It should go without saying that hair is important to women. It’s especially important to African American women, who spend billions annually getting their hair “did.” But with so much versatility when it comes to texture, length and style, there’s still a great deal of misinformation in the mainstream about black hair. So, if you ever questioned how your co-worker’s mane magically grew overnight, or wondered why you can’t ever touch a black woman’s hair without serious repercussions, this one’s for you.
Lesson #1: Extensions
Despite sitting in a stylist’s chair for hours on end and having to learn how to walk again, extensions can be a black girl’s best friend. They’re a process by which synthetic or human hair is braided into a person’s real hair to allow for growth and easy maintenance. While there are countless styles, extensions are a dead giveaway. There are little knots at the base of the hair shaft where the purchased hair is braided into the real hair. Knowing this will keep you from asking stupid questions like, “when did you cut your hair?” after someone simply took out their extensions. Check out Jada Pinkett Smith or singer Solange to see what I’m talking about.
Lesson #2: The Black Girl Pat 
If you’ve ever seen a black woman smacking her head senseless, it’s for one reason and one reason only: her weave. Again, with the aid of synthetic or human hair, weaves are sewn in (after a person’s actual hair is corn-rowed to the scalp) or glued in. More often than not, weaves are used to add volume and I-just-killed-a-horse type length. But depending on how it’s sewn in, weaves can quickly become tight and itchy — hence, the pat. How else can you spot one? If the wind blows, a black woman with a weave will Houdini her way indoors in three seconds flat. Famous weave-a-holics include Beyonce and Mary J. Blige.
Lesson #3: Perms
In his 2009 documentary “Good Hair,” Chris Rock referred to perms as “creamy crack.” They turn hair from kinky to straight and have to be touched up every few weeks. Perms are the sole reason why some black women refuse to swim or engage in heavy exercise, for fear of “sweating out” their perm. Doing so will force them to make a trip to the salon sooner than they’d like. And that shit ain’t exactly cheap.
Lesson #4: Natural Hair
‘Fro it, twist it, lock it — natural hair is incredibly versatile. To the untrained eye, it can also be deceptive. Depending on how it’s styled or whether or not it’s wet, natural hair can go from barely there to way out there. That scene in Austin Powers: Goldmember, where Beyonce’s character, fresh out of the water, shakes her hair and it pops into a perfect ‘fro? Wholly accurate.
Ladies, what lesson would you like to teach those who need to be schooled on black hair? Leave it in the comments below!
