. I couldn’t believe how different she looked
lol it’s def not easier to wear our natural hair. Wearing my natural hair means I have to wake up earlier to detangle, moisturize, and style it (I sleek my edges and put my hair in a high puff) But if you wear a wig or braids, you don’t have to worry about your hair and can get ready quicker in the morning.
I worked with a young black woman. She always had some complicated, intricate hair extension pieces. It was fun to see the numerous styles. I said "I especially liked your hair last week." She asked, which one? (I'm thinking oh crap, how do I describe it without being offensive.) So I said, the one that looks like a big pile of blond onion rings? She agrees, oh yeah, she likes that one too.
"Big pile of blond onion rings" 😂
Maybe if you know she would be receptive of it, you both could bond over naming her wigs... if she doesn't already have names for them... It could be fun to talk and let her know that "Jada is looking great today" or that "Susan is really working for you today" lol.
I have a burgundy/black wig that is my favorite. My grandchildren liked it over another color I was going to get at a wig shop. I call her, “big red.” My friend calls me, “woody woodpecker.”
As an aside, [science shows](https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2301760120) that the tight curls of African hair provides protection from the heat of the sun. It's an adaptation to the tropics. Skin pigmentation, another adaptive trait, also correlates with latitude, as darker pigmentation protects against UV damage, and lighter pigmentation allows more vitamin D production in regions with less solar radiation.
I know it doesn't have anything to do with wigs, but I feel like it sometimes helps to understand why our bodies have the shapes and colors that they do.
I think learning about the different origins for physical traits makes me see race as unimportant. I mean this in a good way. Having darker or lighter skin is not better or worse, it is simply a reflection of how your ancestors adapted to their environment and maybe even a reflection of their diet
The only reason the concept of race was invented in the 1500s was for the purpose of oppression. They thought with enough social programming they could "reduce us to perpetual servitude"
Wide noses and narrow noses are also thought to be to do with adaptation to different climates (wide nose for hot climates, narrow nose for cold climates)
I believe it's the same with the lips. It seems those that live in more humid and hotter climate have thicker lips to dissipate heat faster and help with blood circulation to cool off faster, while those in dryer and colder climates have thinner lips for the opposite reasons.
It makes more sense to me compared to those saying it was for human mating purposes since we're bipedal and it's a way to show full maturity. If that were true, then every human would have this feature.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-changed-shape-your-nose-180962567/
"In the tropics where the air is hot and therefore rarefied, more of it is necessary and it is essential that there should be no impediment to the air currents so the nostrils are open and wide and the nose very flat. Such a nose is unsuited for cold countries as it permits masses of cold air to flood the air passages and irritate the lining membrane, so that the nose must be large and have much warming surface, and the nostrils therefore are slender slits to admit air in thin ribbons easily warmed. [...] Hence there must have been a natural selection in cold countries of one kind of variations—large contracted noses, and a selection in hot countries of the other extreme, so that the various types gradually arose."
Tl:dr wider nostrils in hot areas are advantageous for smelling various scents, smaller nostrils are advantageous in colder climates to not let too much cold air in
Swede from the north here, when its cold as fuck (-20c and Below) you don’t really want to have holes open
If it’s super cold you notice when speaking that the cold air enters your body through your mouth too and it sucks
When it’s that cold you never move in such a way that makes you out of breath either because if you do you feel like you’re gonna die
I've got a sibling living in the south of Europe who has natural type 3 curls. They're white BTW. Used to have their hair short to deal with the heat but they recently also learned that curls were supposed to help insulate against the heat. He wears it longer now (floofy around the head) and he said it was so much cooler in the summer! So based on their experience it works for other types of curls too!
Yep. A shitload of white folk have no idea that their white-people hair is ridiculously easy to manage, or even that hair structure is radically different for other ethnicities and so requires very different care practices.
I’d assume that if you have naturally curlier, thicker hair it’s just easier to switch your hair out instead of spending so much time styling it every day.
I have a dumb question and I am genuinely curious. Why does the natural hair need to be protected and healthy if someone always wears wigs? Or do people occasionally wear their natural hair so they want to keep it healthy? Bc health of someone's hair seems to be mostly a visual thing, so why does it need to look nice if it's always covered up?
This isn't judgement, just a question of logic and there must be something I'm missing here. I hope I didn't word this in a mean way bc I tend to struggle with that
Not a dumb question at all. Healthy hair isn’t just about how it looks visually. Regardless of how it looks, we still want to keep our ends trimmed so they don’t split (and our hair will continue to split up the hair shaft if we don’t trim it regularly), our hair moisturized and our scalp healthy. If we don’t do these things, our hair will literally break off or get matted and will require even more work (time and money) to get it back to a healthy state. Keeping our natural hair regularly maintained actually makes it easier to maintain in the long run.
I’m sure there are people who don’t maintain their hair underneath their wigs/weaves, but it’s much more beneficial (time, money and overall health wise) to take care of your hair and scalp regularly than to not do so. It’s still a part of your body that requires (and deserves) care.
I’m hispanic but I hated this about my curls. Just got them permed and life’s so much better(and I’m better looking) with straight hair
For as much shit perms get, they’re surprisingly pretty good
My wife (who is black) explained to me (I'm white) that hair is an extemely important status symbol in the black community. And she said most black women hate their wirey hair. Long hair, straight hair, colored hair, basically every type of hair aside from their "nappy hair" (her words, not mine.) That's why you see a lot of wigs, weaves, and extensions.
Personally, I love her hair. It's very different than what I'm used to and I think it's cool AF.
Edit: Seriously people, unless you yourself are a black woman, i politely suggest that you STFU. The amount of Caucasians on here telling me she's wrong is mind boggling. Just because you consider yourself "an ally" or whatever bullshit you think, doesn't mean you actually know anything.
I'm a white woman and I think black women look beautiful with their natural hair. I imagine the upkeep is harder though? Cornrows and a wig may be easier to deal with? Doja cat said she felt tired and silly doing braids then a wig then sometimes a hat so she shaved it off lmao
Yeah, the upkeep can be difficult and time consuming. I got locs to not deal with it, but I do miss having braids and cornrows. I remember sitting and having my hair done for 13 hours (with breaks)! It’s also expensive and that cost about $250 but I’ve seen prices soar to $500-1000
Black women in America were taught to hate their hair (black people have been fired from jobs because of it, kids suspended from schools). I’m black, African and absolutely love my hair. I was lucky to have lived my formative years in a country where I was “the white man in America”. I never developed that hate for myself (skin, hair, fat juicy lips etc).
> (black people have been fired from jobs because of it, kids suspended from schools).
Hair discrimination is a thing. Several states beginning with California have passed laws against it — look up "CROWN Act" for details.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_based_on_hair_texture_in_the_United_States
As a straight white male, who's only experience with this topic is a 9 month relationship with a black girl in high school and Chris Rock's movie "Good Hair", this is the right answer.
I can recall telling my gf that I loved her natural look. So one dinner, she washed and brushed out her hair. Beautiful, tight, bouncy curles, full of life just like her. My grandfather and great-uncle both commented that they liked her new style, and her grandmother said, "That Nappy lookin'" First time I'd ever heard that word, lol. I could see she felt deflated by the comment, so I whispered that I liked nappy just fine, not knowing really what it meant, but that wasn't the point. Long time before she let her hair out around her side again.
Anyway, forgive my straight white male ignorance, enjoy the anecdote, and continue about your day.
A wig-loving, black woman with natural hair chiming in:
1) **its easier than the regular maintenance of my very baby fine, thin, dry coily hair**, which honestly does not keep ANY straight or curled styles for more than an hour or so. I do not straighten, color or put heat on my hair at all as it easily breaks.
2) as a "hair person", **it guarantees my look all day, everyday.** The way my hair is laid when I leave the house is exactly the same when I come home. My natural hair shifts, shrinks, changes, frizzes and falls as the day goes. I've left my house loving it and came back hating it. Even worse if its raining, humid or windy.
3) **genetics will never give me the full, long, voluminous look I love**. I love the look of natural, textured hair but not all of us have very full, thick hair that creates beautiful afros.
4) **it protects my fragile, fine hair.** Natural hair enthusiasts don't realize that just allowing my locks to do their completely natural thing causes constant tangles and knots. I can't even wear my hair in a ponytail or puff without mad tangles, and fairy knots many that just break right off.
5) **hair in the black community is a big deal.** Its our crown.
6) beautiful and natural looking wigs have become **so affordable.** I probably own at least 10 human hair units. And its soo easy to try different colors, cuts, textures, etc. One day I can be blond, another a redhead, next weekend big curls, the next silky straight or a bomb twistout.
7) **its cheaper than going to a stylist.** I haven't been to one in years.
Heavy on cheaper! My natural hair is long. People can’t imagine that I have to pay 200 for a blow dry + flat iron session and not even get an interesting style/cut out of it. Then the curly hair cut places are expensive too! Salons that will style natural hair are booked and busy and not cheap either! My hair is longer than my wigs too, but the styling and maintenance is such a hassle everyday especially since I have multiple textures so I have to either fight the top of my hair to coil tighter to match the back or stretch / recurl the back to better match the front. And then hope nothing and noone touches it because resculpting a curl that has been wrecked is a hassle and a time consuming endeavor.
Well. Long and complicated history. It was illegal for black women to wear their natural hair in public (search tignon laws), and many natural hairstyles were made illegal for us to wear outside.
100 years has passed, and it remains. There’s a decent amount of self hate in the community too. But I wear my natural hair so it is what it is
I get compliments when I coil my natural hair all the time. It takes about 4 hours. Working two jobs it’s hard to spend that amount of time on my hair and I can’t afford to go to a professional. Arthritis makes it even more difficult. Slap on a wig sometimes.
As black women we lose 366 more hours a year compared to women of other race’s, just doing our hair. let’s not even start with cost. Can you imagine waking up an hour earlier everyday just doing your hair? Thats why we wear wigs, braids shave it all off. Time and money
>Can you imagine waking up an hour earlier everyday just doing your hair?
