Today’s woman is constantly on the move. With hectic schedules and intense budgets, she often makes time for everyone but herself. However, there’s one area in her life that she no longer has to neglect – her hair.
Many women have opted for protective hairstyles to keep up with their demanding schedules and styling curiosity. Protective styles consist of weaves, wigs and extensions. Not only do they provide versatility to the everyday woman, they also protect or help repair damaged hair as they keep one’s ends tucked away and out of harm’s way from chemical or heat-based styles, changing seasons or hair manipulation.
“Protective styling is for everyone,” says Melissa of bigchophair.com. Melissa Etienne started BigChopHair in 2012, a year after her son was born. After tedious research about the hair industry and its lucrative sales forecasts, she shifted her interest in hair and beauty into a full-time business venture. She sells various textures and lengths of weft and non-weft hair on her site with the average costs of bundles ranging between US$80 to US$140 (N$1293 to
N$2 264).
“I have been in the hair industry for years. I’ve worked with women of all races. I’ve provided extensions for European models at fashion week, and I have shipped hair to women in Africa. There is no boundary when it comes to hair and beauty.” According to Melissa, bundles can be added for length and volume and the most popular style choice for the hair she sells is a ‘twist out’.
More women are kissing the ‘creamy crack’ (chemical relaxers) goodbye and are proudly showing off their natural-hair. Ijeoma and Uchenna Tiggs of Eye for Design Hair explain how a woman can embrace her natural hair and extensions.
“Protective styling such as wigs, sew-in extensions, and clip-ins allow [women] to go smoothly through the transition [from relaxed to natural hair] by allowing them to maintain their previous look or their natural look with a full head of hair while protecting their natural hair as it grows out.”
The sister CEOs have been in business for eight years. They’ve travelled to India and the Ukraine to find the best hair extension manufacturers who would help them develop quality hair extensions that help women with their protective styling desires. Their most popular bundle lengths are 16 inches to 22 inches.
Although protective styles are typically known for adding styling versatility to a woman’s crowning glory, they can also be used for women suffering from medical ailments that cause hair loss or hair issues. For the woman undergoing chemotherapy treatments or diagnosed with alopecia, protective styles have become a way of life.
“Those suffering from hair loss due to medical conditions can find refuge in PS (protective styles), such as weaves, because of the coverage they provide,” explains Jalena Gillette of Amora Renae Hair Collection. Amora Renae caters to the needs of women looking for solutions to medical ailments or style changes with textured hair bundles costing around US$80
(N$1 666) as well as U-part wigs.
Interestingly, there is a quiet debate between “us versus them” where women with natural hair and women who wear protective styles are constantly questioning each other’s choices. Vivian Kaye of KinkyCurlyYaki simply says “do it your way! Whether you do a big chop or you’re transitioning with protective styling, your journey is yours.”
Vivian started KinkyCurlyYaki in 2010 after watching tons of videos of ladies torturing and killing their natural hair to blend with exotic textures like Brazilian, Peruvian and Malaysian. Her company’s hair bundles cost around US$61 (N$987) each and she recommends that newcomers who are interested in using weaves as protective styles ease into it with clip-ins that match their texture.
With the overwhelming number of haircare products on the market today, one has to wonder if the owners of such companies are investing in the business or the consumer. “My main factor is would I wear it?” acknowledges Melissa. “I would never sell or endorse something I didn’t believe in 1000% and didn’t try out for myself.”
Vivian, Melissa, Jalena, Ijeoma and Uchenna stand behind their brands with sweat equity and a desire to help a woman feel as beautiful as possible. Whether it’s weaves, wigs or box braids, these styles give women affordable options ensuring that their needs are met and they are satisfied with their style choices.
