Was our hair meant to be this difficult?

[kally]

In the journey to acheive healthy, longer hair it is very overwhelming.


Our hair is something else. I can't take it anymore. Chemicals, heat , the wrong diet, protective stlyes, wrong products, to many of the right products , oils, grease, wrong clothing, braids,weaves,wigs, using the wrong tools, brushing,combing, using to many product, using not enough products, you name it causes damages. Everything that you can possible do for our hair seems to cause damage. There seems that there is nothing out there that does not cause damage to our hair. Proper care is key, but you have to go to great lengths to get it and never stop once you have master the art of what it takes for your hair. This can get very costly and time consuming, because what works for one may not work other as we find out in updated threads.

I firmly believe that God did not design our hair to be so fragile. I believe that someone way back in the day messed it up for us. I never heard of other races having to tie up their hair in silk or satin to prevent it from spliting or having to add oil etc... I know they have issues to but not as fragile as ours.

Sorry so long I am just frustrated. I thought I had my regimen down and now have to revise it.

 

[PaperClip]

Environment and socialization have a lot of influence on the perceptions of our hair along with the way our hair exists on top of our heads.

Environment: food, pollution, chemicals, weather/climate, etc.

Socialization: The straighter the hair, the better. The "blonder" the hair, the better. The longer the hair, the better. But if one's hair does NOT look like these things "naturally" or with help, it takes a toll on one's psyche.

So "difficult" is a relative term. A personal term. An individual interpretation. "Difficult" is a value-laden term.

 

[Isis]

I believe we have the most beautiful, versatile hair in the world. Haircare can be easy once we learn how. The same applies to all hair types.

God made our hair perfectly. The struggle some people have is working against their hair, trying to make it appear according to someone else's standard.

For me, I make sure my hair journey is totally fun and it has been. That's what makes it easy and something to look forward to.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I think this is a good hair discussion topic and I hope others chime in.

I was watching the discovery channel one day and it was talking about how different "races" came about. Basicly life began in Africa, but diff. people migrated to diff. areas which had some effect on our features.

It was said in the program ,that due to the climate (hot and humid) of Africa, that Africans weren't really 'designed' to have long hair. That our hair was genetically short to keep us cool and that the coils/napps kept the sun from burning our skin on top of our heads. And white people have long hair to protect them from the cold/wind and other elements from habitating on the Northern hemisphere. And so on and so on...

Don't know how true it is. But it makes (sort of) sense to me.

But often I find myself pondering like you. Like what was GOD's intention when he created diff. ethnic 'features. Anyways, this is a good topic.

 

[kally]

You all are right and it is fun finding out what works for you.

God makes no mistakes and I am blessed to have the hair he has given me, it is just that it is so hard to up keep and understand.

 

[FlowerHair]

I agree with the others - our hair is soooo simple and easy to care for. Provided that one doesn't try to make it into something it really isn't.
Like for instance wanting stick straight hair 365 days a year when the hair is really a 3b-4b

Imagine how difficult it would be for a white woman to achieve a perfect 4b afro every morning She would have difficult hair for sure! And destroyed by chemicals and heat appliances!!!

 

[kimbaparis]

I feel you. My grandmother used to say that the only thing she envied white people for was their hair.
My hair isn't versatile at all. It only wants to be very short and very kinky. It hates any effort to make it anything else. The trouble is many of us are struggling against the nature of our hair. I will continue to do it but I recognize that I am trying to coax it into being something it's not. I figure if I give it lots of candy (moisture, vitamins and healthy diet) it might be coaxed along. i'm not going to let it know how much I dislike it. i should give it its one prop though. i have lots of my yucky old hair and i will be very sad if it thins. sshhhhhh. don't anyone tell it the mean things i said about it.

 

[Junonia]

I believe we have the most beautiful, versatile hair in the world.

I agree with

 

[Junonia]

I believe we have the most beautiful, versatile hair in the world.

