# How many AA women you know are MBL or WL



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

I just started looking at the Chris Rock interview with Oprah and it got me wondering, how many AA women I know with MBL or WL hair.  I could only come up with 2 women and that's a shame.  I'm not counting the ones I know from this board.  Now I can see why, Indian hair is so coveted by women of color.


----------



## Toy (Sep 30, 2009)

I dont know any but myself.


----------



## Anew (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any, and most the women I know don't want, or say they don't want hair that long.


----------



## Renovating (Sep 30, 2009)

None IRL. Go ahead and stone me, but IRL I only know biracial women with MBL or WL hair.


----------



## MilkChocolateOne (Sep 30, 2009)

one

................


----------



## winnettag (Sep 30, 2009)

In real life, I don't know any....I think there was a girl that went to my high school about 10 years ago that MIGHT have had MBL hair.....and maybe a girl in elementary school.
That is sad.


----------



## Raine054 (Sep 30, 2009)

One of my grandparents are non black but I consider myself to be black. My hair is currently MBL. I think there are a myriad of reasons why we don't see many black women with MBL and WL hair most having to do with hair care practices but LHCF is doing a lot to remedy that. The other day I saw a black (dark complexioned with type 4c hair) with waist length natural hair. I can't imagine how you ladies would've gushed at her hair but unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. I talked to her for a few minutes and she explained that she uses natural products on her hair and have been growing it since birth (her parents are Rasta). Good practices are key.


----------



## tocktick (Sep 30, 2009)

Honestly, IRL I can't even think of anyone I know personally who is BSL let alone waist length. I believe if the info we get LHCF, BHM etc was common knowledge amongst black women I would be seeing more of a mix of hair lengths. It's a shame this isn't true.


----------



## bedazzled (Sep 30, 2009)

IRL I know... 3 that are WL. One girl cut her hair so she could be BSL or MBL now but she was WL when we spoke on a regular basis...havent seen her in years.


----------



## laCriolla (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 4 women


----------



## Lebiya (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any, but most black women I know don't even know what a moisturizer is. They can show me the best hair glue though, nothing more. Black women do not practice proper hair care, that is probably (or mainly) why we don't see too many MBL -WSL hair sistas.


----------



## nucienuce1 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know quite a few in my family alone. My sister who was a rasta had about knee length or lower hair. As soon as I figure out how to work my scanner I will put a picture up.


----------



## Tafa01 (Sep 30, 2009)

IRL I don't know any...sad :-(
I hope I will know one soon...ME!!


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any Black women IRL with WL hair. I hope to be the first one I know.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

nucienuce1 said:


> I know quite a few in my family alone. My sister who was a rasta had about knee length or lower hair. As soon as I figure out how to work my scanner I will put a picture up.


 

Do you know any without locks?  They don't count IMO, their hair grows long because they never get rid of the shedded hair.


----------



## MizzCoco (Sep 30, 2009)

IRL only 2


----------



## mzsophisticated26 (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know of any AA one of my old friends had BSL hair but she is cuban and black. 
I don't know any AA with APL hair.


----------



## ladytee2 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 3 IRL.  They go to my church.  1 has 2 daughters that are WL.  1 has a daughter who is maybe SL.  I wonder why that is?


----------



## Fine 4s (Sep 30, 2009)

Raine054 said:


> One of my grandparents are non black but I consider myself to be black. My hair is currently MBL. I think there are a myriad of reasons why we don't see many black women with MBL and WL hair most having to do with hair care practices but LHCF is doing a lot to remedy that. The other day I saw a black (dark complexioned with type 4c hair) with waist length natural hair. I can't imagine how you ladies would've gushed at her hair but unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. I talked to her for a few minutes and she explained that she uses natural products on her hair and have been growing it since birth (her parents are Rasta). Good practices are key.


 
Natural WSL?!!!!!!!!!! Niiiiice.
Can you help me some more with the visual?
Was it big/pouffy and blowdried? Was it in its natural state and braided? Natural state all shrunken and WL?  How'd you know it was natural?
I'll close my eyes an imaaaaaaaaaaaagine...


----------



## Eluv (Sep 30, 2009)

none for me.

BTW, I just had to google rasta.


----------



## bedazzled (Sep 30, 2009)

Lebiya said:


> *I don't know any, but most black women I know don't even know what a moisturizer is. *They can show me the best hair glue though, nothing more. Black women do not practice proper hair care, that is probably (or mainly) why we don't see too many MBL -WSL hair sistas.



This is so true. I just realized this while taking a shower over my friends house & glancing at their hair products & her moisturizer was pink lotion. Also when my mother kept telling me her hair was breaking off because she needed a relaxer and hadn't combed in 5 days...hm.. Well it was nothing but shedded hair, so I told her that maybe her hair was breaking at her nape & her hairline because she doesn't moisturize her hair. Then she yea that too & then grabbed her african 6 oil & said that so & so at the hair shop said to oil her hair everyday to prevent breakage. 

Ofcourse when I comment...I know nothing.


----------



## beans08 (Sep 30, 2009)

Just one.

I have a cousin who is mid-back length. She now has sista locks, but she was MBL before locks. 

I know a woman who had mid-back length hair when I met her. She was a young married woman at 19, and her mother never allowed her to relax her hair. 7 years later she is barely neck-length, due to improper care for relaxed hair.


----------



## clever (Sep 30, 2009)

quite a few I guess..Over 10


----------



## TeeWhyAre (Sep 30, 2009)

2. they are my cousins. they are sisters. they have mbl hair when they take care of it and bsl when they don't.


----------



## Xavier (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any with WL or MBL. But I do know 3 with very healthy BSL hair.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

clever said:


> quite a few I guess..Over 10


 
You are the exception, are they AA?


----------



## Nayna (Sep 30, 2009)

I can think of only 2 so far.


----------



## NuBraveHeart (Sep 30, 2009)

i have seen one a bit past MBL walking through my neighborhood target. i secretly stalked her through the aisles for about 20 minutes to catch every angle of it. it wasn't shiny or stunningly beautiful or anything, but the length had me mesmerized.



laurend said:


> Do you know any without locks?  They don't count IMO, their hair grows long *because they never get rid of the shedded hair*.



i never thought about it this way.  this disqualifies many women i've seen in my life time.


----------



## Xavier (Sep 30, 2009)

clever said:


> quite a few I guess..Over 10


 

You know over 10 AA women with BSL and beyond. What's in the drinking water around your area.


----------



## loulou82 (Sep 30, 2009)

Only two (a family member and a college roomie).


----------



## tatiana (Sep 30, 2009)

I know/knew 19 women. Most of the females do have 3a/3b hair.  About 8 of them have relaxers.  only 4 of them I know for sure have 4 something hair and 3 of them are related to me.


My sister
her cousin -- she actually has hip length hair
the above's daughter
a Jamaican woman I see at a  dance studio have hip length dreads
my Brazilian dance instructor's sister -- I think she has a BKT

my aunt
my cousin/my aunt's granddaughter
my two cousins/my aunt's daughters
a cousin from another aunt
7 random chics from school (2 were sisters)

2 of my sister friends (one was Haitian)

the Ethiopian girl that works up at the gas station


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

tatiana said:


> I know/knew 19 women. Most of the females do have 3a/3b hair. About 8 of them have relaxers. only 4 of them I know for sure have 4 something hair and 3 of them are related to me.
> 
> 
> My sister
> ...


 I said AA women not Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian.  How many do you know when you take them out the the equation?


----------



## loulou82 (Sep 30, 2009)

Anew said:


> I don't know any, and most the women I know don't want, or say they don't want hair that long.



Not speaking of your friends in particular but I wonder if many AA women who that say they don't want MBL/WL hair are saying it because they don't believe it could happen even if they wanted to... sort of a like a self-fulfilling prophesy. "AA women can't grow hair that long anyway so why try."


----------



## tatiana (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> I said AA women not Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian.  How many do you know when you take them out the the equation?



The rest of the women I mention are AA. There were 4-non-AA so that still leaves 15.


----------



## clever (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> You are the exception, *are they AA*?



yes ma'am.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

You and Taiana are the exception, it must be in the water.


----------



## clever (Sep 30, 2009)

Xavier said:


> You know over 10 AA women with BSL and beyond. What's in the drinking water around your area.


 
The bad thing about it is that there is no in between.Most of the other women where I'm from have chin length or shorter hair...This thread makes me kinda sad...


----------



## clever (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> You and Taiana are the exception, it must be in the water.


I wouldn't say its the water...Its proper hair care techniques being passed down from generation to generation...


----------



## lux10023 (Sep 30, 2009)

mbl--the women in my family--some friends

wl--i think that looks creepy--so havent really noticed


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

clever said:


> I wouldn't say its the water...Its proper hair care techniques being passed down from generation to generation...


 
I know just kidding.


----------



## ceebee3 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 6.  My grandmother, 2 aunts and 3 cousins. That's on my mom's side of the family. They're all naturals.

I've never had hair past  APL and that was only as a child.


----------



## BellaLunie (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> I said AA women not Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian.  How many do you know when you take them out the the equation?




I'm 100% Haitian and most Haitian women I know are only APL, BSL. I don't know any AA or Haitian with MBL OR WL. Right now I'm between SL and APL due to bad hair practices. Before joining I would relax from root to tip  how could I be so stupid?

ETA: what does being Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian have to do with anything? Pardon my ignorance


----------



## clever (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> I know just kidding.


sorry!This thread is eye opening for me though.I guess I see why so many black women get weave checked.

:scratchch


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

BellaLunie said:


> I'm 100% Haitian and most Haitian women I know are only APL, BSL. I don't know any AA or Haitian with MBL OR WL. Right now I'm between SL and APL due to bad hair practices. Before joining I would relax from root to tip  how could I be so stupid?
> 
> ETA: what does being Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian have to do with anything? Pardon my ignorance


 
They have different hair practices.  AA women tend to abuse their hair or haven't been taught good hair regimes.


----------



## ladylibra (Sep 30, 2009)

Xavier said:


> I don't know any with WL or MBL. But I do know 3 with very healthy BSL hair.



Ditto.  Actually, I know quite a few AA/black women at APL and BSL (relaxed and natural), but rarely do I see longer than that.

Granted, with naturals it's harder to tell unless I know them and I'm aware of their shrinkage percentage.  After all, no one would know I was MBL by looking at my shrunken coily hair. 

So if I had to sit here and count... I'd say I personally know about 8 that are MBL+ (not counting myself or anyone on hair boards).  I don't know if the fact that most of them are children count.  And one of the kids (14) is bi-racial so I'm sure she gets thrown out the window. 

*Might I mention, that don't see a lot of women of any race with hair longer than BSL unless they're Indian or Mexican?  It could just be where I live, that most women don't really wear their hair longer than SL/APL.


----------



## chrisanddonniesmommy (Sep 30, 2009)

I know one personally.


----------



## Kellum (Sep 30, 2009)

IRL I know, one my sister in law. Her hair has always been long and just grows effortlessly. I believe she is MBL.


----------



## locabouthair (Sep 30, 2009)

I only know one and she's biracial. She's almost WL. I believe she has type 2 hair.


----------



## topnotch1010 (Sep 30, 2009)

ladylibra said:


> *Might I mention, that don't see a lot of women of any race with hair longer than BSL unless they're Indian or Mexican?  It could just be where I live, that most women don't really wear their hair longer than SL/APL.



I don't either. I know 2 YT girls with WL hair and the rest are APL or above unless it is against their religion to cut their hair. 

I know quite a bit of BSL AA women but none beyond that. My grandmother is MBL but she's a Black Foot Indian.


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

Same here. All the long hair girls I know are Mexican. I also know what Puerto Rican (my best friend) with classic length hair. Other than that, I mostly see APL or BSL hair, and on the White women I see, most of the time that APL/BSL hair looks damaged and full of split ends. Rarely do I ever see hair around here that gets a second look from me.




ladylibra said:


> *Might I mention, that don't see a lot of women of any race with hair longer than BSL unless they're Indian or Mexican?  It could just be where I live, that most women don't really wear their hair longer than SL/APL.


----------



## Taleah2009 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know of one.  my cousin.  She is 100% natural and her hair is beautiful!  its thick and long, she is almost waistlength


----------



## maxineshaw (Sep 30, 2009)

Since locs don't count zero (and even then the answer was only 1-waist length btw).  Now, if there was a thread about how many balding, traction alopecia having, receding hairline due to braids but still get the braids again anyway because they like to pretend that my broken edges are baby hair and press them down with Let's Jam having women I know, I could talk for days.


----------



## ClassicBeauty (Sep 30, 2009)

I know a few! 
I had drinks with one last night (an old friend from college), and several of my sorority sisters from college have MBL hair. My neighbor has MBL hair too.

WL is a little harder... I can't really think of many, but any of the MBL ladies that I know could be WL if they wanted to be. They just don't want to deal with that much hair. :/ I personally think I'm starting to look like a Pentecostal or a Duggar.  It's time for a cut.

Maybe it's because the Southern ladies are still into long hair, and we don't follow every trend in Hollywood/NYC? I don't know what it is, but I know lots of ladies with nice, long hair.


----------



## Taleah2009 (Sep 30, 2009)

Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.


----------



## Taleah2009 (Sep 30, 2009)

loulou82 said:


> Not speaking of your friends in particular but I wonder if many AA women who that say they don't want MBL/WL hair are saying it because they don't believe it could happen even if they wanted to... sort of a like a self-fulfilling prophesy. "AA women can't grow hair that long anyway so why try."


 

Good point!


----------



## sylver2 (Sep 30, 2009)

the ones i know all have type 3 hair.


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

Taleah2009 said:


> Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.



I believe so. I see a lot of Black women in countries where proper hair care is practiced with hair that long.


----------



## ellehair (Sep 30, 2009)

I dont know any and dont think I will not round my parts anyway..APL is considered hellaa long where I'm at!


----------



## maxineshaw (Sep 30, 2009)

Taleah2009 said:


> Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.



I think it depends.  Most black women I know don't know how to take care of their hair properly.  Also, there is a genetic factor where their length may not get that far.  However, for the most part I believe the lack of length is due to a lack of care.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Sep 30, 2009)

NONE!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Lita (Sep 30, 2009)

Well in my family when I was growing up..Most of the women had MBL and  longer,
So long hair was the norm but,know every-one has cut there hair (only a few did not)

Outside my family maybe 5 people with MBL and longer.....



