African American hair
 

A friend of mine who runs a blog is looking for feedback in regards to cultural standards for African American (female) hairdos. I thought maybe some of the African American women on this site could provide him with some insight.

His page is http://fluggart.cwru.edu/ and this is the entry:

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Someone was recently trying to tell me that, for various reasons, most black models in magazines (like the Victoria's Secret Catalogs) are wearing wigs in those pictures. The implication was that their hair is harder to keep at model appearance, and that they require significantly more care.

As proof, they showed me various images from places like Victoria's Secret catalogs, which supposedly showed models whose hair didn't really look real upon close inspection. Over the weekend, I was trying to find documentation of this by searching through websites. I had trouble finding any evidence that directly supported that, but I did find this (which is hardly an authoritative source), which contained excerpts from a book, including:

"In more recent times, however, it has been acceptable simply to highlight and valorise the image of the biracial black woman. Black women models such as Naomi Campbell find that they have a greater crossover success if their images are altered by long, straight wigs, weaves, or bonded hair so that they resemble the 'wannabes' - _folks who affirm the equation of whiteness with beauty by seeking to take on the characteristic look of whiteness."

If anyone has any insight into this, I'd love to hear it, because I'm not quite sure that I actually believe it.
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As far as the first part of the question, I don't thnk there is a standard for Afr. Am hair. You can do just about anything with it. In regards to the models who wore wigs and weave instead of their regular hair, this is because Afr. Am hair is easily damaged and with all the styling, heat, and light exposure, that makes for very unhealthy hair. So basically, many Afr. Am models wear these styles to protect their own hair. Do you remember the show Martin on Fox, well the actress who played Gina said she always wore wigs to protect her hair from styling damage..... I hope this helps.

Yep, to piggyback off of Eirene, most famous Af. Am women do wear weaves/wigs to protect their hair from damage. However, his comment about the crossover appeal, IMO does hold some truth to it.

The guy that does Oprah's hair (I think his name is Andre) has a book out about out hair. I'll search for the name of it and post it.

There is also a book titles "Why Black Women Are Losing Their Hair" which provides more insight into this as well. Let me do a search and come back with some specifics.....

Slightly off topic, for some reason, I thought it was Sam Fine who did O's hair...Sam has a beauty book thats been out for quite some time. Maybe it was just her makeup he did...:confused:

Sam Fine is a makeup artist. André Walker is Oprah's hair stylist, but he also styles her wardrobe.

But back to the topic at hand, lots of Black models wear weaves/hair pieces to protect their hair from heat styling and from stylists who don't have the experience with handling our hair and its special needs. As for valorizing the black biracial look - does anyone seriously think Naomi Campbell looks biracial?

Lately I've seen more Black women in advertisements with natural (unstraightened) hair. It's all about the image the advertiser wants for their products... after all, how many white women with short hair have you ever seen in a Victoria's Secret catalogue?

Still and yet, I think there's something to his basic theory. I think that by and large the European standard of beauty is the acceptable beauty standard in Western society, and any woman of any ethnicity who doesn't fit it is still judged by it. There are exceptions to every rule, but they're just exceptions.

If you go to ANY predominant African American website, ESPECIALLY African American women's website, you will find information regarding a sistah and her hairdo issues...

For me it is a permeating "thing" thoughout my life.

Many sistahs spend $1000.00s even millions of dollars a year to keep their hair in a "fashion" acceptable to them. Some sistahs wear their hair natural in an afro. Some sistahs braid and dreadlock their hair. Some sistahs keep their hair really short like a some bruhs do for fades. And other sistahs, if they want long hair, either straighten it or get some hair...

What is interesting is the number of caucasian hairstylists that do not learn how to care for African American women's hair in beauty school, learn how to as apprentices in predominantly urban areas because these same stylists know how some women will pay top dollar to get their hair "hooked up". Hell one gets a relaxer--BAM--$50 bucks--then one get's the "ends" trimmed--BAM--another $20 bucks--then coloring or highlighting--BAM--a good person charges $100 for hair that's naturally straight and short!!! By the time the stylist is done, a woman's outta $250.00 to $500.00 dollars!!! Not to mention if they had weaving or bonding, with straighteners and colors--even with real human hair extensions or synthetic extensions!!! I'm tellin' yah, if I was smart, I would've gotten a beautician's license!!! :eek:

I just had to respond to this statement, AKA_Monet. I am an AA woman and I get my hair professionally done every week for $43. I get my hair pressed with a flat iron, because I do not have a relaxer. Every few weeks I get my ends trimmed for an additional $10, not to even mention if I get highlights sometimes. I have so many hair styling products, ranging from if I want to wear my hair straight, or naturally wavy.

