Hair Extensions and Hair Weaves have always been around

As a former Master Hair Enhancement Specialist working in 3 States with clients from different Countries, various backgrounds, genders and social-economic statues, I can tell you for sure one of the biggest misconceptions about why women wear hair weaves is that we don't have hair or we are ashamed of it.

 Huge myth, in fact, according to research, 50% of Women in the US where some type of hair pieces because it helps their overall look. It's also a 2.3 Billion dollar industry that helped women like myself make a living and raise a family. 

I started wearing them back in the 90's after getting a short haircut by someone who did not know what they were doing. Let me tell you, it looked a hot mess. There was no way to get it fixed so I started doing my own, first using extensions for individual braids then later moving on to hair extensions when trying to dye my hair a light brown to match my eye color but  left it on too long so all my hair fell out over two day until there was only 2 inches of it left. 

It was at that moment I discovered that I had an egg shaped head that did not look with pretty with a  low fade hairdo... so it was super cool to look in all the magazines we had at the time and  pick out the latest styles without ever ruining my hair again. That went so well that People were asking me to do their hair when they found out I did my own and that's pretty much how my Cosmetology career started. 

Brief History of Hair Extensions

But way before that era, Egyptian Mummies were found with hair pieces sewn to their heads and also wig making shops were found. Hair pieces called "Hair switches" were used in the 1800's and in  Hollywood movies back in the 1950's and 60's wore them as well.. They were called chignons, clip-ons and beehives to add volume, enhance ponytails and buns.

Synthetic hair really started to get popular in the 1970's around the Disco era and when Afrocentric braiding hairstyles with beads were trendy to make them last longer and to lock in the moisture of the natural hair which protects the hair from shedding, drying out or breaking from the natural environmental elements. 

It also make life so much easier when you sweat your hair out from being in athletic activities or going thru menopause or you're not that good at doing your own hair or you just want to try trendy cuts and colors with no commitment.

 Hair weaves save a lot of time to focus on other things in life and allows your hair to grow fuller without sacrificing stylish looks and let's face it, some of us just want to look good without working to hard for it. 

We already have to get our mani-pedi, facial treatments, massages, workouts, self-care and literally tend to so much other stuff that so even if our lives aren't perfect at least our hair can be through it all with a little added.