Black women and long hair

Starr1

New Member
I am so sick of people saying that black women can't have long hair, or if they do then they have to be half white, or they have a weave or whatever type of nonsense they come up with, but to be honest its our own fault. I believe every woman has the potential to grow their hair to "terminal" length. I believe that yes everyone has a hair terminal length and that hair will only grow to a certain point- this is determined by the growth cycle, rate of shed, care and etc. Most african american women will never know what their growth potential is however due to improper haircare techniques- thus the myth that black women can't grow long hair. However this myth is fairly modern. Black women had been growing their hair long successfully for quite some time without a problem until the 1920s when short hair and the bob became popularized. Add to that the invention of the pressing comb by Walter Sammsons, Madame CJ Walker's introduction of "black" haircare products, the lack of scientific information, the perpetuation of myths regarding hair in the black community(i.e. good hair vs bad hair, you can't wash your hair to often, blacks can't grow long hair, our natural texture is bad and straight is better, etc), the low cost of mineral oil compared to other oils-thus the lower production cost for companies, blowdryers, curling irons, relaxers, and other factors all amount a lack of knowledge and misinformation that passed on to other generations. The result= a majority of of black women have BSL hair and shorter (due to damage and mishandling) and people of every race, including our own, think it's genetically impossible for an African American woman to obtain the longer lengths naturally. It's amazing what we can convince the world of in less than a 100 years, now image with all the resources we have now (i.e. the internet, television, radio, telephone, etc) just how quickly we could show the world otherwise.

Okay I'm done ranting. Here are some pictures/inspiration of some beautiful African American women and their lovely hair.


 

Afrolinda

Well-Known Member
Well, today I went to work with my hair loose, so two black women asked me if all of it was my real hair and I answered yes. I had a "braid out" so sinc"e my hair was curly it was a few inches past shoulder length and they asked me if it was a weave. After I told them it was my real hair they said: "it's long, you should relax your hair".
 

ShiShiPooPoo

Well-Known Member
Those pics are beautiful. They make me feel very proud.

It's funny because you don't even have to have really long hair to get those "is that your hair?" type questions. My hair is not long but I try to keep it as healthy as possible. I have very fine yet dense hair and I keep it jet black, shiny and full of body. I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me if I am wearing a weave or wig.
 

Isis

New Member
Thank you for posting. :) I feel it's important for women to see photos like this since so many have been literally "brainwashed" to believe black women can't grow their hair long. Once black women as a whole realize it's been a myth all along, then everything will change regarding having long hair.

Maybe Oprah can do a serious show about this to dispell those myths once and for all. Her show can reach millions at once. :)
 
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chica_canella

Guest
Afro Linda - that's crazy to think that at a little past shoulder length people if your hair is real! i mean seriously, people must think black women are destined to have neck length hair and nothing more.

Amazing! I say brush the haters off!
 
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chica_canella

Guest
Isis said:
Thank you for posting. :) I feel it's important for women to see photos like this since so many have been literally "brainwashed" to believe black women can't grow their hair long. Once black women as a whole realize it's been a myth all along, then everything will change regarding having long hair.

Maybe Oprah can do a serious show about this to dispell those myths once and for all. Her show can reach millions at once. :)


Man, we'll have to convince Oprah first! Remember when she was bragging about that ponytail on her show saying how she envied white girls ponytails when she was little.

And then Andre, her stylist wrote or said something to the effect that 4a/b hair can't grow past shoulder length.

I can just see it now. Oprah and Gayle doing weave inspections on LHCF members in the green room.:lol:
 

Affinity07

New Member
I agree. I also believe that all women can grow very long hair. From a basic "animalistic" standpoint, wasn't our hair intended to be used as a body covering and hold in "scents"? I mean, we no longer need hair that long, but I believe the ability is still there. I'm skeptical of the "scientific" research that has been done. I still think there's a lot of research that still needs to be done and we can't always take what's written as gospel. JMO.
 

Afrolinda

Well-Known Member
chica_canella said:
Afro Linda - that's crazy to think that at a little past shoulder length people if your hair is real! i mean seriously, people must think black women are destined to have neck length hair and nothing more.

Amazing! I say brush the haters off!

YEAH, I was like:eek: .
 

Afrolinda

Well-Known Member
chica_canella said:
Man, we'll have to convince Oprah first! Remember when she was bragging about that ponytail on her show saying how she envied white girls ponytails when she was little.

And then Andre, her stylist wrote or said something to the effect that 4a/b hair can't grow past shoulder length.

I can just see it now. Oprah and Gayle doing weave inspections on LHCF members in the green room.:lol:

What? Her stylist said that? We have to write a letter to OPRAH.
 
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chica_canella

Guest
Yeah, I think we should have black women with varying lengths with no known heritage other than African. Recent I mean. but it wouldn't matter anway since one drop makes you black in America.

