When Hamamat shaved off her hair earlier this month she got lots of bashing and admiration at the same time. People have mixed feelings about how a lady should keep her hair. Either ways Hamamat still looked very cute
What Hair do you have on this month?
Natural, relaxed, texlaxed, weaves, braids there are a countless number of hair styles and trends coming up and to keep up with them you need to keep a good amount of money for that.
It is no news that weaves are expensive but how expensive? In my recent exploits in the hair department, I realized there are a variety of weaves available for a good price if you are in a certain communities. Emphasis on community.
You can opt for the original versions of Brazilian, Peruvian and Indian hair (99% virgin hair), if you are willing to spend between 200 to 300 Ghana cedis minimum to as high as a person can imagine. I watched a documentary by Chris Rock titled Good Hair 2 and found out some weaves can cost as much as 1000 US dollars.
It is advised that when one purchases such expensive hair, they make wig caps so they can keep the hair for longer. Some however enjoy expensive weaves on tracks and this is also a good deal because actual human hair will not lose texture quality for almost two years.
The Cheaper, the Better?
There are however cheaper options costing between 15 cedis and 25 cedis which look like human hair with amazing textures but after a while the truth comes out. Colored and curly weaves are expensive too. It should be noted that one pack is hardly enough weave for any style even if it is a pixie cut (cutting) you want. A pixie cut would require 2 Tyra packs at least. And if it isn’t a wig cap I doubt it is reusable.
The Style is at the Heart of it
Braids. In the current economy, whether box braids (rasta) or twists, a person would need at least 3 packs of very fine Outré for a fuller look on their head. Darling is also an option but Outré is standard in the Ghanaian community. One pack costs about 10 cedis.
They come in varying colors as far as your imagination would take you and if it can be found in a rainbow. Cornrows are also very possible with these packs. There is a wig cap for braids (nothing is impossible) and no one would really tell the difference from the actual twists or box braids. This is however much more expensive than even regular weave wig caps. Wig caps cost but they are expected to last long, very very long..
Kinky hair is very nice hair but for twists only. It also comes in different grades from hard to soft (bofrot). The good thing about this type is that you can use just two packs and still have a full look. Depending on the grade you buy, you will be spending between 20 to 30 cedis per pack. This I realized is also community-dependent.
I once purchased one at what I thought was a good price (20) till a friend showed me hers, the “bofrot” type, and told me how much she got it for(15 cedis), I realized I may not exactly have gotten a good deal after all. The amazing thing about kinky twists is that it can be reused. After you take out your twists, wash them, dry them and reuse it after a while. Apart from shrinkage in volume which can be helped by buying one more pack it is as good as new.
Crotchet is presently catching on. I believe it is the best hairstyle of our time. There is already twisted hair for crochet, there is a kinky looking type and varying styles and colors of the hair. The price is dependent on the brand. With 20 cedis you can get a Havana piece for crochet and it will be advisable to buy at least 3 packs and you may need 6 packs for a full look. Other pieces of crochet hair cost about 50 Cedis too and that you may use only 3 pieces. So pick your position.
Natural is Trending
How about going natural? How does that work? For starters you save relaxer money. But if your hair is not naturally soft, you may need to buy a few oils and hair care products. In Ghana, the top indigenous natural hair products brands I found out are We naturals, Zabrinaturals and Eya naturals. They mostly have a combination packages which can cost between 60 to a little over 100 cedis. They however also sell individual products depending on individual hair needs.
Relaxed hair has the usual relaxer cost. Depending on what works for your hair, and if a twin pack is available, you may spend between 25 to 50 cedis on relaxer kit alone. For those who have found their hair mojo, they can purchase not just a specific branded relaxer kit but the brand’s whole hair kit. The likes of Affirm, Cantu and Dark and Lovely have worked for lots of people.
Texlaxed hair is now a thing too. At least for me. It is an option for hair which is difficult and will not entirely relax or people with very sensitive scalp and can’t endure the Sodium Hydroxide in relaxers.
There are hair vitamins too. Hairfinity or Biotin capsules which are mostly imported and promise healthier, longer hair. They are not so common in our market yet. However with the current exchange rate, it may cost a little over 200 cedi’s when purchased in Ghana. Beware of imitations.
Hair is important and requires much investment of time and money. Make sure you are investing rightly. Money may not grow on trees but it could bless your tresses.
