AIBU to think human hair wig/weave/extensions are absolutely revolting?

[loudmajority]

Am I the only one who has the real 'ick' about this?

With the fashion at the moment everywhere for ultra long hair, it is even more revolting. Hair everywhere, ragged edges, thin, constant touching of the hair. It looks terrible.

The argument is that the good extensions aren't noticeable, only the bad ones. Unless you are a celebrity sitting still on a couch, hair moves on your head. No matter what people tell you, it IS so obvious when you have not grown your own long hair.

It's one thing to need to use human body parts or hair for medical reasons - but, it revolts me to think about putting someone else's hair on your head for fashion.

Not to mention how women in poor countries are exploited to provide the hair.

AIBU to think that natural, healthy shorter hair is a million % better looking than wigs, weaves and extensions?

In my personal opinion I agree with this bit

AIBU to think that natural, healthy shorter hair is a million % better looking than wigs, weaves and extensions?

But I don't think extensions are revolting or anything and obviously lots of people like them.

If women wear extensions (not weaves, tape, bond extensions) it’s up to them what they do. It’s not my look but I wouldn’t judge someone who does do this.

People do it for all sorts of reasons but for all of them the reason is valid.

This. I wear them for a medical reason, the next person wears them because they like them - and there's no way for you to know which of us is which.

Hideous thread.

Agreed, I just hate all this ‘women’ talk when it blatantly ignores that fact that ‘women’ includes women from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds

Genuinely curious here so please don't shoot me down

But does your partner never run their fingers through your hair, or shower with you or something, how could they not know?

@gwenneh Totally agree, hideous
I doubt very much all of these vicious commenters would be like this in person!
I can imagine them telling a friend or family member who has cancer, their new wig looks stunning! Whilst grossly abusing such women on here.

Op clearly stated fashion & even went on to say ‘it's one thing to need to use human body parts or hair for medical reasons - but, it revolts me to think about putting someone else's hair on your head for fashion’

Thank you @5YearsLeft that's really kind of you.

This is my daughter wearing her human hair wig after some wonderful person donated their hair to the Little Princess Trust. Some people on this thread cannot begin to IMAGINE what my daughter went through from such a young age, and how her wig made her feel "just like all the other girls"

Thank GOD she has recently grown enough hair back to go without wigs, just so she can escape the vile judgment and uneducated opinions that there are clearly so many of!

How do you know they are human hair. Have a quick Google of futura fibre. Synthetic & virtually indistinguishable from human hair for wigs & extensions.

I have hair extensions, I like how they look and since I am wearing them that's the only opinion that matters. There are brands that source hair ethically, it is more expensive but so are organic free range eggs and I buy those too.

To be honest I get lots of compliments about my hair and I usually have to point out that it's not mine.

But if she thinks it's disgusting or revolting that people wear and touch it surely the reason behind why they are wearing it doesn't matter? OP will think it's revolting if it's an ill person, a person doing it for societal pressure reasons or a person who just likes it just because.

I do find it ick for myself that it’s possible the hair was taken from poor women in an unpleasant manner for pennies then sold for thousands, I’m sorry but women are so exploited it is naïve to think all hair comes from women who just so happen to fancy chopping all their hair off. However wigs have their place for people who have had cancer or alopecia and some hair is going to be sourced responsibly so I won’t write the entire industry off. I don’t want the extensions as I hate the Idea of all that glue, sewing or whatever pulling on my hair and scalp

How do you know my wigs are because I've got less than 50% hair coverage on my head? You'd just see the wig and make an immediate assumption about me and think I'm revolting.

You've literally zero idea whether someone needs or wants wigs/extensions/hair pieces for your acceptable medical reasons or fashion. And because I'm a youngish woman with acrylic nails I know exactly what you'd assume..

Quite!

Btw if you're not black please don't talk about what black women do or don't do with their hair as you don't understand why people do what they do. Ok

It's a symptom of a wider dysphoria in our society.

Being natural isn't fashionable. You have to put plastic on your nails, filler in your lips or in your face, plastic on your eyelids, plastic possibly in your breasts, put plastic or someone else's hair on your head....

The beauty industry is the biggest con on this planet. Everyone is fine just as they are with their natural bodies.

