Nope I don't mean the wax (ouch!), I am talking about the latest craze for women from all walks of life (yes ALL women get a little help from their Brazilian sisters lol). This post was inspired by a chat I had earlier today with a male friend. Like most other guys, he hates weaves (a.k.a any synthetic or human hair piece that usually gives women sass holla!). We didn't quite get down to the bottom of his hatred but watching Chris Rock's "Good Hair" earlier this year I sort of got why black guys in particular hate our obsession>> 1. They claim it smells. 2. It stifles intimacy 3. It is misleading 4. It's high maintenance and 5. It is just wrong! (okaaaay so much for appreciation). So out of a need to get a different point of view, I invited my girlfriends round for a viewing, over seafood pasta and pesto and martinis. As the credits rolled in, our heated debate promptly commenced and we tackled all of the above points as best we could.
1. The Brazilian/Malaysian/Peruvian/Indian (a.k.a. trophy weave)doesn't smell if you wear it right. You treat it like your own hair (hell after paying £250 and above, you treat it better than your own hair).
2. Okay we had to agree with this one lol. After you've spent your entire Saturday in your local afro salon getting your hair did just right by your fave hairdresser (whom you booked a 12pm appointment with but waited 5 extra hours to see), the last thing you need is your man fiddling with your locks. As Nia Long said in the movie, she ain't getting her hair wet for no man and if she ever does take a shower with her man, then he's her n*gga for real. Lol, a tad shallow but we all agreed she kinda had a point. I've always thought vanity wasn't for the weak at heart. So step aside intimacy, hello HOTNESS. Worse still, pre Brazilian times, the Yaki weave had a mean way of getting so tangled even a rake had trouble running through your hair, let alone a man's fingers hahaha. Not sexy!
4. High maintenance for guys?? How?? I guess the fact we spend ages in the salon and practically plan our social calendars around our hair which in effect affects our relationships, makes it high maintenance. But as Beyonce says in the L'Oreal ad...We are worth it! So suck it up :-)
5. We all laughed out loud at this last point. Cutting your hair a la Cassie and not being half as beautiful as her is wrong but supporting your locks with a weave is not right or wrong, it is a personal thing. Chris Rock's documentary went as far as showing us that indeed 99% of the human hair came from sacrifices in India, this irked me a little bit but I just told my girls, pray over it and you'll be fine lol.
In summary, I never converted my male friend to a weave lover but he did agree with some of my points and went off to watch Good Hair. Where's my commission Chris? *raises eyebrow*
