adminEver seen some women whose hair always looks immaculate? Each week or fortnight they will be spotting a new hairdo.
The reason they do this is because they understand that the hair actually defines the person apparently. It is unforgiveable to walk around with a wild hairstyle or unkempt hair because that sends a wrong message to everyone.
Saturday Lifestyle went round Harare streets recently in an effort to establish just what is in a hairstyle that will see some women wake up as early as 5am so they can pass through the hair salon before going to work.
According to Marita, a Harare business- woman, she will never go out in public unless her hair looks immaculate. She wears a different hairstyle every two weeks and shops for weaves and hair pieces from as far as the United Kingdom and Brazil.
“My hair is the highlight of my features. If you get the hairstyle wrong, nothing else about you will look right. I only trust the hair that I buy from the UK and Brazil because it looks so classy and tasteful. For a good piece of hair, I will pay anything up to US$1 500 because the results in how I look afterwards are well worth it,” she said.
Nyasha, a 36-year-old banker who wears the natural look, says she recently cut her hair but even then she has to get it attended to every two weeks because for her, the hair is everything.
“I have short hair but I got it colour treated and I have to go for repairs and retouching every fortnight so that the shimmer and colour is retained,” she said.
Even those who wear natural locks cannot afford to just let them go unattended. They too have to go for a shampoo regularly and a retouch once a month.
Sylvia, a journalist who wears natural locks, says if locks are not attended to, they tend to look very crusty and dirty. As a result, she says she has to go to the salon regularly to get her locks “serviced”.
Asked just how much they will spend at the salon in any given year, women approached said anything between US$600 and US$2 000 would be reasonable.
Tarie, a local socialite, said it did not make sense for one to drive an expensive and luxurious car, wear power suits and yet wear the same hairstyle for months on end.
“Wearing the same hairstyle for too long is for school girls because they cannot afford to keep changing their hairstyles but for a grown up woman, and a professional one at that, to do that too is just wrong. It also implies that one is dirty because in two weeks sweat, dandruff and oil would have accumulated in the hair and a wash would be needed. One needs to budget for their hair every month because if your hair looks bad, it spoils everything for you,” she said.
Beverley Harris, a sportscaster with Star FM, says if one does not have money, it is better to go natural than to wear a weave for two months and end up tapping the hair every once in a while because there is just too much dirt on the scalp.
“It is so disgusting when one resorts to tapping their hair with a pen, pokers and anything they can find. It is also a no-no to see white or brown stuff at the top of someone’s hair because they have worn the same hairstyle for too long.
“If these weaves and extensions are too expensive then one should go natural. At least that way, they just wash their hair and go,” she said.
Shamiso, a hairdresser who attends to several television presenters and media personalities, said there are certain people who just cannot afford to be sloppy with their hair as that would dent their image and credibility.
“It is like Sophie Ndaba of Generations (Queen Moroka). She is known as this beautiful and well put personality.
“Can you imagine bumping into someone like her wearing some frumpy hairstyle? That just will not do. That is why women of quality should wear the perfect hairstyle all the time,” she said.
Shamie also had some words of advice for women saying one ought to know the hairstyles that suit them and should not just wear whatever happens to be in
fashion.
“There are different face shapes and personalities. While a red weave might be perfectly fine for a deejay it will not work for a lawyer. There are weaves that suit people of an outgoing or flamboyant nature and some for the conservative type of people.
“It is important to know what suits you before you just go with something,” she said.
Adding on to this issue about being careful with hairstyles, Linda, a news presenter with Star FM, said there are some hairstyles that she would never wear because they do not go with the shape of her face. She says it is important for one to listen to people when they comment about hairstyles saying this can guide them on the best hairstyle for them.
“There are hairstyles that everyone will compliment you on. Those are the hairstyles that one needs to wear. When you see people making rude comments about a certain hairstyle, it means you have gone for the wrong style so never repeat it,” she said.
Some of the men approached by Saturday Lifestyle did confirm that the hairstyle definitely plays an important role in how a woman turns out. Several guys said it is for this reason that they will pay for their girlfriends and wives to get their hair done.
Mr Rushwaya of Mt Pleasant said for him a bad or old hairstyle on a woman means she is not well looked after. For that reason, he gives his wife money for a new hairstyle every two weeks.
“I am a successful man. My wife needs to look good and I am willing to pay for that. I would like to urge men out there to ensure that they provide for this very important issue. Not doing so means you are not man enough. That is why some guys lose their women because they are letting them look miserable.”
Godfrey Koti, a super model and father, says a woman’s hair is her crowning glory and should be maintained. Because he understands this, Koti says he spoils his wife with a new hairstyle every once in a while.
Before everyone thinks hairstyling is just for women, Saturday Lifestyle managed to get some views on hair for men as well. The general consensus was that men should wear their hair short and smart. A wash every day or every few days for those who wear chemicals is best.
Women interviewed said long hair on men is a turn-off unless one wears locks or is in the fashion business. However, both sexes were in agreement about the importance of how one wears their hair.
They did say hairstyles define a person. So next time you are wondering; the hair is important.
Online Reporter