significant number of non-Rastafarian blacks began wearing dreads as a fashion statement. In the early 90s, trend conscious whites soon followed suit. All those that were unable to grow the right kind of hair could easily pay stylist to graft premade locks of real or synthetic hair into their heads. This is becoming a more and more popular request from American black women that have been consumers of braids for the last ten years due to the ease of getting up in the morning to start their day without having to style their hair. For those that chose to have premade locks grafted into or to naturally grow their hair into locks, society sometimes looks upon them as interesting and adventurous. More often they are looked upon as rebellious or Afro-centric. Which in turn is the exact opposite of most black Americans. I have read and studied article after article of past experiences in regards to keeping up with trends and fads that fit in with the mainstream. The cost is the most perplexing factor of all. Low-level income women thank the inventor of wigs, like I thank the person who discovered biscuits (um, um). I have spoken to women who remember the weekly ritual of hot combing their hair in the kitchen next to the stove by their mothers, only to have it nappy again in usually less than twenty- four hours. Especially if they did not insert rollers. Not to mention all of the money they spend today to have it done professionally on a continual basis. I have spoken to men as well who have spent fifteen dollars a pop to have their hair cut into the current popular style only to need a touch up or entire re-cut again in four days (including myself).Author bell hooks refers to the late eighties, early nineties man when she wrote Heterosexual black women talked about the extent to which black men respond more favorably to women with straight or straightened hair (hooks 84). Yet, many wo...
