Do African American Women perm their hair and wear weaves to cater more to the Caucasian woman look?

Question

I am asking this question because I have found that above all in our society young African American girls believe that they are not beautiful unless they have straight long hair. Also most African American girls believe that lighter colored contacts make their eyes pretty. Why? They are being taught this damaging self-concept stuff and it can only get worst.

Ya know it is so sad that Tyra had to wear a long straight weave to be accepted in to white society. This society, the great "Melting pot" should have been willing to accept her as she was. Why did she have to fit their mold to become part of their media? From some of these responses I do see more and more that many AA women are truly not aware of why they perm or straigten their hair. What can I or anyone else do as long as this is the image of beauty that is being cooked up by the media? Nothing. I just hope that one day Sisters can find the power and strength in completely being their natural selves. There is true power in your "blackness" and that is why it is being kept from you.

Huh Just Guess...they have medication for that. You didn't even stay on topic. Love ya! This is not about white women wanting to be black. And by the way many white women get tans that are just as deep or darker than some of the skin tones of black women. So you do the math!

Answer 1

No. Wigs and hair pieces have been popular throughout history. Check the artifacts we have from ancient Egypt. Nope, its not to copy Caucasian women. It's a cultural remnant of the past.

Answer 2

I think this is very true. For a long time I was obsessed with having my hair permed and then pressed straight b/c when I wore my hair natural all the other kids would say my hair was 'nappy'. Our neighborhood is 98% Caucasian and .999% African-American so I felt tremendous pressure to keep my hair straight and long. I didn't wear weave b/c my hair grows pretty quick (if I don't damage it). Now that I'm out of high school I don't really care anymore. I still perm my hair once a month but I don't flat iron it, I wear it wavy/crimped. I wish I could just wash and wear my hair the way it is, no chemical processing, but that's the pressure society puts on our shoulders....

Answer 3

There is no say as to why people do things they do. I am a teacher that works with 95% African Americans, 4% Hispanics, and 1% White. My black students are very natural and creative when it comes to their hair. I have found that they are trying to find there own identity. Some people add hair because it boost their confidence. The same reason why people decide to shave their heads bald. It is because they feel that it gives them a different look.

White people are not the only people that have straight hair. What I did not like about this question is that you implied that all blacks have nappy short hair. Some blacks tangle their in-order for them to have a Afro.

I believe you should do what makes you happy. Don't keep up with the trend of society. You keep up the trend of you and your heritage.

Answer 4

There is some truth to what you have said. However, it is not just a “black” issue. Anyone who pays any attention to what is being spewed out by the media, knows that silk straight is better that kinky and frizzy; and that lighter is better that darker. This is what is being marketed as beauty.

Yes, many woman of color want straight long have because of the beautiful and glamorous look it gives them. Yes, some are put off by black hair in its natural state. Yes, there are some serious identity and self-esteem issues here.

Speaking for myself, my hair choices have always been based on convenience. Whether permed, braided, twisted, or weaved, I choose my hairstyles by what would be the cheapest and least time consuming to maintain. Currently and probably for the rest of my life, I wear my hair natural. I get many comments from woman of color who like my look but don’t think they are bold enough to go without a perm; It has been so engrained in us that our natural hair must be straitened in order to be “right”. But, there are many who look at me and become inspired to go natural.

Answer 5

hey :p I know how u feel sometimes. I'm from a mixed background/culture (WHATEVER U WANT 2 CALLED IT) but some ppl think I look Indian or Spanish ? but I'm mostly black but my hair gets really frizzy and dry.Sometimes I seen black girls at my school with long weaves in their hair or weird color weaves like that looks natural lol but ne way. I wonder y cant I be like that or try 2 get a good weave put in. But I have ne against braids which I'm getting soon but I wonder why u need 2 be like fake like that when it comes 2 hair.
Trust me girls out there black woman and others of mixed heritage U can grow yr REAL hair out just treat it right b/c I had really long hair once but b/c of those perms and stuff it looks like crap if I can grow my hair out 2 u can 2 don't give up; who says black girls get have real long hair or natural styles? But I do like Jada Smith ,Will Smith's wife look at her her hair is all real and I like her attitude and Alica Keys 4 trying 2 keep it real :p.
I do agree somewhat what ure saying but they cant keep the straight weave going 4 long they're some nice guys out there who really want 2 c the real u and yr hair so girls out there don't get in the habit of always getting a perm. I'm not saying u shouldn't spoil yr self or look good but weave isn't the only way 2 look good. PeaCe :p

