One thing that has continuously pissed me off was the emergence of the $50.00 hair weave shops. I am not mad because I am against weaves though, my opinion is quite contrary.
There have been times when I have personally paid over $200 for a hair weave and have been very pleased with the result. Compliments come from every direction, but natural hair continues to grow, and I look fabulous. Furthermore, for the life of me, I can't see paying $50.00 and getting the same result. It boggles my mind, its like a $5,000 Audi. These things just don't exist...
Well regardless of my opinions, these shops have spread like a freaking "hair-pandemic" across the City if Atlanta. It may not be a matter of public health, but a new
CNN/Health.com report shows it may be a matter of tress health - especially for African American women.
A few days ago,
CNN and Health.com reported that weaves and braids may contribute to a type of permanent hair loss that appears to be common among black women. The story continues on to say that: More than one-quarter of the 326 black women who participated in the study had hair loss on the top of their scalp, and of those women, 59 percent had signs of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a poorly understood form of baldness that begins at the crown of the head and leads to scarring. For many years, CCCA was known as “hot comb alopecia” because it was attributed to the use of hot combs to straighten curly hair. That appears to be a misnomer. Neither hot comb treatments nor chemical relaxers, which were used by more than 90 percent of the study participants, were linked with CCCA in the study, but braids, weaves, and other so-called traction hairstyles that tug at the scalp were....
Read more With the reduced quality, price, and service at the $50.00 weave shop I cannot help but wonder what is going on under those braids. If I was a client, I probably wouldn't even ask. Bloggers
Coco and Creme chronicled their experience at the shop in their blog. Needless to say they weren't too pleased.
Read more here. Sadly, this would not be the first time that a process used to enhance personal appearance wasn't the best for personal health. Furthermore this article will NOT change the number of black women that get weaves, but it at least makes us think more before the next time we get our hair braided/weaved. I urge black women to do their research when choosing a weave specialist and a healthy hair stylist. Contrary to popular belief, they can be the same person!
