Kinky Hair 101: Weaves as a protective style

Zainab Ashadu, handbag designer extraordinaire and Kinky Apothecary customer 

Hello everyone,

With the festive season quickly approaching and people wanting to change up their look, a number of ladies are probably considering weaves. Now just because I've never had one, people assume I am totally anti-weaves. This is not 100% correct. While I would never choose to have one myself, I understand the attraction with playing around with your look, and weaves can be a fun, non-permanent way to do this. Also when done correctly, they CAN act as a way to give your hair a rest, and can be a great protective style.

I do, however, think it is a shame when people are constantly in weaves - one comes out and the next one goes straight back in, and they never show off their own beautiful head of hair (or never allow their hair to flourish, breathe and BECOME beautiful). I also find it worrying when people are so used to their weaves they almost start to believe it is a part of them, but I'm a firm believer in people making whatever choices they think are right for them, so if anyone feels they need to wear weaves constantly and won't be told otherwise, I won't give unsolicited advice (and at the same time, I thank such people for not giving ME unsolicited advice to "do something" to my hair... but I digress). 

What I AM anti, however, is when people sacrifice their hair for the sake of their weave, leading to such hair loss as has been illustrated in recent pictures of the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Campbell (particularly in  this shocking article. Yes people, I have actually used the Daily Mail as a reference point. I apologize) 

Braiding too tightly, not maintaining your hair and scalp while the weave is in, not taking care when removing it, keeping it in too long and going from weave to weave to weave without a break, can all cause permanent damage to your follicles.

I like to give tips based on personal experience, but since I'm unable to do so this time, I called on the help of Kinky Apothecary customer Zainab Ashadu, designer of Zashadu bags, who is natural, but enjoys switching things up with weaves once in a while.

Zainab says: 

I wear weaves because I get sooooo IMPATIENT with the time it takes to put braids in. As much as I like to look different from one mood to the next, the health of my hair and natural state of it, has been the impetus behind the techniques I've had to employ to a. look fine and b. do good to my hair.

When deciding on what weave to wear, I tend to choose textures that are similar to mine, that way I can braid a portion of the front and sides, to blend in with the rest, resulting in a more natural look than if I had a fully closed weave. Fully closed weaves look better, in my opinion in you have a fringe, but more on that later.

I instruct the stylist to weave my hair underneath horizontally instead of vertically. The preference for most stylists to weave hair vertically, is because it results in a flatter look, but with a massive curly weave, who cares about flatness?! Then the tracks are affixed to each individual plait, leaving the scalp free, and the braided hair easily accessible. The front and sides are braided anyway, so I have access to hair and scalp and can scratch to my heart's delight! For the braided front, I don't just do "pick and drop" (braiding a little and leaving the rest), I plait the entire length of my hair, quite small, but I never knot it, because of the tension and stress this will cause to the hair. Besides, the curly texture keeps it from unravelling too much.

When I am adamant that I must look like Nefertiti, I understand the need for a flatter look and get creative with the stylists. I weave from the back up until just before my ears, in the horizontal way I mentioned. Now, because the weave will be fully closed, more or less in the spot right in the middle of the distance between one ear to the next (hope I am making sense), it cannot afford to look bulky. So, they weave from the front to this middle point, in a vertical way, so that all I have to do is put my fringe in a bulldog clip, to have access to the hair in front, although with somewhat less ease than to the hair at the back.

When I am washing the curly hair, I put the hair in big-braids-for-washing, just as I would do my own hair, and deep condition etc just like normal.

For the straighter, Nefertiti "Oyinbo" hair, I just comb and wash because the silky hair doesn't stay in braids!

Then I moisturise, seal etc just as I would normally, trying hard to avoid my scalp, unless I mean to nourish it with oils, specially.

Other important factors to take into account:

Do not weave already damaged hair

The usual healthy hair steps should be taken when preparing for your weave. You hair should be adequately moisturised after following a good deep conditioning regimen in the time leading up to your weave. I would certainly not advise weaving dry or breaking hair. If you can, avoid heat in preparation, stretching your hair out in other ways like braiding or banding.

Do not braid too tight
When your hair is being braided in preparation for your weave, please ensure it is not braided too tightly as this is a surefire way to lose hair. NO hairstyle should ever cause pain. That tight feeling that we have all been accustomed to from childhood signals damage and hair loss. Do not accept it!

The weight of the hair used

Ensure that you are not using wefts of hair that are too heavy for your hair. Just like braided hair should never feel too tight, you should never feel like your weave is pulling on your hair in any way, as this can lead to unnecessary hair loss.

Reactions to a particular type of hair
If a particular brand or type of hair causes you to break out, please have it removed. Break-outs on the scalp or the weft rubbing against the skin can lead to scabs and eventual scarring which could mean permanent damage to your follicles (put simply: no more hair growth in those spots). If you ever had a reaction to a particular kind of hair, avoid using it again.

A quick word on stylists
As with everything else (and I'll do a full post on this) if you feel your stylist doesn't know what he or she is doing, and doesn't listen to your requests, I would suggest looking for someone else to do your weaves. It is not worth the possible long-term damage to your precious locks!

Ventilation to the scalp
Zainab has explained how she gets her weaves done in such a way that she has easy access to her scalp. This is very important as lack of air circulation can create a damp atmosphere which can be a breeding ground for mould and bacteria. If you feel you are not getting enough air to the scalp, the application of antibacterial oils, such as Tea Tree or Peppermint essential oils (diluted in a carrier oil such as Jojoba), is a good way of preventing or counteracting the growth of bacteria and mould.   

Maintenance of the actual weave
As I believe I may have mentioned in earlier protective styling posts, a protective style needs to be in long enough. There is no point in going through the rigmarole of putting in a weave, if it is meant as a protective style, if you're going to have to stress your hair taking it out again before you've had the benefit of the protective style. Taking care of the weave means you'll be able to keep it in and looking fresh for as long as it should be in for. 

Pay attention to the care instructions of the hair you use, especially if you are using synthetic hair (which might not be able to withstand heat, etc.

Look after your weave as if it was growing out of your hair, which means washing frequently, moisturising, and wrapping it with a silk or satin scarf or bonnet before bed. Weaves will also dry out if not maintained properly, particularly if you have used human hair.

Take care with combing and detangling, and also ensure you are not pulling too tight when putting your weave in an updo, as the tension on your actual hair can lead to breakage. Careful detangling also reduces the amount of shedding of the weave, meaning it will last longer.  

If you're having trouble with persistently thinning edges...
Stop getting weaves put in. I repeat. STOP GETTING WEAVES PUT IN!! I have lost count of the number of people who have written in saying they are suffering significant hair loss from weaves, but they want to continue to do them. There are other things you can do if you feel you need to hide your hair until it is at a stage where you are comfortable enough to wear it out, wigs being one of them. But stop subjecting your hair to the tension of weaving, it clearly is unable to take it.

Finally, note that even taking all possible precautions with your hair when you wear weaves, constant weaving WILL lead to long-term/permanent damage eventually, so if you do care about the health of your hair, please give them a rest once in a while. 

Additionally, as with other protective styles, I would say 6-8 weeks should be the absolute maximum you keep your weave in.

Hope this helps, and if you have any specific questions for Zainab, please feel free to drop them in the comments and I'll pass them on to her.