P.S. I think most girl may wear weave b/c its easier on the hair and scalp like 4 me Im getting braids but it is just a other way in doing yr hair. But I always wanted 2 try the contacts thing but not blue. But if some girls like weaves o well just take care of yr hair under neath b/c I have heard some bad stories of that the hair gets matted and tangel :p I perfer braids 2 weave ne time :p unless its a good looking WIG lol :p grrr if I misspelled and my comment 2 the guy O JAM i heard about that book THE BLUEST EYES AND HAVE U READ THE BOOK JUILUBE i think thats how it's spelled ?

Answer 6

Yes, I'm a 18 years old and I'm African American. When I was a little girl I had Thick nappy kinky hair. I hated to get my hair washed and combed. I would literally start crying. African American women perm their hair so that it can become straight, so that they can manage it easier. They wear weave because it's different and your not the same as someone else. Weave sometimes help the hair grow, so that's another reason why we wear weave. I don't know it's just easier to handle and more beautiful for us, i guess. Having lighter eyes are way more sexier when your African American. Tell me the last time you met a black girl or boy with blue eyes. I have dark brown eyes, but I want light brown or hazel contacts. Sometimes lighter eyes just look better on us.

Answer 7

I've noticed a lot of young black women being lauded for having "good" hair (the smooth kind) or "good" skin (the light kind) and it does seem a bit perverse.

I guess we all have preconceived ideas of beauty that have been fed to us by the culture we're enveloped in. For instance, I automatically find thinner women more attractive than heavier women. I've been programmed that way. During the Renaissance in Europe, curvaciousness was celebrated as the ideal of beauty... just look at a classic painting. But not anymore.

I'm sure our ideas about beauty will evolve as our culture grows more diverse. But until it does, I wish more women would realize that there's nothing wrong with dark skin, curly hair, being short, being tall, or not fitting into a "perfect" size six...

As a sidenote, my former roommate spent most of her life perming her hair and/or getting weave sewn in... she went through a microbraid phase during senior year... and after awhile, her hair started breaking and splitting. I kept telling her that if she stopped putting chemicals in her hair, it would grow back thicker and healthier. About a year ago, she finally took my advice, took the extensions out, and let her hair grow. It looks thicker, healthier and more beautiful than it ever did before.

Answer 8

I think that it stems from wanting to look white when Black people were trying to assimilate decade ago. But, now it's just seen as more attractive. A lot of them don't realize where the idea originated from as well as colored eye contacts. That's why they would look at me funny for going against the norm. I leave mine curly and it looks great. Even men say I should wear it straight. It is a damaging concept and my attititude is that I don't need to associate with any man who is that worried about my hair.

Answer 9

Yes, I believe this is true. It is certainly not Caucasian women who they are trying to attract, I believe it is black men. What was previously mentioned about white women wanting to tan to look black, if white women tanned until they were the color of a black person, I would agree with you that white women were trying to look black, however, the desired color from a tan is golden, hence the phrase "golden tan", you never hear of a white person wanting a "black tan". Also mentioned was white women perming their hair to look like black women. I would agree if white women were perming their hair to get an Afro. However, white women perm their hair to get "Shirley temple curls" commonly found in the white phenotype and certainly not "black African hair". Third which was mentioned was "surgery such plastic surgery and lip injections". An extreme minority of white women have these surgeries. Now if 95% of white women were getting plastic surgery and lip injections (like the 95% of black women straightening their hair) then I would agree and say that white women had a psychosis about wanting to look black. However, this is not the case as evidenced by the dozens of pale skinned, blond haired, blue eyed, slim bodied white women in the media who are held up as standards of beauty by white people.

Answer 10

For one, most black girls have naturally thick hair and some prefer to straighten it because it's easier to managed. Two, most black girls were weaves because they want to try different hair styles for ex. girls with long straight hair want to were short and curly. What the problem with that ? Black girls like choices or I should say any girl, black ,white, red or who ever,they have the power to that. Another reason black girls were weaves is to take break from their own hair ,let their hair rest from daily maintenance us black girl need.

Answer 11

I think they just like the way it looks---like on beyonce, she has straight blonde hair and she has fake hair but it really looks beautiful on her...tyra banks also has a weave and has explained on her show that she has had to wear fake hair as a black woman to fit in to white society...