Hair Extensions 101 : Are Weaves Bad For Your Natural Hair?

Over the years, weaves have gotten a pretty bad reputation. 

I often hear things like :

"Why do you wear weaves? You know they make you bald, right?"

or

"Your edges are going to start playing hide-and-go-seek if you

keep wearing those weaves!"

....and the remarks go on and on and on! Well, in this post, I'd like to 

set the record as straight as an arrow.

Weaves aren't bad. Weave-wearers are bad!

Let me tell you a quick story : A few years ago, I had a conversation with a woman. She swore up

and down that she wore ONE weave straight for an entire year! She claims that her

hair grew a ridiculous amount. Now my naive behind didn't even question the absurdity

of her story. So for my next weave, I kept it in for a good 5 months. 

5 months!!!

I can't even IMAGINE how this woman could have gone a year, without her weave

becoming one huge dreadlock! I.Just.Cant!

When I removed my weave, my hair was one hot mess! It was a disaster! 

I share this story because I think a lot of times,

we engage in unhealthy hair practices. And instead of taking responsibility for our actions,

we look for scapegoats. We say, "Well, that was just a bad weave."

Nuh-uh!

It's time to get REAL!

Weaves are not destroying our hair.

Our ignorance is!

Just because we may hide our hair underneath a weave, that doesn't mean 

that it stops existing. It's still there. And it's begging for some love.

Common Weave Faux-pas

• Braids Too Tight : This mistake is pretty common. If you or your stylist sew a weave on top of braids that are too tight, you're asking to lose hair. And a lot of it. Tight braids, plus the added tension of heavy hair extensions, will literally pull your hair right out. And the edges are the most susceptible to damage.  
• Dry Hair/Lack Of Cleansing : I'm guilty of this one! I'd wash my weave 500 times a day, but my natural hair would never taste a lick of water. Horrible habit! It's crucial that you keep your natural hair properly cleansed and moisturized when wearing hair extensions. It helps to retain the elasticity of your hair, which in turn helps your hair retain its length. You should also invest in moisturizers that can be used on a daily basis. My personal favorite is glycerin mixed with water. 
• Hair Installed Too Long : Learn from my story ya'll. Hair extensions shouldn't be kept in for longer than three months. And that's kind of pushing it! If you MUST keep your weave in for longer than three months, please make certain to take proper care of your natural hair. 
• Washing Hair Immediately Upon Uninstalling : Many years ago, I made the mistake of taking my weave down, and hoping straight in to the shower without first detangling my hair. I lost A LOT of hair that day. *moment of silence*. It's imperative that you detangle your hair after an install. I mean, if you think about it. You lose up to 40 strands of hair a day! And when your hair is braided up and kept underneath a weave, fallen hair has no wear to go. It's just there! So if you don't comb/brush your hair prior to cleansing, the water, shampoo and loose hairs will just create a big tangled mess. Trust me. It's not a pretty sight.

I'm sure there are many other mistakes we make when wearing hair extensions.

If you think of any others, please leave a comment down below. The more

we learn about our mistakes, the better prepared we will be 

to take care of our hair. 

Until next time, that's all folks!

If you all have any topics that you'd like tackled next,

please feel free to drop a line down below or send an email to onye317@gmail.com.