I want to go once I meet my goal, like 3 years from now. LOL.
 

mango387

New Member
ShiShiPooPoo said:
Those pics are beautiful. They make me feel very proud.

It's funny because you don't even have to have really long hair to get those "is that your hair?" type questions. My hair is not long but I try to keep it as healthy as possible. I have very fine yet dense hair and I keep it jet black, shiny and full of body. I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me if I am wearing a weave or wig.


I hope you don't take offense, but I can see why someone would ask if you are wearing a wig. Your hair is really pretty. It is black and shiny. Even though your hair is fine (according to you), it looks thick. Overall, it looks extremely healthy. Sometimes when people say that your hair looks like a wig, it is not malicious. For example, I have had people to say that my hair (which is not long) looks like a wig especially when I have rollerwrap. Some were being mean, but a few prefaced it by saying "It looks so pretty like its a wig." Those few people were individuals would not be underhandedly mean to me. I just wanted to say this to everybody else at LHCF, the weave questions and statements are not always mean-spirited or from a place where "Black folks can't have pretty hair..."
 

coconow2007

New Member
mango387 said:
I hope you don't take offense, but I can see why someone would ask if you are wearing a wig. Your hair is really pretty. It is black and shiny. Even though your hair is fine (according to you), it looks thick. Overall, it looks extremely healthy. Sometimes when people say that your hair looks like a wig, it is not malicious. For example, I have had people to say that my hair (which is not long) looks like a wig especially when I have rollerwrap. Some were being mean, but a few prefaced it by saying "It looks so pretty like its a wig." Those few people were individuals would not be underhandedly mean to me. I just wanted to say this to everybody else at LHCF, the weave questions and statements are not always mean-spirited or from a place where "Black folks can't have pretty hair..."

I agree with you - I have had really thick hair not really long but very full and thick (until I started getting micro braids) and people in my family, friends and strangers would always compare my hair to a wig.
 

Je Ne Sais Quoi

Well-Known Member
ShiShiPooPoo said:
Those pics are beautiful. They make me feel very proud.

It's funny because you don't even have to have really long hair to get those "is that your hair?" type questions. My hair is not long but I try to keep it as healthy as possible. I have very fine yet dense hair and I keep it jet black, shiny and full of body. I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me if I am wearing a weave or wig.
i used to get that allll the time when my hair was shorter. I remember, when my hair was neck length and I used to wear it flipped this one chick was like "oooooh, I love your hair. It looks like fur". Ummmmm :lol: :look:
 

blazingthru

Well-Known Member
Thank you for posting these pictures they look very regal. I think its a great idea to go on Oprah or any show but particularly hers with all the members of this forum, especially the ones that have grown their hair from bald/or shorter then short to long long lengths. What an inspiration to the world. From what I read and what I saw that encourage me to become a part of the forum day one and I never looked back and now my hair is just growing long and I can't wait for the day when I can really flip it over my shoulders. I can swing it back but its not the same as flipping it back, what a feeling. I was told for years I could never grow my hair and now its just growing and everyone is shutting up. I have a long way to go but I have a lot of hope.
 

Serenity_Peace

Genius never dies!
I was told that my hair would eventually start breaking and thinning even more if I allow it to grow much longer because my hair is too fine and soft.

I'm not listening to people who say this because while my hair is very fine, I am experiencing some growth and thickness. It's my ends that I must keep up with to maintain health.

Why people say things like this to black women is beyond cruel and off-putting. It's like they want you to fail in what you are trying to do.

My response? Keep striving and working hard towards my goals. Take before and after pics, then show 'em what's up when it get to BSL...:yep:
 

Ms Lala

Well-Known Member
Those pics are beautiful. It looks like our ancestors kept it nice and simple. THey are rocking those protective styles!
 
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chica_canella

Guest
Trudy said:
Thank you for posting these pictures they look very regal. I think its a great idea to go on Oprah or any show but particularly hers with all the members of this forum, especially the ones that have grown their hair from bald/or shorter then short to long long lengths. What an inspiration to the world. From what I read and what I saw that encourage me to become a part of the forum day one and I never looked back and now my hair is just growing long and I can't wait for the day when I can really flip it over my shoulders. I can swing it back but its not the same as flipping it back, what a feeling. I was told for years I could never grow my hair and now its just growing and everyone is shutting up. I have a long way to go but I have a lot of hope.


Girl, brush them haters off!:lol:

One thing I don't understand is is someone is trying to meet a goal that is harming them, why try to discourage them? I'm not the person to try and bring someone down even if i didn't believe in their goal. I'd tell them it way, "Go for it." or "It never hurts to try.":)
 

Sweetlikesherry

New Member
I think this is so true...why is it then that women with 4a and b locked hair can reach the FLOOR!! I have seen that with my own eyes! I think it is so sad that everyone has bought into this myth....and then most people respond by doing the wrong things to their hair. And that's why we have 3 yr olds with perms!
 