I agree with the above.

 

[JustKiya]

Imagine how difficult it would be for a white woman to achieve a perfect 4b afro every morning She would have difficult hair for sure! And destroyed by chemicals and heat appliances!!!

Can you just imagine??? Oh wow - putting it like that is WONDERFUL - if you don't fight your hair, it isn't hard to deal with. If you try to force it to do something that's fundamentally different from it's natural state - it's GONNA rebel.

 

[Qetesh]

honestly as much as we try to change our hair texture into the westernized view of long straight only= beautiful we will never fully appreciate our hair.

i personally love my hair yes my texture is coarse but its beautiful, i can easlily make my hair boring and straight like 1a hair naturally is, only when i do i like mine even better because of the body i have, also no 1a person can have the natural 3c-4a look that i do, and honestly alot of the 1a's out there do envy us.

taking care of our hair is really not any worse than any other races IMO the longer your hair the more hassle it is to take care of it. with that said when my hair is in its natural state it is shoulder length where as if i were i 1a i would be waistlength all the time... what a bore... , true u may at times need to be more gentle to your hair but really its all about caring for yourself and your body and that shouldnt be difficult at all.

 

[Poohbear]

I believe we have the most beautiful, versatile hair in the world. Haircare can be easy once we learn how. The same applies to all hair types.

God made our hair perfectly. The struggle some people have is working against their hair, trying to make it appear according to someone else's standard.

For me, I make sure my hair journey is totally fun and it has been. That's what makes it easy and something to look forward to.

In total agreement with Isis. Our hair doesn't have to be difficult. Keep your regimen simple and have fun!

 

[B_Phlyy]

No one's hair is difficult as long as they work with their hair within limits. I think that even when it comes to chemicals, as long as the hair is not being overprocessed, it can be worked with.

 

[navsegda]

In the journey to acheive healthy, longer hair it is very overwhelming.


Our hair is something else. I can't take it anymore. Chemicals, heat , the wrong diet, protective stlyes, wrong products, to many of the right products , oils, grease, wrong clothing, braids,weaves,wigs, using the wrong tools, brushing,combing, using to many product, using not enough products, you name it causes damages. Everything that you can possible to for our hair seems to cause damage. There seems that there is nothing out there that does not cause damage to our hair. Proper care is key, but you have to go to great lengths to get it and never stop once you have master the art of what it takes for your hair. This can get very costly and time consuming, because what works for one may not work other as we find out in updated threads.

I firmly believe that God did not design our hair to be so fragile. I believe that someone way back in the day messed it up for us. I never heard of other races having to tie up their hair in silk or satin to prevent it from spliting or having to add oil etc... I know they have issues to but not as fragile as ours.

Sorry so long I am just frustrated. I thought I had my regimen down and now have to revise it.

I totally get what you are saying. Word up@the bolded.

I'm going to admit: I use the satin because well, I like the feel of it. My hair was just fine though when I WASN'T sleeping on a satin pillowcase. I also add oil because hey, it doesn't do any harm and it smells good, so what the heck, ya know?

 

[navsegda]

I think this is a good hair discussion topic and I hope others chime in.

I was watching the discovery channel one day and it was talking about how different "races" came about. Basicly life began in Africa, but diff. people migrated to diff. areas which had some effect on our features.

It was said in the program ,that due to the climate (hot and humid) of Africa, that Africans weren't really 'designed' to have long hair. That our hair was genetically short to keep us cool and that the coils/napps kept the sun from burning our skin on top of our heads. And white people have long hair to protect them from the cold/wind and other elements from habitating on the Northern hemisphere. And so on and so on...

Don't know how true it is. But it makes (sort of) sense to me.

But often I find myself pondering like you. Like what was GOD's intention when he created diff. ethnic 'features. Anyways, this is a good topic.