Black women do not wear wigs, weaves in order to protect the hair that comes out of their scalps.
I have yet to meet a PROPERLY qualified hairdresser who can explain the science behind how denying oxygen to one's scalp by means of installing a hair system that will add unecessary tension the scalp and the fact that people with curly, coily or kinky hair have the hair that can take the least abuse ....the math doesn't math.
Plus the fact that the overwhelming majority of Black women who regularly wear false hair are not seeking false hair that replicates the hair type that they can grow naturally.
What Black women's hair needs protection from is the very much Increased inferiority complex pertaining to racial uniqueness ( or near enough) that too many contemporary Black women have and are foisting even on the heads of three year old little Black girls who I'd unfortunate to have a racially deranged mother , will have braid extensions foisted on her tender scalp....when even braiding too tightly the hair naturally coming out of the scalp of a person so young is abusive. Nothing wrong with hair grease, good partings and three doo doo plaits at that age. No need to oil and flatten all signs of Blackness out of a baby's hair like they are Al Sharpton.
Remember; it was overwhelmingly Black women and Black gay men online who had a problem with Beyonce letting Blue Ivy's hair grow with as little manipulation outside of not growing freestyle locs.
Black women were not having so many hair problems when wigs were what grannies and church ladies wore.
I know not one Black woman back in the day with 4c hair denied a job for that.
Sometimes we have to come clean about the self hate.
The notion of wigs and weaves as protective styling is unscientific and asinine.
Just say you love the silky and bundles and go!
Other people didn't just get exposure to Black people from 2009.
And yes, I'm Black and find it hard from a spiritual point of view how out of one side of the mouth so many of us can complain about worldwide anti Blackness and then wear the actual hair of so many exploited non Black women suffering under misogyny and exploitation that we would call racism if it were us.
Can't try and stifle valid debate by using the word "Black" in this case.
There is nothing non neoliberalist, exploitative, humiliating, about the human hair trade and too many Black women taking advantage of it as normal lifestyle, as if buying clothes and not a 'one off".
It's even more obvious when the hair that we cannot naturally grow is the hair that is mostly coveted and from the women who we know have little in the way of female rights in their countries.
The notion of Protective Styling and not vanity being the engine behind this nasty trade as if that notion is a get out clause from culpability......needs cultural inspection at the very least....especially through the POC/ Developing world/ Developing and non Developing Western World exploitative practices prism.

The only people I know that wear wigs are people who have suffered with alopecia which can cause patches of temporary hair loss to full on balding which may or may not be permanent.
I think it's lovely that they have the option to have a wig made and feel comfortable wearing it.

My Mum has an autoimmune disease, which means her hair is very very thin. You can see her scalp, and she keeps it fairly short (jaw length.)
Last year, she bit the bullet, and purchased a wig. It's human hair, so she can use heat on it, and it's been highlighted, to look like her own colouring. The difference to her confidence is incredible. She feels better going out and about - even just to the shops, or for a coffee. If necessary, my sister and I were going to donate some of our own hair for a wig for her. Ours will grow back....

I have the same issue - I would love hair extensions but my hair falls out in handfuls and you can see my scalp, so it's not possible.

The ones making comments have likely never experienced this. I do wonder how many of them would be running to the stylist if they woke up one day to fistfuls of hair falling out.

I have alopecia- so I wear hair. I have tried synthetic but it’s very hot, I prefer a human hair wig (or topper if my own hair is behaving itself enough at the time!)

i don’t particularly want to ‘go natural’ - even at the good times, you can see chunks of my scalp. I don’t have an issue with other people wearing hair, each to their own.

i do try to make sure I buy European hair wigs, as I worry about exploration, but I’m not sure how to deal with that

As someone who’s hair has recently fallen out due to alopecia this offends me so much. My wig is my saviour at the moment and I don’t need anyone reminding me that it’s obviously not my own hair or that it is disgusting thank you.

Love how OP has magically disappeared! Probably taken her glorious natural locks off for a rest after seeing all the revolting people outside today!

Im still reeling at the phrase 'uncancerous women'. I dont have cancer - not all baldness is caused by that, But I happily admit I am very concerned about my appearance. I tried the bald with headscarves look and it made me look absolutely terrible.

I’ve now read the thread fully - there are so many of us on here with forms of alopecia. I just wanted to say for those of you recently starting this journey, that you are not alone. Despite what the OP and a few others have said, we are not gross or disgusting for choosing to wear hair. It’s a way of making us feel like ourselves again. Please don’t let those opinions shake your confidence!