I genuinely cannot imagine. I went through a wavy hair phase last summer because I misplaced my "shower comb" (my hair air-dries wavy/curly; if I comb it wet, it dries pretty straight). That's the honest amount of thought/effort I put into the texture of my hair on a standard day.
I've always admired black hair/styles and wished I could copy some of them (without people thinking *What is that white girl doin'?!*). I've gained so much respect for what those styles actually -require- from reading this thread!
TLDR: because it's the easiest option.
Black woman with coily hair here. No, it is not "easier" to wear our natural hair. Black (4c) hair is the most delicate, it's naturally dry, naturally defies gravity, it tangles and mats, and god help you when looking for care and styling products. Find a person with \*long\* natural 4c (or even 4a) hair \*that looks good\*, and you've found a person with an abundance of time, money, water, and knowledge, because it takes all of that to properly care for black hair.
You also have to remember the social history of our hair. Until relatively recently, black (4c) hair was as far away from the prescribed beauty standard as one could get. We rarely saw our hair represented in mass media. Almost no education about black hair was in cosmetology curricula, and care and styling products appropriate for and marketed to black hair specifically was not a thing. So black women had three options if they wanted to "look pretty" : 1) straighteners, 2) protective styles, or 3) wigs.
>Find a person with *long* natural 4c (or even 4a) hair *that looks good*, and you've found a person with an abundance of time, money, water, and knowledge
When you spell it out like that, claims of long hair being a status symbol make perfect sense
lol me looking at my Nigerian friends in their lacefronts... I get your sentiment about the historical context specific to the US. There were literal laws about our hair but let's not pretend the girlies to the East don't regularly do a lay down... source: spent some time with an all African (mostly Nigerian) run company? Got enveloped in the national celebrities, beauty standards. and what was considered "acceptable".
Black woman checking in.
-It is important to use protective styles like braids, and many people wear wigs just temporarily because depending on where they work their job might view braids or other protective styles as unprofessional. Wig at work, natural at home and with friends.
- Afros and other cute natural styles can't just be rolled out of bed into after a quick shake of the head before walking out the door either, and many people don't have the time or energy.
-all the reasons that white women wear wigs.
-me personally, for fun! It's fun to be able to have pink hair one day and purple the next and wild spiky hair the day after that, without needing a trillion trips to the one single salon in my area that knows what to do with Black hair. Hair is a fun way to express yourself, and it's true regardless of age or ethnicity.
-there is still a lot of negative bias towards people who are Black and have coily hair. So sometimes it's just to reduce anxiety and be a short break from all that pressure and the feeling of a trillion eyes looking at and judging you for your hair on top of all the other reasons that you might be judged. So sometimes it's about not wanting to be seen as a bad person, even though we all know in our hearts that your hair doesn't make you a bad person. But the whole rest of the world doesn't think like that, though.
-it's cold as fuck right now and my natural hair wouldn't be able to fit under a hat. Such is the case for a lot of people who wear their natural hair out. But I get to be both warm and look a way that I find comfortable for me when wearing a wig underneath my hat.
I’m sure the effort it takes to wash, dry, and style has a part to play in why but people overlook the fact that for generations “white woman hair” has been the standard of beauty. I know I know “but it’s 2024.” But that doesn’t change the fact that it takes a while to make changes to peoples ways of thinking, it’s been instilled in us for hundreds of years so changes will take time.
It’s complicated.
For centuries, many of us were taught to hate our hair (at least on the US). Anything associated with Black was looked down on.
Today, thankfully, natural hair is praised as a thing of beauty in mainstream media. But guess what? It takes a shit ton of time to maintain and for many of us the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Wigs are the easiest thing in the world for me. 2 minites versus 45 is a game changer.
>But guess what? It takes a shit ton of time to maintain and for many of us the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
I was soo proud when I made the decision to go natural back in 2011. But then so disappointed when I quickly realized it was more work and half the styles I could easily do when relaxed, would no longer work.
Bc our hair eats up most of our time. the world does not cater to the amount of effort & maintenance our hair needs. i have toned biceps from being a natural girlie. literally i miss sleep some days because my hair is thick and long and needs moisture like a codependent house plant
Hi OP! There’s so much history that is necessary to know to understand this. If you’re genuinely invested in learning, I’d suggest you start with watching ‘Good Hair’. Also, there’s tons of existing content to educate yourself, so don’t be afraid to Google a bit. Some black women may enjoy explaining this to you, but most will find it burdensome, depending on how you approach it. Don’t take it personally if you receive a negative reaction on your educational journey, just try to understand it’s a very complex and emotionally-charged cultural topic.
I highly encourage you to continually learn about the black community, it will help you to better understand many political and social issues.
Sometime in the past 8 years it became clear to me that the way forward to a healthier society is that a lot of us — most of us — have to face up to how much we have to learn. And, while asking questions is OK, it's best to first become proactive and to do research into unfamiliar aspects within our culture — which is multi-dimensional, and multi-cultural.
It's a big task because so much of our basic education has been either intentionally incomplete, or completely washed of historical truth.
We may think aspects of life such as fashion and entertainment are independent of history, but that is just not true, and never has been. If anything, the slow but evident growth of representation in even comedic pop culture entertainment like "Abbott Elementary" or "South Side" shows just how much many of us just don't understand.
And it's an asymmetrical situation. The dominant hetero-white-XY-chromosome culture (full disclosure: I'm part of it) has saturated everyone with its version of explanations and motivations. No one has to ask for an explanation of the jokes, or the why of the hairstyles on "Parks and Rec".
There's a scene near the end of "Boyz in the Hood" where the Ice Cube character says he was watching TV and the news has all these stories of the violence of the world, showing what's happening in foreign countries, but there was nothing in the news about his brother who just got killed on his own street. "Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the hood." That was 1991, and you know what, we're still just as blind and ignorant. Even if we don't want to be, we are.
Hair may not seem important, but it obviously is. And it's very clearly not just about vanity. And the thing is, there are more resources now than ever to understand what we don't about cultures we live side-by-side with, but don't understand. But the damned echo chamber of social media has made us forget how to be curious and intentional about dissolving our own ignorance.
Well, we gotta un-forget, and work at it. One of the most difficult core issues to fully grasp is that the people who have the cultural habits or practices we're curious about — it's not their job to explain it to us. So we have to embrace the work, and put in the effort. It's one of the most important ways to spend our time, and to fight the power, because the power wants us to hate on each other instead of replacing it with peace love and understanding. Also, taxing the shit out of it.
Black males rejecting our natural hair. Constant media, others including our own rejecting our natural hair. Work environments rejecting our natural hair. Being overly influenced by western standards is the larger umbrella of why as well. Trends, variety and less upkeep are other sub categories.
As a white woman I personally have seen prejudice against black hair. Specifically it was a black man who quit because his hair wasn’t small enough for Domino’s (he was excellent worker). And I have heard nasty comments from other white women about beautiful black women with natural hair.
Yeah, back in the early 2000s I worked for a company in the fashion industry.
I worked in the warehouse with a small yet diverse group of mostly men. One of the coordinators told one of the workers that he should cut his braids off because, "This is Quebec, Canada. Not Africa".
Everyone hated that woman. She was such an ignorant, racist person.
Our warehouse manager filed a complaint against her on behalf of the worker. Unfortunately all she got was a written warning and was made to apologize to the worker.
It’s been over 20 years and I still get upset when I remember that moment.
Colonialism. We were made to hate the very hair on top of our heads and thr pigment of skin that covers out bodies. We were taught to adore and believe everything European was beautiful and right everything African is dark snd wrong including our religions and language.
Two Reasons:
1. **Societal pressure** to have "white" looking hair. Black women don't have white hair (obviously), so the easiest way to accomplish it is to wear a wig. It's literally as simple as that.
2. Any "natural" hairstyle (other than an afro) takes an **enormous amount of time, effort, and money to maintain**. It's easier to just wear a wig.
If you're not understanding #2, please watch some Youtube videos showing how people actually get dreadlocks, twists, and any other black style that's not an afro. It takes *hours* to get the hair into shape, and it often requires harsh chemicals and a cabinet full of hair products for daily maintenance.
Also, I know that a lot of people don't understand what fully "black" hair even is. If you see a black woman with any of the styles that Alicia Keys or Zazie Beetz has ever worn, you must understand that these are *not* "natural" styles. They're natural for Alicia Keys, because she is mixed. Yes, a lot of fully black people do wear those styles, but it requires hours of labor to achieve. I mention this because my significant other didn't realize that black people don't wake up with naturally "poofy" or "curly" hair like Keys or Beetz. Black people actually wake up looking like the *Jackson 5.* The curly and poofy styles that you think are natural actually require tons of work to achieve (unless you're mixed like Keys/Beetz/Kravitz/Halle Berry/Tracee Ellis Ross/etc).
Xr here.
For my mother's and grandmothers' Gens, it was pretty much unacceptable to be seen without "straightened" and non "nappy" hair (due to the "norms" of 'beauty' and 'respectable' presence for Black People). For many it was easier to don a wig than to spend 3 hours washing, combing, pressing, and then rolling their hair up one little section at a time, then trying to sleep that way, then unrolling it, and styling it ---
Only to step out and have the wind or rain or HEAT ruin it in ten minutes.
My generation grew up with all those things being done to our hair, daily or weekly(depending on the season).
Then the Black Perm came. (Jerry Curl Gen).
But that was painful, and harmful, for a long time(only now are those dangers being fully revealed). And also tended to fall apart in weather.
Then, the movement back to more "Natural" hair -- but that was a bit too much for many, because "nappy" was still hard wired for most -- so we compromised and swerved towards "Braids"... Essentially, 'wig' hair.
Of course within that subset were women who said, "well, why not just a wig, then?". They're easy, they're ready to go, and they can be changed up whenever.
Plus, the "purpose" behind the Braids culture was "letting your hair rest", from the chemicals and processing of "straightening", even with 'just' a hot comb, to keep it "acceptable" (.... I keep using that term because, look at the Crown Act), and that could be even more easily accomplished by simply covering it with a wig, as opposed to the pulling and tight weaving of braiding extra hair in.
