The Purpose of Durags - Why Your Child should Wear One

To understand the purpose of durags, we must understand their development and how they came to be what they are today. 

What Are Durags?

Durags, originally spelled doo-rag, are pieces of fabric that people, primarily Black males, wear around their heads. This fabric can consist of Silk, Satin, Velvet, and Mesh. Durags are often associated with developing hair waves, but these products alone do not make waves. It's essential to note durags are not only for waves. They are additionally helpful for hairstyles such as fades, braids, locs, twists, and other protective styles you wish to preserve. The purpose of durags is to protect different hairstyles.

The Purpose of Durag

As stated above, Durags are preservation tools. Wear a durag to prevent and reduce frizz, emphasizing their ability to preserve hairstyles. As the Black community most commonly wears Durags, the level of compression they offer also helps to contract the thick and coily hair associated with the African descendants. If you are familiar with Bonnets, Durags are essentially the same but in an alternative format and primarily worn by males. Durags like Bonnets prevent the friction between cotton pillows at night, help retain moisture, and avoid breakage and split ends.

Durags for Waves

Durags weren't always associated with hair care regimens; their use dates back to Slavery. These now preservation tools started as a form of oppression. In the 17th century, women laborers and enslaved African-Americans wore a less refined Durag and Bonnet to identify their status. History shows that enslavers often provided higher qualities of headwraps to house servants to symbolize their higher ranking amongst enslaved individuals. It wasn't until the 1930s, during the Harlem Renaissance, that durags became associated with maintaining hairstyles. In the late 1960s, during the Black Panther Movement, we saw a shift in the use of Durags from hair maintenance devices to fashion statements commonly worn by athletes and musicians.   

The History of Durags

Durags weren't always associated with hair care regimens; their use dates back to Slavery. These now preservation tools started as a form of oppression. In the 17th century, women laborers and enslaved African-Americans wore a less refined Durag and Bonnet to identify their status. History shows that enslavers often provided higher qualities of headwraps to house servants to symbolize their higher ranking amongst enslaved individuals. It wasn't until the 1930s, during the Harlem Renaissance, that durags became associated with maintaining hairstyles. In the late 1960s, during the Black Panther Movement, we saw a shift in the use of Durags from hair maintenance devices to fashion statements commonly worn by athletes and musicians.   

Types Of Durags

As Durags continue to grow in popularity, many different styles and patterns are being introduced. There are now many kinds of durags such as;

• Satin Durags
• Silk Durags
• Mesh Durags
• Velvet Durags

Durags as a Fashion Statement

The most popular Durags are either Silk or Silky Satin. Other fabrics such as Velvet and Mesh have become more common as durags became popularized and used as fashion staples. Satin and forms of Satin are often sought-after choices, as it helps retain moisture. Satin also provides more options for printing various designs through sublimation and other printing methods. Using Velvet and Mesh for durag construction often results in heftier pricing. Typically, we see more custom durag designs with these fabrics or even crystallized materials worn by celebrities like Rihanna. It's no doubt that the incorporation of Durags into your outfit can make a statement while also being an ode to the culture. 

What Durags are Best?

Selecting the best durag is based on your desired use. Quality and material may not be a priority if you want to make a fashion statement. If you seek to protect your hair and even achieve waves, it's best to use a Silk or Satin Durag.

Satin Durags

We discussed the benefits of Silk and Satin here. Durags are most commonly made from Silky Satin fabric, consisting of Silk and Satin. It's best to seek a Durag containing this material to retain moisture in your hair and prevent split ends. As highlighted above, Durag also offers significant compression, which makes them the ideal product for hairstyles such as waves, braids, and fades. Satin Durags promote the following;

• Maintain Waves
• Maintain Braids
• Retain Moisture
• Promote Airflow
• Act as a barrier between Hats/Helmets
• Prevent split ends

Benefits of Durags: Why your child should wear one

Durags promote benefits all around. Whether trying to enhance your style or promote a healthy-hair regimen, Durags are great options for your child regardless of whether you hope to achieve waves. Durag's ability to compress and hold the hair in place makes them ideal for certain hairstyles vs. others, so ultimately, it's essential to keep your hairstyle and goals in mind when seeking one.

Our My Hero Silky Satin Durags

When designing our "My Hero" Silky Satin Durag, I had many things in mind:

1. Develop the best durag to protect my son's hair. I sought to find the best fabric at the most reasonable price.
2. I wanted something that fit correctly.
3. I wanted a design that would entice him to wear this foreign object (at the time) with little to no dispute.

To me, that looked like our "My Hero" Durags. Our "My Hero" Silky Satin Durag offers all the above benefits. They provide excellent compression, promote moisture retention, and fit comfortably and securely. In addition to this, they also offer a form of representation tied to our culture. They also allow me to introduce a form of routine to my son and highlight the importance of self-care.

Self-Care and Durags

An often overlooked benefit of Durags is their aid in establishing healthy self-care habits. The purpose of a durag for your family may be precisely that. Unfortunately, self-care is often underemphasized when dealing with boys. Girls are groomed to implement self-care routines such as maintaining their hairstyles, nails, and other appearance-related tasks. Boys are considered less maintenance, but that doesn't mean self-care shouldn't be introduced or taught. Implementing a durag into your child's nightly bedtime routine is a grooming practice that will carry over into adulthood, aiding in their ability to care for themselves and their appearance.

To conclude, there are many various purposes of durags. They are hair preservation tools and accessories specific to the wearer. If you're considering introducing a Durag to your child, I recommend selecting one that fits, resonates, and one made from Silky Satin. You can find these in our Silky Satin Durag Collections - My Hero or Thing They Love.