Happy Hair Growing!


----------



## ClassicBeauty (Sep 30, 2009)

Taleah2009 said:


> Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.


 
Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs.

You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.


----------



## Xavier (Sep 30, 2009)

This thread is very interesting but I can honestly say that the white women who I know don't have WL or BSL hair either.

I think the difference is WW usually choose to not wear their hair that long, whereas most AA women don't even think that their hair can grow past APL.


----------



## locabouthair (Sep 30, 2009)

ClassicBeauty said:


> Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. *Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs*.
> 
> You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.



I'm not doubting black women can grow hair but the reason locs can get so long is because all the shedded hair and broken strands are "stuck" in the loc. Locs are basically an accumulation of shedded and broken strands.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Sep 30, 2009)

locabouthair said:


> I'm not doubting black women can grow hair but the reason locs can get so long is because all the shedded hair and broken strands are "stuck" in the loc. Locs are basically an accumulation of shedded and broken strands.


 
But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.


----------



## ladysaraii (Sep 30, 2009)

Just one.  She's natural WL and everytime I see her, her hair is in a bun.


----------



## CoilyFields (Sep 30, 2009)

I've only known two in my life (and they were kid cousins). Their moms philosophy was, hair is like a plant, you gotta water it for it to grow. And theirs was WL...that is until they got grown and into constantly pressing and relaxing and now its APL and SL.


----------



## Anew (Sep 30, 2009)

loulou82 said:


> Not speaking of your friends in particular but I wonder if many AA women who that say they don't want MBL/WL hair are saying it because they don't believe it could happen even if they wanted to... sort of a like a self-fulfilling prophesy. "AA women can't grow hair that long anyway so why try."


 That's why I put that "say they don't want it" in there, lol..

I believe this could very well be a reason


----------



## Wynndie (Sep 30, 2009)

3 My aunt, my sister, and a cousin!


----------



## panamoni (Sep 30, 2009)

I know two.


----------



## Taleah2009 (Sep 30, 2009)

ClassicBeauty said:


> Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs.
> 
> You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.


 

Interesting. I used to be one of those people who said, my hair just doesnt grow!  But duh! its always growing.  if it didnt grow, i wouldnt have needed a touchup!  but since finding LHCF, (about 2 weeks ago), I am determined to practice pretty hair care.  I cant wait to see how long my hair can get!


----------



## KhandiB (Sep 30, 2009)

I know of 5 .. all full AA


----------



## BlkOnyx488 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 3 women and all there where their natural, two of them have sister locks.  
And I new two teenage twin girls who Mother refused to get them relaxers.  their hair was think and pretty and down their backs


----------



## beans4reezy (Sep 30, 2009)

None! That is so sad!! What does the abbreviation "IRL" stand for? I'm going to get the answer and say "duuhhh" to myself


----------



## Harina (Sep 30, 2009)

beans4reezy said:


> None! That is so sad!! What does the abbreviation "IRL" stand for? I'm going to get the answer and say "duuhhh" to myself



In real life. I don't know any.


----------



## fletches (Sep 30, 2009)

I can't think of any, but I've seen some black women with what I thought were weaves. It could've been their hair though. 

And the women I know are still talking about greasing their scalp. Granted I don't think I'm a hair expert, but most black women don't even have the basics down.


----------



## melodies815 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 3 in real life with mid-back-length to waist-length hair:

DD's school administrator, DH's cousin, and lady in my church.

cj


----------



## yardgirl (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know many AA women. I know one Afro-Jamaican woman who is MBL; she's my coworker.


----------



## locabouthair (Sep 30, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. *I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.*



This what I got from Sistaslick's article about terminal length.

_The Dreadlocks Question
In discussions about length potential, you often hear folks bring up the fact that dreadlocks grow so long that they must be a testament to the great lengths that we can achieve. I believe in the potential of every black woman to grow their hair to amazing lengths, but dreadlocks are not a good example in this case. While it is true that dreadlocks can and do reach great lengths, there is also a catch. Dreadlocks are unique in that they do not represent true "root to ends" length. They are the accumulation of shed, broken, and growing hairs matted together. Imagine if all of the shed or broken hair you ever had in the span of a year or in a lifetime were woven together! You too would have hair well down your back. This is the science behind loc'ing. Those hairs that are dropped are "locked" into your locs.

Interestingly, there is a process by which locs can successfully be undone or unloc'd, preserving quite a bit of the natural length. But much of the hair is still lost to the process at the end of the day, and waist length or floor length locs simply do not translate into waist length of floor length loose hair._

Here's the link to the article. http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...ngth_and_the_role_of_genetics_pg5.html?cat=69


----------



## prospurr4 (Sep 30, 2009)

Unfortunately, I am the only AA woman I know IRL who has hair longer than BSL....so sad...I feel so blessed to know what I know.


----------



## wannabelong (Sep 30, 2009)

I am sad to say that I don't know of any.


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

This is true. There was a thread a while back about a woman who was thinking about using locs as a protective style. In that post, someone linked to a woman who had... hm... I think classic length locs that she finally decided to take down. Once she did, her hair was about MBL or WL.

I don't think locs are the best method for retaining length though. 



CurlyMoo said:


> But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.


----------



## anon123 (Sep 30, 2009)

My cousin is a natural type 4 with at least hip length hair.  I haven't seen her in a long time, but her hair was past bsl the last time I saw her and my mother now reports "down to her booty" hair.  She wears it straight 100% of the time.

I know a long hair black girl who is of the 3b type.  I don't know how long because she never straightens it.  She just cut it to a couple inches below shoulder but it used to be apl-bsl curly.

OP, I know you and you're MBL.

My mother's cousin has long locs.

That's all I can think of for now.  That's a lot, considering I don't know many people period.   Come to think of it, there are not that many people I know period with hair that long.  A couple of Indian girls.  One white woman that I can think of off the top of my head.  one of my Asian friends was close, and another girl I knew in Korea was probably about bsl-mbl, too.  Waist length hair is uncommon in the general population.  Most people keep it bsl or shorter.


----------



## Desarae (Sep 30, 2009)

Only 1 IRL.


----------



## vainღ♥♡jane (Sep 30, 2009)

just one. she is the first lady of my church and she is wl. i haven't seen any other black women with hair that long unless they wre loced.​


----------



## SherylsTresses (Sep 30, 2009)

Hmmmmm:


Lynnette,  coworker -- MBL
My niece Renita (on my fotki), -- MBL (but grows to WL)
Shantell, former coworker -- WL
Stylist from former salon -- MBL
Former employee at Macy's can't remember her name -- MBL
Young lady that attends my new salon -- MBL very thick


*ETA:  What is mixed now days?  We all have a little something in us....?

Lynnette and Lady at my curent salon -- maybe interracial but is more AA
Renita -- has Indian mixed in her family (my in-laws all have naturally 3s hair type)
Shantell -- definitely biracial with AA and Caucasian 
Former Macy's empl & Lady at previous salon -- black to US standards????*


----------



## nucienuce1 (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> Do you know any without locks? They don't count IMO, their hair grows long because they never get rid of the shedded hair.


Yes, I know at least 6 people in my immediate family (cousins) with MBL or Tailbone.


----------



## tatiana (Sep 30, 2009)

clever said:


> I wouldn't say its the water...Its proper hair care techniques being passed down from generation to generation...



True...I would also add that women I know that have long hair versus those that do not have the tendency to be patience with their hair, are not trendy, be DIYers, they are not looking for a quick fix/magic pill  or product, and they have a positive  "can-do" attitude towards their hair.


----------



## gmw (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 8 personally, and I used to take my daughter to shop here in philly, that is no longer there, but at least half of her clientele was MBL or longer.

Make that 10 personally. Add 2 more! At 12 now...


----------



## spacetygrss (Sep 30, 2009)

I have personally known 1 black (non-mixed) person with WL hair. I've known one who was pushing MBL. That's it. Everyone else was shoulder length or APL if you counted a few stray strands.


----------



## fyb87 (Sep 30, 2009)

*I know/knew plenty women with hair between MBL and WL!  I am unsure if you would count them though.  I'm black.  However, my mother is bi-racial (2b/2c never had a relaxer) and my dad is black.  So would it be okay to count my mom's side of the family where there is a mixture?  Also, I am from New Orleans and some of the girls could have had a mixture in the family. But, they considered themselves black.  If that is okay I know/knew over 40 or so.  Growing up from elementary to high school girls with short hair (not at least APL) got talked about since they weren't in the majority (I know that's bad, but it's true). *

*As of today, I only know family members which is about 10.  As they have gotten older and now have more cropped hair.  Outside of family I only know about a dozen AA women and none of them do.*

*Oh, I forgot to say at least half were natural.  I didn't know too many people growing up that had relaxers.  Only my aunt's children have relaxers (not sure why).  No one else on my mom's side has them.*


----------



## loulou82 (Sep 30, 2009)

Anew said:


> That's why I put that "say they don't want it" in there, lol..
> 
> I believe this could very well be a reason



Gotcha.


----------



## ladylibra (Sep 30, 2009)

MondoDismo said:


> Since locs don't count zero (and even then the answer was only 1-waist length btw).  Now, if there was a thread about how many balding, traction alopecia having, receding hairline due to braids but still get the braids again anyway because they like to pretend that my broken edges are baby hair and press them down with Let's Jam having women I know, I could talk for days.



I'm sorry but this was too funny! 



Taleah2009 said:


> Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.





Xavier said:


> This thread is very interesting but I can honestly say that the white women who I know don't have WL or BSL hair either.
> 
> *I think the difference is WW usually choose to not wear their hair that long, whereas most AA women don't even think that their hair can grow past APL.:*ohwell:



Yes and no.  I have only one WW friend/co-worker with thick, gorgeous hair that is almost hip length.  I overheard an entire conversation by the rest of my WW co-workers about how they wish they could grow hair that long.  None of them are past APL.  Granted, they all color their hair, get trims every 6 weeks, and use flat irons/curling irons like it's going out of style.  Whereas the one with almost hip length hair washes and straightens her hair once a week, doesn't color, and keeps it in a bun.



mwedzi said:


> Waist length hair is uncommon in the general population.  Most people keep it bsl or shorter.



ITA


----------



## gmw (Sep 30, 2009)

OK, I am up to like 13 or 14 people I know.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

gmw said:


> OK, I am up to like 13 or 14 people I know.


 
All of them are AA and not counting locs and members here?


----------



## Sade' (Sep 30, 2009)

Anew said:


> I don't know any, and most the women I know don't want, or say they don't want hair that long.



A lot of my friends who say they don't want it that long figure they can't grow it that long. So they give up before trying. Or say they can't do nuthin with all that hair. Then turn around and get a WL weave.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Quite a few actually, but most of them are Muslims who wear hijab. (I'm referring to American born Blacks too) Some are relaxed, some natural...but their hair isn't subjected to many of the things many Black women put hair thru.


 
That's quite interesting.  So they do protective hairstyles because they have to wear a hijab?


----------



## Neith (Sep 30, 2009)

In my personal life I do not know any Black Women with MBL or WL hair.

I don't know any white or Asian woman that have MBL or WL hair.

I know 3 Hispanic Ladies with MBL to Hip Length hair.

Not that this MEANS anything.  Just cause I don't know them doesn't mean they aren't out there! lol

I never really thought about it before.

If the question was APL or BSL, I would know more people 

Imo, BSL is long enough for lots of people.  Many people don't have ultra long hair goals.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## Duchesse (Sep 30, 2009)

3. 

There's this one girl in my neighborhood..she's quite rough around the edges and pretty gitto'. As long as I remember she has _always_ worn her hair in buns and headties. Her hair is probably approaching waist now, it's so pretty! I'm thinking 4a/b relaxed. If she didn't scare me, I would ask her regimen.

The other 2 I went to high school with. They were both 3c/4a and natural wearing braids and twists. They are both currently now relaxed and from MBL-WL.


----------



## ceebee3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Duchesse said:


> 3.
> 
> There's this one girl in my neighborhood..she's quite rough around the edges and pretty gitto'. As long as I remember she has _always_ worn her hair in buns and headties. Her hair is probably approaching waist now, it's so pretty! I'm thinking 4a/b relaxed. If she didn't scare me, I would ask her regimen.
> 
> The other 2 I went to high school with. They were both 3c/4a and natural wearing braids and twists. They are both currently now relaxed and from MBL-WL.


 

LMAO!


----------



## babyb900 (Sep 30, 2009)

Let me ask a question. Do I not count because my dad is Haitian and my mom is Dominican/Iroquois/AA???

If I do, then:

Me!!!! I cut my hair to neck length a while ago. I'm about shoulder length now....My hair was always MBL. I think I'm just going to grow it to BSL for now.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

babyb900 said:


> Let me ask a question. Do I not count because my dad is Haitian and my mom is Dominican/Iroquois/AA???
> 
> If I do, then:
> 
> Me!!!! I cut my hair to neck length a while ago. I'm about shoulder length now....My hair was always MBL. I think I'm just going to grow it to BSL for now.


 

Ok, you can count yourself, so that means you only know one person


----------



## Saffirejuiliet (Sep 30, 2009)

I only know of one AA woman with MBL hair.


----------



## Highly Favored8 (Sep 30, 2009)

IRL I know of 4 women.


----------



## ~Hair~Fetish~ (Sep 30, 2009)

Only my 16 year old niece who is 4B relaxed and MBL...


----------



## buddhas_mom (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 1. She actually just cut her hair to WL. It was to her butt she got it cut recently because she got tired of sitting on it.


----------



## QT (Sep 30, 2009)

On my dad side there are several. My mom side not so much.


----------



## mariofmagdal (Sep 30, 2009)

I consider myself and my family members AA, heck we do have mixed blood but we vary in grades of hair, but most of them/us has mb/wl and longer hair.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

..................................