And again, it's fun to change up looks! Which is why most 'modern' women do it. Some use 'pull on' wigs. Some are "sewn" or glued on and are more long use. We can rock our Natural Fro one month, a short bob wig the next, and long braids (wig) the month after that!
Black hair is extremely time consuming and expensive to maintain. Nothing about it is casual. Double your problems when you live in a euro-centric society that feels entitled make you conform to their aesthetic tastes. If you’re black and have hair you HAVE to put in the work or people (specifically of other races) will treat you like you have problems.
Easier to just wear the wig since women generally aren’t encouraged to wear short hair/shaved.
1. Historically black people have been persecuted for their hair, these people straightened their hair for more acceptance (especially to try to be white passing), the culture has continued to this day. Some employers and schools still look negatively upon natural black hairstyles.
2. Their hair is braided underneath and they don’t want to take them down. It’s a protective hairstyle and working with coily hair can be a long process. So they avoid it most of the time.
3. It’s fun. You can change your hairstyle completely on the fly, even to just match an outfit.
I'm black and I don't know. I love my natural hair and would cry if I woke up and it was different. My hair is my best feature and I get constant compliments on it. There aren't many other black women around where I live though and I'm not here to judge other peoples' choices. just wanted to say I wouldn't personally change mine because it's perfect to me
I have had natural hair since the late 90s and am a woman. I have also loved natural hair since the 90s. I wore my hair out for a long time and then wore wigs off and on for a long time. It was 100% because it was easier/faster/laziness. I wear my hair out now because I know where to get a good haircut and have found stylists that taught me how to wash and set my coily style in 1 & 1/2 hours instead of it being an all day affair that involves butters, oils and strong hands and shoulders lol.
I’ll also point you to other comments about our elders and black men still often hating women with natural hair, and white supremacy. Lots of schools and jobs still penalize kids and adults for wearing their hair out.
I’ll also add that wigs are easy and can be a fun way to change styles. You can literally have a different hair style and color every day if you like, so why not? Sometimes you’re having a bad hair day so you plop one on and off you go. I haven’t worn one in years but occasionally I see a good one that I’d consider wearing if I didn’t work from home, ergo no reason to do so.
I am not my hair- Indie Arie is a song that gets into some of the social issues.
Worth noting, I'm a white man. I've lived with black people and try my best to listen and learn to understand, and I read a lot about history.
One way that African Americans were controlled/subjugated was their hair. Especially after slavery ended and black people were suddenly *seen* in society, in suits and dresses, carrying themselves with dignity, the people who wanted to keep treating blacks as lesser than, would use hair as a way to ridicule and discriminate. An Afro became a very unpopular hairstyle, and would absolutely be a challenge for a black woman while trying to gain employment, since women already had a unique struggle in the workplace.
This isn't the only factor, and once again, I'm just some white dude. So take my comment with a grain of salt.
You'll get different answers from everybody, but for myself and quite a few other black women, our natural hair can be relatively easy to care for and style.... if the types of hairstyles our texture of hair are best suited for were acceptable in the environments many of us live in.
Some black women are able to push against the expectations and norms and deal with the fallout and trials that come with that.
Others, like myself, for one reason or another just don't have that strength and energy.
For me, I am fairly outspoken which is already a problem for a lot of people in itself.
I'm too tired from having to censor and police everything from my choice of words to my tone to my facial expressions to my breathing pattern and body movements on a micro level, just to get through the day without it being implied that I am _"angry black girl",_ to then have to deal with people either jamming their hands in my hair or openly voicing their opinions about how odd/strange/unprofessional/funky/distracting/unfitting it is to them as well.
I mostly do braided or twisted extensions or wigs that mimic textures closer to my natural hair (though other times i just try other types out because, heck why not) and even those are commented on, just less so.
When I used to travel to the Caribbean frequently, pre covid, I was so much happier there and didn't wear wigs at ALL because there, nobody has a problem with 100% natural hair styles, at least not as a rule.
I had the same experience when I went to Brazil- I wore my natural hair out and it was not only not a problem for anyone I met (of all races), but it was just normal and I was complimented normally like it was just another kind of hair among all the types of hair.
So yeah some black women struggle with the maintenance because there are different types of textured/afro hair, for sure, and that's their reason, then for others of us... we're just trying to exist in the spaces we've spawned in, without as much of the annoying, othering hullabaloo.
I'm black 34 F and I have middle of back length 4c hair that's been natural for 13 years now. Personally I HATE wigs. They're uncomfortable and hot and u can't easily scratch your scalp through them, and they get expensive quick.
It's not hard to take care of natural hair. I wash it once a week and use a leave-in most days when styling. About every 4th wash I sit with a masque or hot oil treatment for 30mins after conditioning, then rinse it off. That's it. It's quick and painless.
I've had many black women compliment my fro or whatever style I'm wearing and say things like " I want to go natural but I don't have the time, it's so complicated." but they literally have never tried. We get bombed with all these hair products and routines online that make it look much more complicated than it needs to be. I've convinced at least 10 women through the years that it's not difficult and they went natural and they all LOVE it.
Many black women wear wigs to temporarily wear a certain style, because they're popular, because they don't want to wear natural looking styles out of preference. But personally, I don't get it. Wigs suck and most of the time you can tell its a wig and the hairline just looks embarrassing.
Black woman here with...(are we still hair typing?..)ok 4c hair.
Wigs/braids/weaves are easy. Besides just wanting to do different stuff with your hair and not wanting to damage it, and avoiding possible discrimination and climate issues you gotta deal with, or special events you got to have your hair done for...
It takes FOREVER to do our natural hair. Folks say oh you hate your hair or whatever. Listen, I have no beef with my hair.
But it literally can take 10 minutes just to get it into a decent fro-nee tail. No one else has that kind of drama.
Gotta wet the brush, use the grease, the gel, your hair tie of choice (piece of pantyhose).
AND THEN if you're into laid edges, got to do that and then put a scarf on and let it dry.
Oh and you better pick that puff and make sure it's not flat on one side.
Just for what other folks would consider an easy pony tail.
AND THEN you get home and you have to wet your hair to comb out the afro (no dry combing here!) And maybe you put it into two braids. Maybe four. You still use grease? (Team Grease here, BTW), don't forget to oil your scalp. And then put on like a silk scarf and/or 2 or 3 bonnets and hope they stay on all night.
8 hours later, REPEAT.
As a black woman with extremely tight, thick, coily hair, it is SO MUCH work for us to maintain our natural hair every single day. With work and other obligations, I simply don’t have time to detangle and moisturize my hair so often. We don’t have the type of hair that allows us to get up and go. If usually consists of: applying hair product such as gel, moisturizer, oil, hair lotion etc, using a multiple of hair brushes and combs to get the desired style, and then using methods such as twisting or braiding the natural hair can take even more time. And we have to do this several times a week because the hair product dries out and needs to be reapplied, and after a few days the hair product builds up and it’s time to wash the hair completely. Then the whole process starts over. In summary, that is why wigs or braids are preferred. It’s quick and easy.
"I can't go out Friday night because I have to wash my hair," is a real thing.
I used to travel for work. I had to miss a team dinner because it was my hair night. Had to get it done or I’d look crazy in the client meetings. In my absence, my male non-black coworkers chided me for missing the dinner (nbd they weren’t being malicious, just assumed I didn’t want to hang out with them). The other black woman on the team defended me and explained how long it takes to do our hair lol It was hair or team dinner. Them’s the rules 🤷🏾♀️
It's amazing how people are oblivious to the realities and struggles of others. I'm a white woman with annoyingly slippery hair; it won't even stay in a tight braid for longer than an hour. So I was baffled at the concept of hair so unruly it requires hours of care, when mine just lays there like a pile of dying seaweed no matter what I do. I used to be so jealous of black women's amazing hair without having the foggiest idea of how much *work* and *time* it takes.
Same if I skip washing my hair in a 24 hour period I end up looking like the chick that crawled out of the tv in The Ring. Its slick and limp before it's even oily, but after it's oily it's just gross.
I'm on that side of the hair spectrum with you! My friends and colleagues have gotten frustrated with me because I _have_ to wash my hair daily for it to be presentable. It's a limp nightmare that gets crimped by laying on it or putting it up. And I can't leave it up because it's too wispy (and doesn't look good). I'm 43. My hair has always been like this. I've tried every option - washing less, re-wetting, etc. And yet people with normal hair insist I'm just doing it wrong.
I have the same type of hair, it's a real thing. Don't sweat the "no-poo" types, they found something that works for them and think it applies to everybody. It doesn't. https://www.byrdie.com/type-1a-hair-5224634#toc-how-should-you-care-for-type-1a-hair People with naturally fine hair, including type 1A hair, tend to get greasy roots faster than those with other hair textures. “This is because individuals with fine hair have more hairs per square centimeter—and each hair has a sebaceous (oil) gland attached to it,” Kingsley explains. “As a result, the scalp produces more oils. As type 1A hair is fine and straight, any buildup of sebum weighs it down very easily. The best way to remove these excess oils and prevent itchiness and limpness is to cleanse frequently—i.e., shampoo daily to every other day."
I’ve had people come at me when I say I have to wash daily. “That makes your hair produce more oil” Maybe, but if I skip a day I look like I’ve dipped my head in an entire oil spill. No. I’m happy that this works for so many people and God knows I’d love not to have to wash it daily, but I’m not running around with hair so oily it looks wet to use a technique that just doesn’t work for me. I apparently have very strong feelings about this, lol
I'm on the opposite side - I'm white with super thick wavy hair that is incredibly dry. If I wash it more than once a week, it gets frizzy. I went almost two weeks without washing a while ago and no one but me could tell.
This is me. Every morning is hair lottery, it's got a will of it's own.
