Wigs in the 20th Century were heavily influenced by the introduction of film and media. In the beginning of the century, women styled hair more naturally, but after the second World War, fashion became more liberal and people expressed themselves through their beauty, hair, and wardrobe. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Marsha Hunt, Cher and Twiggy all had signature hairstyles that were praised and re-created. African American women began to slowly dominate the wig market during this time. When compared to other races, African American people have much more thick and dense hair. African American hair is also much stronger than other types of hair, and can handle being braided into cornrows without breakage.
While there are numerous benefits to having thick hair, it can often be more time consuming to style than other types of hair. This is part of the reason African American women have long been known to wear wigs. Braiding their hair into cornrows, or another form of braid, and then placing a perfectly styled wig on top takes a fraction of the time when compared to styling natural hair!
While braiding hair tightly can be a trigger for alopecia, when done correctly it doesn’t have to damage the hair shaft. It is important to give the hair a break from being braided so it is not being constantly pulled on. In the 20th Century, Diana Ross and Tina Turner jumped on the wig train and started a revolution of African American women wearing wigs that continues to present day.
Diana Ross at the American Music Awards | Shop African American Wigs
In the 21st Century, African American celebrities including Beyonce, Zendaya, and Nicki Minaj are all famous for wearing beautifully crafted wigs. The African American hair industry is worth billions of dollars! This statistic shows the momentum that has been created by wigs and hairpieces… they are not going anywhere anytime soon!
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