----------



## wild curls raquelle (Sep 30, 2009)

I went to school with a few. Like really a few like 3 and they were mbl/ bsl


----------



## CurlyMoo (Sep 30, 2009)

locabouthair said:


> This what I got from Sistaslick's article about terminal length.
> 
> _The Dreadlocks Question_
> _In discussions about length potential, you often hear folks bring up the fact that dreadlocks grow so long that they must be a testament to the great lengths that we can achieve. I believe in the potential of every black woman to grow their hair to amazing lengths, but dreadlocks are not a good example in this case. While it is true that dreadlocks can and do reach great lengths, there is also a catch. Dreadlocks are unique in that they do not represent true "root to ends" length. They are the accumulation of shed, broken, and growing hairs matted together. Imagine if all of the shed or broken hair you ever had in the span of a year or in a lifetime were woven together! You too would have hair well down your back. This is the science behind loc'ing. Those hairs that are dropped are "locked" into your locs._
> ...


 
ok so it agrees with my earlier statements. The length will be there but not exactly where the locs were. Most people just cut their locs. I agree that the process of unravelling the locs will result in hair loss.


----------



## yaya24 (Sep 30, 2009)

Growing up my best friend had WL hair now that we are older she keeps it at about BSL. She is Creole from Louisiana natural 3c


----------



## aquajoyice (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any AA women with MBL or WL hair....


----------



## gissellr78 (Sep 30, 2009)

Honestly in real life i know one AA here at work with full BSL that can easily be MBL if she wants and other than that....well and myself (MBL) but I am a black Hispanic (dominican)...My mother's side is all black originally from antigua with 4/a/c/z mix and my dad side is dominican and puerto rican with a 2/b/c mix (dont know if that matters)

Only Latin,White and Asians that i know...


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> Honestly in real life i know one AA here at work with full BSL that can easily be MBL if she wants and other than that....well and myself (MBL) but I am a black Hispanic (dont know if that matters)
> 
> Only Latin,White and Asians that i know...


 
Are you Cuban, Dominican or from Panama?


----------



## Desert Skye (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't know any either. In fact I don't know a lot of women of any race with MBL hair, just one.


----------



## LunadeMiel (Sep 30, 2009)

Most  of my aunts and female members of my maternal side are MBL and longer. They are Haitian so I guess that doesn't count.


----------



## kblc06 (Sep 30, 2009)

I know of several (at least 9 off the top of my head...maybe more). They're all AA (many are in my family).  I can think of many more who have, at one point had at least had MBL/WSl in their life before chopping it

You know....it's interesting, because IME, the women and girls I knew with "softer" type 3 textures was dark skinned and had extremely long WSL+ hair.  It wasn't until I came here and had a few instances IRL where I found that "light-skin, ""curly" long-hair" were supposed to be synonymous.  Although many of the lighter skinned girls I grew up with and longer hair (APL-BSL), their hair was very dense and tightly coiled and not quite has long as the one's with darker skin


----------



## msa (Sep 30, 2009)

The only one I know I met in the board.


----------



## gissellr78 (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> Are you Cuban, Dominican or from Panama?


 

I am Dominican.


----------



## Mercie (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't like how he said that a lot of black women don't have hair like Oprah's. 
Almost all the black girls at my school have shoulder length - APL or longer hair.
If it's shorter than that, then it's because they cut it. (The hair looks healthy too)


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> I am Dominican.


 

I just got back from there, I went to visit my sponsor child.  There are hundreds of midback length in the DR.  She's 18 and just cut her hair from waist to chin length.


----------



## shamarie (Sep 30, 2009)

i only know one


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't want my sisters from other countries to feel slighted, I just wanted to focus on the problems here in the USA with AA and their hair.  Why we don't see long hair.


----------



## chellero (Sep 30, 2009)

I know 2......


----------



## Ashleescheveux (Sep 30, 2009)

I dont know any.


----------



## aribell (Sep 30, 2009)

I can't think of any.  But then again, I also don't know any that go to any lengths to care for their hair properly, either.

It's a knowledge thing.


----------



## Patricia (Sep 30, 2009)

about 8 women.  probably more if I think hard.


----------



## LoveisYou (Sep 30, 2009)

LunadeMiel said:


> Most of my aunts and female members of my maternal side are MBL and longer. They are Haitian so I guess that doesn't count.


 
Wait are we talking about African-Americans or black women in general? I'm a little confused....


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

......................................


----------



## ToyToy (Sep 30, 2009)

I once knew one (Nigerian) woman who was WL. She cut it down to just below SL to make it more manageable (her words). I knew another one who was BSL. Those are the only 2 black women I have known with long hair. Most of the women whose hair I can see are usually SL or APL (at the very most). The rest are weaved up or braided or wear wigs, so I can't really tell how long their hair is.


----------



## Celestial (Sep 30, 2009)

NONE. Chin length or neck length seems to be the norm.


----------



## MariposaSexyGirl (Sep 30, 2009)

I know plenty right in my family and many girls I went to school(high school and college). Both relaxed and natural.


----------



## ChristmasCarol (Sep 30, 2009)

I've known too many to count - in childhood. I'm 40 and lived in a rural area where most people didn't relax their hair or their childrens' hair until some time in the mid 1980's. Before then, I knew quite a few women with long hair.
Since adulthood, I've only known 7 or 8 AA women with hair that long and 4 are in the same family. I am not including biracial women I've known. (sorry if that offends anyone)

But those low numbers can be deceiving - I've never TRIED to grow my hair any further than collarbone length, and my sister won't even consider growing her hair out. So I'm sure there would be MANY more sisters with long hair if they didn't keep it cut at a length they think they are comfortable with. I always thought that my hair was long enough at CBL for me to take care of because I had "unruly" hair. It's not until I turned 40 that I decided to grow it out. 
Now that I got LHCF I know that it's not "unruly", it just required more care than I was giving it.


----------



## Carrie A (Sep 30, 2009)

Growing up there were a good number of waist lengthers.  In college there were several.  Now most wear their hair shorter by choice. Now besides my sis, I don't think I am friends with any. Now at work, I've seen some full MBL.  There is one hip length and one tailbone.  There is a high concentration of black folk on the job.  Neither the tailbone or hipper wear protective styles.    

There is a knee length locked lady that I've seen around the neighborhood.


----------



## blue_flower (Sep 30, 2009)

There's me and the women on the paternal side.


----------



## **SaSSy** (Sep 30, 2009)

Outside of this broad I only know one girl who was mbl, but she cut it to even apl last year, and now the only other person I know with long hair is my childhood friend who's bsl.


----------



## kittykhat (Sep 30, 2009)

3 people. My mom (MBL) and two of my older sisters (one MBL and one WL).


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

Irie_Chic said:


> Wait are we talking about African-Americans or black women in general? I'm a little confused....


 

The thread is really focusing on AA women(without locs) because the hair practices in the US are not good for retaining length.


----------



## LatterGlory (Sep 30, 2009)

About a dozen ( give or take ). 2 of my closest girlfriends have WL hair not because they are sooo into hair,actually it's the opposite we were tomboys as children level headed as teens and have successful careers as adults.

One buns all the time the other always had a braid, both are naturals and none like to wear their hair out.

I am the "girliest", most hair conscious, relaxed, and wear my hair out all the time. 

8= 2(friends)+ 2 (church sisters)+ My Aunt+ 3 of my cousins. About 6 acquaintances.


----------



## Celestial (Sep 30, 2009)

Taleah2009 said:


> Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.


 
No. I think only a handful can actually reach MBL or WL maybe less than 1% of the african american population. I think if african american women took care of their hair, the average length might measure SL with the second largest percentage at BSL and the smallest percentage at MBL. I really don't see any african american women with WL hair. They probably would only measure in the 10s or the few 100s. But this is just my theory.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

Mrs BHF said:


> About a dozen ( give or take ). 2 of my closest girlfriends have WL hair not because they are sooo into hair,actually it's the opposite we were tomboys as children level headed as teens and have successful careers as adults.
> 
> One buns all the time the other always had a braid, both are naturals and none like to wear their hair out.
> 
> ...


 
Are they AA?


----------



## gymfreak336 (Sep 30, 2009)

Outside of the board, I know like 2.


----------



## Celestial (Sep 30, 2009)

SpeechieGirl said:


> I don't know any either. In fact I don't know a lot of women of any race with MBL hair, just one.


 
I see it all the time with Asian and Indian women and white women who chooses not to cut their hair. I even see it on hispanic women.


----------



## Barbie83 (Sep 30, 2009)

Just my mom.


----------



## thatonegirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Me and that's it. In my case waist length hair is a chore and my hair grows too fast to really get it cut into any style. I know far too many women who say they would do XYZ with WL hair, but truthfully, anything longer than BSL is too long to 'do' anything with.


----------



## Leesh (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> Do you know any without locks? They don't count IMO, their hair grows long because they never get rid of the shedded hair.


 
And its constantly protected!


----------



## sunnieb (Sep 30, 2009)

None where I live.   Only ones I knew growing up were bi-racial with type 3 hair.


----------



## Neith (Sep 30, 2009)

I don't think that black women have a shorter length potential than other races.

It's not like every single non-black person has the ability to grow their hair to their ankles either.  It's a mix... some people can reach very long lengths, but some can't.  

We definitely have a problem with *retaining growth* a lot of the time... but we are not aliens.  We have human hair follicles just like everyone else.  

On average, everyone grows 6 inches of hair per year and has a growth cycle that lasts 3 - 7 years, regardless of race.  

I think pretty much everyone can reach apl - bsl with the proper regimen.  Most probably can go further.  but no, everyone doesn't have the ability to grow super long.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

You know, I wish we could get more feedback on practices and hair length in other Black countries. I know my mom said she saw pictures of my dad's first wife and of my oldest sister (Cuban), and they had really short, broken hair. In hindsight, I'm not sure why my mother was dissing their hair. I think she was telling me that my father used to make fun of his first wife and call her ugly... before they married.

Anywho, I don't know if Black women in Cuba have the same problems with retaining length or not. From what I've seen, there seems to be the same problem.

I just wonder how widespread our "problems" are.



laurend said:


> I don't want my sisters from other countries to feel slighted, I just wanted to focus on the problems here in the USA with AA and their hair.  Why we don't see long hair.


----------



## gissellr78 (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> I just got back from there, I went to visit my sponsor child. There are hundreds of midback length in the DR. She's 18 and just cut her hair from waist to chin length.


 

How nice!!!! I had a sponsor child lives in Peru.Yes there are a lot of dominican women with long hair some with mid back.  Since the thread specified AA i only know 1 with BSL. sorry.

Glad you went to see your sponsor child thats sweet


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

You know what else? Having Black hair does not = slow growth.

On LiveJournal, I belong to the longhair community. It is a mostly White community. It amazes me how long it takes some of the women there to grow their hair long. I think it took one woman 11 years to grow to hip length, and I think of Sera2544 who grew her hair that long in 5 years. 

We are human just like everyone else and race tells us very little about what our can and will do.



Neith said:


> I don't think that black women have a shorter length potential than other races.
> 
> It's not like every single non-black person has the ability to grow their hair to their ankles either.  It's a mix... some people can reach very long lengths, but some can't.
> 
> ...


----------



## aa9746 (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> I just started looking at the Chris Rock interview with Oprah and it got me wondering, how many AA women I know with MBL or WL hair. I could only come up with 2 women and that's a shame. I'm not counting the ones I know from this board. Now I can see why, Indian hair is so coveted by women of color.


 
I knew two but one cut her hair to shoulder length this summer.  So now I only know one.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

........................................


----------



## msa (Sep 30, 2009)

Celestial said:


> No. I think only a handful can actually reach MBL or WL maybe less than 1% of the african american population.* I think if african american women took care of their hair, the average length might measure SL* with the second largest percentage at BSL and the smallest percentage at MBL. I really don't see any african american women with WL hair. They probably would only measure in the 10s or the few 100s. But this is just my theory.




Wow, especially at the bold.

I know lots of people believe that because they don't have or know about good haircare practices that focus on retention. But to say that even with good haircare most black women will only be SL doesn't really make sense. 

AA women's growth rate isn't different from anyone else's (6in/year) and the average growth phase is from 2-4 years. So even with a short growth phase, AA women would be able to have 12inch long hair, which is definitely past SL.


----------



## makeupgirl (Sep 30, 2009)

just 1 to be honest.  Everyone else I know either uses weave, wigs, or their hair hasn't been longer than shoulder or apl.  My mom's hair was MBL when she was in high school.  Also she use to tell me that my great-great aunt was full blood indian and her hair was MBL or WL.


----------



## makeupgirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Neith said:


> I don't think that black women have a shorter length potential than other races.
> 
> It's not like every single non-black person has the ability to grow their hair to their ankles either. It's a mix... some people can reach very long lengths, but some can't.
> 
> ...


 
That's so true.  I thought I couldn't grow my hair past my shoulders and I didn't have the "so called" long hair gene in my family but I still have faith that I will have long hair.  I always look to my mom and my aunt and especially my great-cousin for inspiration.  All of them have retain length most of their lives at least APL or BSL so I know it's possible.  My aunt, don't know what she does but she has a pixie cut in January and in December it's APL again.


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

....................................


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

I've seen the one about Africans and maybe the one about Haitians. I have to find the one about Black Latinas. 

You know, it's interesting to read both IndusLadies and LHC because it's really grounding to hear other races complain about their hair and what their hair doesn't do. Growing up surrounded by "Black hair doesn't grow" and hearing how effortless it is for other women, it really warps reality. 



jamaraa said:


> There are some really cool topics here about hair practices and issues. Off the top of my head "African Hair Secrets" and the ones about Haitian women were huge w/ tons of responses from women of those cultures. There are also some that deal w/ Black Latinas, East Africans, and biracials. Search thru the forum cuz there are quite a few subjects about Black women who aren't AA and their hair issues and solutions.
> 
> Tho not Black women, I read IndusLadies (Indian)http://www.indusladies.com/hair-care-and-hair-styles/ and the Long Hair Community (mostly White, but plenty of others) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=4  you'll see how hair problems aren't just Black!


----------



## jamaraa (Sep 30, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## Brownie (Sep 30, 2009)

I've seen it in my family, but also this board shows it is possible for a lot of people.


----------



## tocktick (Sep 30, 2009)

laurend said:


> The thread is really focusing on AA women(without locs) because the hair practices in the US are not good for retaining length.



In every BSS I go to over here, about 98% of the products have been imported from the U.S.A. Imo, many black women worldwide are just as confused and clueless about black hair as some AAs. 

