Typical beauty standards were not created with women of color in mind. That said, many of us have had to reimagine our own archetype of what it means to be beautiful.
For Black women, creating a new paradigm of beauty meant learning to embrace or enhance natural features. This included crowns of curly hair or naturally full lips, despite Eurocentric traits being the standard—until they weren’t.
Becoming the blueprint for beauty trends created a new hierarchy of products and people, sometimes resulting in the same unattainable ideas of what society deemed beautiful.
In an era where many desired beauty trends are more superficial than natural, women contend colorism and texturism with scalp-like frontal and closure wigs. However, recent social media debates on whether to install closure wigs over hairlines or behind them, for a more natural look, have many women on opposing sides.
Some women say installing wigs behind the hairline provides a more natural look, while others disagree saying the blending and maintenance that comes with installing a wig in that position is sub-par. Contrarians on the trend believe that any installation method can look natural if it’s installed with high priced, high quality extensions such as HD lace closures and raw bundles.
The irony of all three perspectives is that, while camouflaging a wig may be possible for a certain period of time under the right conditions, wigs are not meant to appear natural because they aren’t natural. Wigs are wigs, not scalp, and should be viewed in the same light as other protective styles.
So many of the more recent beauty trends, such as having a clean girl aesthetic or wearing raw bundles are rooted in wanting to appear natural instead of simply being natural.
Obsessing over making wigs appear natural by way of expensive hair extensions, products and installs creates an elitist hierarchy within the hair care world. Similar to any hierarchy, women who can’t afford to achieve and maintain these standards are judged or made to feel inadequate because their hair doesn’t measure up to the new beauty standards put in place.
Unfortunately, these inadequacies create a divide among women in the same way that colorism and texturism do. Even beauties who are able to achieve these looks for alternative prices find themselves placed in the affordable category.
Those with the ability to achieve this faux authenticity sometimes believe themselves to be more desirable. Investing in appearances always boils down to desire. Unfortunately, the desire to be seen, to feel good or both can be misconstrued when social media becomes a factor.
Seeing Black female public figures flaunt expensive hairstyles during a recession fuels a machine focused on keeping up appearances instead of learning to become comfortable with natural beauty. In addition to unattainably expensive hair installs, most of these culturally public figures have lighter skin complexions and body types that almost always appeal to the male gaze. Regardless of whether this appeal is intentional or not, the combination is enough to make the average woman feel like she needs a change, even if the only attainable change she can make is her current hairstyle.
Though some wigs are better quality than others, a wig is simply a hairstyle meant to protect natural curls or kinks. Despite all the effort placed into making them appear natural—they aren’t.
Most women know a wig when they’re faced with one, even if it’s equipped with hand-tied HD lace or bought in the beauty supply store. The focus on who’s hair is seemingly more natural or more expensive is purposeless. What matters is the confidence gained with every new hairstyle.
