Underneath the Wigs and Weaves: Part One - Honoring the Crown You Were Born With

A beautiful pink weave

Let’s talk about what’s happening underneath the wigs, weaves, and installs—the hair that tells your story long before you pick out a style or color. Our natural hair, often hidden for convenience, protection, or fashion, still needs love, attention, and a little old-fashioned care.

For generations, wigs and weaves have been more than just beauty statements. They’ve been armor—protective styles that allowed women to show up polished, professional, and powerful in a world that hasn’t always embraced natural textures. From church Sundays to boardroom meetings, these styles gave us flexibility and freedom. But here’s the truth we sometimes forget: the hair underneath is still living, breathing, and deserving of our attention.

Your Scalp Needs to Breathe

Think of your scalp like soil. You can’t expect strong, flourishing growth if the ground beneath isn’t nourished. Even when your hair is braided down, your scalp still needs moisture, massage, and a clean environment to thrive. Light oils such as jojoba, tea tree, or peppermint can keep the scalp balanced and stimulate blood flow—just like Grandma used to say when she greased your scalp before school.

Wigs and Weaves Are a Relationship, Not a Replacement

Protective styles are meant to protect, not neglect. Too often, we treat our installs like long-term solutions rather than temporary styles. Give your natural hair time to rest and breathe between installs. Let it see the sunlight, feel the water, and experience a good deep condition. That balance—between styling and nurturing—is where healthy hair truly begins.

The Power of Knowing Your Texture

Every curl, coil, and kink has its own rhythm. Some strands crave moisture, others need protein, and all of them deserve patience. Learning your natural hair type isn’t about labels—it’s about understanding what makes your hair thrive. When you know your texture, you can choose protective styles that complement your hair, not compete with it.

Reclaiming the Ritual of Care

There’s something sacred about wash day when you strip away the synthetic layers and get reacquainted with your roots—literally. The smell of conditioner, the slip of detangling, the gentle hum of your favorite playlist in the background—it’s not just maintenance, it’s a ritual. A reminder that beauty begins with self-respect and intention.

The Legacy in Our Roots

Our mothers and grandmothers understood the bond between hair and identity. They didn’t call it “self-care,” but that’s exactly what it was when they sat us between their knees and detangled with care and conversation. Today, with all the technology and trends, we can still honor those traditions by nurturing what grows naturally from our heads.

So, the next time you slip on that lace front or get those bundles installed, take a moment to appreciate what’s underneath—the real, beautiful, resilient hair that’s been with you from the very beginning.

Because underneath the wigs and weaves, there’s history. There’s strength. And there’s a crown that no one else can wear but you.

Part 1: The Story — “Underneath the Wigs and Weaves: The Crown Beneath”

There’s something deeply personal about our relationship with hair. It’s more than strands and styles—it’s culture, identity, and expression woven into who we are. Yet so often, the hair that tells our truest story gets tucked away under wigs and weaves.

Now, don’t get me wrong—there’s power in a flawless install. There’s confidence in a good unit and a fresh sew-in. For generations, Black women have used wigs and weaves not just for beauty, but as armor—tools to help us navigate a world that didn’t always value our natural textures. But beneath those styles lies something sacred: our natural hair, quietly waiting for us to remember it.

When you finally unbraid your cornrows after weeks of wear, there’s a tenderness in those first few touches. You feel the softness of your new growth, the pattern of your curls reclaiming space. You remember—this is you.

Your natural hair is history. It’s strength passed down from mothers who twisted, braided, and pressed with love. It’s resilience—proof that even when hidden, it continues to grow. It’s a legacy that deserves reverence, not neglect.

Underneath the wigs and weaves lies a reminder: beauty is not something we put on—it’s something we reveal.

So yes, wear the wigs, rock the weaves, play with color and length. But also, take the time to sit with your roots. Run your fingers through your coils. Speak love into your strands.

Because your natural hair is not something to hide—it’s a story to honor. And when you embrace what grows from your own crown, you reconnect with a piece of yourself that no synthetic strand could ever replace.

Love your natural hair as well.