No discussion on clothing in Congo is complete without mentioning their hairdos. Elaborate and diligent as they are, it is difficult to escape their colors. Very often the ladies color their hairs to match their outfits. So you can imagine… all colored hairs adorn the Congolese heads – red, yellow, purple, gold… you name it!
The fact is, however, most of these hairs are artificial – wigs, and available at very affordable prices in the local markets. Heat being the prime factor, most Congolese (men and women) have crisp, curly hairs that grow only a couple of inches. The artificial hairs are styled, dyed and then grafted or woven with a needle through the original hair. This is a cumbersome and painful process and takes 2 – 5 hrs., depending on the length and volume of the wig. Naturally, the beauty salons charge a fortune for one such weaving session. The local Mamas however happily do it at a much lesser price.
Some people prefer wigs to grafted hair as they offer more flexibility. One incident is worth mentioning here. I had this middle-aged lady as my household help, who wore her black hair in innumerable shoulder-length plaits, right from the time she joined. One fine morning I went to answer my doorbell and was surprised to find a familiar-looking woman with an elaborate auburn bun on her head. Presuming that my Mama were unwell and had sent someone to substitute for the day, I began asking her what the matter was. She seemed more confused than me, hearing my questions, and it took her a while to convince me that she was the one who had been working in my house for the past 2 months. I only believed her when she removed her wig to show me her original hair!
Later on of course I got used to finding my Mama looking different at different times of the day (especially before leaving), once every month, and after every long weekend.
The fact is, however, most of these hairs are artificial – wigs, and available at very affordable prices in the local markets. Heat being the prime factor, most Congolese (men and women) have crisp, curly hairs that grow only a couple of inches. The artificial hairs are styled, dyed and then grafted or woven with a needle through the original hair. This is a cumbersome and painful process and takes 2 – 5 hrs., depending on the length and volume of the wig. Naturally, the beauty salons charge a fortune for one such weaving session. The local Mamas however happily do it at a much lesser price.Some people prefer wigs to grafted hair as they offer more flexibility. One incident is worth mentioning here. I had this middle-aged lady as my household help, who wore her black hair in innumerable shoulder-length plaits, right from the time she joined. One fine morning I went to answer my doorbell and was surprised to find a familiar-looking woman with an elaborate auburn bun on her head. Presuming that my Mama were unwell and had sent someone to substitute for the day, I began asking her what the matter was. She seemed more confused than me, hearing my questions, and it took her a while to convince me that she was the one who had been working in my house for the past 2 months. I only believed her when she removed her wig to show me her original hair!
Later on of course I got used to finding my Mama looking different at different times of the day (especially before leaving), once every month, and after every long weekend.
Posts
Love the write-ups and the pics! Great job!
ReplyDelete