Do Black Women Really Spend That Much Time On Their Hair?

[TwistedRoots]

My best friend is of middle eastern descent she has super straight WL hair and wants a change but she doesn't want to cut or color it so she asked me if I'd teach her how to roller set her hair with those Conair hot type rollers. I told her she should opt for curlformers or flexirods...she asked how long it would take I told her that her hair had to sit and it could take "awhile".

Our conversation went like this:
Her: "Aint nobody got time to be sitting in rollers all day" .
Me: "And I don't have that kind of time to teach you what YouTube can't"
Her: "Oh, but you would put your hair in these rollers and sit around all day? I've seen you plenty of times before you shaved all your hair off spending hour upon hours on your hair...and let me not get started on your braids and weave install and take down processes. You can't teach me how to set my hair, but you probably could have had a part time job all the time you spent on your hair in the past."

By this time she's going off she asked "Seriously do all black women spend that much time on their hair?" She was really mad that I don't want to spend part of my rare weekend helping her roll her hair.

Then I started to think about the countless number of minutes (maybe hours ) I've engaged watching YT and reading blogs...not to mention this forum especially back in the day when I was relaxed... Do we really spend "too much time" on our hair? I mean I don't anymore because I'm too darn busy, but seriously... How much time are y'all spending on your hair?

PS. I'm going to help her and not just because she is good at making me feel bad about things or that she threatened to cut it into a bob since I can't help her. LOL

 

[faithVA]

You should save your weekend. Even if you teach her the probability that she will roll her hair more than once or twice is highly unlikely

If we compare 100 black women to 100 women of any other race we spend more time on our hair than others. We typically style our hair where many other groups wear their hair straight. Those that do wngs or some simplier style may spend less time on their hair but they don't comprise the majority of black women. Even when we wear styles that can be worn for months, it still takes hours to install.

Black women usually want their hair to look a certain way and sometimes that takes extra time.

 

[SlimPickinz]

I spend time on the things I like. I like my hair. I like looking nice, so I like doing my hair. She's mad her straight hair has no body or volume? She better hop on YouTube or LHC & NC.

 

[CodeRed]

I dunno... I think all women spend a lot of time on their looks whether it be their hair, going to the spa for their skin/weight loss, plastic surgery... If black women do spend more time on our hair than anyone else I don't see us as being any different than other groups who spend a lot of time on other aspects of their looks.

Maybe you should ask your friend what she spends a lot of time on

 

[TwistedRoots]

You should save your weekend. Even if you teach her the probability that she will roll her hair more than once or twice is highly unlikely

If we compare 100 black women to 100 women of any other race we spend more time on our hair than others. We typically style our hair where many other groups wear their hair straight. Those that do wngs or some simplier style may spend less time on their hair but they don't comprise the majority of black women. Even when we wear styles that can be worn for months, it still takes hours to install.

Black women usually want their hair to look a certain way and sometimes that takes extra time.

LOL! You are so right! To make it bad we live 4 hours apart and I happen to be traveling there towards the end of the week. She's being an opportunist.

As for our hair, you're right. I guess by comparison we spend way more time on our hair.

 

[Evolving78]

We do spend a lot of time on our hair. Even as children. I bet she spends a lot of time, plucking, shaving, and waxing as well.. And yeah that was shade...

 

[naturalmanenyc]

White women spend hours on their hair, daily. Just because your BFF doesn't spend as much time doesn't mean it's a "Black thing." A White colleague washes and blows out her hair every day and told me it takes an hour. The Blow Dry bars allot 45 minutes per client for blow outs so you know doing them at home takes longer.....and that is every day. My coworkers hair is BSL, thick and wavy but she likes it straight. Then she has to do her makeup, which she packs on, so she is up at least 2 hours before any meetings we have to attend.

I doubt that many Black women are spending 7 hours a week on their hair.

I'm in crochet braids that took about 2 hours to install (my hair was already braided). I shake and go in less than 2 minutes, daily. I spend 10 - 20 minutes once per week trimming out the frizzing parts and 5 minutes or so per night moisturizing my own hair. I keep them in for 2 months at a time. All in all I spend about 1 hour per week on my hair, not counting the installation/removal time.

 

[Foxglove]

It's none of her business. If she doesn't want your help or your suggestions she can go find somebody else who will work on her schedule
I don't go into hair talk with outsiders when all they do is complain and bash what they don't understand

ETA we aren't roller setting everyday. Yes it takes hours but that style will last for at least a week whereas they spend everyday blowdrying and flat ironing, not to mention the time spent on piling on makeup everyday

 

[Misseyl]

Yep, we spend a lot of time on our hair because we want to. I spend around 4 hours on the weekend and 35-40 minutes every day - wetting it, moisturize, sealing and twisting.

 

[greenandchic]

When I'm at the gym in the morning, I see plenty of women of other races spending what seems like hours on their hair. Deep condition, flat iron, curling iron, sprays, etc. I once saw this yt woman gluing tracks in her hair. I spend time applying making and doing my hair. Other women spend more time than I do. A black woman I see on a regular basis hardly does her hair (but it looks fine).

I think women focus on what's important to them when it comes to their looks.

 

[spacetygrss]

Actually, I DO think that, on average we spend more time on our hair than other races AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Yes, there are the white women who blow-dry, flat iron, etc every day, however, I really don't think that that's the norm. [Unfortunately] I spend much of my time around white women and most of them wash, condition and are done with their hair each day. I went on a trip with 2 white women, 2 Asians and a white Colombian earlier this year and the most that any of them did outside of a quick wash and condition was blowdrying their hair dry (not straight, just dry). We all have different things that we care more about.