I'm in the U.K, so my post pertained to them. Idk why but when I see "AA" on this board, I tend to just think "black" unless the thread is about a very specific problem in the U.S.


----------



## that_1_grrrl (Sep 30, 2009)

Lol! I grew up around mostly non-Black [email protected] Most of the Mexican girls I knew had just long gorgeous hair, and I rarely heard a complaint about it. 

Although, now that we're out of a school setting, I hear the complaints, lol. 



jamaraa said:


> Absolutely! I've spent WAY too much time around "other races" to buy for one sec that they don't have many or all the same problems we have in terms of rentention for length. I went to school w/ White chicks who talked about having "a growing point" for their own hair. Interestingly, I'd never heard anyone Black say something like this until hair forums! By "growing point"  they meant they thought their hair couldn't grow beyond point X because it hadn't to date.
> 
> On IL, notice how many topics there are about "straightening creams"!


----------



## MizAvalon (Sep 30, 2009)

Personally, just one. Me.


----------



## laurend (Sep 30, 2009)

tocktick said:


> In every BSS I go to over here, about 98% of the products have been imported from the U.S.A. Imo, many black women worldwide are just as confused and clueless about black hair as some AAs.
> 
> I'm in the U.K, so my post pertained to them. Idk why but when I see "AA" on this board, I tend to just think "black" unless the thread is about a very specific problem in the U.S.


 

How many Black British do you see with MBL?  Isn't like 2AM over there? Girl you need to get to bed and get some beauty sleep!


----------



## tocktick (Sep 30, 2009)

^^ Yes, it's 2am and I feel eye-bags forming . This is well past my bedtime but I had to stay up for my mum who has just come back from mainland Europe and now she's showing her souvenirs . I'm about to go to sleep though. To answer your question, I've seen one black British person at MBL. I went to school with her but I did not know her personally, so I didn't make mention of her in my first post. I see a few nicely cared for APL heads but once in a blue moon, tbh.


----------



## anon123 (Sep 30, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Tho not Black women, I read IndusLadies (Indian)http://www.indusladies.com/hair-care-and-hair-styles/ and the Long Hair Community (mostly White, but plenty of others) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=4  you'll see how hair problems aren't just Black!



Funny, because I hang out at LHC, too, and it only confirms the stereotypes to me.  Not to say that everyone there has easy hair, but their hair woes seem mild compared to this board's.  Maybe I'm just negative.   Or maybe I'm projecting my hair woes onto LHCF. I just know that despite the "all folks' hair grows just the same", that's mostly theoretical and not what's realized in real life, even on this board which is dedicated to healthy hair care.

That said, I think the average black woman with good hair care can get to at least bsl.  Maybe not all, but probably the average. Just a guess.


----------



## phychugirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Currently, I can't think of anyone IRL with MBL/WL hair. Before she cut it last year, my cousin's hair was waist length. She's not mixed.


----------



## shunemite (Sep 30, 2009)

Right now about 4: 1 of them is Ethiopian and natural, 1 from New Orleans, 1 brown skinned and one dark like me.


----------



## GodivaChocolate (Sep 30, 2009)

I can count about 12 off the top of my head and only 3 are mixed. My mom had WL hair, 1 aunt with Hip Length hair, 2 cousin MBL , 4 friends mbl or wl, 1 niece Hip legnth, 3 inlaws mbl or WL


----------



## silvergirl (Sep 30, 2009)

aside from family.. none.


----------



## LoveisYou (Oct 1, 2009)

laurend said:


> The thread is really focusing on AA women(without locs) because the hair practices in the US are not good for retaining length.


 
In my personal experience the hair practices of the majority of  black immigrant women are not much better (with the exceptions of Haitians and Ethiopians).  One thing I admire about Ethiopians is that they embrace their natural hair.  I'm hard pressed to find an Ethiopian woman who relaxes and I know a few type 4s (just in case ppl. believe it's because of hair type).


----------



## bestblackgirl (Oct 1, 2009)

ummm 2. One in her 20s and the other is in her late teens. And both are haitians


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 1, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## JayAnn0513 (Oct 1, 2009)

off the top of my head...1. My BFF has always had MBL hair.


----------



## leleepop (Oct 1, 2009)

8 can think of...I'm gonna name them Bathshiba, Michelle, Lauren, Venus ,Keisha ,Van ,a Lady in church, and Joy I edited every time I thought of more. Didnt realize I new so many. 3 has type 3 hair and the others I dont know if they still wear their hair this long.


----------



## Miss*Tress (Oct 1, 2009)

I don't know anyone of any color IRL with hair longer than BSL. One of my white co-workers says her hair can't grow past that length because her ends get split and she has to cut.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Oct 1, 2009)

It actually runs in my family....my cousins have had MBL length hair...My Great Great Grandmother was full blood Cheerokee and she had waistlength to tailbone length hair.

So i aint lyin bout having American Indian in my blood.


----------



## Hairsofab (Oct 1, 2009)

I don't know any in real life.


----------



## baddison (Oct 1, 2009)

How many do I "personally" know in real life?? NONE

How many do I know via LHCF?? DOZENS


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 1, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## Almaz (Oct 1, 2009)

All the women in my family and we are ALLL Black. Some Blacker than others. 


Know I know a lot of Black women that could have long MBL to WL hair but they choose not too. So it is not always whether or not someone can grow their hair out or the care  Sometimes some women just don't want long hair. Look around how many WW have WL hair walking around for the most part they are usually cut and styled.


----------



## BlackMasterPiece (Oct 1, 2009)

My cousin, she cuts it back to MBL every month, and lets it grow longer every once in a while before she cuts it back to MBL the worst part about her is she literally does EVERYTHING wrong and still has long flowy pretty hair I be like you got it sooooo good.

Cotton head scarf @ night goes to really cheap domonican salon where they use super high heat o her hair and barely DC her hair they're scissor-happy.....yet and still her hair is beautiful.....there are just some black folk that dont have to try*shrugs*


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 1, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## Almaz (Oct 1, 2009)

Hahah But I am the ORIGINAL AFRICAN LOLOL. AA's are mixed with all sorts of things. So Black Brazilians don't count either although they could be considered AA because they are Africans of the Americas. hahaha





jamaraa said:


> Yes, but you don't "count" cuz you're not AA! LOL


----------



## schipperchow1 (Oct 1, 2009)

3 MBL including myself.  However, I have seen someone in the grocery store that looks to be a natural waist length -- but I don't know her


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 1, 2009)

...................................


----------



## Almaz (Oct 1, 2009)

LAUGHING AT THE BOLDED. Yeah a REAL African. hahahah If there is a such thing. No My family never really did the threading thing. But a lot of my Nigerian and Ghanian friends did . They is real African too ya know 




jamaraa said:


> *I'm very glad you chimed in being the REAL article and all. I've seen your posts elsewhere on the subject and it's great to have a REAL AFRICAN tell us the score*!
> 
> BTW, did your folks every use the threading technique? I'm really interested in that and how it works on longer hair.


----------



## prettykinks (Oct 1, 2009)

IRL I know none. I wish I did.


----------



## Mizz Diamonds (Oct 1, 2009)

IRL 5 My mother had MBL but cut it really short tired of the upkeep
My friend has MBL
my sister friend WL
my neighbour had MBL but cut it to SL
My high school art teacher had WL dread locks

Not AA but African and Carribean


----------



## goldielocs (Oct 1, 2009)

I have 2 aunts who are MBL and a first cousin as well.  They take after my grandmother's side of the family which is also where the white genes come from. I have WL only because I have dreadlocs so...

Other than that... I don't of anyone else with hair that long.


----------



## fattyfatfat (Oct 1, 2009)

only the women on this board.


----------



## princessnad (Oct 1, 2009)

I know about 7.  

All of them dark skinned with type 4 hair.  3 of them are sisters.


----------



## princessnad (Oct 1, 2009)

OMG the Indian girls are taking hair tricks from us! This tickles me. 

This is the first thread on Indus Ladies.com.  I've been a member for a while, but I don't check it.



> Hi Ladies,
> 
> I found an interesting drink recipe to grow thick lush hair, in long hair care forum. It is called the Hair cocktail and the ingredients are:
> 
> ...


----------



## clever (Oct 1, 2009)

^^^


I seen that too.I thought it was cute


----------



## dynamic1 (Oct 1, 2009)

I have always known women with BSL, WSL and lower back length. Some of these women have had short hair cuts at different points and some maintained longer lengths. It was fortunate that I never fell into the "black women can't grow long hair" trap.  I always saw evidence to the contrary.  

In certain professional environments it is rare to see women of any race or ethnicity with hair past APL.  Perhaps many women cut their hair to live up to certain norms.


----------



## vpoetic (Oct 1, 2009)

I have one friend and a cousin that had Wl and I knew three women that had MBL.


----------



## JollyGal (Oct 1, 2009)

princessnad said:


> OMG the Indian girls are taking hair tricks from us! This tickles me.
> 
> This is the first thread on Indus Ladies.com.  I've been a member for a while, but I don't check it.
> 
> [/SIZE][/FONT]



Sisters from another mister 

It's cute.

I hope all WOC reach their hair goals


----------



## Dove56 (Oct 1, 2009)

I have tons of family members with super long hair. I've been WL and so have my mom and sis. My dad's father was a Creek Native American so my dad can grow very long hair too.  I don't really know very many people, regardless of race, with MBL or WL hair or BSL for that matter. v


----------



## Honey01 (Oct 1, 2009)

No waist length. I can think of a couple of mid-back.

Honestly, I don't see many White women with hair that long. I usually only see this length on Indian and Mexican women.


----------



## carib_n_curly (Oct 1, 2009)

*i was going to say none then i remember one BSL relaxed she was trying to transitioning but she couldn't be bothered
most people i know with APL + hair are mixed race

i know one BSL natural it might be MBL
most people i know don't have much hair they would lose thier minds over being full SL let alone WL.they would lose their mind if they had a hair line let alone hair*


----------



## miss Congeniality (Oct 1, 2009)

Zero, I don't know any women with MBL black or white.


----------



## LisaLisa1908 (Oct 1, 2009)

I know two women who are MBL - my stylist's wife and one of my sorority sister's.

I know two sisters who are WL; they're 3b.


----------



## MonPetite (Oct 1, 2009)

None....Unfortunate.


----------



## Glamorous_chic (Oct 1, 2009)

i personally know none and have never seen any irl that weren't mixed with something else.  the longest i've seen is a good friend of mine and her hair is a little past bsl, but not mbl. and although i may be stoned for this, and not to discount anything, but even though everyone likes to say that the average rate of hairgrowth is 6 inches/year, the only people i know with long hair are superfast growers. they can cut their hair, and it will grow back in 3 months. but i doesnt grow past a certain length (and no they aren't cutting it). also, they're hair has always been long, and is very resilient. so, i understand the "principles of hair growth", but my real life experience proves contradictory to the theoretical. and we can argue semantics, of that they're hair is growing but we aren't retaining, the end result is still the same. but, i do appreciate all of the advice found on this board, b/c it has opened my eyes to alot and made me more knowledgeable. thanks.


----------



## peachfuzzz (Oct 1, 2009)

I only know one, my childhood best friend.


----------



## Stormy (Oct 1, 2009)

I counted 12! One is a 50 something year old woman. Maybe 60 and she has waist length hair. The others are BSL to MBL. Some are my friends, others are women I used to work with.


----------



## aribell (Oct 1, 2009)

Honey01 said:


> No waist length. I can think of a couple of mid-back.
> 
> Honestly, I don't see many White women with hair that long. I usually only see this length on Indian and Mexican women.


 
Now that's a good point.  Not too many of them exist in my world, either.  Two of my white girlfriends with hair that long have really been growing it out for years.  One is about MBL from a pixie cut 6 years ago, w/o any major cuts in between.  The other regularly grows her hair long for locks of love but told me straight out that it takes her about 3 years because her hair only grows 4 inches per year.

Retention, retention, retention.


----------



## hillytmj (Oct 2, 2009)

My stylist's daughter is MBL,and I think that's because she's insistent on no "trimming" because her mom will chop you up in a heartbeat, lol!


----------



## Tee (Oct 2, 2009)

Outside of this board, none alive.  My great aunt had WL hair.  She washed and put it in plaits and left it alone until next wash day.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Oct 2, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> LOL....youse a *brave soul* for saying that! I don't know whether to pat you on the back or run in terror for the lightening bolt that sure to strike! LOL



Uhhh.....why should a lightening bolt strike me?


----------



## aa9746 (Oct 2, 2009)

Veejee said:


> I have tons of family members with super long hair. I've been WL and so have my mom and sis. My dad's father was a Creek Native American so my dad can grow very long hair too.* I don't really know very many people, regardless of race, with MBL or WL* hair or BSL for that matter. v


 
Now that you mention it, everyone at my job has APL or shorter hair except one WL AA woman.


----------



## Sha76 (Oct 3, 2009)

I only know one from my former job. she had hair past her butt almost to her knees. Not biracial or anything. She was from the bahamas. Beautiful lady. But she told me that she has always had long hair but it was not relaxed until her adulthood. She almost never wore it down. It kind of got in the way


----------



## Zawaj (Oct 4, 2009)

2 aunts, 2 cousins, mom's bff, 1 SIL and a few random chicks.


----------



## Raine054 (Oct 4, 2009)

Fine 4s said:


> Natural WSL?!!!!!!!!!! Niiiiice.
> Can you help me some more with the visual?
> Was it big/pouffy and blowdried? Was it in its natural state and braided? Natural state all shrunken and WL?  How'd you know it was natural?
> I'll close my eyes an imaaaaaaaaaaaagine...




Her hair was in its natural state, pulled back into pony tail that is segmented by rubber bands along it. 

It wasn't blow dried (I asked). She was only 16 years old you could tell it was shrunken since the her hair made her head look 2 times larger than it was. It was also very coiled and looked rough from a distance...but of course it was amazing!

She was explaining to me that her dad never allowed her to get a relaxer and her mom was very good at taking care of her hair. Coconut oil especially...I got to touch it and it was amazing...just amazing. ..


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

..................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

laurend said:


> I just got back from there, I went to visit my sponsor child. There are hundreds of midback length in the DR. She's 18 and just cut her hair from waist to chin length.