Kinda a spinoff of what you are saying, but has anyone ever pondered this for instance: why are we born with straight or soft, loosely coiled hair? I have YET to see a black baby born with kinky, coily, unmanageable hair. Why can't we keep this type of hair? Personally, I think it's just the work of homeobox genes. We get to keep this type of hair for a short while because that's what we were first given but due to other factors that happened in our history another set of genes (like what they are saying about the African climate) switches on so our hair no longer grows in the loosely coiled texture that it first did. Because I mean, everyone came from Africa and some people migrated while others stayed and worked the harsh climate. If the climate wasn't a factor in changing our hair texture, then why doesn't everyone (even the whites who migrated) have the same texture of hair and why aren't we all born with the kinky, coily hair to begin with?

Someone needs to investigate this. If they already have, please post some scientific articles explaining this.

 

[dicapr]

I don't think out hair is that difficult, I think we make it so. When many of us came to this board our hair was damaged. We gave our hair all the TLC it needed and it thrived. Once your hair is healthy again, I don't think you need the extreme measures anymore. Once I nursed my hair back to health, my products and regimine became simple. Wash, condition, leave in, a little oil- that's it. Even an occational blow dry and flat iron don't have disasterous concequences. Healthy hair is easy, damaged hair is another story.

 

[RoseGolden]

I think this is a good hair discussion topic and I hope others chime in.

I was watching the discovery channel one day and it was talking about how different "races" came about. Basicly life began in Africa, but diff. people migrated to diff. areas which had some effect on our features.

It was said in the program ,that due to the climate (hot and humid) of Africa, that Africans weren't really 'designed' to have long hair. That our hair was genetically short to keep us cool and that the coils/napps kept the sun from burning our skin on top of our heads. And white people have long hair to protect them from the cold/wind and other elements from habitating on the Northern hemisphere. And so on and so on...

Don't know how true it is. But it makes (sort of) sense to me.

But often I find myself pondering like you. Like what was GOD's intention when he created diff. ethnic 'features. Anyways, this is a good topic.

Wow. Does anyone think this affects what we belive on LHCF that any black woman can have long hair? Interesting.

 

[Isis]

Kinda a spinoff of what you are saying, but has anyone ever pondered this for instance: why are we born with straight or soft, loosely coiled hair? I have YET to see a black baby born with kinky, coily, unmanageable hair. Why can't we keep this type of hair? Personally, I think it's just the work of homeobox genes. We get to keep this type of hair for a short while because that's what we were first given but due to other factors that happened in our history another set of genes (like what they are saying about the African climate) switches on so our hair no longer grows in the loosely coiled texture that it first did. Because I mean, everyone came from Africa and some people migrated while others stayed and worked the harsh climate. If the climate wasn't a factor in changing our hair texture, then why doesn't everyone (even the whites who migrated) have the same texture of hair and why aren't we all born with the kinky, coily hair to begin with?

Someone needs to investigate this. If they already have, please post some scientific articles explaining this.

I just want to say there is nothing wrong with kinky, coily hair. Some white people are born with it, especially in parts of Russia and some of the surrounding countries where the weather is frigid. I have met a few personally with 4a-4b hair. Some white Jewish people also have kinky, coily hair.

 

[navsegda]

I just want to say there is nothing wrong with kinky, coily hair. Some white people are born with it, especially in parts of Russia and some of the surrounding countries where the weather is frigid. I have met a few personally with 4a-4b hair. Some white Jewish people also have kinky, coily hair.

You're right, and I didn't mean to make it seem as if I was insulting kinky, coily hair. Climate, though, whether hot or cold, can have different effects on the hair. I have too seen what you describe. However, were these people BORN with the texture of hair they have now or is it something they acquired as they grew older is what I'm asking (like does their hair look the same when they were little babies that it does now). I also still want to know why the textures of our hair changes (not everyone's , just some people's).

