Image is a very important thing to both men and women and the fact that fashion trends are becoming more unisex and less gender specific shows just how much the image industry is a huge game-changer.
When it comes to maintaining one’s image and keeping their self-esteem at bay, many are taking in the stride of making sure that they look and feel good about themselves, especially when it comes to hair. We’ve seen women use ridiculous amounts of money to purchase weaves, wigs and human hair extensions to add that something extra and also give them that bounce in their step – and the same is happening for men.
After all the wrangling and twitching of noses towards women with weaves, calling them nasty and smelly, and ridiculing women for wearing horsehair to dead people’s hair on their heads, now the tables have turned and men’s advocacy of the weave has been turned as some men are taking this road – to get the man weave.
The burst of the man weave trend was a result of one Wade Menendez, a Celebrity International barber in the U.S also known as Wade the Barber of The W Hair Loft. This growing trend of man hair pieces, also referred to as cranial prosthesis, are hair replacement units or hair systems that are meant to help men who’ve lost their hair through balding, thinning, cancer treatments or for young men struggling with loss of their hairline due to some of the negative effects of current lifestyle habits.
As much as men, especially Kenyan men can cringe at the sheer thought of having a man weave, Wade and other barbers have helped enhance the looks of men through this process and the man weave is definitely helping men look and feel more confident.
Maintenance of the man weave
This non-surgical procedure takes about 90 minutes to two hours to install and can stay anywhere from a month to a year.
During this time, the client is not to wash it or get his natural hair wet as this could remove the adhesive that is used to firmly secure the weave over the bald area however some are temporary and others can be taken off to wash and reuse but with the help of the barber so as to not destroy the piece. Note that you can get the piece wet but it’s not recommended that you do it often, remember that this isn’t your real hair.
The weave can also be cut, trimmed and shaped by the barber during installation to suit the client’s features or to suit the style they want and they walk out of there a new person.
It has very light maintenance as compared to those that ladies wear. At night, the guy can wrap it up at night with a bandana or a du-rag to keep it in place
As stated before, the man weave pieces are completely transforming the lives of many guys in their country. They reset some guys’ style and confidence, especially if they have suffered hair loss at an early age due to genetics or alopecia.
It is also really bringing back the self-esteem of men who’ve lost their hair due to cancer treatments, making them feel like they didn’t lose a part of themselves as they went through that tough journey. The best part is that the piece looks totally real and this plays a key role in bringing back their confidence.
If you’re as curious as I was about this process, you can check Wade’s website here for more information about the man hair units. I am not sure if this trend has reached Kenya yet. This post gives you more information on the process ‘Man Weaves’ Offer Cover For Balding Men, Cash For Black Hair Care Industry.
Would you encourage a man you know to use a man weave?
Featured image via www.npr.org.