I don't even know what's going on with the makeup comments. I'd say that most women wear makeup, even the ones who claim that they don't (Yes, mascara and lip gloss is makeup!!).

 

[nothidden]

I spend maybe 30-40 minutes per session. But I don't roller set, twist, or shingle.

 

[ClassyJSP]

why are so many people worried about black women hair ? I don't understand.

 

[ms.blue]

During a hair style setting, I believe we take a long time but overall, I believe our counterparts take a longer time just because they tend to do their hair every day while ours is 1 or 2x a week.

 

[jerseygurl]

So it's not okay for you to spend hours on YOUR hair but it's okay to spend hours on hers. Black women may spend hours on their hair but it's usually not an everyday thing. She was probably upset because you didn't want to rollerset her hair which could take hours to do

 

[bklynbornNbred]

Yes we spend a lot of time on our hair. Why are folks acting like they never spent hours in a salon waiting for their turn? I wish more "of us" would invest that same effort to our health. People will spend $$$ on keeping their do done but then claim not to have time or interest in eating clean or exercising.

I think you're wasting time trying to use curl formers on your friends hair. Waist length straight hair is not going to curl without a lot of manipulation. Unless it's for a special event that would be a waste of time. Let her cut her hair and have fun. Length isn't everything.

 

[TwistedRoots]

Wow, I didn't think so many would take offense to what she said...I thought it was humorous. It wasn't necessarily a "slug" per say more like an inquiry along with her being irritated that I've put off helping her. I just wanted to know the consensus on if we all take a lot of time on our hair.
And umm no @bklynbornNbred I love her hair I wish she would cut it lol.

 

[Foxglove]

Wow, I didn't think so many would take offense to what she said...I thought it was humorous. It wasn't necessarily a "slug" per say more like an inquiry along with her being irritated that I've put off helping her. I just wanted to know the consensus on if we all take a lot of time on our hair.
And umm no @bklynbornNbred I love her hair I wish she would cut it lol.

But what she said was insulting. And entitled if she's doing it bc you won't take the time out of your day to do her hair

 

[bklynbornNbred]

I've reread the OP post and I still don't see what's insulting about her friends statement. It's funny that on a board where so many have become do it yourselfers in order to get back time spent at hairdressers that so many were jumping mad at others pointing out that our long processes are not the normal ongoing routine for other women. Special occasions yes but once (or for some twice) a week??

I think some of you are feeling judged but there's no reason to be offended. If you like it then why does it matter what someone you don't even know thinks (especially when it's true)?

 

[TwistedRoots]

Well... I know her and it wasn't an insult it was stating the fact that she saw I spent a lot of time on my hair... And I wondered if you all spend "excessive" amounts of time on your hair. Yall are tripping I can't deal. I'll have to remember not to bring controversial thing involving other "races" or nationalities to this board. Goodness gracious...It's not even hump day.

 

[CodeRed]

Well... I know her and it wasn't an insult it was stating the fact that she saw I spent a lot of time on my hair... And I wondered if you all spend "excessive" amounts of time on your hair. Yall are tripping I can't deal. I'll have to remember not to bring controversial thing involving other "races" or nationalities to this board. Goodness gracious...It's not even hump day.

If it was Sunday this would be even better

 

[TwistedRoots]

If it was Sunday this would be even better

Bwaaaahaaaaa

 

[iLurk]

To answer your question op, I find most of my time on my hair is spent washing and detangling. like the other day it took me a little over an hour to wash and detangle and i was doing mostly finger detangling. i usually air dry so styling doesn't take much time. but wouldn't it take more time to do certain things to your hair the longer it gets anyway?

 

[jamaica68]

I spend quite a lot of time on my hair every 2 weeks which is when I wash, condition and retwist my hair. I'm so thankful for protective styles, there's no way my hair would survive my workouts.

 

[discodumpling]

From birth it's what we do. We are greasing, knotting , braiding, twisting, relaxing, weaving etc HAIR is what BW women do.
Your friend sounds envious.

 

[beingofserenity]

I know I'm tired of spending so much time on my head. I'm devising the most low maintenance hair regimen ever (without sacrificing style) because I rebuke the notion that we, black women, need to do so much ish to our hair.

It's kind of embarrasing.

 

[Prettymetty]

It only takes a few seconds to throw on a wig, so that's what I usually do. With 4 kids age 7 and under I don't have hours to style my hair.

I shampoo and dc twice a week once they are in bed and I redo my celies.

When my hair is blown out I just cross wrap at night and let it down in the morning.

 

[Honey Bee]

Well... I know her and it wasn't an insult it was stating the fact that she saw I spent a lot of time on my hair... And I wondered if you all spend "excessive" amounts of time on your hair. Yall are tripping I can't deal. I'll have to remember not to bring controversial thing involving other "races" or nationalities to this board. Goodness gracious...It's not even hump day.

Girl please, your "friend" is rude af.

 

[divachyk]

I spend a lot of time on my hair on wash day. Otherwise, not much time is spent. Some wash daily so when you compare the time I spend once a week or every 2 weeks, it likely equals out to be the same as their daily routine.

 

[Ogoma]

I don't know if there is an answer to this question. There is a lot of diversity of style, interest, lifestyles, schedules, etc amongst black women for their to be an answer to this question. A lot of people are extrapolating from their experiences to all black women, but it would be inaccurate for as many (or more!) black women then it would be accurate for.