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I am going to be real: I am frustrated with my hair because it is taking a lot of effort to grow out. I do sometime feel it isn't "fair" that other races can just have hair without all the extra stuff I have to do. I personally don't feel that I am forcing my hair to be something it doesn't want to be, but it is still taking some effort to grow it out. I definitely love my hair but fighting for length is hella frustrating.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Kinda a spinoff of what you are saying, but has anyone ever pondered this for instance: why are we born with straight or soft, loosely coiled hair? I have YET to see a black baby born with kinky, coily, unmanageable hair. Why can't we keep this type of hair? Personally, I think it's just the work of homeobox genes. We get to keep this type of hair for a short while because that's what we were first given but due to other factors that happened in our history another set of genes (like what they are saying about the African climate) switches on so our hair no longer grows in the loosely coiled texture that it first did. Because I mean, everyone came from Africa and some people migrated while others stayed and worked the harsh climate. If the climate wasn't a factor in changing our hair texture, then why doesn't everyone (even the whites who migrated) have the same texture of hair and why aren't we all born with the kinky, coily hair to begin with?

Someone needs to investigate this. If they already have, please post some scientific articles explaining this.

I feel you. That would be one helluva study.

I think whatever goes on, is along the same phenomenon with a lot of things that change from being babies unto adulthood such as; babies with pretty healthy pink gums that turn diff colors with age, soft buttery skin that turns with age, pretty fingers and toes that turn for the worse, and other stuff too. But you raise a good point.

If someone found out the secret and bottled it for 10000 bucks a oz, I think it would sell like hot cakes!

 

[zailless]

In the journey to acheive healthy, longer hair it is very overwhelming.


Our hair is something else. I can't take it anymore. Chemicals, heat , the wrong diet, protective stlyes, wrong products, to many of the right products , oils, grease, wrong clothing, braids,weaves,wigs, using the wrong tools, brushing,combing, using to many product, using not enough products, you name it causes damages. Everything that you can possible to for our hair seems to cause damage. There seems that there is nothing out there that does not cause damage to our hair. Proper care is key, but you have to go to great lengths to get it and never stop once you have master the art of what it takes for your hair. This can get very costly and time consuming, because what works for one may not work other as we find out in updated threads.

I firmly believe that God did not design our hair to be so fragile. I believe that someone way back in the day messed it up for us. I never heard of other races having to tie up their hair in silk or satin to prevent it from spliting or having to add oil etc... I know they have issues to but not as fragile as ours.

Sorry so long I am just frustrated. I thought I had my regimen down and now have to revise it.

I am sick of my difficult hair. From straight to natural to braids to wigs to braids again. i feel like this is a raw deal. i cuss about it every now and again. forget socialization and all that crap. right now, i wish i had hair that i could sleep on and not worry about breakage, that i could take a swim in the sea and not worry about salt, go to the gym and not worry about whether i should wash everyday or not.

 

[seraphinelle]

Re: the question about hair on baby's

I read somewhere it had something to do with the amniotic fluid.

Now I'm not saying, that someone should market amiotic fluid and sell it in black hair stores, LOL,



I use to find my hair incredibly hard to manage.

When my mom said I was on my own with my hair I would cry trying to comb it. I hated it.

Then I self-relaxed and it broke off, but I kept relaxing.

It wasn't until about 2 years ago, when I actually put an effort into doing it.

And now the coarse hair that a friend use to cuss me out 'Oh seraphinelle, you don't have good hair, you can't go natural' is alot softer and easier to manage, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Well maybe some money, but that's a different story..

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Wow. Does anyone think this affects what we belive on LHCF that any black woman can have long hair? Interesting.

I will be honest and say I honestly don't know. I still struggle with this.

It just seems like we do SO MUCH to get/retain length that other races don't have to do. It also seems like they can do way more damage to their locks then we can ever do (and have long hair) whether it is relaxed or natural.

