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Going crazy for weaves

BONUS-bashing on a good quality weave is becoming a hair-raising festive trend.

Some women are willing to cough up amounts that could settle a month's rent.

"My husband freaked out when I told him how much I'm spending on my weave," says 27-year-old Nancy Ramovha. She paid R1,500 for the hairpiece, excluding the service of the hairdresser.

Ramovha says she wouldn't be caught dead wearing cheap hair.

"I hate how it does that cardboard thing at the back. I don't understand why people let it happen."

Relebogile Malele, 24, believes having good quality hair is ideal, but it is not the end of the world if you can't afford to get it done.

Celebrity hairstylist and salon owner Isaac Letele says some women would rather starve than walk around with hideous hair.

Letele says a few of his clients pay up to R8,000 for a full head. Good quality hair can cost you between R900 and R2,970 per weft or packet. You would need about three packets for a full head.

Reabetswe Matlhoko, 24, recently spent R3,000 on her 18-inch Brazilian hairpiece.

"I don't date broke guys, it defeats the purpose," says Matlhoko. Letele says: "Some of the working-class women ask for money from their boyfriends or ask for a loan from their friends."

He confesses to styling some of his clients "on a get your weave now, and pay for it later kind of arrangement".

Diva Divine Hair Company marketing manager Leonie Julius says, while they have a steady customer base throughout the year, they tend to experience a considerable upsurge of clientele during the festive season.

The growing trend of wearing the weave has seen more women preferring to have the human hair option as opposed to synthesised hair fibre that is made from plastic.

The Indian Remy, Brazilian and Malaysian extensions are noted as tops.

Statistics on mywage.co.za reveal that the average South African woman earns anything between R3,000 and R20,000, depending on her profession. This shows that at any given time some ladies end up paying a considerable chunk of their salary on getting a weave.

- This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 21 December 2012

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