I myself have always wanted to try out wigs but other than for costume
purposes I have yet to find the perfect one to fit my head shape and make me
feel comfortable, so I pretty much stick to wearing my own hair in styles or
getting braided extensions. So, one might ask, what is the history of wearing
wigs and why is it enjoyed by many Afro beings?
In the early history of wearing wigs, the ancient Egyptians wore them to
protect their heads from the sun or as a sign of nobility but most of all it
became a sign of class as the more wealth you had the more elaborate your wigs
could be. This often translated into many countries throughout the world
especially in British society and later in America.
During early times in the U.S. when Black people were held captive, being
able to maintain the hair on their heads was difficult for our ancestors who
often wore head scarfs to cover their hair. Now fast forward to the late 1800’s
and early1900’s when slavery ended, Black people had small freedoms to mix
ingredients to develop products to manage their African hair. Some of our
earlier black hair care pioneers came into play such as Madame CJ Walker who
became a millionaire by inventing products for our hair and scalp, so we wore
our hair out and styled them to our liking but some were similar to the styles
worn by white America.
Now, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Black people’s connection with wigs was a way
to express themselves, for example, entertainers like the Supremes or the
LGBTQIA+ community of the time who had balls and dressed in elaborate gear in
celebration of their freedoms. But many wore them to fit into a society they
were still not welcomed to post slavery.
In the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s, wigs became more so something your
parents or grandparents wore due to thinning hair from aging or other hair loss
conditions as many returned to natural hairstyles that were more stylish for
the times.
In present time, wigs are used by the young and the old equally. It is worn
for style to change up a look, for medical reasons when there is hair loss or
other scalp conditions, to protect hair from weather conditions, to protect hair
from too much styling, or to have just in case we don’t have the time style our
natural hair. The styles and variety of wigs are so great today that they are
no longer your ‘old lady’ accessories and are more natural looking as if it
grew straight from your scalp.
So, tell us, do you like wigs and if so what do you enjoy about wearing
them?