Faux Hair, Faux Pas?

A reader asked about weaves -- should she or shouldn't she? Since I have never personally had a weave, I cannot offer firsthand knowledge on the topic. However, I know people that have/had extensions, and I have witnessed firsthand the aftermath of a bad weave. In recent years Hollywood has glamorized the use of hair extensions and weaves. Celebrities like Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton actually hawk their own line of fake hair. The allure of full, thick, long hair has women running to the nearest salon to get their hometown version of lucious, celebrity-inspired locks. However, ladies beware of the dangers of this too-good-to-be-true quick fix.

Weaves and extensions can be extremely expensive not to mention extremely damaging to your natural hair. A good wave can range in the thousands. To achieve the most natural look you will need to use real human hair which can be very costly. There is also maintenance which requires an additional expense. Sure you can go out and get a cheap weave, but cheap looking faux hair just looks tacky and trashy.

Weaves can also destroy your natural hair. Many weaves are sewn or glued into your existing hair. This can cause breaking, splitting and drying of your natural hair. There are plenty of photos of celebrities out there caught with bald spots and thinning areas becaue of their weaves. Lindsay Lohan is a great example!!! Remember when Britney Spears shaved her head because her weave was damaging her hair so badly??? Her current weave is even worse than before she shaved her head, and it's just sickening to watch a young woman sabotage their natural beauty!!!

I was on a flight to Los Angeles with Paris Hilton and I took a picture of the back of her head because her weave was so matted and she had noticeable bald spots. She had an obvious weave despite her short style which is probably because her natural hair is so thin from years of overstyling ( See picture below).


In my opinion, you are better off saving your money by getting regular trims to keep your healthy and to promote strong growth (less split ends = better hair growth) and getting deep conditioning treatments. With the proper upkeep and products you can have gorgeous hair.

If you are really craving longer, fuller hair for a special occasion then I suggest finding human hair clip-on extensions. They are easy to use and with proper styling they blend well with your natural hair. Your hair stylist should be able to assist you in putting them in if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. Clip-ons shouldn't damage your hair and you can spare yourself the expense and committment of a weave!!!