XXXtacy

New Member
Thanks for this.

Most of the time I tell someone I am want to grow my hair to BSL, people feel like they must tell me that its unusual for black woman to have hair that long. I am learning to just keep my mouth shut about my goals. Heck I am passed SL not quite APL.
 

Svrbrownsuga

New Member
Its a shame that peeps really believe that african american women's hair doesnt grow past a certain length. I agree, I believe that once some black women's hair gets to a certain length that she likes, she gets lazy and doesnt worry about her hair and more than likely damages it :ohwell: the result will be that it will break off. So sad, So sad. I know alot of women with 4a/4b hair that is at bsl and their hair is growing longer and longer,soo.....oprah's stylist needs to fall back on that one! :cool:
 

pistachio

New Member
Kenya Moore(whose listed as one of my "inspirations" in my fotki), in an article spoke about how people assumed her hair wasn't real because she doesn't look like she's of any mixed heritage. (She actually said "dark brown-skinned" but people seem to get defensive over color references here)
 

lovenharmony

ET / OT Bonafide Member
Thank you for posting this...those ladies look so classy and beautiful! I really hope in the future that this myth about african descent women cannot grow their hair long. In the meantime, I brush those haters off and stay commited to reaching my goals in having healthy, long hair.
 

Barbara

Princess
There is a popular myth that African American women have hair that will not grow. That's why it's prevalent to see beauty supply stores in African American neighborhoods saturated with hair weaves, extensions, wigs, etc., especially in beauty supply stores owned by Asians.

The Asians that I work with and the ones in my beauty salon know that some of us don't need to add hair to our head to make it long. They are astonished to see our hair gradually grow to bra clasp or waist length.

Wasn't Beverly Johnson on the Oprah Winfrey Show years ago? What was the subject of this episode? I thought it was pertaining to the Verifen Complex website that she was representing.
 
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Zsazsa6275

Member
If people, black and non-black, could see some of the ladies on this forum. They would shut up quick! Well...maybe they won't shut up right away!

This is the story of my life, even now that I'm in my 30's. I grew up in an area where there were not that many black people. And the few girls of color with long hair at school happened to be mixed. When I was about 10, my sisters warned me of the "haters" I would encounter. Then it started after I got my first relaxer, with my hair touching my butt. I quickly got hip to the curiosity and ignorance of some folks. So, I would often stand there with my eyes rolled as I was interrogated:

"Is that your hair?". Yes. "Are you mixed?" No. Then the rare "Are you black?" WTF?!:ohwell:
 
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chica_canella

Guest
pistachio said:
Kenya Moore(whose listed as one of my "inspirations" in my fotki), in an article spoke about how people assumed her hair wasn't real because she doesn't look like she's of any mixed heritage. (She actually said "dark brown-skinned" but people seem to get defensive over color references here)

Girl, I am warning you, don't say anything about color over here. Or you'll get comments like, "You're color struck", "Self hater".:lol:
 
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chica_canella

Guest
Barbara said:
There is a popular myth that African American women have hair that will not grow. That's why it's prevalent to see beauty supply stores in African American neighborhoods saturated with hair weaves, extensions, wigs, etc., especially in beauty supply stores owned by Asians.

The Asians that I work with and the ones in my beauty salon know that some of us don't need to add hair to our head to make it long. They are astonished to see our hair gradually grow to bra clasp or waist length.

Wasn't Beverly Johnson on the Oprah Winfrey Show years ago? What was the subject of this episode? I thought it was pertaining to the Verifen Complex website that she was representing.

so do they ask you questions about why other black hair doesn't "grow" or do they just assume those black people are "mixed"?
 

aliciaq

New Member
To be honest my opinion in reference to black hair is we all have the ability to grow long hair the only differences in terms of mixed black and black is that mixed tend to have looser curls so genetically it is easier to grow and keep moisturised while 4a/4b have tighter curls so have to work harder to retain moisture especially if hair is chemically processed. I have noticed that with mixed hair types on one head you tend to find the looser curly areas grows faster than the tighter areas with curls.
 

Chiba_revolution

New Member
Thankyou for posting this:) , am 18 and just shoulder lengthed and for the whole of my life I was brainwashed to believe that I would never get nice long hair, that my hair will break if I don't oil it every day heavily, vitimins were a waste of money and as a result for 18 years of my life my hair has been heavily damaged and dry, I am so thankful that I have found this site while I am still very young! So I can help my hair now.
Even now when I talk about vitimins and new hair products that are slighlty expensive like the nexxus range I am laughed at or pointed to the range of black people products which are "better for my hair".:ohwell:
But it isn't my friends and families fault I blame the media.
I have this friend who thinks that I shouldn't bother trying to grow my hair that I should wash it monthly and straighetning it in a weave daily and my hair will benfit I was like w.t.f....:lachen:
 
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