Weaves look beautiful in the bare eyes, but they are bad for your natural hair growth and health. It can have severe consequences like permanent hair loss as well as traction alopecia.
It requires you to take care of your hair, keep your scalp clean, and undertake many micro-measures for wearing a weave without problems of that extent. Doing so is not easy, but possible.
Why Are Weaves Bad For Your Natural Hair Extensions?
Wearing a weave means having your natural hair tightly pulled. This tension will slowly damage your hair follicles. If you do not take the right steps, the damage can go as far as constant hair loss forever.
Many women love to wear weaves with braids. As good as it sounds, weaves are very intensive hairstyles themselves. All the hair strands undergo constant pulling that will make you feel pain in your head as well.
Creating a weave is frustrating. So many complications in the process require women to use heated styling tools for ease. Application of heat leads to further natural hair loss. Hair loss caused by heat causes wispy baby hairs in the affected area.
The bottom line is that this style in general causes a domino effect of hair damage. Slowly, you will reach a stage when you may never get your healthy hair back.
Why Weaves Are Not Always The Right Choice?
Creating a weave may not be worth the risk it comes with. It is one of the very few tight hairstyles in the hairstyle fraternity. It calls for repeated pulling of your hair and is next to impossible to prevent hair damage.
- Your hair type and hair length may not be ideal for a weave. You might have delicate hair and your extensions may be smaller than needed.
- The hairstyle may permanently damage your natural hair. Hair growth will be significantly hampered and adding length may be almost impossible.
- You may permanently lose your natural hair style/texture. Your hair may be naturally bouncy or wavy, but the damage to hair follicles will take them away forever.
- Sew in weaves damage your scalp as well. Healthy hair by default requires a healthy scalp.
The overall hair damage you have to sustain can go beyond repair. Putting so much on the line just for a weave hairstyle is not worth it.
How To Prevent Weave Hair Loss And Damage?
- You must maintain healthy hair. Only then should you move to this hairstyle. Take proper precautions and focus on making your hair healthy.
- Wearing clip-in extensions is a great idea. Most flexibility that the hairstyles offer. Puts less pressure on natural hair.
- Try to avoid sew-ins as much as you can. Sew-ins make weave extensions even heavier than usual.
- Wash your extensions with a moisturizing shampoo. Keeping the hair moisturized is a must to prevent hair damage.
- Weave hairstyle hurts the most. Apply warm oil to the roots to reduce that pain. Hair oil remedies will comfort your hair underneath the weaves as well.
- Do not weave your hair, you are not an expert. Get in touch with a professional stylist for the job.
Things You Need To Know Before Getting A Weave
- Contact a board-certified dermatologist to examine your hair. They can tell you if your hair is fine for weaving.
- You need to be mentally ready for a hectic hair care routine. Maintaining healthy hair is not easy. You need to keep your hair healthy throughout the hairstyle journey.
- Do not apply hair color as it can damage your natural hair. Weaving over them will take you to a point of no return.
- Following tips or a few precautions may not prevent hair damage. You need to do it at a micro-level, with utmost dedication.
- You cannot use chemical products to keep the weaves in good shape. You need to keep the hairstyle clean.
How To Take Care Of Your Weave And Hair Under Sew In?
- Wash your extensions with a mild shampoo: Wash your extensions with a mild shampoo. Look for a shampoo that has moisturizing nutrients in them.
- Blow-dry the extensions before styling them: Do not weave wet hair. Blow-dry the extensions before styling them. Keep the temperature of the hairdryer at a medium level.
- Avoid using average hair gels or styling products: Avoid wearing average hair gels or styling products. Try to use water-based styling gels.
- Maintain regular consultations: Maintain regular consultations with a board-certified dermatologist. Do not fall for any person claiming to be a dermatologist. Hair health specialists are rare.
- Wash your hair every week after styling: Wash your hair every week after styling. Allowing dirt to settle in the extensions is bad for a protective hairstyle.
- Only do sew-ins if recommended by your stylist: Sew-ins sound very exciting. But each sew-in is dangerous. Do them only if your stylist recommends them.
What Are The Benefits Of Weaves?
Wearing weaves in extensions is not bad if you manage to hold the nutrients and strength of your natural hair. You can prevent hair damage with proper precautions and also flaunt the extensions with pride.
Weaves can also increase the length of your extensions and add volume. But these will only take shape if they have been created on healthy extensions. You need to prepare your hair and maintain them with the same care.
Products You Need To Weave And Maintain Your Own Hair
Weaves, especially sew-ins, require a lot of products to be maintained. A sew-in puts a lot of hair under each wrap, so it is difficult to reach them.
You must follow a strict hair care routine, especially for the sew-ins.
You should wash your hair with a shampoo that has less sulfate in its chemical content. Choose a shampoo that has herbal ingredients. Ask your stylist which brand could have the ideal one for you.
Apply similar conditioners if your consultant suggests. And always have some argan oil or tea tree oil in your stock. They are healthy as well as comforting.
Wearing a satin head scarf during sleep will protect the weaves from friction, and thereby breakage.
FAQs
If you want to wear weaves, the first thing you need to do is decide whether or not your hair can handle it. If your hair is frizzy and damaged, then it will be difficult for weaves to work properly. You should only wear weaves if you have healthy hair that has been professionally conditioned.
Or, consulting a designated dermatologist is the best idea. They can assess the condition of your hair and tell you if you should go with it or not.
A sew-in is much heavier and more pressurizing than clip-in weaves. Sew-ins are difficult to create and can cause severe damage to your locs.
Clip-in extensions are a great alternative to sew-ins. This hair extensions have been around for a while and they offer a cheaper, easier way to get long hair without the commitment of learning how to sew them yourself.
Clip-in hair extensions can be used by anyone with any level of skill or not-so-skilled at sewing. They’re perfect for those who are trying out different ways of styling their hair or just want more volume added on top of their natural locks.
Yes. Weaves are heavy and thereby pull out a lot of shafts. This is because the hair that comes in contact with the weave will be damaged by chemicals used in the process. The damage to the hair can lead to a lot of breakages, which is why you need to get your weave regularly cleaned by a professional stylist. Preparation to prevent this is very intensive and time-consuming.
Firstly, they look good in bare eyes. Secondly, many women believe weaving can help their extensions grow. Some women prefer wigs, while others like extensions. There are many different types of braids and twists that can be done with weaves.
Yes, but it is difficult to stimulate that. In most cases, the situation is the opposite. The locs need to be in optimal condition for such results.
The answer to this question is a resounding yes! On the other hand, if you have thick hair and want to add length, then weaves are not for you. You should go with extensions.
Weaves can be natural and allow growth. But extensions also puts less pressure on natural hair if worn properly.
Yes, in most cases they do. They take away the moisture and texture leading to thinning and hair fall.
Wig is better if you are just looking to explore. Creating them naturally is fine if you really love them.
However, the best option is to have your own hair styled by a professional stylist. This will give you more control over how the wig or weave looks, and it will be easier to maintain your style as you age.
They last for a month or just above that. One month is the average. Strong ones can stay for much longer.
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Verdict
Weaves are good only if done right. The problem is, that you are more likely to get it wrong. But get it done by a professional and spend a few months preparing for it. You should do well then.
