I had my hair cut short in what I thought was a moment of madness during the November exams last year. My hair is a natural afro now. I've actually begun to realise that I have been crazy all these years because of the things I used to do to my hair. I'm not alone, there are millions of women all over the world that have some how lost sight of what is good for themselves and for their hair. You see them in class, church, walking down the road and on TV. This madness grabs all races by the ponytail. I'm going to focus on Black hair and recent hair history, because that's what I know best but I will mention crazy things Asian and White girls do to their hair.
Madness probably began with the hot comb, somewhere in the 60s. Hot combs, back then, were metal combs heated on the stove or in a fire. That implies that you would have burnt badly when you used one.
That's okay, right?
As long as you have manageable hair? (Haha, WTF!).
Hot combs stayed for quite a while before the 80s came around. Relaxers became popular around this time. Some crazy hair stylist decided it was a good thing to throw a really strong base into Black hair to straighten it. These relaxers were so corrosive that many had chemical burns for weeks. They were also expensive.
The price did not deter many of the girls back then they simply made do with oven cleaner.
 |
They probably also used the timer.
Photo available here |
Times changed, relaxers became better and then braiding came into fashion at the end of the 80s. Around this time in the iconic hairstyle was the Boom Shaka braids. They took forever to braid. If you were at the mercy of someone who liked to pull while they braided you were often left crying silently because you had to stay and endure the pain for this hairstyle.
 |
Boom Shaka braids!
Photo available here |
Towards the end of the 90s weaves became popular. I believe this was the pinnacle of hair madness. There is a generation of women who have lost their hairlines. Their hair is so finished that they're ashamed to remove their weaves and leave their hair as is. In fact, many women remove their weaves and put a new one in on the same day. It's a cruel cycle because the weaves and the braiding cause the hair loss.
 |
That's Naomi Campbell and that's not hot, at all.
Photo available here |
I believe Black women have always wanted to have the illusion of longer hair. This mindset was present in the hot comb era. You came blame the media for making us think specific things are beautiful but in the end you have to look at yourself and see what you've done. Hair madness has also allowed us to become the butt of many jokes (sigh... Chris Rock). So one of my wise friends proposed this: "Leave the Weave!" We have a collective agreement to keep our hair natural and rid the world of nasty hair. You should join us too. Natural hair is really easy to maintain and you'll never have to experience Black Girl Hair Problems (below).
Black women aren't the only ones who do crazy things to their hair. Some of the crazy things White and South-East Asian girls do to their hair:
1. It's so permanently dyed that it's dead (not that hair is alive but their hair is especially dead).
 |
Lady Gaga has admitted that she's going chemically bald because her hair is falling out because she dyes it so much
Photo available here |
2. They relax their hair too. I really don't understand this one because it is mostly straight.
 |
You look like a nice lady but WTF are you doing?
Photo available here |
3. My favourite, the tacky hair extensions. A white girl's weave. Does the same thing to your hair, removes it, and normally looks incredibly cheap.
 |
So classy that she got a few As in trash
Photo available here |
So can I get a collective, "Leave the weave!"? I mean it in the sense that if you're ashamed to show your real hair and you're damaging it then you should leave the weave, the peroxide, the braids, relaxer cremes and give your hair a break. This is more than hair it's about being happy with your beautiful self and loving what you've got.