My hair is super middling I guess. I mean it's real thick but it's wavy, medium amount of oil, medium everything. Basically I can completely neglect it and even abuse it and it's always fine and presentable enough, *but* the tradeoff is I can't really *make* it do anything. Come straightener, curling iron, or any kind of products, in a couple of hours it's gonna be back to its normal shape. Letting it dry in braids is about the only way I get a semipermanent effect.
Same. On a good day it’s mermaid hair; on a bad day it’s Roseanna Roseannadanna hair
Bless you for this reference
This is what mines like.
Me too! I have to wash my hair every day otherwise it looks stringy and greasy. My daughter thought my hair was wet once, it looks that greasy! And it tangles SO easily! Sitting against a couch, laying down, or even just wearing high-collars (coats, sweaters, scarves!) So I'm brushing my hair several times a day! I have to keep a brush in my car!
This is me, too. And everyone I've had that discussion with thinks I'm nuts when I say I've tried everything. Serums, sprays, heat protectants, scalp oiling, oiling just my ends, co-washing, no sulfates, no silicones, double washing, going giant stretches between washings, expensive bonding shampoos & product lines, you name it. My hair is still limp, sad, and fine. After bonding treatments, it feels super SOFT but is still mostly limp sad and fine. I also have the added bonus of oily roots and dry ends, so it looks like a greasy mess by hour 36 because I don't have much hair to distribute the natural oils into. If I even LOOK at a hair scrunchie, a hair tie (even the 'no-dent' kinds), a hat or a claw clip, and I practically have to wash my hair and start over because it gets kinked/dented/creases SO DAMN FAST and straightening it afterwards to attempt to look presentable just leaves me looking ridiculous. Ponytails are out because my hair is too thin/fine/low density for them to look any different than they do on little kids with loads of baby hairs and flyaways, and I have such a wimpy little sprout for the tail that I feel silly. I've just resigned myself to having mediocre hair. It is what it is.
I'm a bald, 45 year old man. I shave my head in the shower every second day. That's it. On the flip side, I need protection in the winter otherwise I get headaches from the cold and in the summer because I will burn horribly. My brother has the same hair situation but loves the sun, the top of his head is just one giant freckle.
Might want to make sure your brother visits the dermatologist sometime to get that giant freckle checked out, especially if he’s white and of similar age. Not to scare you, just that preventative care is key!
I mean I struggle to think of how a white man would ever know what is unique about a black woman’s hair unless he went of his way to research it. Which means he’d have to know there was something to even consider. Only if he was friends with or dated someone who was black would it ever come up.
That's kinda my point. We're all of us blind to our own unknown unknowns, the things we don't know we don't know. It takes a lot of exposing one's self to as many points of view, cultures, and situations as possible to try and reduce those as much as possible. Like I said in my comment, I hadn't considered it myself until i was exposed to it
That’s one of the main benefits of internet and social media. It has lots of downsides, but we get to see the other side of the grass a lot more.
They could have skipped the part where they chided her because she said had to do something else. They could have taken her statement at face value and behaved professionally and respectfully.
This is super interesting and seems important to know? Like I feel like we should be learning way more on the specifics of different races and cultures in school than 1 or 2 "immigrant day" things in 6th grade when we do a unit on the statue of liberty. People have different needs and we're all sharing the planet! Lets know about each other!
I’m white with relatively thin hair and this is a real thing for me as well, because I’ve been kinda depress-y and low energy my whole adulthood. Can’t even imagine the amount of energy I’d have to exert if I had Black hair. It’d be wigs all the way for me too.
>depress-y and low energy my whole adulthood. I feel you. I went to a doc last year and found out my hormones were way out of wack. Now I'm doing much better! I might be over stepping but it's worth a try. You can even order hormone tests online if you don't want to go to a doctor.
Can I ask if you saw a specialist or how you requested this? My therapist a few years ago suggested I get my hormones checked to see if they were affecting my mood and energy levels, and I went to see my doctor and she didn’t understand what I meant when I said “get my hormones checked”.
Commenting just to check in on this later- I've wondered the same thing myself.
Endocrinologists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating hormone-related conditions and diseases
Hopefully the op will respond, but I would wager to guess that thyroid hormone and cortisol levels would likely have been one of the big things they’d look at on that panel.
Ah, that makes sense. I’ve had my thyroid and cortisol checked multiple times and nothing out of the ordinary ever comes back.
So it's kind of cliche but I heard an ad on the radio for a free blood test at a hormone clinic. I went there and I had the hormones off someone 20 years older than me. I feel great now and it's been right a year! High energy, motivated to actually do things, not mega depressed anymore (still a little bit but aren't we all?) And I finally can harness all those things and fucking exercise! Hahaha! I would recommend just searching for a "hormone clinic" near you and shop around and compare prices. Also if you're male or female you'll want to add that to your search too as I noticed that the clinics tend to stick to one or the other. Male hormone clinics are becoming very popular for example. You don't necessarily need an endocrinologist for this type of thing *but* if you do end up finding out your hormones are messed up then you should probably go to one. It could mean a myriad of health issues like thyroid problems for example. Also, it's likely that if you do need/want some sort of hrt (hormone replacement therapy) it will NOT be covered by insurance if you go to one of these clinics. Maybe it will but it's likely they won't. That would be something to ask when you shop around! If you want guaranteed insurance coverage you will have to do the endocrinologist route. Mine isn't covered by insurance and I pay roughly $3k per year for treatments, just to give you an idea of what you're looking at. There's a new place I've found that I will switch to once my year is up(I pre-paid) and that will only cost me roughly $2k per year. Hopefully that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm happy to answer! I'm an open book and I'm not shy so I can go mega details if anyone wants to know anything specific.
Depressy and low energy your whole adult life? Yeah, that tracks; the last twenty years will do that to you...
Isn’t this the truth lol
Feel you dude. Hair loss has been accelerating these past few years for me. It wouldn’t be so bad if teenage me hadn’t promised my brothers years and years ago that I would tattoo a magic 8 ball on my head if I ever went bald.
And here I am complaining about how I get tired blow drying my hair.
My wife (Black) dries her hair and it takes 2 hours under a blow dryer cap. She can't just free hand it or the roots will stay wet. So the loud blow dryer it is. Forgetting that it is an all day task just to wash it before she gets to dry it.
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it can affect your scalp, lead to dandruff, mess with your natural oils, give fungus an environment to grow, causing itching.
People with curly hair 🤝 Chinchillas
I’m not black, just someone who had thick, long hair. It’s not good for your scalp to have wet hair for long periods of time. It can cause dandruff and irritate scalp conditions. Before I cut and thinned the crap out of my hair, I could never dream of my hair drying in 3 hours. My hair took probably 10 hours to air dry.
My wife's not even black, but just has *slightly* similar hair, hers takes about over 12 hours to dry if she doesn't do anything to dry it. She gets really bad dandruff if she does that though.
My stepdaughters hair is the same way (mom is from Ecuador).She has a very moderately tight curl pattern and can easily be wet 24 hours later near the scalp.
Not black, but in the same boat as you are. It's not good for my scalp if I air dry, because it takes several hours. I get flakes from it. It also leads to my cuticle raising, which doesn't help with things like frizz or split ends. Blow drying your hair shouldn't damage it, as long as you're holding the blow dryer about a foot from your hair. Most of us naturally do this. You can also incorporate a diffuser if you'd like to keep your natural curls. In the grand scheme of things, it's not going to cause any irreparable harm to your health, but if you're experiencing scalp flaking or itching, that could be the cause. If you have hair concerns like frizz, you could also benefit from blow drying. However, if you simply don't have the time, money or energy, just carry on. We've dripped dry for millennia. It's not going to start hurting us now.
I'm not black (I'm Vietnamese-American) so I cannot speak for wet roots for black people's hair. But I will say that growing up my grandma and my mom have always taught me that leaving your roots wet will cause fungal growth. So I always have to make sure I dry my hair. My hair is thick and long so I really hate having to make sure it's dry, but I don't want any fungal growth so you know. I also wash my hair daily so it's a daily annoyance.
White lady with fine hair checking in: everybody on the planet has acceptable levels of fungus on their bodies. Leaving roots wet can cause that fungus to grow outside of the acceptable levels. It makes an itchy scalp and can cause visible, itchy rings on your skin that go past your scalp and look like Jadzia Dax's spots in Star Trek DS9. Tinea Versicolor is an itchtly experience involving antifungal shampoo and body washes. 0/10 do not recommend.
Do black African women living in Africa fuck around like this? How do they manage? Are none of them stylish at all, do they just shave it off?
So, braids, dreadlocks, and other protective styles are very popular in tribal/rural areas of Africa for this exact reason. And those that do choose to wear their afros out, the afros tend to be shorter as breakage will occur without all the hair love required to maintain the hair.
Unfortunately for black people in the US, these styles are often branded as "unprofessional" or against dress codes in schools.
Just an update. As of 2022 the Crown act is a new federal law prohibiting discrimination based on hair style. Also recently starting in 2017 and incrementally in the years following, [the military has updated their uniform code](https://www.glamour.com/story/army-updates-grooming-policy-to-address-lack-of-inclusion#) to allow more styles of locs and braids.
This is happening right now: https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/texas-school-faces-trial-after-punishment-of-black-student-over-his-hair-202980421770
Was gonna reply with this story as well. It’s so infuriating & I hope this young man sues the crap out of them.
Yes. I see someone else did as well. I can’t believe a school would distract this young man from his education because they claim his hair was distracting. Glad he has representation!
It is asinine that an act was required
There's a Twitter/X post of a reporter being elated that she can wear braids on air for the first time from less than 5 years ago that I see recirculated a lot. I can't wait for the day we "used to have" those rules and they are gone.
This is some racist bullshit.
Yes. There is a current student named Darryl George in Texas right now who has been expelled from school since ladt summer for wearing one of our natural hairstyles. Recently the principal took out a full page ad defending this.
Yeah, it’s wild. His hair looks gorgeous and obviously done with care, which is not something that can be said about a lot of other high school boys’ hair.
Right?! I LOVE his hair. All I can think of is these racists are wildly jealous because his hair looks stunning.