I won't say genetics is against us. But sometimes I think, maybe, just maybe, we weren't meant to have long hair. But that's my opinions though.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Re: the question about hair on baby's

I read somewhere it had something to do with the amniotic fluid.

Now I'm not saying, that someone should market amiotic fluid and sell it in black hair stores, LOL,



I use to find my hair incredibly hard to manage.

When my mom said I was on my own with my hair I would cry trying to comb it. I hated it.

Then I self-relaxed and it broke off, but I kept relaxing.

It wasn't until about 2 years ago, when I actually put an effort into doing it.

And now the coarse hair that a friend use to cuss me out 'Oh seraphinelle, you don't have good hair, you can't go natural' is alot softer and easier to manage, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Well maybe some money, but that's a different story..

Amniotic fluid ehhhh....*ponders getting pregnant* J/k!!!

But yeah, that would be interesting. I wonder why black hair-care scientists hasn't profited off of this (yet)?

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I am going to be real: I am frustrated with my hair because it is taking a lot of effort to grow out. I do sometime feel it isn't "fair" that other races can just have hair without all the extra stuff I have to do. I personally don't feel that I am forcing my hair to be something it doesn't want to be, but it is still taking some effort to grow it out. I definitely love my hair but fighting for length is hella frustrating.

You wrote me. I feel the same way. I don't really express it here, because I know I won't have anyone back me up, but I feel you. I really do.

The growing out process is no punk!

 

[Isis]

You're right, and I didn't mean to make it seem as if I was insulting kinky, coily hair. Climate, though, whether hot or cold, can have different effects on the hair. I have too seen what you describe. However, were these people BORN with the texture of hair they have now or is it something they acquired as they grew older is what I'm asking (like does their hair look the same when they were little babies that it does now). I also still want to know why the textures of our hair changes (not everyone's , just some people's).

Hmm...our baby hair does seem to always be a different texture. I did wonder (and post in the past) about this when many, including me somewhat, experienced a texture change using MSM with a softer, looser new growth. MSM is supposed to restore our bodies to its original, healthy state. :scratchch

 

[navsegda]

I am sick of my difficult hair. From straight to natural to braids to wigs to braids again. i feel like this is a raw deal. i cuss about it every now and again. forget socialization and all that crap. right now, i wish i had hair that i could sleep on and not worry about breakage, that i could take a swim in the sea and not worry about salt, go to the gym and not worry about whether i should wash everyday or not.

LMFAO. Girl, I feel you. I wish I had that "wash and go do nothing else" hair. I mean, wash my hair, condition it, not have to use ANY product and I'd be fine.

 

[deontaer]

Personally, I think if we just focused more on the health of our hair and not the length, it will grow natually because it is healthy. I became a member of this board because I wanted to learn more about maintaining my hair. If it grows because I've become wiser in how to manage it - wonderful. But if it doesn't, so be it. People also forget that physical stress also causes issues with your hair...so stop stressing it. Find a simple regimen that works for you and keep it that way. I think because our hair is beautifully made and is the only type of hair that can be styled in every way imaginable...we tend to do just that just to look "cute" and our hair suffers. Most white people do nothing more than wash and go...see, simple. They may pin it up or whatever, or go to the salon for something special occasionally, but how many of them are in the salon getting their hair burnt up every week to 2 weeks?

 

[navsegda]

Hmm...our baby hair does seem to always be a different texture. I did wonder (and post in the past) about this when many, including me somewhat, experienced a texture change using MSM with a softer, looser new growth. MSM is supposed to restore our bodies to its original, healthy state. :scratchch

See, I was wondering this too but I thought I was alone lol. I have also heard many people state that their natural hair grows with looser texture with the MSM than without it. I need to research this MSM more. Maybe something in it or similar to it was something that was originally a part of our genes that became "corrupted" along the way. Corrupted is the wrong word, hmm...maybe, "altered" is better? And is it possible to isolate what exactly this is and get it back without taking MSM?