Natural Hair Weave: Worth the Investment?

To weave or not to weave?  That is the question.  For a long time, wearing weave and being natural were mutually exclusive.  For some, being natural symbolizes a rejection of European beauty standards– one of those standards being long, straight, silky hair.  For other naturalistas, there was a much more practical concern with the difference in textures of weave vs. natural hair.   After all, everyone knows the sixth commandment of black hair: thou shalt properly blend thy leave out.

Thou shalt properly blend thy leave out.

There’s also something about the struggle journey of going natural.  Of putting in the time and hand cramps to get that length and texture we’ve been visualizing for months.  When you’re fearlessly rocking your TWA in the most awkward of stages with one of the 17 headbands you bought to convince yourself you look cute af, and your coworker comes up to you with a flawless waist-length Brazilian sew-in and says “OMG! I’m natural too!”, insert involuntary eye roll.  Hey, we all do it.  It’s natural (heh heh).

Maybe that’s why there are so many mixed emotions about this natural hair weave phenomenon.  And I’m not talking about the wet and wavy some of us (ME) used to rock back in the day– you know, the one you’d wet and scrunch up and then try to flat iron to a semi-straight state, but it would never look right so you’d just keep it wavy?

No, I’m talking about real Type 3 and 4 human hair taken straight from some blessed women of color somewhere in the world who eat pure biotin extract for breakfast.  It’s weave… but it’s natural… but it’s a weave… to look natural… In the wise words of philosopher Rich Homie Quan, natural hair weave makes all of us feel some type of way.

In the wise words of philosopher Rich Homie Quan, natural hair weave makes all of us feel some type of way.

For some of us, that feeling is happiness.  Pure, unadulterated bliss.  A solid 4-6 weeks of no styling?  Yes, please.  (“Excuse me, I’d like to buy five please, and I’ll wear this one out.”)  

For some of us, we feel guilt.  Are we cheating the natural hair journey? Jumping from TWA to @naptural85 status in a mere three hours?  Are we telling our hair that the fact that it only wants to grow an inch every seven years is a problem for us?  That somehow it is less desirable?  Mmm…maybe.  

But if we focus on the fact that natural hair weave is a protective style that still promotes the beauty of natural hair while affording us some versatility and giving us back hours of time spent on styling, then it feels like a solid hair investment for 2020, right? RIGHT.

Step One: Choose Your Poison.

Okay, so now that we’re all on board, let’s get into it.  Natural hair weave is available in a variety of forms.  The most common are: (1) bundles, (2) clip-ins, and (3) wigs.

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If you’ve already reached hair level 10 expert (a.k.a. you doubled as the campus hairdresser in undergrad), you can probably just buy some bundles,  make your own wigs and clip-ins, and switch it up as you see fit.

For the rest of us mere mortals, it really comes down to what you’re looking for.  Wefted bundles are great for partial and full sew-ins, while unwefted bundles work well for box braids and twists.  All of these styles have relatively little to no leave-out.  

Clip-ins on the other hand are ideal for adding fullness and streaks of color that can be easily removed each night, but require quite a few to seamlessly add length.  

Wigs probably provide the least manipulation of your hair and are also great if you like removing your weave every night before bed.  They’re less great for style versatility (e.g., rocking a high bun for the day), although some are fancy enough to pull it off.

Step Two: Choose Your Brand.

It can be hard to know where to start.  Natural hair weave is available EVERYWHERE.  Like Adderall in a top ten law firm, everybody’s doing it.  We’ve cut through some of the noise to showcase two of the most popular brands with easy-to-navigate websites and huge social media followings that let you see results from tons of happy customers.

• Instagram: @bigchophair
• Hair Types: Corkscrew Curl, Kinky Curl, Spiral Curl, Blown Straight, Flat-iron Straight
• Products: Wefted Bundles, Unwefted Bundles, Clip-Ins, Wigs, Ponytails, Bang Pieces
• Our Favorite Website Feature: Tons of helpful tips and facts provided for every hair product found on the site before you add anything to your cart.

• Instagram: @heatfreehair
• Hair Types: For Koils (3B-3C), For Kurls (3C-4A), For Kinks (4B-4C), Blow Out
• Products: Wefted Bundles, Clip-Ins, Wigs, Ponytails
• Our Favorite Website Feature: Their Edge Collection natural hair wigs cut in bold styles and a fantastic hair blog.
  
  

Step Three: Match Your Texture.

Remember those hair commandments, girl.  Especially if there will be any leave out.  Most natural hair weave companies define the hair texture by whether the curls are tighter or looser.  If you’re Type 4, keep it tight.  If wash ‘n’ gos are a real thing for you, and take two products or less, chances are you’re in the looser curl category.

The natural hair weave company websites are the best place to look when figuring out which curls are right for you. They are full of pictures, helpful tips, and customer testimonials. You can also find hundreds of hair type charts like the one below just about anywhere on the internet.

Step Four: Make it Rain (or Thunderstorm).

So, as flawless as natural hair weave is, it’s also pretty pricey for the good stuff.  And if you’re going to invest, you should definitely get the good stuff.  Here are a few guidelines.

1.  If you’re using clip-ins or bundles, most pictured styles use 2-3 sets. If you want a fuller look, splurge for the extra bundle.

2.  As the natural hair weave gets longer, the price goes up. This is true for bundles, clip-ins, and wigs. (Translation: long hair, don’t care about this budget.)

3.  Hair lengths listed are typically based on when the hair is straight.  As you know, shrinkage is real.  Keep that in mind when you’re picking your length.

4.  It’s important to remember that high quality hair can be reused several times.  Repeat this to yourself in the mirror a few times before heading to checkout.

Step Five: Whip Your Hair Back and Forth (with Reasonable Force).

Can’t you just picture it?  Your weave has been flawlessly installed and you’re strutting down the street feeling supernatural (heh).  You haven’t gotten detangle hand cramps in over two weeks.  When it’s time for bed, the words “I should twist my…” never even form upon your lips.  

Your caucasian coworkers are in awe at your overnight growth and whisper things during staff meetings like “I can’t believe how long your hair is getting…”  

You’re getting compliments from fellow naturalistas at the grocery store and stuttering “thank you,” unsure whether you need to “come clean” and follow up with a frantic explanation (I mean, you’re natural underneath anyway, right..? Beweave me, it’s totally fine).

You could make this dream a reality by investing in some natural hair weave of your very own this year.

So, what do you guys think?  Is this an investment you’ll be making in 2020?  Have you already made it?  Do you think it’s something we should feel guilty about?  Let us know in the comments.