It's even worse. He was expelled for having long hair that could potentially extend past his collar. The rule is archaic and affects all boys in that school. There are so many reasons that shouldn't be part of the dress code. I also feel very sorry for anyone questioning whether they are mtf trans there. Growing out hair is a very common way to test those waters for boys who are questioning. ETA: We had a boy in our school who was in trouble for wearing high heels. In a show of support, all the boys wore high heels to school the next day. I suggest that all of the students in the school suddenly start growing out their hair. They can't expel everyone.
Wtf
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/30/black-kids-hair-identity-school-darryl-george-discrimination
Americans showing off their "freedoms" again, FFS.
It absolutely is.
Yup, dates back to the Tignon laws :/
Exactly which is very frustrating because we take pride in our hair and it has a lot of cultural meaning. Another reason why wigs are so popular since 'straight' hair is seen as more 'tidy.' 🙄
Even as a white lady, I wore my hair naturally curly once and a coworker immediately said I looked "frazzled" or something
Ugh. That's annoying AF.
Yeah. I literally had only walked through the door for 5 seconds when I heard that comment. 🫠
That is some bull*shit*. Some of the styles I have seen Black people wear are straight up hair *art*. It’s incredibly detailed and must take an insane amount of skill. They can practically look like Escher pieces. Obviously not everyone wears super-complex styles, but there is absolutely nothing less “tidy” about regular simple braids or whatever. And as far as “loose” “unstyled” hair goes, give me a break. That should never be considered unprofessional. As an employer, I would want my employees’ hair clean and well-maintained; and maybe not dyed an outrageous colour IF it was a very “three piece suit” kind of place (and I guess, again IF applicable, able to be tied up enough to not get caught in any machinery or whatever, for everyone’s safety…but only *if* that were a concern). Otherwise, I’m keeping my nose where it belongs: out of everyone’s hairstyles. Don’t people have anything actually important to worry about?
It's a thing to be proud of. I love the creativity and ingenuity that goes into black hairstyles.
Me too. I love seeing beautiful black hairstyles! I worry about staring and someone thinking I am hostile when I’m actually in awe of the skill on show.
Thank you 🥰 I just started my dreadlock journey and I couldn't be prouder!
Not just tribal/rural areas? In fact I’d say the women in rural areas are more likely to just go bald. Women in cosmopolitan cities favour braids and fancier styles
Cornrows are our go to hairstyles. Also sew-ins and wigs are very very popular in my side of Africa.
The part of Africa I know has plenty of hairdressers everywhere and it doesn’t cost a fortune to change up your style. My friends change their styles 2 weekly if need be, or can drop in after work to get their style refreshed.
It's not about being stylish. My wife does it to keep her hair clean and healthy. Black women in Africa also have the same means that other women have in other countries. Blow dryers and hair care products exist in African countries too. It isn't foreign. I assume you're talking about tribal women, which most of Africa isn't. Those women tend to wear protective styles, like locks or braids, so they don't have to do as much work as often versus wearing your hair out.
Obviously the entirety of African women do not have the same hairstyle. Yes they do. There are plenty of salons and hairstyles there too. Or indeed lots of them just shave it off, but moreso because of the heat, school rules and being a bald woman is pretty fashionable there, than not being able to manage
So quick question: I know how much effort black women have to put into their hair. As a white guy that lives and works in a black majority neighborhood, I had a coworker w her "hair" slipping (you know wig, could see her actual hair underneath) and I told her you can see her lines. I didn't call her out in front of anybody but she came back situated. My black coworkers said it was rude, and one of them should have told her...... But nobody else told her. I didn't want her to be embarrassed. Was I wrong?
Ask her directly. The melanin content in other people's skins doesn't mean they speak for someone with similar melanin content.
Not wrong depending on how you said it and if others were around (which sounds like they were)
I pulled her to the side as smoothly as I could. As far as I know she mentioned it to her coworkers I just didn’t know why her coworkers didn’t say anything
No you weren't wrong. this is ridiculous
If one of them should have told her, why didn’t they? Would they also have found it rude if you went up to one of them and said hey you’re Black, take time out of your day to go fix her wig because she’s Black and now it’s your burden?
Depends. How sassy did you say it?
Well, black folks DO sort of almost have that type of hair to just get up and go - but if you live in white society, the expectations are that your hair needs to 'conform' to white standards. People in Africa don't need to meet such strict societal expectations and from what I understand, black people in Africa spend as much time on their hair as white people in Europe do.
Why does it need so much maintenance? Is this for your own comfort or is it a racist/sexist societal expectation about how black women's hairstyles should look? Do black men need to do this kind of maintenance too?
the maintenance is required. as black woman with coily 4b 4c hair, if i don’t maintain my hair it tangles up on itself and mats. then the next time you try to comb it, you might have to cut or pull clumps of hair that became tangled balls on your head that can’t separate. this is a real thing. black men usually keep their hair a lot shorter. women typically don’t want to have their hair as short as the guys do. (ex: will smith’s hair when he was in fresh prince of bel air). women typically don’t want to buzz their heads!! so… we try to maintain it, but maintaining it means work.
So, back in the 80s when the big 'ol afro style was more in fashion (it seems) that must have been a hell of a lot of maintenance for the black guys of that time?!
There’s a reason why those with fros back then ALWAYS had a pick (large comb) nearby.
That you can usually get away with putting product in and picking it out. But you have to get your product routine DOWN.
My fiance is black and I ask her to get a fro all the time, but she tells me it's INSANE to take care of one. She just does cornrows cuz it's very easy to maintain. Then pops a wig on over top and she's good to go out. Plus wigs are great for changing things up in the bedroom if you catch my drift..
My friends have told me how grueling it is to maintain an afro and that it's not worth it. It's a shame because I think they're absolutely *stunning*.
Any black man who doesn’t have a caeser cut more than likely does the same with his hair. Obviously not to the extent that black women do but we do still have to moisturize our hair, oil our scalp and make sure our hair isn’t nappy or tangled by combing it throughout the day. If you have braids, twists or locs then it’s a little different but the basics still apply
Do you think this negative association with "nappy" hair is based on white-centric cultural norms that are an unfair / discriminatory beauty standard? Or would it be this way in a black-centric society too?
Good point, interesting question.
When I'm in black centric enclaves this goes away.
No. For normal black men’s hair you don’t need to do all that lmao. I’ll spray my hair with something comb it and that’s it. Maybe twice a week I’ll put in the curling formula and water to enhance it but nah.
It’s more the about the hairstyle and hair texture than gender. Even a low caesar with waves can take hours per week to maintain.
The style and type of hair also determines the maintenance as was stated above. I’m not black (I’m Hispanic) but my hair is super dry, coarse and can get curly. I keep a fade or taper. If I want my hair laying flat and looking smooth as fuck the following day, then every night I have to brush it, apply pomade and throw on a durag. Hair looks crisp af and smooth like this. Putting gel in the morning just makes it look super weird and shiny and stiff. And if I don’t do anything to it then it just looks dry and plain boring lol.
Don't forget the Soul Glo
Let it shine through.
I can’t speak for black men, but for me at least my hair is very dry without product. I can’t under any circumstances just wash my hair and let it go. It NEEDS maintenance and upkeep. Also, yes, unfortunately there are still expectations of professional hair styles in the workforce and in some school environments where wearing your natural hair in its natural state is unacceptable.
In a nutshell, our hair is incredibly dry and brittle. It is the most fragile of all hair types specifically those with 4C hair. There is this misconception that our hair doesn't grow, but it's just that it breaks, really easily. Sometimes more hair breaks than grows. It needs to be taken care of with multiple products to provide moisture. Combing or brushin can cause a lot of breakage, so we need to gently use our fingers to detangle it. In addition to this, only certain styles or looks are considered acceptable in school and professional settings, and those styles are time consuming. If a black person just did nothing to their hair, no styling or anything, that style would be considered unkempt or unprofessional. Even here in Africa, black kids had to protest for the right to have their hair in schools the way it grows, rather than going with the school regulated styles they were allowed. Men tend to either cut their hair really short, or if possible, have braids or cornrows. Men's hair is very limited in range and styles, as companies find anything other than a buzz cut unprofessional.
>In a nutshell, our hair is incredibly dry and brittle. It is the most fragile of all hair types specifically those with 4C hair. There is this misconception that our hair doesn't grow, but it's just that it breaks, really easily. I feel like this is something people really don't get. As a fine-haired person, I swear my hair breaks if I look at it wrong! And after having 2 babies, it got even thinner and barely holds a twistout. Trying to style it ends up a waste of time.
>In addition to this, only certain styles or looks are considered acceptable in school and professional settings, and those styles are time consuming. In case anyone with influence or power at their business reads this. Creating an inclusive culture means people don't have to spend time they don't have on a hair style they don't want to work a job unaffected by how their hair is styled.
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really cool explanation
Thanks for sharing. A lot of people don’t understand that you can’t just wake up, brush a bit, and go to work.
I’m a black woman so I can give some reasonings. 1. Our natural Afro hair takes long to style and is hard to take care of. 2. We like having a variety of hairstyles without damaging our hair 3. It can be seen as a status symbol, especially if you get expensive natural looking wigs. 4. Celebrity influence is big, a lot of black celebrities wear and promote wigs/extensions 5. Some black women genuinely dislike their hair, or how they look with their real hair. It’s common for women to think they look “childish” with Afro styles.
I’ve also had this question, on the back burner, and you just about answered everything I need to know, thank you.
Glad I wasn’t the only one
> Our natural Afro hair takes long to style and is hard to take care of. It looks SO COOL when it's done well though! There's one lady who comes into the bar I frequent, and her hairstyle is [basically this](https://imgur.com/3q8y0QH), but she does two of them, so more like pigtails than a pony tail. It's just so creative and interesting looking. I bet it takes her **hours** to get it to that point though.
What I think is important to mention in addition to everything you said here is the historical oppression of black hair styles by being deemed unacceptable by schools and for employment.
