Bad Weaves, Good Weaves
How many people have we heard talking about them? How many articles and blogs have we read and seen on the Internet about them? And yet, they're still walking our streets with no shame whatsoever.
I’m going to talk and blog about them until I don’t see them anymore.
I realize a 16-year old kid can't afford to pay salon prices to get her hair done. I mean, I totally understand if she asks a friend who can sew to help her make her mornings a little easier by slapping a few tracks on her head. I admit, if our kinky mane is not permed, dealing with it in the cold, harsh winter of Canada, where there aren’t many products on the market that can help, mornings can be a battle.
I was a teenager once, too. I get it. But when an adult working woman is walking around with a weave that looks like a rug on her head, that I don't get.
Hair is a woman’s glory. The first thing people notice on a woman is her hair. You probably don't know it, but your hair says a lot about you. Although many women are actually ready to pay for a good weave, finding a good hair extensionist— someone who is passionate about what she does— is difficult.
Most people who call themselves hairdressers, posting ads all over the Internet, got their training from YouTube videos and are simply looking to make a quick buck. Here are some examples of bad weaves:
I can go on and on posting pictures of people with bad weaves. I get a kind of perverse joy out out of it, but not showing some good ones simply wouldn't be fair.
Countless partners of my clients have told me how I changed their perception about weaves. Some of these men were so scared when their wives or girlfriends told them they were going for a weave, because they thought a weave was supposed to look like the pictures above. Well, they couldn't believe their eyes when their partners returned home with a weave that was so natural looking, it seemed as if it was their real hair.
This is what can happen with a bad weave:
Five signs that you have a bad weave:
Your hair is too tight, even three days after having your hair done.
Your weave looks like a wig.
Your weave tracks are showing.
Your weave looks too big— when you scratch your head the whole thing moves.
You have a cone head, or you hair doesn't match your weave.
Ladies, be smart! When it comes to your hair, don't ruin your hairline forever because you wanted to save a few bucks.
I have people calling me sometimes asking me how much I charge for a weave. When I tell them my price, which is $80 (reasonable by any means), they're shocked. Most of the time, they'll say, "Well, I know a girl who does it for $50 or $60." And my answer to them is always: "Why are you calling me then?" They always say the same thing: "I wanted to try somebody else because my weave always has big bulky braids that makes it look bumpy." I always feel like telling them, “No wonder your weave is bumpy, because you're too cheap to pay for a professional to do your hair. Your so-called hairdresser is in a rush to take the next client and has no time for you!”
I can take two to three clients a day, depending on the technique. Since hair is my passion, it's not about the money. Sometimes I only take one client a day, if I know she needs the time. I enjoy taking my time, so the client can be as satisfied with the results as I am. I've been doing this for a long time now, and I have never had a client leave my place unhappy, whatever the technique.
This is what the corn-row base of a good weave should look like:
If the person doing your weave starts by corn-rowing your hair at the temple from ear to ear... RUN! Do NOT let that person do your hair! If you let them, when you take out the weave, the side of your head will look exactly like the picture above.
If the person doing your hair uses big corn-rows for the base of your weave like this... again, RUN!
If the corn-rows for your weave are too tight, tell your hair dresser to STOP. Otherwise, your hair will end up looking like this.
Let's talk about full-head sew-ins.
If your hair is natural (unpermed), and you want to give it a break and grow it out, there are many other hairstyles you can choose from. For example, tree braids or crochet weaves, especially if you feel single braids are not appropriate for your workplace.
A full-head sew-in. Avoid this!
This is one of my clients. You can see the difference.
The client above didn't want to leave any of her own hair out to hide the weave tracks, so I did a combined weave and crochet weave for her. She kept this hairstyle for two months, and was able to wash her hair every week. The total look cost $120, everything included. We used synthetic hair, but it looks real.
For people with relaxed hair, don't ruin your hair by flat ironing it every day to match your weave. If your hair is coarse, there are extensions on the market for your hair type. If your hair is kinky, don't use a silky hair weave.
This client has natural hair, so I added a bundle of 16” and 18” of our kinky straight hair for volume and length.
This is what a good weave should look like!