 
Why do you think there are so many ladies with long hair in the DR as opposed to to US? Do you know if it's their natural hair or weave? What are their practices?


----------



## Firstborn2 (Oct 4, 2009)

I know of one and it's my 15yr old cousin, she was actually TBL up until last year when her mother let her take over her own hair care, now she is MBL because of breakage.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

........................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

....................................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

that_1_grrrl said:


> You know, I wish we could get more feedback on practices and hair length in other Black countries. I know my mom said she saw pictures of my dad's first wife and of my oldest sister (Cuban), and they had really short, broken hair. In hindsight, I'm not sure why my mother was dissing their hair. I think she was telling me that my father used to make fun of his first wife and call her ugly... before they married.
> 
> Anywho, I don't know if Black women in Cuba have the same problems with retaining length or not. From what I've seen, there seems to be the same problem.
> 
> I just wonder how widespread our "problems" are.


 

Black (non-mixed) Cubans have the same problems. Short, dry, relaxed and broken off.


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> Why do you think there are so many ladies with long hair in the DR as opposed to to US? Do you know if it's their natural hair or weave? What are their practices?


 
It's very interesting.  They don't have weaves.  You can see a lot of women there who are jet black and have 3a hair.  I guess it's the Tanio indian mixture in their history.  There is a large number of people with 3 range hair, much more than the black people in the U.S.  There are hundreds like our Dominican member gissell78.


----------



## yellow08 (Oct 4, 2009)

Edit:
Thinking ummm, almost forgot my cousin hair grows to WL (she cut it to MBL just recently)...
I hope to become one!


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

I forgot to add, you see people with 4 range hair but it's relaxed.  Those people don't have very long hair but they are in the minority.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

BlackMasterPiece said:


> My cousin, she cuts it back to MBL every month, and lets it grow longer every once in a while before she cuts it back to MBL the worst part about her is she literally does EVERYTHING wrong and still has long flowy pretty hair I be like you got it sooooo good.
> 
> Cotton head scarf @ night goes to really cheap domonican salon where they use super high heat o her hair and barely DC her hair they're scissor-happy.....yet and still her hair is beautiful.....there are just some black folk that dont have to try*shrugs*


 
 I think it's time to weave check your cousin.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

laurend said:


> It's very interesting. They don't have weaves. You can see a lot of women there who are jet black and have 3a hair. I guess it's the Tanio indian mixture in their history. There is a large number of people with 3 range hair, much more than the black people in the U.S. There are hundreds like our Dominican member gissell78.


 
Very interesting, it could also be the Spanish blood too. But if that were the case they would not be jet black. So I think you are correct it's most likely the Tanio Indian considering that they are a darker skin you would see the physical traits other than in the hair texture.

ETA: Ok just re-read my statement. There indeed can be some "jet black" people with white blood in them. I must have been half sleep or something.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

princessnad said:


> OMG the Indian girls are taking hair tricks from us! This tickles me.
> 
> This is the first thread on Indus Ladies.com. I've been a member for a while, but I don't check it.
> 
> [/SIZE][/FONT]


 
Can you link to that thread I want to see the responses?

That just goes to show you that "we" are not the only ones in this thread......


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

You see a lot with hair like Diana Ross' daughter and straighter.  They don't like hair like Diana Ross' daughter they want it straighter so they either blow dry or relax.  I can't really describe it you have to see it for yourself.  Three range is more abundant there.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Well in the US, light skin=mixed race, but that's not necessarily so in the real world of genetics . People have very set ideas of what a mixed person is supposed to look like methinks. It's perfectly possible to be quite dark and be mixed. Many Black American Indians are, but most people don't recognize them as being such cuz the US had it's one drop rule, which is absent in Latin cultures.
> 
> Brazil is a place where this is very common. Plenty of people there have dark skin and hair textures/lengths many in the US don't associate w/ each other. I wish there were more posters from Brazil here.


 
I just corrected my post because we have quite a few dark skinned Americans that have a Black/White mixture.


----------



## newbiemom (Oct 4, 2009)

I don't know any irl. My cousin had mbl but cut it in a Riri bob.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

..................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

Typical Dominican women


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

..........................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

............................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

Another example


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

laurend said:


> Another example


 
Her hair looks like she got the famous blow out. but I can't tell if she's relaxed or natural besides that.


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

I can't even find the dark ones.  When you see it, you know they are different from AA.


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

This is the darkest 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




person I can find at this moment.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 4, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)




----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

Laurend, these women have gorgeous hair. Do you know the typical DR diet and exercise? They all seem to be healthy in terms of clear eyes, beautiful skin and not over weight or under weight. The hair is very thick and dark. It's not just the length its the general health of their hair that's got me .  However, I know that not all are naturally straight so clearly they are using heat or chemical to straighten the hair. Even so the hair is clearly being nurtured.  Do you know the haircare practices in the DR?


----------



## BlackMasterPiece (Oct 4, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> I think it's time to weave check your cousin.


LMFAO!!! I'm close with her I've been playing in her hair since I was a little girl, its alll her, she does everything wrong and just always had long hair MBL or longer effortlessly.....some people got it good*shrugs* then her sister, my other cousin, who has the same wild fast rate of growth as her, decided to color her hair and thinks she could keep getting them dominican blowouts on the regular yep she quickly went from midback to semi-decent APL


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 4, 2009)

BlackMasterPiece said:


> LMFAO!!! I'm close with her I've been playing in her hair since I was a little girl, its alll her, she does everything wrong and just always had long hair MBL or longer effortlessly.....some people got it good*shrugs* then her sister, my other cousin, who has the same wild fast rate of growth as her, decided to color her hair and *thinks she could keep getting them dominican blowouts on the regular yep she quickly went from midback to semi-decent APL*


 
Yup, it catches up to you eventually.


----------



## lboogie2679 (Oct 4, 2009)

My 9 year old daughter and her friend are the only AA I know with MBL hair. I have 2 cousins that are BSL and thats it.


----------



## Yellowflowers (Oct 4, 2009)

*Lets see, there is me and one other family member and a women I used to work with.*


----------



## laurend (Oct 4, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> Laurend, these women have gorgeous hair. Do you know the typical DR diet and exercise? They all seem to be healthy in terms of clear eyes, beautiful skin and not over weight or under weight. The hair is very thick and dark. It's not just the length its the general health of their hair that's got me . However, I know that not all are naturally straight so clearly they are using heat or chemical to straighten the hair. Even so the hair is clearly being nurtured.  Do you know the haircare practices in the DR?


 

It's genetics.  When your hair is in the 3 range and you wear braids as a child, you will probably have healthy hair as an adult.  Most Dominicans are poor and don't have a lot of money to spend on their hair.  They don't exercise(they are starting to get heavier) that much and have the typical island diet of fruit, seafood, and the latin culture of beans and rice.  For example, my sponsor child's home is the size of a typical large American living room.  With my help, she's a high school and beauty school graduate.  She has 2 range to 3a hair and wore braids as a child with no special shampoos, gels or oils in her routine.  That's one reason I no longer buy expensive products, after visiting my sponsor children in the DR and Columbia.

A typical Dominican child:


----------



## Fine 4s (Oct 5, 2009)

*Raine 054-*

Thanks for the picture. Wow…You were blessed lol

Long therapeutic story-

I can think of *one* AA woman I met some years ago with long MBL + hair IF I am restricted to think in terms of Black Americans.  Since I don’t make the distinction between AAs, DRs, Haitians etc. I could add many, many, many more to the list.  In fact, her parents were JA but she was born and raised in the US- does she count? And now, I’m thinking of another one who was born and raised in the US from a Haitian mother. Her hair recently became long because she started caring for her hair (maybe secretly found out about LHCF)?

I was born and raised in Haiti (AA parents- long story) and I know TONS and TONS of longhaired women.  My desire to have long hair today is, in part, because I felt like I was never beautiful in their (my friends and others) eyes because my hair just wasn’t long or beautiful *enough*. 

I was asked to be in a hair commercial with 3 other girls.  I had the shortest hair and the thinnest hair of the group. One had auburn BSL hair (here hair is still one of the most beautiful heads I’ve even known), another short (bob) dark, thick and shiny hair and the other SL thick dark brown hair with a hairline to die for.  I never did the commercial because I just couldn’t see what I could add. I was surrounded with beautiful hair at school and at extra-curricular activities classes, social life etc. 

However, when I came to the US on holiday I never saw AA girls with long, healthy hair and got hated on quite a bit with the girls I played with on the block in BK. Not pretty enough in Haiti but too pretty in BK- how confusing for a young girl! One day as I was walking with my mother this one girl stopped me and asked ‘Do yo momma do your hai (no ‘r’)?’ I could barely understand her question!

The hair care techniques in Haiti were not different from the DR culture of hair care practices.  It is customary to go to the salon every week and getting a DC every week.  Most people had perms although today they are much more accepting of natural hair (can’t wait to go rock it when I go back to visit!) Every one (ethnic group) went to the same hair salons (white, black, Latinas, Lebanese, Jewish etc.) There were 4-5 major ones that I could remember.  The Lebanese hair salon had the best reputation for getting hair super straight and of course I never felt good enough to go there.  In fact, I remember the first time I went to Cleopatra (the name of the salon lol), he asked me ‘who cuts your hair?’ The cut was not up to his standards and I was so embarrassed.  The blow dryer was so hot, that the place would get very smoky.  My regular salon was the Dr. salons, much cheaper. Hey, mom made me J

Most young girls with no perms had presses. I remember getting my hair pressed on special occasions. So, having a good moisture balance may have contributed to the healthy heads I knew.  

In Haiti, we all used Pink Lotion and several other no-nos from this board but the one thing we always knew about were, DCs and rollersets.

PS- I hope to be one of the elusive WL’ers in 2010….

ETA: Young girls have presses on special occasions. But for an everyday style, it's plaits and bows etc as well...


----------



## laurend (Oct 5, 2009)

In the DR they don't press or straighten little girls hair as far as I can see.  They just braid it and let it be like the little girl in the picture.


----------



## FlowerHair (Oct 5, 2009)

There was an AA woman that was a client of mine a few years back with MBL hair. It was very thin and relaxed, but still very long. 

I also know a WI lady with a waist length natural braid. 

Like many others have said, I don't know many people - black, white, AA or other - with MBL or WL hair. Most women don't want hair that long. ***FlowerHair has a revelation*** 

ETA I don't know if it counts, but my 6 year old WI/Ghanaian/Swedish god daughter has almost butt length 4a hair.  But she's short, so it wouldn't be butt length on an adult  Her hair shrinks to around her "bra strap". Her friend's sister has hair that touches the chair when she sits down. She's from Eritrea.


----------



## dream13 (Oct 5, 2009)

I know many type 3s with MBL-WL hair.  Type 4s are harder to come by IRL, though...


----------



## Liege4421 (Oct 5, 2009)

IRL, none
On the forum...LOTS!  Women on this forum have been my inspiration to grow long hair.


----------



## Fine 4s (Oct 5, 2009)

Liege4421 said:


> IRL, none
> On the forum...LOTS! Women on this forum have been my inspiration to grow long hair.


 
Uhm, yyyyyyyyeah...I'm not looking at ur hair I'm looking at that BACK.
WHOA! What's THAT regimen? PM me, post it in another forum, just get it to me ASAP.

Thanks,

Management.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 5, 2009)

laurend said:


> It's genetics. When your hair is in the 3 range and you wear braids as a child, you will probably have healthy hair as an adult. Most Dominicans are poor and don't have a lot of money to spend on their hair. They don't exercise(they are starting to get heavier) that much and have *the typical island diet of fruit, seafood, and the latin culture of beans and rice*. For example, my sponsor child's home is the size of a typical large American living room. With my help, she's a high school and beauty school graduate. She has 2 range to 3a hair and *wore braids as a child with no special shampoos, gels or oils in her routine*. That's one reason I no longer buy expensive products, after visiting my sponsor children in the DR and Columbia.
> 
> A typical Dominican child:


 
Bingo, healthy diet and low maintenance hair regimen. Beans are very high in protein. Fish has Omega 3's that is known to aid in making hair shiny and increase growth rates. And fruit is a always healthy. Add that to hair that is of a looser texture means less resistence to combing, less breakage.


----------



## princessnad (Oct 5, 2009)

Ummmm, when I was in DR, I found that many women had amazing hair.  Come to find out 1/2 of them have the most amazing hooked up weave (but they are not as open about it like in the US).  

They do have some amazing hair though w/o the weave.   A few visits to the salon (several times per week for me because it was just so darn cheap) I realized they many had type 4a which I would never think when looking at how straight they would wear their natural hair...and how long it was


----------



## princessnad (Oct 5, 2009)

And let's be honest, their menu isn't all that healthy.  Rice and beans with meat is the diet for most of the Caribbean and many islands don't have wonderful long hair like they do.  They have found hair practices that work... like limiting grease and gel on the hair because they say it "makes you look dirty" and have good genetics


----------



## labelfree (Oct 5, 2009)

Two of my cousins had MBL when they where younger but once they got to middle school they cut it off and now they wear weaves  Other than that I don't know any...kind of makes me said though people in my family only think women with type 3 hair can acheive long hair and even when I show them this site they say "Oh thats a weave"  I can't wait to prove them wrong


----------



## princessnad (Oct 5, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> Can you link to that thread I want to see the responses?
> 
> That just goes to show you that "we" are not the only ones in this thread......



http://www.indusladies.com/hair-care-and-hair-styles/72754-drink-your-way-waist-lenght.html


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 5, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## Miss OhLaLa (Oct 5, 2009)

One, but i dont really 'know' her. I saw her in the line at Walgreens and totally wanted to talk to her because it was when I was transitioning but I did not want to freak her out. This is sad.


----------



## princessnad (Oct 5, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Fine 4, you're already there in my book . This is a pretty phenomenal story because it talks about a Black culture that's into long hair. I know Haitian women are supposed to have "secrets"  , but really it just boils down to taking care of the hair so it's more likely to grow to great lengths. Their culture seems less style oriented than ours......I'm convinced that many of the styles/styling products promoted in the US, UK, Frace, etc...are what really does much damage to African textured hair.