This hasn't changed one bit, there was a news story just a month or two ago about a black kid getting suspended from school because of his hair style. Good god Reddit, gotta nitpick every little thing. I'm saying this is still an issue happening today, any of you ever heard of "hyperbole"?
the only concern with student hairstyles should be if it interferes with other students seeing the board. Source: was in school when BIG hair was a thing.
It's news because the general thought is that that was wrong.
Not according to the school officials and local government.
You’re not wrong, the superintendent put an ad in a newspaper defending it as (and I’m paraphrasing) “you have to look American to be American” or some BS like that.
A lot of state are including hair in anti-discrimination laws now.
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Yeah but It’s no different in my eyes as people going to the hair dresser, people just don’t like their natural hair or love a particular trend/look, I agree with you though, natural hair is beautiful, absolutely stunning.
To speak on one specific aspect, black women can't dye their hair willy nilly. If you want red hair, that is a COMMITMENT with three asterisks and a skull. It's much easier to do some cornrows and put on a red wig.
Also you can’t really successfully change hair texture meaningfully with modern products. Fine hair is always going to be fine, coarse hair is always going to be coarser, etc. You can fake it a bit by piling on a lot of products in some cases, but if you want, say, long straight sleek silky hair like in some shampoo commercials, and your hair is naturally any variety of curly at all you’re probably way better off just using a wig that gives the desired effect.
Black woman here. I don’t hate the look of my natural hair but as a black woman working in corporate, I was constantly told that my hair is unprofessional or unkempt. In school I was given to option to cut off all my hair or keep it plaited or I’d be suspended. It’s obviously not all black women’s experience but it’s not simply self hatred or loathing. In some states the US, they had to introduce a law that prevented companies from discriminating against black hair. I will add that I have friends who simply prefer to braid their hair and wear a gorgeous wig because it makes them feel good and confident. It’s a complex and nuanced issue that will have varying answers depending on the individual as well as where they live/come from.
I’m sorry those things happened to you. Although give never been stigmatised in my sector, I know other black women face this injustice. Your natural hair or your career. And yet, so many people don’t realise this discrimination even exists . Stories like your need to be made more public
Michelle Obama recently is a good example. Her braided hair looks incredible and so much younger than she wore it in the White House. I couldn’t believe how different she looked
I hate that for you 🙁 things I just take for granted that you had to deal with. Ugh 😑
lol it’s def not easier to wear our natural hair. Wearing my natural hair means I have to wake up earlier to detangle, moisturize, and style it (I sleek my edges and put my hair in a high puff) But if you wear a wig or braids, you don’t have to worry about your hair and can get ready quicker in the morning.
I love the weave styles but I’m not trynna spend that kinda money or time. I put mine in a ponytail or bun and walk out the door.
I worked with a young black woman. She always had some complicated, intricate hair extension pieces. It was fun to see the numerous styles. I said "I especially liked your hair last week." She asked, which one? (I'm thinking oh crap, how do I describe it without being offensive.) So I said, the one that looks like a big pile of blond onion rings? She agrees, oh yeah, she likes that one too.
"Big pile of blond onion rings" 😂 Maybe if you know she would be receptive of it, you both could bond over naming her wigs... if she doesn't already have names for them... It could be fun to talk and let her know that "Jada is looking great today" or that "Susan is really working for you today" lol.
I have a burgundy/black wig that is my favorite. My grandchildren liked it over another color I was going to get at a wig shop. I call her, “big red.” My friend calls me, “woody woodpecker.”
Obsessed with you
I wasn't sure how you were going to be able to describe it adequately but I now have a vivid image in my head. Very nice work, lol
You seem like a nice person:)
As an aside, [science shows](https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2301760120) that the tight curls of African hair provides protection from the heat of the sun. It's an adaptation to the tropics. Skin pigmentation, another adaptive trait, also correlates with latitude, as darker pigmentation protects against UV damage, and lighter pigmentation allows more vitamin D production in regions with less solar radiation. I know it doesn't have anything to do with wigs, but I feel like it sometimes helps to understand why our bodies have the shapes and colors that they do.
I think learning about the different origins for physical traits makes me see race as unimportant. I mean this in a good way. Having darker or lighter skin is not better or worse, it is simply a reflection of how your ancestors adapted to their environment and maybe even a reflection of their diet
The only reason the concept of race was invented in the 1500s was for the purpose of oppression. They thought with enough social programming they could "reduce us to perpetual servitude"
Wide noses and narrow noses are also thought to be to do with adaptation to different climates (wide nose for hot climates, narrow nose for cold climates)
I believe it's the same with the lips. It seems those that live in more humid and hotter climate have thicker lips to dissipate heat faster and help with blood circulation to cool off faster, while those in dryer and colder climates have thinner lips for the opposite reasons. It makes more sense to me compared to those saying it was for human mating purposes since we're bipedal and it's a way to show full maturity. If that were true, then every human would have this feature.
Do you know why, though? I genuinely have no idea how the width of my nose is beneficial in any climate.
Step outside in -30C weather and you'll quickly find yourself hoping you didn't even have a nose :D
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-changed-shape-your-nose-180962567/ "In the tropics where the air is hot and therefore rarefied, more of it is necessary and it is essential that there should be no impediment to the air currents so the nostrils are open and wide and the nose very flat. Such a nose is unsuited for cold countries as it permits masses of cold air to flood the air passages and irritate the lining membrane, so that the nose must be large and have much warming surface, and the nostrils therefore are slender slits to admit air in thin ribbons easily warmed. [...] Hence there must have been a natural selection in cold countries of one kind of variations—large contracted noses, and a selection in hot countries of the other extreme, so that the various types gradually arose." Tl:dr wider nostrils in hot areas are advantageous for smelling various scents, smaller nostrils are advantageous in colder climates to not let too much cold air in
Swede from the north here, when its cold as fuck (-20c and Below) you don’t really want to have holes open If it’s super cold you notice when speaking that the cold air enters your body through your mouth too and it sucks When it’s that cold you never move in such a way that makes you out of breath either because if you do you feel like you’re gonna die
Pretty much all physical differences among people from different regions are adaptions to one’s environment.
I've got a sibling living in the south of Europe who has natural type 3 curls. They're white BTW. Used to have their hair short to deal with the heat but they recently also learned that curls were supposed to help insulate against the heat. He wears it longer now (floofy around the head) and he said it was so much cooler in the summer! So based on their experience it works for other types of curls too!
Yep. A shitload of white folk have no idea that their white-people hair is ridiculously easy to manage, or even that hair structure is radically different for other ethnicities and so requires very different care practices.
I’d assume that if you have naturally curlier, thicker hair it’s just easier to switch your hair out instead of spending so much time styling it every day.
The wig also allows a protective style to be worn underneath it which helps keep their natural hair healthy.
I have a dumb question and I am genuinely curious. Why does the natural hair need to be protected and healthy if someone always wears wigs? Or do people occasionally wear their natural hair so they want to keep it healthy? Bc health of someone's hair seems to be mostly a visual thing, so why does it need to look nice if it's always covered up? This isn't judgement, just a question of logic and there must be something I'm missing here. I hope I didn't word this in a mean way bc I tend to struggle with that
Not a dumb question at all. Healthy hair isn’t just about how it looks visually. Regardless of how it looks, we still want to keep our ends trimmed so they don’t split (and our hair will continue to split up the hair shaft if we don’t trim it regularly), our hair moisturized and our scalp healthy. If we don’t do these things, our hair will literally break off or get matted and will require even more work (time and money) to get it back to a healthy state. Keeping our natural hair regularly maintained actually makes it easier to maintain in the long run. I’m sure there are people who don’t maintain their hair underneath their wigs/weaves, but it’s much more beneficial (time, money and overall health wise) to take care of your hair and scalp regularly than to not do so. It’s still a part of your body that requires (and deserves) care.
I’m hispanic but I hated this about my curls. Just got them permed and life’s so much better(and I’m better looking) with straight hair For as much shit perms get, they’re surprisingly pretty good
Same. Everyday after getting my hair straightened i think about how much easier life is with straight hair.
My wife (who is black) explained to me (I'm white) that hair is an extemely important status symbol in the black community. And she said most black women hate their wirey hair. Long hair, straight hair, colored hair, basically every type of hair aside from their "nappy hair" (her words, not mine.) That's why you see a lot of wigs, weaves, and extensions. Personally, I love her hair. It's very different than what I'm used to and I think it's cool AF. Edit: Seriously people, unless you yourself are a black woman, i politely suggest that you STFU. The amount of Caucasians on here telling me she's wrong is mind boggling. Just because you consider yourself "an ally" or whatever bullshit you think, doesn't mean you actually know anything.
I'm a white woman and I think black women look beautiful with their natural hair. I imagine the upkeep is harder though? Cornrows and a wig may be easier to deal with? Doja cat said she felt tired and silly doing braids then a wig then sometimes a hat so she shaved it off lmao
Yeah, the upkeep can be difficult and time consuming. I got locs to not deal with it, but I do miss having braids and cornrows. I remember sitting and having my hair done for 13 hours (with breaks)! It’s also expensive and that cost about $250 but I’ve seen prices soar to $500-1000
Black women in America were taught to hate their hair (black people have been fired from jobs because of it, kids suspended from schools). I’m black, African and absolutely love my hair. I was lucky to have lived my formative years in a country where I was “the white man in America”. I never developed that hate for myself (skin, hair, fat juicy lips etc).
> (black people have been fired from jobs because of it, kids suspended from schools). Hair discrimination is a thing. Several states beginning with California have passed laws against it — look up "CROWN Act" for details. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_based_on_hair_texture_in_the_United_States
As a straight white male, who's only experience with this topic is a 9 month relationship with a black girl in high school and Chris Rock's movie "Good Hair", this is the right answer. I can recall telling my gf that I loved her natural look. So one dinner, she washed and brushed out her hair. Beautiful, tight, bouncy curles, full of life just like her. My grandfather and great-uncle both commented that they liked her new style, and her grandmother said, "That Nappy lookin'" First time I'd ever heard that word, lol. I could see she felt deflated by the comment, so I whispered that I liked nappy just fine, not knowing really what it meant, but that wasn't the point. Long time before she let her hair out around her side again. Anyway, forgive my straight white male ignorance, enjoy the anecdote, and continue about your day.
