Acrylic wool hair gain preference in Accra

Acrylic wool hair products, which were introduced recently onto the Ghanaian market, are gaining preference over existing hair braiding materials because of their affordability and good quality, hairdressers at Tema Station in Accra, have said.

The Ghana News Agency quoted a hairdresser, Fuseini Abdulah, as saying her clients have developed a taste for the wool hair because it is less expensive and gives their hair a lustrous appearance. They were also easier and faster to work with, she explained.

Dora Manu, also a hairdresser, said her clients preferred the acrylic product because of its soft and shiny nature. “I use the product because it matches with my natural hair, thereby keeping my natural hair neat even after weeks of braiding.

Most of the previous products appear ‘rubber-like’ and when used on the hair look artificial and odd.” Amavi Aseidu, a patron, also explained that the acrylic wool could be reused many times over and that made them even cheaper.

They are priced for two Ghana cedis each and five cedis for three smaller sizes. Some traders told the GNA that they were making good profits because the wholesale prices were very low.

The product comes in different colours but the most patronised ones are black, brown, white and wine. Adowa Abdulah, another trader, said clients needed two to three of the pieces to dress their hair, depending on preference of style.

She said most clients preferred the “twist-braids’’ compared to the “rasta-braids’’. “Some clients also like their corn-rolls in them,” she said.

The acrylic wool hair and hand knitting products are mainly manufactured in China, Australia and Brazil. The wool is generally used for knitting, weaving and hand-knitting and reported to be of high quality.