Women rave over weave’s versatility

For some female students, after a long day, there is nothing better than going home, snatching out their weave, laying it on the night stand and going to sleep without worrying about messing up that do. Ranging from a variety of prices, weave has become highly popular, and although it leaves both guys and girls with mixed feelings, women continue to name its manageability, protection and versatility as justifications for wearing hair that is not their own.

“I wear weave to be lazy,” said Sherica Green, 25, a junior nursing student from Miami. “Because of its manageability benefits, (there is) not much that I have to do to my hair when I get up in the morning.” Green said she also likes the longevity weave gives her hairstyle.

Depending on maintenance, a weave can last an average of 60 to 90 days, making it attractive to women with busy schedules. The style is also a means of protection by giving a woman’s natural hair a break from curling irons and chemicals.

“With weave, I can curl my hair as much as I want without worrying about it breaking off,” said Traci Jefferson, 19, a sophomore political science student from Atlanta.

The versatility of this hair also allows women to experiment with numerous hairstyles.

“If I want to try a new color, I can get a weave to see how it might look on me,” said Brittney Robinson, 20, a sophomore elementary education student from Miami. Robinson said she wears weave because these different styles do not damage her natural hair. “Because I have long hair, I can get a short weave without having to cut my natural hair.”

Getting to the Roots

Marwan Sinno, manager of Eve’s Beauty Supply, said the weave that is sold in shops across America comes from China. Korean dealers hire Chinese women to collect any of their hair that sheds and send it in. It is then taken to a factory where it is processed, dyed and given to Korean dealers who gather it for widespread distribution.

“The most popular brands of weave (in this store) are Sensual, Amy and Evonne,” Sinno said. She said the prices for these brands of weave vary according to length, color and texture.Miranda Smith, a licensed cosmetologist and owner of Styling and Gathering hair salon, said there are several different forms of weave.

The most common types, especially among black women, are braiding, interlocking, bonding, fusing and sewing.

Fusing is done by taking a strand of hair and attaching it to strand of weave. A patch of glue is then heated and melted on the weave until it and the strand of hair are attached. Smith said fusing is highly damaging because a person has to use adhesives to attach the hair to the scalp.

Sewing, another popular method of attaching weave, is done by braiding down the natural hair and using a piece of thread to sew the hair piece into the braids with a needle.

This form of weave can have great benefits because it allows the natural hair to breathe.

Other forms of weaving include the Kristina hair method, lacing and crocheting.

“Girl You Got Some Pretty Hair!”

Although it has become quite popular among women as a hairstyle, weave is not favored among some men when compared to natural hairstyles.

“If I can grow my hair, a girl can grow hers too,” said 20-year-old Marquie Cloud. The junior mechanical engineering student from Sebastian believes it is more attractive for a woman to wear her hair naturally.

“It aggravates me to see girls wear weave….especially when they get random colors and wear weird hairstyles,” he said.

David Green, a senior fine arts student, agrees with Cloud, saying overly extravagant weaves are unnecessary.

The 20-year-old Lakeland native said weaves with “loud colors” are immature. “It was cool when you were in high school, but now you’re grown.”

Green said if a girl wears weave it should be straight down or in braids. “No red and blues and stuff like that,” Green said. He continued saying dating a woman who does not have her own hair concerns him. “I don’t want to pull something out on mistake…that would be really funny,” Green laughed.

Even though a lot of women wear weave, there are still a few who prefer to wear their hair natural.

Kristina Ortiz, 20, a second-year business administration student from Oxnard, Calif., said although she does not think negatively about weave, she chooses not to wear it. Contrary to the reasons others gave, Ortiz does not use weave because she wants to protect her hair. “My hair is relatively long and I do not want to do anything to damage it.”

Plus, “I think I look better with my natural hair,” Oritz added.