Yeah like I try going into the "ethnic aisle" to get some products and the ingredients always SUCK! At least much more than the "regular" aisle... we just need to stick to simple products and good techniques.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 5, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## BlackMasterPiece (Oct 5, 2009)

Fine 4s said:


> *Raine 054-*
> 
> Thanks for the picture. Wow…You were blessed lol
> 
> ...


 Hey! A fellow Ayisyen in der ouwse I'm a 1st generation Haitian-American in my fam my mom is ALWAYS giving me these spectacular recepes from outta nowhere and she acts like its the most regular thing, she be lke oh you want strength you mix x,y,z and that really helps to stop breakage or I'll ask her for a moisture treatment and she jst comes outta nowhere with this nex treatment you NEVA heard of......I be like damn they aint lyin when they say we got "secrets" Heck I'm STILL learning something new all the time from my mom!! 

She didn't know everything about the latest styles but ask her for a natural hair treatment for whatever probem you're having and she'll tell you something that'll work wonders in a second like its the most regular thing ever.....thank goodness for my mom and her DC's from the Haitian countryside They're life-savers!!! I think imma do a blog post on that:scratchch


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 5, 2009)

Most of the women in DR don't have weaves...now with things more americanized in latin america a lot of women do wear it...From experience women in DR and in latin america in general are very into hair and beauty...Some of my family members refused to go without make up to the street back home...but as we began to migrate to the us we acquired the relaxed style with hair and everything else....

One thing i know is that our diet is not the best but most latin american women start gaining weight once they come to the us because their is no structure we eat at all times of the day here!

We may be poor back home but we find money to do our hair!


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 5, 2009)

princessnad said:


> And let's be honest, their menu isn't all that healthy. Rice and beans with meat is the diet for most of the Caribbean and many islands don't have wonderful long hair like they do. They have found hair practices that work... like limiting grease and gel on the hair because they say it "makes you look dirty" and have good
> 
> tics


 

lol I agree DR women are anti oil! if is greasy is dirty! I don't wear my hair out after my 2nd day of wash...is greasy and looses movement


----------



## beana (Oct 5, 2009)

My mom's hair is always between BSL and MBL unless she cuts it. she's AA with type 4 hair.  

Slightly OT:I never thought that long hair was out of my reach at all. My little sis had MBL hair as a child and my hair was BSL as a natural until i got a relaxer. 

My niece's paternal grandmother has BSL hair and its been that way as long as ive known her. 

My cousins on my dad's side all have BSL/MBL/WSL but they have a lot of mixing going on, i guess they're technically AA though. They all have 3b/c hair. 

Outside of my family... in HS, there were quite a few girls with "long" hair meaning BSL or beyond, they were all AA from what i could tell. As an adult, i bump into these same people and their hair is SL now but still pretty

I guess ive always been around women with long hair...


----------



## MRJ1972 (Oct 5, 2009)

Just a handful....And with one particular lady, she cuts her hair and it grows right back and she doesnt even take care of it!!!!

I read once that AA hair is not meant to be combed, brushed, etc and that it grows best when left alone (ex: locs)....I have seen tons of AA women and men with MBL and WL locs so this may be true?


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 5, 2009)

....................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 5, 2009)

QUOTE=gissellr78;9000220]Most of the women in DR don't have weaves...now with things more americanized in latin america a lot of women do wear it...From experience women in DR and in latin america in general are very into hair and beauty...Some of my family members refused to go without make up to the street back home...but as we began to migrate to the us we acquired the relaxed style with hair and everything else....

One thing i know is that our diet is not the best but most latin american women start gaining weight once they come to the us because their is no structure we eat at all times of the day here!

We may be poor back home but we find money to do our hair![/QUOTE]

Most women in the DR don't wear weaves and don't need it.  DR is like a second home to me.  When I go, I'm usually stay in Santo Domingo.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 6, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## princessnad (Oct 7, 2009)

Ionno.  Maybe it is only popular in Santa Domingo, but when I was in school there, the teachers told me a lot of women wore weaves.  I didn't believe them because most of the woman looked like they had FABULOUS heads of hair.  I mean FAB.  Then I would visit the salons and people would be getting tracks... especially in the smaller, less high end hair shops.  

Not denying that most people had fab heads of real hair, but when I realized a good chunk had weaves, it was shocking.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

The majority don't need weaves.  Anyway, how do you explain the very long hair of the little girls.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Typical Dominican girls


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

To be fair, some shorter hair little girls


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

I remember this article and wanted to add it here to shed some light:

http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/news/afrolatin/part2/index.html

*Black denial*

Nearly all Dominican women straighten their hair, which experts say is a direct result of a historical learned rejection of all things black

SANTO DOMINGO -- Yara Matos sat still while long, shiny locks from China were fastened, bit by bit, to her coarse hair.

Not that Matos has anything against her natural curls, even though Dominicans call that _pelo malo_ -- bad hair.

But a professional Dominican woman just should not have bad hair, she said. "If you're working in a bank, you don't want some _barrio_-looking hair. Straight hair looks elegant," the bank teller said. "It's not that as a person of color I want to look white. I want to look pretty."

And to many in the Dominican Republic, to look pretty is to look less black.
Dominican hairdressers are internationally known for the best hair-straightening techniques. Store shelves are lined with rows of skin whiteners, hair relaxers and extensions.

Racial identification here is thorny and complex, defined not so much by skin color but by the texture of your hair, the width of your nose and even the depth of your pocket. The richer, the "whiter." And, experts say, it is fueled by a rejection of anything black.

"I always associated black with ugly. I was too dark and didn't have nice hair," said Catherine de la Rosa, a dark-skinned Dominican-American college student spending a semester here. "With time passing, I see I'm not black. I'm Latina.

"At home in New York everyone speaks of color of skin. Here, it's not about skin color. It's culture." 

The only country in the Americas to be freed from black colonial rule -- neighboring Haiti -- the Dominican Republic still shows signs of racial wounds more than 200 years later. Presidents historically encouraged Dominicans to embrace Spanish Catholic roots rather than African ancestry.

Here, as in much of Latin America -- the "one drop rule'' works in reverse: One drop of white blood allows even very dark-skinned people to be considered white.

*LACK OF INTEREST*

As black intellectuals here try to muster a movement to embrace the nation's African roots, they acknowledge that it has been a mostly fruitless cause. Black pride organizations such as Black Woman's Identity fizzled for lack of widespread interest. There was outcry in the media when the Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit -- a community with roots in Africa -- was declared an oral patrimony of humanity by UNESCO. "There are many times that I think of just leaving this country because it's too hard," said Juan Rodríguez Acosta, curator of the Museum of the Dominican Man. Acosta, who is black, has pushed for the museum to include controversial exhibits that reflect many Dominicans' African background. "But then I think: Well if I don't stay here to change things, how will things ever change?"

A walk down city streets shows a country where blacks and dark-skinned people vastly outnumber whites, and most estimates say that 90 percent of Dominicans are black or of mixed race. Yet census figures say only 11 percent of the country's nine million people are black.

To many Dominicans, to be black is to be Haitian. So dark-skinned Dominicans tend to describe themselves as any of the dozen or so racial categories that date back hundreds of years -- Indian, burned Indian, dirty Indian, washed Indian, dark Indian, cinnamon, _moreno_ or mulatto, but rarely _negro_.

The Dominican Republic is not the only nation with so many words to describe skin color. Asked in a 1976 census survey to describe their own complexions, Brazilians came up with 136 different terms, including _café au lait_, sunburned, _morena_, Malaysian woman, singed and "toasted."

"The Cuban black was told he was black. The Dominican black was told he was Indian," said Dominican historian Celsa Albert, who is black. "I am not Indian. That color does not exist. People used to tell me, ‘You are not black.' If I am not black, then I guess there are no blacks anywhere, because I have curly hair and dark skin."


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

*THE HISTORY*

Using the word Indian to describe dark-skinned people is an attempt to distance Dominicans from any African roots, Albert and other experts said. She noted that it's not even historically accurate: The country's Taino Indians were virtually annihilated in the 1500s, shortly after Spanish colonizers arrived.

Researchers say the de-emphasizing of race in the Dominican Republic dates to the 1700s, when the sugar plantation economy collapsed and many slaves were freed and rose up in society.

Later came the rocky history with Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Haiti's slaves revolted against the French and in 1804 established their own nation. In 1822, Haitians took over the entire island, ruling the predominantly Hispanic Dominican Republic for 22 years.

To this day, the Dominican Republic celebrates its independence not from centuries-long colonizer Spain, but from Haiti.

"The problem is Haitians developed a policy of black-centrism and . . . Dominicans don't respond to that," said scholar Manuel Núñez, who is black. "Dominican is not a color of skin, like the Haitian."

Dictator Rafael Trujillo, who ruled from 1930 to 1961, strongly promoted anti-Haitian sentiments, and is blamed for creating the many racial categories that avoided the use of the word "black." 

The practice continued under President Joaquín Balaguer, who often complained that Haitians were "darkening'' the country. In the 1990s, he was blamed for thwarting the presidential aspirations of leading black candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez by spreading rumors that he was actually Haitian. 

"Under Trujillo, being black was the worst thing you could be," said Afro-Dominican poet Blas Jiménez. "Now we are Dominican, because we are not Haitian. We are something, because we are not that."

Jiménez remembers when he got his first passport, the clerk labeled him "Indian." He protested to the director of the agency.
"I remember the man saying, ‘If he wants to be black, let him be black!' '' Jiménez said.

Resentment toward anything Haitian continues, as an estimated one million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, most working in the sugar and construction industries. Mass deportations often mistakenly include black Dominicans, and Haitians have been periodically lynched in mob violence. The government has been trying to deny citizenship and public education to the Dominican-born children of illegal Haitian migrants.

When migrant-rights activist Sonia Pierre won the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2006, the government responded by trying to revoke her citizenship, saying she is actually Haitian.

"There's tremendous resistance to blackness -- black is something bad," said black feminist Sergia Galván. ‘‘Black is associated with dark, illegal, ugly, clandestine things. There is a prototype of beauty here and a lot of social pressure. There are schools where braids and natural hair are prohibited."

Galván and a loosely knit group of women have protested European canons of beauty, once going so far as to rally outside a beauty pageant. She and other experts say it is now more common to see darker-skinned women in the contests -- but they never win.

*CULTURE PULL *

Several women said the cultural rejection of African looking hair is so strong that people often shout insults at women with natural curls.
"I cannot take the bus because people pull my hair and stick combs in it," said wavy haired performance artist Xiomara Fortuna. "They ask me if I just got out of prison. People just don't want that image to be seen."

The hours spent on hair extensions and painful chemical straightening treatments are actually an expression of nationalism, said Ginetta Candelario, who studies the complexities of Dominican race and beauty at Smith College in Massachusetts. And to some of the women who relax their hair, it's simply a way to have soft manageable hair in the Dominican Republic's stifling humidity.

"It's not self-hate," Candelario said. "Going through that is to love yourself a lot. That's someone saying, ‘I am going to take care of me.' It's nationalist, it's affirmative and celebrating self."

Money, education, class -- and of course straight hair -- can make dark-skinned Dominicans be perceived as more "white," she said. Many black Dominicans here say they never knew they were black -- until they visited the United States.

"During the Trujillo regime, people who were dark skinned were rejected, so they created their own mechanism to fight it," said Ramona Hernández, Director of the Dominican Studies Institute at City College in New York. 

"When you ask, ‘What are you?' they don't give you the answer you want . . . saying we don't want to deal with our blackness is simply what you want to hear."

Hernández, who has olive-toned skin and a long mane of hair she blows out straight, acknowledges she would "never, never, never'' go to a university meeting with her natural curls. 

"That's a woman trying to look cute; I'm a sociologist," she said.
Asked if a black Dominican woman can be considered beautiful in her country, Hernández leapt to her feet.

"You should see how they come in here with their big asses!'' she said, shuffling across her office with her arms extended behind her back, simulating an enormous rear-end. "They come in here thinking they are all that, and I think, 'doesn't she know she's not really pretty?' " 

Maria Elena Polanca is a black woman with the striking good looks. She said most Dominicans look at her with curiosity, as if a black woman being beautiful were something strange.

She spends her days promoting a hair straightener at _La Sirena_, a Santo Domingo department store that features an astonishing array of hair straightening products. 

"Look, we have bad hair, bad. Nobody says 'curly.' It's bad," she said. "You can't go out like that. People will say, 'Look at that nest! Someone light a match!' ''

*'IT WAS HURTFUL' *

Purdue University professor Dawn Stinchcomb, who is African American, said that when she came here in 1999 to study African influences in literature, people insulted her in the street.

Waiters refused to serve her. People wouldn't help Stinchcomb with her research, saying if she wanted to study Africans, she'd have to go to Haiti.

"I had people on the streets . . . yell at me to get out of the sun because I was already black enough," she said. "It was hurtful. . . . I was raised in the South and thought I could handle any racial comment. I never before experienced anything like I did in the Dominican Republic. 

"I don't have a problem when people who don't look like me say hurtful things. But when it's people who look just like me?"

Click Link for photos


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

laurend said:


> Typical Dominican girls


 


laurend said:


> To be fair, some shorter hair little girls


 
And if I didn't see the spanish writing I would think they were AA. There is no difference. This is how I'm used to seeing our children. In fact I grew up 2 blocks from an all girl Catholic school. They are so cute.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

..................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Don't get my wrong, they have serious head issues.  They think I'm odd when I visit because I wear my hair natural.  However, my point is on the whole they definitely have longer hair than we do.  If some have weaves so be it, but the majority don't need it.  I wish I can post pics when I was there in the early 90's before the weave craze came along.  People had long hair.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> About kids, I'll say this. There are plenty of AA kids w/ long unstretched hair...given that it's unstretched, how long is a mystery to me. I suspect that most DRs have a different type of hair, so it's length is more apparent. However, many AA kids get their hair chemically straightened at very young ages, say under teens....and those who haven't get pressured into it when they reach their teen years, so even if they started out w/ some length, it had a tendency to be nearly gone by their late teens and early 20s. DR girls probably don't have these pressures towards early relaxing.


 
There is pressure, please read article posted.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

laurend said:


> Don't get my wrong, they have serious head issues. They think I'm odd when I visit because I wear my hair natural. However, my point is on the whole they definitely have longer hair than we do. If some have weaves so be it, but the majority don't need it. I wish I can post pics when I was there in the early 90's before the weave craze came along. People had long hair.