So 43x52 is $2236, plus about $90 for trims, $150 for color and a five dollar tip every week (sometimes more if my hair is absolutely outstanding) $260, and about another $350 for my styling products I use at home.

You are then looking at $3086 approximately.

A sista needs a budget just for her hair!!! :D


Also in regards to the original post, I have never worn a weave, wig, or had braids. My hair, which is right past shoulder length now has always been thick and healthy.

I do not press my hair, to fit a "standard of beauty", but because it looks good on me and is easier to style than some of the natural hairdos. I just do not like fake hair, thats all.

Please do not take that post from that website as the truth.
In the entertainment business, many women of all races wear hairpieces, weaves, or wigs. If I had to have my hair blow dried, styled, and with curling irons everyday, I think I might too.

AA hair is not hard to keep at model appearance, because my hair looks gorgeous everyday.

In my opinion, there are no cultural standards as far as AA hair goes. While many choose straighten their hair others don't. I don't think hairstyle has any relevance as far as crossover appeal. Look at Alicia Keys.

And frankly, if you are going to buy someone's record, watch their television show, go to their movie, or support them if their hair was straight rather than natural then that really says an awful lot. :rolleyes:

From a male standpoint I think natural styles are more healthy and more managable than processed hair. I have locks and it's the best style I've ever had.......I've had it all.....Fades, Afros, Texturizers, Flattop, no Jerry Curl though...lol....But I feel that people have a misconception of natural hair......it's a not bad at all.......people need to get educated and learn that going natural isn't gonna kill them.

In the entertainment world MANY, MANY celebrities (Black, White and everything else) were wigs and weaves. In fact, just this weekend ET or Access Hollywood did a story about the absolute proliferation on waves and hair pieces in Hollywood. Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears as well as Beyonce, Naomi and Star Jones ALL rock wigs and weaves. They are a common way to protect your hair when you are in a business that requires so much over styling and are an easy way to improve the look of your hair. I promise you, 75% of all the celebs you see of all races use or are wearing hair pieces of some kind.

I definitely think a lot of it has to do with keeping hair healthy. For instance, my mother wears wigs, just because it'd take a lot to straighten her her or even just to keep it healthy with all the heat it'd take to make it manageable (as busy as she is, she doesn't have the time to keep up "natural" hair). My hair is straightened and the heat styling I do damages it a lot, but I choose really good products to reverse that damage, so it all works out. I do think society has a "silky is beautiful, kinky is ugly" attitude, but that's only half of it. Not every black person will conform to that. So, you'd have to look at individual reasons, not just apply one to the whole.

Here's another take on it. I wear locs. If I was in a position that my locs prevented me from getting a much desired job, I would throw on a wig in a minute.

You are so true most of us DUMMIES PAY $$$$1,00000 of dollar$ on our hair I just got microbraids and for some reason this is the 4th day and my tie knots susposely are coming untied.I called to tell the hairstylist I keep getting the run arounds for me to go back...$250 I be a monkey's uncle if I go back that's $250 I could have went and shopped with did my own hair.I just don't know how to tie knots.DOES ANYONE HAVE IN SOULUTION OR CAN ANYONE TO TELL ME WHAT OR HOW TO TO TIE THIS CRAP AFTER ALL i DID JUST WAIST 250.I would have gave 1/2 that away just for someone to tell me not to sit in that BRAIDER CHAIR!!!!!!SSSSSOOMMEEBODYYYYYY Help I am taking pictures SUSPOSELY TOMORROW:eek: !

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After reading this post, I'd say you have bigger problems to worry about.

Haha...someone give that woman some rid'lan.

what a dork!!:cool: