African-American women are faced with unique challenges regarding their hair. For one thing, many African-American women feel judged if they do keep their natural hair, and judged if they don’t. The fact is that your hair is beautiful whether you’re looking into sew weave hairstyles or natural styles — but sometimes it doesn’t always feel that way. Of course, African-American women also have hair with needs that are more specific than the needs of white women’s hair. African-American hair can be more easily damaged, and has to be treated by someone who knows how to handle its texture and care for it will. This can make it difficult to find the best place for hair extensions, weaves, and coloring jobs. After all, if your hair ends up completely ruined, you’ll have to start from square one — and end up spending even more than you planned in the first place. The best place for hair extensions and other services doesn’t necessarily mean the place that costs the most — though it likely won’t be the place that costs the least either. The best place for hair extensions and other services is the place that offers a wide variety of options, and extensive range of expertise, and talented specialists who care about your hair.
Taking Care Of Your Hair: What To Look Out For
The best place for hair extensions and other services may not necessarily advise you to pursue whatever kind of hairstyle you want. This is because the hairstyle you want may not be the healthiest choice for your specific head of hair, and you should keep this in mind when approaching hairstyles. There are many hazards that come with styling your hair in dramatic ways — and for that matter, our hair naturally begins to deteriorate as we age. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, by age 40 40% of women show signs of female pattern hair loss. Female pattern hair loss could be the results of genetics, hormonal changes, poor nutrition, crash diets, medical conditions or even certain medications. For women who chemically treat their hair, this kind of loss has been known to eventually occur. The right stylist will know when to let your hair have a break, or use products that will decrease the risk of hair loss or damage. Certain types of weaves and extensions can also break and damage your hair, which is why you should do your research and plan on investing in the types of extensions and weaves that will be the gentlest on your scalp.
Your Options: The Wide Variety Of Hairstyles
Historically, African-American women have long been perhaps the most creative women when it comes to hair. Bold and exciting, African-American hairstyles come in many different forms. It’s been estimated that about six in ten African-American consumers wear wigs, weaves, or extensions. This allows them to more easily switch up their looks, and they don’t have to worry about committing to one style for an extended period of time. While this is a good thing, it also means that your hair can get damaged due to rapid switches. As previously mentioned, the risk of damage is lowered when you invest in extensions, wigs, and weaves that are gentler on your scalp and hair. Typically, extensions can cost anywhere from $300 to $10,000. Of course, you don’t have to spend thousands to get great extensions — that is simply an option.
Hair Today: The Industry Of Hair
There are so many options available today. The market for hair extensions covers every ethnicity — which is perhaps why the hair industry has seen the number of salons that offer extensions rise by 28.5% within the past two years. On the other hand, relaxers remain strong among African-American women, representing about 21% of that market with expenditures of around $152 million. No matter what type of hair you have, be proud of it and take care of it. That way, you’ll have it hopefully for the rest of your life.