 
I need to visit just to stare at hair.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Little girls are braided up for a long period of time there.  AA girls are getting the relaxers and press early.  It was until her teenaged years my sponsor child got a blow dry.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

....................................


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Take a trip there for a day and you don't even have to leave the airport.  You would see an eyeful. Seeing is believing.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

....................................


----------



## princessnad (Oct 7, 2009)

laurend said:


> To be fair, some shorter hair little girls


  Their hair there is generally banging, whether it is naturally type 1, 2, 3 or 4.  I was just shocked when I EXPERIENCED WITH MY OWN EYES SEVERAL TIMES AT THE SALON seeing women who I thought had real hair getting extensions. 

Maybe the little girls' long hair got heat damaged after wearing it straight for a while? Or maybe the ones who got extensions were the unlucky ones whose hair was difficult to grow in a society that prizes long hair.  I don't know the reasons, just sharing my experience.

Here are my personal pictures. Some people had banging hair, some didn't
















Chick on the right vs chick on the left below 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




and the males


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

I'm not saying they don't weave up at all.  I agree all don't have long hair.  What I'm saying as a group of women their hair is longer than AA women.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Hopefully some of our Dominican members can comment on this thread because it's their culture.


----------



## princessnad (Oct 7, 2009)

laurend said:


> I'm not saying they don't weave up at all.  I agree all don't have long hair.  *What I'm saying as a group of women their hair is longer than AA women*.



Well that I agree with.

But I think it's more technique than anything else.


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

laurend said:


> I'm not saying they don't weave up at all. I agree all don't have long hair. *What I'm saying as a group of women their hair is longer than AA women.*


 
I agree with this and their texture tend to be softer and a bit looser than AA.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Celestial said:


> I agree with this and their texture tend to be softer and a bit looser than AA.


 
Yes that's a fact.


----------



## BostonMaria (Oct 7, 2009)

Oh good Lord I'm scared to even post in here!

Dominican here, please don't throw any rocks LOL 

I would say that the majority of little Dominican girls have long hair, regardless of texture.  It is the norm to have a little girl in buns/braids up until they get their first relaxer.  Its normal to see black Latinas with long hair.  I'm not say we ALL have long hair, I'm saying that its not abnormal to see a woman with 4B hair down her back.

As far as Dominicans having issues, talking about color and stuff like that I'm not going to get into it.  But as far as hair, long is normal.  Nobody is shocked in my family that my hair is MBL.  My daughters all have long hair. My stepdaughters have long hair. They're not allowed to cut it until they're older. 

Oh and down in DR they do wear extensions and braids. Since those are so costly not everybody gets them. The people that can pay the $$$ will get them. People are not relaxing as much as they used to, but rollersets and Dominican blowouts are more common than seeing wash n' go's. 

Celestial you said....


> I agree with this and their texture tend to be softer and a bit looser than AA.



It might be true for some, but not all.  I have people in my family that are 100% Dominican and have 4B and CNaps.  I have people in my family with straight hair. Its common to see a variety of hair types down there. After all we do have African blood in us.


----------



## laurend (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks BostonMaria for your response.


----------



## Desarae (Oct 7, 2009)

Celestial said:


> No. I think only a handful can actually reach MBL or WL maybe less than 1% of the african american population. I think if african american women took care of their hair, the average length might measure SL with the second largest percentage at BSL and the smallest percentage at MBL. I really don't see any african american women with WL hair. They probably would only measure in the 10s or the few 100s. But this is just my theory.


 
Huh? You must not visit this forum too often.

10's or few 100's where? The whole US??


----------



## BostonMaria (Oct 7, 2009)

> I just started looking at the Chris Rock interview with Oprah and it got me wondering, how many AA women I know with MBL or WL hair. I could only come up with 2 women and that's a shame. I'm not counting the ones I know from this board. Now I can see why, Indian hair is so coveted by women of color.



To answer the original question, I think most of my AA friends and co-workers have shoulder length hair.  I see other women with very long hair, but you said AA in your question and the women of color that come to mind are either from the Caribbean or Cape Verdean.

I think that with the internet and of course this forum, the number of AA women with long locks will become the norm.


----------



## lalaland88 (Oct 7, 2009)

Other then myself, not too much....my sister and my cousin who I wonder how it stays on her head with all the scary abuse she does to her hair! Also, other female family members.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## almond eyes (Oct 7, 2009)

I think the issue is of hair that Barney used to sing in his nursury rhymes "hangs low". Most afro-hair texture does not hang low unless it is straightened or relaxed. So there are quite a few black women that are MBL and WL but they have shruken natural hair so no one can really tell. Also, as pointed out very few women have MBL and WL hair maintaining that type of hair regardless of race requires a lot of work and in many parts of Africa with the hot heat having MBL or WL hair would be too much. 

Best,
Almond Eyes


----------



## beana (Oct 7, 2009)

BostonMaria said:


> To answer the original question, I think most of my AA friends and co-workers have shoulder length hair. I see other women with very long hair, but you said AA in your question and the women of color that come to mind are either from the Caribbean or Cape Verdean.
> 
> I think that with the internet and of course this forum, the number of AA women with long locks will become the norm.


 
thanks for posting your experience as a Domincan woman! In general, do you notice that the type 4's chemically straighten more or are they using heat in DR?


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

DesiRae said:


> Huh? You must not visit this forum too often.
> 
> 10's or few 100's where? The whole US??


 
The forums are small and doesn't represent the millions of AA in the U.S. Yes, I really meant only in the 10s or 100s in the U.S can actually make it to waist length. Okay I will up it to a few thousand.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

....................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

........................................


----------



## mscocoface (Oct 7, 2009)

I know more AA women with those lengths now than I have ever before!!!! 

Hopeing to know a hundreds more in the coming years!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Jewell (Oct 7, 2009)

I don't know ANY personally besides my paternal grandmother and aunt.  On my mother's side of the family I might have the longest hair...haven't seen my cousin in some years, but she may be included depending on whether she cut her hair or not.  The only ones I "know" other than 2-3 family members are on this site or other hair sites or Youtube videos.  As for how many I see in public in any given year, that's less than 5.  We're talking less than 5 African-American women with MBL or longer hair whether it is loc'd, braided, or not.  That's really sad, and I wish more of us had longer lengths as beautiful women of color.  

Its bad that the main women of color that have the longest hair are Hispanic/Latino, Native American or West and East Indian.  Why do we have to be excluded?!  It makes me mad!  We need to learn how to take better care of our hair and stop overdoing it with the relaxers.  I believe the misuse of relaxers are the reason why we have the shortest hair (most do not choose to have their hair stuck at one length) out of all the women of color in the world.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

....................................


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> *Why do you think this*? That number is far too small, IMHO online or off. Plenty of AA people w/ dreads have this length, so can't the general population?


 
I believe it because of genetics and the evidence all around me. I don't see black women with MBL or WL hair. If I do they are usually biracial or black women who hair would be considered "good." Dreads isn't the actual length of one's hair.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> *So why are you here then assuming you are not biracial or have "good hair"?* LOL
> 
> BTW, you'd be surprised at how much hair is left when you remove dreads. There's far more real length there than you may think.


 
I'm here to enjoy the challenge. I don't care about dreads. I never witness anyway with MBL or WL after removing their dreads. I never met anyone or know anyone who removed their dreads.


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 7, 2009)

This is a scary forum...but yes maria I agree no one in my family even blinks at my hair if is long or not...dominican women have good hair care practices ( hello when a family member comes from DR they bring conditioner as gifts..who does that? We do lol)

I didn't get my hair relaxed until I was 15...we are relaxing at an earlier age when the hair is course (not all)...but a lottttt of kids don't need a relaxer.

AA women relaxed and natural have the healthiest hair now that I have seen in 25 years of being here...the 90's were a hot mess lol with care all women can grow their hair.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.................................


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> So why are you here then assuming you are not biracial or have "good hair"? LOL Based on your remarks in the other thread, I think you just know many chicks w/ jacked up overprocessed hair. *It ain't genetics luv, that's (bad) perm. Genetics does indeed play a part in hair length, but if you blast it w/ chemicals and don't know how to take care of it, why should you hair grow to it's optimum length?*
> 
> BTW, you'd be surprised at how much hair is left when you remove dreads. There's far more real length there than you may think.
> 
> I can bet you dollars to doughnuts that most of the women you see are permed OR unstretched naturals. W/ the latter group, you have no idea of their hair length.


 
Many black women optimum length is ear length, shoulder length, chin length etc... There are black women who take care of their hair while relaxed and still don't make it to MBL or WL. I know a natural who has been natural for 13 years and her hair still doesn't reach shoulder length not even stretch. I will stick to my belief that the majority of black women will not be MBL or WL but shoulder length or BSL and probably more even shorter than shoulder length.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

......................................


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> *OK, you know only people who have cut them*...that tells you nothing. You seemed far too sure that locks don't represent much real living length, but how can you be sure of this if you've never seen them removed, only cut?
> 
> So you want to challenge yourself to see how long your hair will grow? OK, what do you do to maintain it? That, more than genetics, will decide how much length you'll retain.


 
I never seen them removed or cut. I just know that dreads don't represent the actual length of one's hair. What you retain isn't genetic. How frequent it grows is genetic.


----------



## Celestial (Oct 7, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> If you believe this, this is all you'll get. This is precisely why I don't go to hairdressers...if you have hair much longer than average, they'll make sure you won't. Lot of this is about how you think. There's such a thing as self-sabotage....much of what Black women do to their hair is precisely that because they don't think it'll grown. I'm grateful that I wasn't raised w/ those hangups.


 
What I think has no effect on how often my hair grows. How often my hair grows depends on my genes.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> This is a scary forum...but yes maria I agree no one in my family even blinks at my hair if is long or not...dominican women have good hair care practices ( *hello when a family member comes from DR they bring conditioner as gifts..who does that? We do lol*)
> 
> I didn't get my hair relaxed until I was 15...we are relaxing at an earlier age when the hair is course (not all)...but a lottttt of kids don't need a relaxer.
> 
> AA women relaxed and natural have the healthiest hair now that I have seen in 25 years of being here...the 90's were a hot mess lol with care all women can grow their hair.


 
Looks like I need to get me a Dominican BFF. I gave my friend some leave in conditioner for her b-day and she looked at it like . Then she proceeded to bring out several jars of hair grease with mineral oil in it. And I'm like  erplexed .


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.........................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 7, 2009)

Celestial said:


> Many black women optimum length is ear length, shoulder length, chin length etc... There *are black women who take care of their hair while relaxed and still don't make it to MBL or WL. I know a natural who has been natural for 13 years and her hair still doesn't reach shoulder length not even stretch.* I will stick to my belief that the majority of black women will not be MBL or WL but shoulder length or BSL and probably more even shorter than shoulder length.


 
There can be many different reasons why their hair has no length. Do they actually want long hair? What's their regimen? Are they members of the LHCF? When someone posts something like this I take it with a grain of salt because I'm not there to see exactly what they put in their hair and how they maintain it. I feel the same way when someone says, "I have a white girlfriend of a roommate who cuts her hair to shoulder and in 3 months it's a waist length again. They just grow hair faster than we do, is all."


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

..............................................


----------



## jevetta (Oct 7, 2009)

Three in my family. Always had natural hair, no relaxers. They would use heat however. JEVE


----------



## Crackers Phinn (Oct 7, 2009)

Celestial said:


> Many black women optimum length is ear length, shoulder length, chin length etc... There are black women who take care of their hair while relaxed and still don't make it to MBL or WL. I know a natural who has been natural for 13 years and her hair still doesn't reach shoulder length not even stretch. I* will stick to my belief that the majority of black women will not be MBL or WL but shoulder length or BSL and probably more even shorter than shoulder length*.



I really believed this too until I found this board. 

I was chronically at neck length for a good twenty some years before LHCF and I am now a believer that there is something to the nurture vs nature arguement when it comes to type 4 hair.


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 7, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> Looks like I need to get me a Dominican BFF. I gave my friend some leave in conditioner for her b-day and she looked at it like . Then she proceeded to bring out several jars of hair grease with mineral oil in it. And I'm like  erplexed .


 

Yes i get several jars a year...it all depends on the quality of the conditioner and bad ingredients...You friend is definately is definately not hair educated...cause anyone that has been to a dominican salon knows they are the anti grease...they make sure to wash your hair and leave zero oil so you can have that swang many women want.


----------



## locabouthair (Oct 7, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> Yes i get several jars a year...it all depends on the quality of the conditioner and bad ingredients...You friend is definately is definately not hair educated...*cause anyone that has been to a dominican salon knows they are the anti grease*...they make sure to wash your hair and leave zero oil so you can have that swang many women want.



really? when I went they loved putting that grease on my scalp, which I didn't like at all.


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 7, 2009)

locabouthair said:


> really? when I went they loved putting that grease on my scalp, which I didn't like at all.


 

I don't mean to be controversial  but do you mean products with mineral oil in them? if so yes i agree.

and regarding the article posted before i agree totally but race and discrimination is not a problem only in DR is a huge problem in latin america overall which is very sad to me.


----------



## BostonMaria (Oct 7, 2009)

CurlyMoo said:


> I remember this article and wanted to add it here to shed some light:
> 
> http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/news/afrolatin/part2/index.html
> 
> ...



I read that article a few years ago and at first I was FURIOUS!  Then after I calmed down I realized there was some truth to it. I think its not good to generalize about a whole race of people. I've always known I'm black *LOL*  and I loves my nappy hair. Most of the women in my family have natural hair. 

I think the article can be taken with a grain of salt. Most of it is taken out of context.  It would be like watching "Good Hair" the movie and assuming all African American women are a certain way. Or saying women wear weaves to be white. It wouldn't be a correct statement.

Anyway I'm trying to figure out why this went from women with MBL hair to AA vs Dominican?  

Gissellr78, every time a family member comes to visit I always get some kind of conditioner  I get all happy and run home to wash my hair! LOL


----------



## wheezy807 (Oct 7, 2009)

My aunt HAD wl hair, but other than that- noone.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 7, 2009)

.........................................


