My Take on Extensions In Natural Hair Care

If there is one area of the site that I can say that I have neglected it is the area of “Extension, Weaves and Wigs.” I have to admit for a long time my decision not to really talk about the subject has been influenced by a sort of unspoken taboo.

I remember just around the time that I was starting the site I came across a natural hair care yahoo group, one of the discussions that was going on was about extensions. The gist of the discussion was this:

  
• Extensions are a crutch
  
• Extensions are just another way to pretend to be white
  
• Extensions have no place in natural hair care
  
• It is a shame to wear extensions

And so on.

I started looking at other natural hair care website and I realize that it really doesn’t seem to be politically correct to talk about extensions. I figured maybe I was just the rogue natural who has been known to wear extensions for a host of different reason. I didn’t want to lead anyone astray, so except for one page , I have stayed away from the topic of extension. Well that is about to change.

I believe that it is a disservice to the natural community not to have some natural centered discussions about the place that extension of all types can play in you natural lifestyle. I am not saying that all natural hair wearers should wear extensions. Nor am I saying that all extensions are helpful to the over all goal of going natural and staying natural. What I am saying is that there is a time and place for everything, including for some people, extensions.

There have been many times in my life that if I didn’t have extensions or know how to put them in that I would have said forget it and gotten a perm. I believe that:

  
• Accepting extension as an option and
  
• Knowing how to properly care for natural hair in extension and
  
• Knowing how to do extensions is like having a natural “base ball hat” for those times in your life when being natural just isn’t working for you,

is something that will help more people feel comfortable with going natural and keep more natural heads from going back to perms.

That being said, I just want to let you know that you can look forward to seeing more articles on natural extension styles, how to do extensions at home, how to use extensions to grow out your natural hair, how to take a break with extensions with out breaking off your hair, and so one.

I want to hear from you. How have extension, braids, weaves, wigs played a part in your natural journey? If you think I am totally off base and I should stick with the “totally natural styles” I’d like to know why.