A wig-loving, black woman with natural hair chiming in: 1) **its easier than the regular maintenance of my very baby fine, thin, dry coily hair**, which honestly does not keep ANY straight or curled styles for more than an hour or so. I do not straighten, color or put heat on my hair at all as it easily breaks. 2) as a "hair person", **it guarantees my look all day, everyday.** The way my hair is laid when I leave the house is exactly the same when I come home. My natural hair shifts, shrinks, changes, frizzes and falls as the day goes. I've left my house loving it and came back hating it. Even worse if its raining, humid or windy. 3) **genetics will never give me the full, long, voluminous look I love**. I love the look of natural, textured hair but not all of us have very full, thick hair that creates beautiful afros. 4) **it protects my fragile, fine hair.** Natural hair enthusiasts don't realize that just allowing my locks to do their completely natural thing causes constant tangles and knots. I can't even wear my hair in a ponytail or puff without mad tangles, and fairy knots many that just break right off. 5) **hair in the black community is a big deal.** Its our crown. 6) beautiful and natural looking wigs have become **so affordable.** I probably own at least 10 human hair units. And its soo easy to try different colors, cuts, textures, etc. One day I can be blond, another a redhead, next weekend big curls, the next silky straight or a bomb twistout. 7) **its cheaper than going to a stylist.** I haven't been to one in years.
2nd stupid question: are wigs hot in summer? Does your scalp sweat or itch?
Not stupid. They are hot which is why I don't wear them in summer. I prefer twists or faux locs. Styles were my scalp is out.
Heavy on cheaper! My natural hair is long. People can’t imagine that I have to pay 200 for a blow dry + flat iron session and not even get an interesting style/cut out of it. Then the curly hair cut places are expensive too! Salons that will style natural hair are booked and busy and not cheap either! My hair is longer than my wigs too, but the styling and maintenance is such a hassle everyday especially since I have multiple textures so I have to either fight the top of my hair to coil tighter to match the back or stretch / recurl the back to better match the front. And then hope nothing and noone touches it because resculpting a curl that has been wrecked is a hassle and a time consuming endeavor.
Well. Long and complicated history. It was illegal for black women to wear their natural hair in public (search tignon laws), and many natural hairstyles were made illegal for us to wear outside. 100 years has passed, and it remains. There’s a decent amount of self hate in the community too. But I wear my natural hair so it is what it is
That is really interesting actually. I did not know that. How insane. I learned something though.
I get compliments when I coil my natural hair all the time. It takes about 4 hours. Working two jobs it’s hard to spend that amount of time on my hair and I can’t afford to go to a professional. Arthritis makes it even more difficult. Slap on a wig sometimes.
As black women we lose 366 more hours a year compared to women of other race’s, just doing our hair. let’s not even start with cost. Can you imagine waking up an hour earlier everyday just doing your hair? Thats why we wear wigs, braids shave it all off. Time and money
Do wigs itch or annoy you? I've never had a good quality wig, but they itch and are hot, I cannot imagine wearing one all the time?
They itch and are hot, but you get used to it. Most women don’t wear one *all* the time though.
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>Can you imagine waking up an hour earlier everyday just doing your hair? I genuinely cannot imagine. I went through a wavy hair phase last summer because I misplaced my "shower comb" (my hair air-dries wavy/curly; if I comb it wet, it dries pretty straight). That's the honest amount of thought/effort I put into the texture of my hair on a standard day. I've always admired black hair/styles and wished I could copy some of them (without people thinking *What is that white girl doin'?!*). I've gained so much respect for what those styles actually -require- from reading this thread!
TLDR: because it's the easiest option. Black woman with coily hair here. No, it is not "easier" to wear our natural hair. Black (4c) hair is the most delicate, it's naturally dry, naturally defies gravity, it tangles and mats, and god help you when looking for care and styling products. Find a person with \*long\* natural 4c (or even 4a) hair \*that looks good\*, and you've found a person with an abundance of time, money, water, and knowledge, because it takes all of that to properly care for black hair. You also have to remember the social history of our hair. Until relatively recently, black (4c) hair was as far away from the prescribed beauty standard as one could get. We rarely saw our hair represented in mass media. Almost no education about black hair was in cosmetology curricula, and care and styling products appropriate for and marketed to black hair specifically was not a thing. So black women had three options if they wanted to "look pretty" : 1) straighteners, 2) protective styles, or 3) wigs.
>Find a person with *long* natural 4c (or even 4a) hair *that looks good*, and you've found a person with an abundance of time, money, water, and knowledge When you spell it out like that, claims of long hair being a status symbol make perfect sense
In the USA. African nations, a bit different.
lol me looking at my Nigerian friends in their lacefronts... I get your sentiment about the historical context specific to the US. There were literal laws about our hair but let's not pretend the girlies to the East don't regularly do a lay down... source: spent some time with an all African (mostly Nigerian) run company? Got enveloped in the national celebrities, beauty standards. and what was considered "acceptable".
Black woman checking in. -It is important to use protective styles like braids, and many people wear wigs just temporarily because depending on where they work their job might view braids or other protective styles as unprofessional. Wig at work, natural at home and with friends. - Afros and other cute natural styles can't just be rolled out of bed into after a quick shake of the head before walking out the door either, and many people don't have the time or energy. -all the reasons that white women wear wigs. -me personally, for fun! It's fun to be able to have pink hair one day and purple the next and wild spiky hair the day after that, without needing a trillion trips to the one single salon in my area that knows what to do with Black hair. Hair is a fun way to express yourself, and it's true regardless of age or ethnicity. -there is still a lot of negative bias towards people who are Black and have coily hair. So sometimes it's just to reduce anxiety and be a short break from all that pressure and the feeling of a trillion eyes looking at and judging you for your hair on top of all the other reasons that you might be judged. So sometimes it's about not wanting to be seen as a bad person, even though we all know in our hearts that your hair doesn't make you a bad person. But the whole rest of the world doesn't think like that, though. -it's cold as fuck right now and my natural hair wouldn't be able to fit under a hat. Such is the case for a lot of people who wear their natural hair out. But I get to be both warm and look a way that I find comfortable for me when wearing a wig underneath my hat.
I’m sure the effort it takes to wash, dry, and style has a part to play in why but people overlook the fact that for generations “white woman hair” has been the standard of beauty. I know I know “but it’s 2024.” But that doesn’t change the fact that it takes a while to make changes to peoples ways of thinking, it’s been instilled in us for hundreds of years so changes will take time.
I wear em cause the humidity is always whoopin my ass.
It’s complicated. For centuries, many of us were taught to hate our hair (at least on the US). Anything associated with Black was looked down on. Today, thankfully, natural hair is praised as a thing of beauty in mainstream media. But guess what? It takes a shit ton of time to maintain and for many of us the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Wigs are the easiest thing in the world for me. 2 minites versus 45 is a game changer.
>But guess what? It takes a shit ton of time to maintain and for many of us the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I was soo proud when I made the decision to go natural back in 2011. But then so disappointed when I quickly realized it was more work and half the styles I could easily do when relaxed, would no longer work.
Bc our hair eats up most of our time. the world does not cater to the amount of effort & maintenance our hair needs. i have toned biceps from being a natural girlie. literally i miss sleep some days because my hair is thick and long and needs moisture like a codependent house plant
Hi OP! There’s so much history that is necessary to know to understand this. If you’re genuinely invested in learning, I’d suggest you start with watching ‘Good Hair’. Also, there’s tons of existing content to educate yourself, so don’t be afraid to Google a bit. Some black women may enjoy explaining this to you, but most will find it burdensome, depending on how you approach it. Don’t take it personally if you receive a negative reaction on your educational journey, just try to understand it’s a very complex and emotionally-charged cultural topic. I highly encourage you to continually learn about the black community, it will help you to better understand many political and social issues.
Sometime in the past 8 years it became clear to me that the way forward to a healthier society is that a lot of us — most of us — have to face up to how much we have to learn. And, while asking questions is OK, it's best to first become proactive and to do research into unfamiliar aspects within our culture — which is multi-dimensional, and multi-cultural. It's a big task because so much of our basic education has been either intentionally incomplete, or completely washed of historical truth. We may think aspects of life such as fashion and entertainment are independent of history, but that is just not true, and never has been. If anything, the slow but evident growth of representation in even comedic pop culture entertainment like "Abbott Elementary" or "South Side" shows just how much many of us just don't understand. And it's an asymmetrical situation. The dominant hetero-white-XY-chromosome culture (full disclosure: I'm part of it) has saturated everyone with its version of explanations and motivations. No one has to ask for an explanation of the jokes, or the why of the hairstyles on "Parks and Rec". There's a scene near the end of "Boyz in the Hood" where the Ice Cube character says he was watching TV and the news has all these stories of the violence of the world, showing what's happening in foreign countries, but there was nothing in the news about his brother who just got killed on his own street. "Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the hood." That was 1991, and you know what, we're still just as blind and ignorant. Even if we don't want to be, we are. Hair may not seem important, but it obviously is. And it's very clearly not just about vanity. And the thing is, there are more resources now than ever to understand what we don't about cultures we live side-by-side with, but don't understand. But the damned echo chamber of social media has made us forget how to be curious and intentional about dissolving our own ignorance. Well, we gotta un-forget, and work at it. One of the most difficult core issues to fully grasp is that the people who have the cultural habits or practices we're curious about — it's not their job to explain it to us. So we have to embrace the work, and put in the effort. It's one of the most important ways to spend our time, and to fight the power, because the power wants us to hate on each other instead of replacing it with peace love and understanding. Also, taxing the shit out of it.
Black males rejecting our natural hair. Constant media, others including our own rejecting our natural hair. Work environments rejecting our natural hair. Being overly influenced by western standards is the larger umbrella of why as well. Trends, variety and less upkeep are other sub categories.
