Are more SA women getting their weaves and wigs snatched from their heads than ever before?

As bizarre as it sounds, many stories have surfaced of women literally having their expensive locks pulled from their heads as they went about their day.

Depending on the origin and length of the hair, a wig can be very expensive and cost anywhere between R500 to R10 000. Sometimes even more. Criminals have taken the opportunity to cash in from stealing these pricey hair pieces from the heads of unsuspecting wearers.

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According to this IOL article 32-year-old Sthandiwe Nzuza had her 42 inch wig snatched off her head as she was doing her last minute Christmas shopping last year.

“I’d just left The Workshop when some guy stepped in front of me and, while I was trying to walk around him, two others grabbed my wig and one of them cut off the strap that held it securely on my head,” said Nzuza.

In another article published on News24, an unnamed young woman explains how she was followed to the bathroom at a local bar by three women who then proceeded to attack her in order to make off with her brand new R3000 wig.

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Some young women have also taken to Twitter to describe their cases involving stolen weaves. Read their tweets below.

Another guy even advertised his stolen weave business...

Wig wearers beware, there seem to be weave snatchers on the loose and they're coming for your hair.

Recently, a woman shared with Timeslive, how someone tried to take her weave in Sandton, Joburg. Ntaoleng Lechela, 23, detailed how the criminal, after pulling her hair lied to Ntaoleng and said that she was just trying to feel it's texture. Nthabiseng Ndhlovu, 28, also told the paper that she had been targeted at Noord Taxi rank.

Iol reports that Sbahle Mpisane, a local celeb famous for her fitness training brand, had her hairpiece taken by a passerby while she was fighting for her life in the car involved in a serious car accident, that left her hospitalised.

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If you're not ready to part with your beloved bundles, here're some tips to help you hold on to your hair in any areas you might feel targeted.

1. Wear a scarf to prevent culprits from being able to pull your wig off from behind.

2. Tuck your hair into your jacket jersey or tshirt - this will make it hard for them to get a good grip.

3. If you have a shorter length wig, consider wearing a cap or beanie, that way they'd have to first get the cap off before being able to snatch the wig.

4. And for the most drastic cases, consider keeping your wig inside your bag and only wear it once you get to a safer area.

Have you ever gone through anything similar? We'd love to hear from you about it - chat to us here.

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