For black women, wigs were a necessity. You can think of African American celebrities and public figures with fake hair on their heads -- from michelle Obama's demure shoulder-length Bob to rihanna's sleek, wavy looks, it's mostly done in wigs.
Most of Michelle Obama's looks were wigs.
Black people were born with thick, curly hair that was destined to fail to have manageable hair, which would grow into needle-like, explosively curly hair. Few black men are immune to the genetic condition, with many men having their hair shaved or braided, while girls wear wigs.

Over time, the black reworking of the original hair style came with a compromise on the standard female aesthetic of society: in order to have the same sexual attraction as the white people and get rid of the slavery status. When michelle Obama used to fake her looks, black women protested: why can't she be seen as the real thing, to justify all African American women.