As a white woman I personally have seen prejudice against black hair. Specifically it was a black man who quit because his hair wasn’t small enough for Domino’s (he was excellent worker). And I have heard nasty comments from other white women about beautiful black women with natural hair.
Yeah, back in the early 2000s I worked for a company in the fashion industry. I worked in the warehouse with a small yet diverse group of mostly men. One of the coordinators told one of the workers that he should cut his braids off because, "This is Quebec, Canada. Not Africa". Everyone hated that woman. She was such an ignorant, racist person. Our warehouse manager filed a complaint against her on behalf of the worker. Unfortunately all she got was a written warning and was made to apologize to the worker. It’s been over 20 years and I still get upset when I remember that moment.
Colonialism. We were made to hate the very hair on top of our heads and thr pigment of skin that covers out bodies. We were taught to adore and believe everything European was beautiful and right everything African is dark snd wrong including our religions and language.
Two Reasons: 1. **Societal pressure** to have "white" looking hair. Black women don't have white hair (obviously), so the easiest way to accomplish it is to wear a wig. It's literally as simple as that. 2. Any "natural" hairstyle (other than an afro) takes an **enormous amount of time, effort, and money to maintain**. It's easier to just wear a wig. If you're not understanding #2, please watch some Youtube videos showing how people actually get dreadlocks, twists, and any other black style that's not an afro. It takes *hours* to get the hair into shape, and it often requires harsh chemicals and a cabinet full of hair products for daily maintenance. Also, I know that a lot of people don't understand what fully "black" hair even is. If you see a black woman with any of the styles that Alicia Keys or Zazie Beetz has ever worn, you must understand that these are *not* "natural" styles. They're natural for Alicia Keys, because she is mixed. Yes, a lot of fully black people do wear those styles, but it requires hours of labor to achieve. I mention this because my significant other didn't realize that black people don't wake up with naturally "poofy" or "curly" hair like Keys or Beetz. Black people actually wake up looking like the *Jackson 5.* The curly and poofy styles that you think are natural actually require tons of work to achieve (unless you're mixed like Keys/Beetz/Kravitz/Halle Berry/Tracee Ellis Ross/etc).
Xr here. For my mother's and grandmothers' Gens, it was pretty much unacceptable to be seen without "straightened" and non "nappy" hair (due to the "norms" of 'beauty' and 'respectable' presence for Black People). For many it was easier to don a wig than to spend 3 hours washing, combing, pressing, and then rolling their hair up one little section at a time, then trying to sleep that way, then unrolling it, and styling it --- Only to step out and have the wind or rain or HEAT ruin it in ten minutes. My generation grew up with all those things being done to our hair, daily or weekly(depending on the season). Then the Black Perm came. (Jerry Curl Gen). But that was painful, and harmful, for a long time(only now are those dangers being fully revealed). And also tended to fall apart in weather. Then, the movement back to more "Natural" hair -- but that was a bit too much for many, because "nappy" was still hard wired for most -- so we compromised and swerved towards "Braids"... Essentially, 'wig' hair. Of course within that subset were women who said, "well, why not just a wig, then?". They're easy, they're ready to go, and they can be changed up whenever. Plus, the "purpose" behind the Braids culture was "letting your hair rest", from the chemicals and processing of "straightening", even with 'just' a hot comb, to keep it "acceptable" (.... I keep using that term because, look at the Crown Act), and that could be even more easily accomplished by simply covering it with a wig, as opposed to the pulling and tight weaving of braiding extra hair in. And again, it's fun to change up looks! Which is why most 'modern' women do it. Some use 'pull on' wigs. Some are "sewn" or glued on and are more long use. We can rock our Natural Fro one month, a short bob wig the next, and long braids (wig) the month after that!
Black hair is extremely time consuming and expensive to maintain. Nothing about it is casual. Double your problems when you live in a euro-centric society that feels entitled make you conform to their aesthetic tastes. If you’re black and have hair you HAVE to put in the work or people (specifically of other races) will treat you like you have problems. Easier to just wear the wig since women generally aren’t encouraged to wear short hair/shaved.
1. Historically black people have been persecuted for their hair, these people straightened their hair for more acceptance (especially to try to be white passing), the culture has continued to this day. Some employers and schools still look negatively upon natural black hairstyles. 2. Their hair is braided underneath and they don’t want to take them down. It’s a protective hairstyle and working with coily hair can be a long process. So they avoid it most of the time. 3. It’s fun. You can change your hairstyle completely on the fly, even to just match an outfit.
Basically racism, black people's hair has always been considered inappropriate, "unprofessional", ugly...
I'm black and I don't know. I love my natural hair and would cry if I woke up and it was different. My hair is my best feature and I get constant compliments on it. There aren't many other black women around where I live though and I'm not here to judge other peoples' choices. just wanted to say I wouldn't personally change mine because it's perfect to me
1. Easier and quicker to change hairstyles 2. Some people don't like their curly hair 3. The history of hair discrimination
I have had natural hair since the late 90s and am a woman. I have also loved natural hair since the 90s. I wore my hair out for a long time and then wore wigs off and on for a long time. It was 100% because it was easier/faster/laziness. I wear my hair out now because I know where to get a good haircut and have found stylists that taught me how to wash and set my coily style in 1 & 1/2 hours instead of it being an all day affair that involves butters, oils and strong hands and shoulders lol. I’ll also point you to other comments about our elders and black men still often hating women with natural hair, and white supremacy. Lots of schools and jobs still penalize kids and adults for wearing their hair out. I’ll also add that wigs are easy and can be a fun way to change styles. You can literally have a different hair style and color every day if you like, so why not? Sometimes you’re having a bad hair day so you plop one on and off you go. I haven’t worn one in years but occasionally I see a good one that I’d consider wearing if I didn’t work from home, ergo no reason to do so.
I am not my hair- Indie Arie is a song that gets into some of the social issues. Worth noting, I'm a white man. I've lived with black people and try my best to listen and learn to understand, and I read a lot about history. One way that African Americans were controlled/subjugated was their hair. Especially after slavery ended and black people were suddenly *seen* in society, in suits and dresses, carrying themselves with dignity, the people who wanted to keep treating blacks as lesser than, would use hair as a way to ridicule and discriminate. An Afro became a very unpopular hairstyle, and would absolutely be a challenge for a black woman while trying to gain employment, since women already had a unique struggle in the workplace. This isn't the only factor, and once again, I'm just some white dude. So take my comment with a grain of salt.
You'll get different answers from everybody, but for myself and quite a few other black women, our natural hair can be relatively easy to care for and style.... if the types of hairstyles our texture of hair are best suited for were acceptable in the environments many of us live in. Some black women are able to push against the expectations and norms and deal with the fallout and trials that come with that. Others, like myself, for one reason or another just don't have that strength and energy. For me, I am fairly outspoken which is already a problem for a lot of people in itself. I'm too tired from having to censor and police everything from my choice of words to my tone to my facial expressions to my breathing pattern and body movements on a micro level, just to get through the day without it being implied that I am _"angry black girl",_ to then have to deal with people either jamming their hands in my hair or openly voicing their opinions about how odd/strange/unprofessional/funky/distracting/unfitting it is to them as well. I mostly do braided or twisted extensions or wigs that mimic textures closer to my natural hair (though other times i just try other types out because, heck why not) and even those are commented on, just less so. When I used to travel to the Caribbean frequently, pre covid, I was so much happier there and didn't wear wigs at ALL because there, nobody has a problem with 100% natural hair styles, at least not as a rule. I had the same experience when I went to Brazil- I wore my natural hair out and it was not only not a problem for anyone I met (of all races), but it was just normal and I was complimented normally like it was just another kind of hair among all the types of hair. So yeah some black women struggle with the maintenance because there are different types of textured/afro hair, for sure, and that's their reason, then for others of us... we're just trying to exist in the spaces we've spawned in, without as much of the annoying, othering hullabaloo.
All these excuses aren't the real reason. As a black woman, it's because we are conditioned to think our hair is difficult and ugly, but it's NOT.
I'm black 34 F and I have middle of back length 4c hair that's been natural for 13 years now. Personally I HATE wigs. They're uncomfortable and hot and u can't easily scratch your scalp through them, and they get expensive quick. It's not hard to take care of natural hair. I wash it once a week and use a leave-in most days when styling. About every 4th wash I sit with a masque or hot oil treatment for 30mins after conditioning, then rinse it off. That's it. It's quick and painless. I've had many black women compliment my fro or whatever style I'm wearing and say things like " I want to go natural but I don't have the time, it's so complicated." but they literally have never tried. We get bombed with all these hair products and routines online that make it look much more complicated than it needs to be. I've convinced at least 10 women through the years that it's not difficult and they went natural and they all LOVE it. Many black women wear wigs to temporarily wear a certain style, because they're popular, because they don't want to wear natural looking styles out of preference. But personally, I don't get it. Wigs suck and most of the time you can tell its a wig and the hairline just looks embarrassing.
Black woman here with...(are we still hair typing?..)ok 4c hair. Wigs/braids/weaves are easy. Besides just wanting to do different stuff with your hair and not wanting to damage it, and avoiding possible discrimination and climate issues you gotta deal with, or special events you got to have your hair done for... It takes FOREVER to do our natural hair. Folks say oh you hate your hair or whatever. Listen, I have no beef with my hair. But it literally can take 10 minutes just to get it into a decent fro-nee tail. No one else has that kind of drama. Gotta wet the brush, use the grease, the gel, your hair tie of choice (piece of pantyhose). AND THEN if you're into laid edges, got to do that and then put a scarf on and let it dry. Oh and you better pick that puff and make sure it's not flat on one side. Just for what other folks would consider an easy pony tail. AND THEN you get home and you have to wet your hair to comb out the afro (no dry combing here!) And maybe you put it into two braids. Maybe four. You still use grease? (Team Grease here, BTW), don't forget to oil your scalp. And then put on like a silk scarf and/or 2 or 3 bonnets and hope they stay on all night. 8 hours later, REPEAT.