<\/p>\n
But Sharon argues that maintaining wigs and weaves can be just as much work. \u201cI used to wear wigs exclusively for two years, so I know the process behind wigs,\u201d she says, noting the method usually involves gluing the wig cap on, putting the glue on your hairline in three layers, waiting for each layer to dry before putting on the next, putting the band on for a few minutes, putting the spritz on\u2014and that\u2019s all before any styling.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, it’s quite hypocritical that you can take time out of your day to do something as intricate as gluing a wig down, but washing your hair, putting conditioner on your hair, taking out your cornrows, is too much work,\u201d Sharon says.<\/p>\n
When you take maintenance out of the conversation, there\u2019s still this uncomfortable truth that many Black women with tight curls and coils have been indoctrinated to believe their hair isn\u2019t beautiful\u2014and we have colonization, Eurocentric beauty standards, and systemic racism to thank for that. For years, Black hair was widely deemed unprofessional\u2014and, in some spaces, still is. \u201cIn the industry that I’m in, there\u2019s this unspoken rule that if you want to be successful, then your hair needs to look a certain way,\u201d says Newby, who, in addition to being a content creator, is a host for red carpet events. \u201cIt is just really ingrained in me that for special occasions, your hair should be straight.\u201d<\/p>\n
While laws like the CROWN Act\u2014a piece of legislation designed to prohibit workplace discrimination based on hair texture and styles such as braids, locs, and twists\u2014have helped shift the negative perception surrounding natural hair, many Black women still contend with those underlying biases. Sharon hopes that her critique inspires deeper internal reflection to challenge those beliefs, for Black women today and for the next generation.<\/p>\n
As a mom to a little girl with natural hair, the part of Sharon\u2019s argument that resonates with me most is the point that an overreliance on wigs, weaves, and even<\/em> braids can cause Black women to be disconnected from their natural hair\u2014a mindset that will ultimately harm the next generation.<\/p>\n When Black women see their hair as something to be concealed in favor of textures that aren\u2019t inherently ours, the message that gets passed down to our children is that their hair\u2014our hair<\/em>\u2014isn\u2019t good enough. It\u2019s not that you have to get the practical knowledge to care for natural hair from your mother\u2014that can easily be learned through watching online tutorials, as many people still do. It\u2019s that we risk passing down to little Black girls the deeper belief that our natural hair is unworthy, unprofessional, and unlovable.<\/p>\n At the core of Sharon\u2019s argument is a passionate desire to see Black women love and accept themselves wholly\u2014including their natural texture. \u201cMy videos were never intended to get Black women to stop wearing wigs,\u201d says Sharon. \u201cI just want them to feel confident in their natural hair, in the hair that grows from their scalp. I want them to understand that you can feel so beautiful just rocking the curls on your head.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" But Sharon argues that maintaining wigs and weaves can be just as much work. \u201cI used to wear wigs exclusively for two years, so I know the process behind wigs,\u201d she says, noting the method usually involves gluing the wig cap on, putting the glue on your hairline in three layers, waiting for each layer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beauty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}