----------



## locabouthair (Oct 7, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> I don't mean to be controversial  but do you mean products with mineral oil in them? if so yes i agree.
> 
> and regarding the article posted before i agree totally but race and discrimination is not a problem only in DR is a huge problem in latin america overall which is very sad to me.



yeah it had mineral oil. I believe it was that keracare orange grease that tingles.


----------



## Oasis (Oct 7, 2009)

Celestial said:


> Many black women *optimum length is ear length, shoulder length, chin length etc.*.. There are black women who take care of their hair while relaxed and still don't make it to MBL or WL. I know a natural who has been natural for 13 years and her hair still doesn't reach shoulder length not even stretch. I will stick to my belief that the majority of black women will not be MBL or WL but shoulder length or BSL and *probably more even shorter than shoulder length.*




 

Who are you?


----------



## wheezy807 (Oct 7, 2009)

Oasis said:


> Who are you?


She's a *newbie*.


----------



## msa (Oct 7, 2009)

gissellr78 said:


> This is a scary forum...but yes maria I agree no one in my family even blinks at my hair if is long or not...dominican women have good hair care practices ( hello when a family member comes from DR they bring conditioner as gifts..who does that? We do lol)
> 
> I didn't get my hair relaxed until I was 15...we are relaxing at an earlier age when the hair is course (not all)...but a lottttt of kids *don't need a relaxer.
> *
> AA women relaxed and natural have the healthiest hair now that I have seen in 25 years of being here...the 90's were a hot mess lol with care all women can grow their hair.




Nobody needs a relaxer.


----------



## Irresistible (Oct 7, 2009)

heavy sigh

I do believe this will change 

keep hope alive


----------



## Helpmeblongagain (Oct 7, 2009)

I was MBL (but it layers)...and I know about 2 or 3 other AA girls who are/were.


----------



## FluffyRed (Oct 7, 2009)

I have between 5 and 10 relatives with that length, and none of them have had my (nappy) texture.

They are creole, half NA, or just genetic flukes with silky shiny black waves or curls.

eta - actually, my mom... she's a 4a, but not as nappy as me
OH - my sister had it... she has hair like me!!!


----------



## beana (Oct 7, 2009)

BostonMaria said:


> I read that article a few years ago and at first I was FURIOUS! Then after I calmed down I realized there was some truth to it. I think its not good to generalize about a whole race of people. I've always known I'm black *LOL*  and I loves my nappy hair. Most of the women in my family have natural hair.
> 
> I think the article can be taken with a grain of salt. Most of it is taken out of context. It would be like watching "Good Hair" the movie and assuming all African American women are a certain way. Or saying women wear weaves to be white. It wouldn't be a correct statement.
> 
> ...


 

Not sure but i think its because some AA and dominican women are similiar in appearance and maybe the latinas were being mistaken for AA's with long hair...um i dunno, but i joined this thread late and i *think* thats what may have happened lol 

I plan on visitng DR very soon, I was supoosed to go to Samana earlier this year but had to cancel my trip. I'm gonna get my lacio lacio straight from the source!


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 8, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 8, 2009)

..........................................


----------



## HoneyA (Oct 8, 2009)

I know two who have MBL hair. One is mixed and relaxed, the other has natural hair of 3b/3c texture. Other than that the only other people I knew with MBL, WL and TBL hair: my grandmother, great grandmother and her sister respectively. They all had natural hair 4a and a bit of 3C. hmmm, that might have been where my hair obsession started. Oh yeah, their regimen was coconut oil, coconut oil and more coconut oil, buns and plaits so it was fairly simple


----------



## Barbie83 (Oct 8, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> She's someone who's clearly never had long hair herself had nor has seen an AA w/ long hair that's acceptable to her (ie no locks). Most of the women I guestimate here are at least shoulder length, so they're already at their limit, acording to *Celestial* .
> 
> Anyone who thinks ear legth is pushing it and shoulder length is THE limit is clearly someone who's speaking of what THEY know. However, that's not my experience and I suspect many others here.


 
........


----------



## crazydaze911 (Oct 8, 2009)

beana said:


> Not sure but i think its because some AA and dominican women are similiar in appearance and maybe the latinas were being mistaken for AA's with long hair...um i dunno, but i joined this thread late and i *think* thats what may have happened lol
> 
> *I plan on visitng DR very soon, I was supoosed to go to Samana earlier this year but had to cancel my trip. I'm gonna get my lacio lacio straight from the source!*




Yeah - rack up when you get there.  Tariffs or shipping taxes or w/e you call it are serious.  The dominican creme i was buying at the BSS for $6.99 was in the dollar store for $2.50 in DR - thats their CHEAP stuff - i felt so robbed lol.


----------



## BostonMaria (Oct 8, 2009)

beana said:


> I plan on visitng DR very soon, I was supoosed to go to Samana earlier this year but had to cancel my trip. I'm gonna get my lacio lacio straight from the source!



Hide me in your suitcase! 
Samana is beautiful. My family is originally from Sanchez, which is the next town over.  Have fun!



crazydaze911 said:


> [/B]
> 
> Yeah - rack up when you get there.  Tariffs or shipping taxes or w/e you call it are serious.  The dominican creme i was buying at the BSS for $6.99 was in the dollar store for $2.50 in DR - thats their CHEAP stuff - i felt so robbed lol.



Don't feel too bad. I went to El Paso, TX and spot a Lacio Lacio and when I went to pay they asked for $16!!!!   They might as well have robbed me LOL


----------



## vainღ♥♡jane (Oct 8, 2009)

Celestial said:


> M*any black women optimum length is ear length, shoulder length, chin length etc.*.. There are black women who take care of their hair while relaxed and still don't make it to MBL or WL. I know a natural who has been natural for 13 years and her hair still doesn't reach shoulder length not even stretch. I will stick to my belief that the majority of black women will not be MBL or WL but shoulder length or BSL and probably more even shorter than shoulder length.



what?  i think those lengths are more common in *some* women that have bad hair care practices. i say some because i had horrible hair practices and i maintained at apl/bsl for a long time.

are you black?​


----------



## Muffinz05 (Oct 8, 2009)

I have a couple of women in my family with MBL or WL hair including me. As for the dominican and AA topic, if you do your homework, you will find out that we are basically the same because when the slave trade started in African, there were a lot of ships brought over to the carribean, central america, and south america....DR was one of the first stops.  When Columbus stopped in DR, he came across fields and fields of sugar cain and tried harvesting more sugar until he realized that he needed more manpower and thus started the slave trade in the carribean aka trade traingle aka sugar trade. My mother is a black puerto rican and I also have dominicans in my family too and even though we are black latinos, we did not forget about our african ancestry. If you wan more info about this topic, check out a website that one of my gf's started up called afrolatinos.tv


----------



## beana (Oct 8, 2009)

Muffinz05 said:


> My mother is a black puerto rican and I also have dominicans in my family too and even though we are black latinos, we did not forget about our african ancestry. If you wan more info about this topic, check out a website that one of my gf's started up called afrolatinos.tv


 

I'll check that out and thanks for posting!


----------



## rabs77 (Oct 9, 2009)

Several,
My grandma and aunties(dad side) were all midback at one point. My cousin is midback, so is my stepsis. I'm right about midback too. We are Ghanaian though, not AA I know several more with the potential to go that long, they are just clueless on what to do with their hair.


----------



## rabs77 (Oct 9, 2009)

laurend said:


> To be fair, some shorter hair little girls



OMG, just noticed their t-shirts, I went to a Hermann Gmeiner (SOS) primary school , the girls are so cute!!!!!!!


----------



## gissellr78 (Oct 9, 2009)

msa said:


> Nobody needs a relaxer.


 
Totally agree! i wouldnt relax my daughter


----------



## BroadstreetBully (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm a little confused on Dominican hair practices.

Some of the AA women here experienced thinning and breakage after a while when frequenting Dominican salons because of the heat and the roughness. Why then are Dominican women able to handle the same amount of heat and roughness but maintain long hair? Is it a hairtype issue or what?


----------



## DDTexlaxed (Oct 10, 2009)

I use a modified Dominican blowout. I just use a hot air brush and roller set. I have less damage, now. These ladies have knowledge of the technique and the products to get.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 10, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## Truth (Oct 10, 2009)

One .. my bestfriend is usually between MBL and BSL sometimes she's gets sissor happy and goes APL...... Every now and then she'll let it get to WL... then cut it off.. other then her.. nobody else


----------



## BroadstreetBully (Oct 11, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Well it all depends on who your stylist is and how frequently you're getting this done. We don't know the hair practices at home either. Not all beauticians are made equal.  I think many DRs have a slightly different hair type from many AAs that may stand up better to some of the rougher stylists, but really it's more about who's doing your hair. I'm not sure how many women who are doing this are relaxed vs natural either. If you're relaxed and doing these blowouts, that's a receipe for disaster.
> 
> Check this lady's interview. She has a good philosophy, but I imagine not everybody is like her: http://dominicanhaircare.com/blog/?p=185



I didn't know she had a blog. THANKS!


----------



## Fine 4s (Oct 11, 2009)

beana said:


> Not sure but i think its because some AA and dominican women are similiar in appearance and maybe the latinas were being mistaken for AA's with long hair...um i dunno, but i joined this thread late and i *think* thats what may have happened lol
> 
> I plan on visitng DR very soon, I was supoosed to go to Samana earlier this year but had to cancel my trip. I'm gonna get my lacio lacio straight from the source!


 
I'm sure latinas could get mistaken (using that word very loosely) for AA and vice versa!

Thought my nana was lying when she said she's from there! LOL 
No one I've ever met knows Samana...


----------



## Fine 4s (Oct 11, 2009)

laurend said:


> To be fair, some shorter hair little girls


 
I know we're talking general terms here but I'm tickled pink thinking about this point. Many people in the DR are haitians who have relocated. Know of many with pretty long hair with what folks would assume are latinas.
Be careful! they're everywhere mua ha ha ha ha...ha ha ha ha ha...lol


----------



## sheava (Oct 11, 2009)

I know five people IRL. One is WL and the other four are MBL.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 18, 2009)

Most AA women can't concieve of themselves or any other AA woman growing hair that long or longer without the aid of another race mixed in the genes. So many don't even try. To me it's a matter of mind over matter. Let us not forget the self sabatoging and hair dresser kill joys. If you believe you can you research it. Or at least ask. Like I did. How hard is it to google "Long Hair," and this forum pops up.

Not to mention the naysayers who derail your journey with negativity. I remember years ago excited about Wanakee's system and someone cuts me off by saying she's mixed and her hair just grows long. I gave up, then a few years later I brought the subject up and I was told she had a wig. Again discouraged. It wasn't til March 2008 that I actually believed I could grow my hair long and here I am on my journey to long hair and no one can tell me different. When I told my friends, I was given the side eye and asked why or if I or anyone in my family ever had long hair before.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 18, 2009)

.................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 18, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> I've known so many that *I almost always assume that a woman w/ long hair has her own hair.* Now some weaves are obvious and I can see those, but most I assume it's theirs unless I find ou otherwise. That's what MY experince has been.


 
I think I'm getting more cynical because I think most are all weave or wigs.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 18, 2009)

.......................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 18, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> I'm starting to think it depends on what part of the country you're in. I think I've only known 1 person who's gotten a weave. She didn't even get a long one (neck length), she just wanted to rest her hair.


 
Girl weaves are so popular it doesn't matter what part of the country. Hopefully there are places where weave is not a big deal or unknown. Because someday I hope to live somewhere where I won't be asked if it's real.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 18, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## CurlyMoo (Oct 18, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Well as you say, there's a mentality out there. It's a shame, but what can you do other than grow your own and stank eye "weave checkers"?
> 
> Have you been on the "long hair mentality" thread yet?


 
That mentality came from somewhere. Years of brain washing. I have read through the "long hair mentality" thread. I was undecided but now I know.


----------



## jamaraa (Oct 18, 2009)

..................................


----------



## Likeyouneverseenme (Oct 18, 2009)

Only bi/multi racial women.
No AA.


----------



## tori_mama (Oct 18, 2009)

I know 4.  My lifelong friend had 3b midback hair.  It grows to waist length but she cuts it.  My aunt has had waist length 4b natural hair for years.  She braids it and leaves it alone.  A girl I worked with in ATL had thick beautiful relaxed 4b MBL hair.  I will be the next one


----------



## Kiynwah (Nov 1, 2009)

I knew one girl. Her hair looked natural but was fluffy, silky and gorgeous, definitely waist even butt length. She was not mixed - both parents were AA. Her hair never looked oily or greasy though... which perplexed me. I wonder how she kept it moisturized?  Her mom had SLH (relaxed) and her dad had tight coily 4b. Very inspiring.


----------



## teysmith (Nov 1, 2009)

ZERO!! I dont know any.... wait.. i think i know one. a girl i went to elementary school with.. hair hair touched almost touched her butt back then... now it may be a bit shorter but but its still pretty long..she is, i think, the only person I've ever met with hair that long!! she had a cousin's who's hair was that long too n elementary..but its not that long anymore...maybe about bra strap length now...I'm guessing bad hair care practices...


----------



## SVT (Nov 1, 2009)

laurend said:


> I just started looking at the Chris Rock interview with Oprah and it got me wondering, how many AA women I know with MBL or WL hair.  I could only come up with 2 women and that's a shame.  I'm not counting the ones I know from this board.  Now I can see why, Indian hair is so coveted by women of color.



Not including the internet, I know/knew five. One of those is a relative.


----------



## Starronda (Nov 1, 2009)

One girl, but it was back in high school. Her hair was thick and beautiful mbl, then she went and got a Halle Berryerplexed...So I guess my answer is none.


----------



## inspiration150 (Nov 1, 2009)

1. I hope to be the second getting close though. lol


----------



## babyhurr4 (Nov 1, 2009)

i have met quite a few black women with bra strap and longer hair, long hair runs in our family....so thats about 15 ladies i know right off back alone. Thats including my momma who has midback and sisters who have bl hair. My great great great grandma, lol.....use to sit on her hair it was so long, I was told....and we're all full black.  I've met a lot of people back in high school with long hair! I don't know if they were mixed or not though, some of them looked like they could be.  I've met people I work with, with long hair and in passing.....so its not all too uncommon for me.


----------



## Martine (Nov 1, 2009)

Only 2 - both Creole. I live in Brazil a few months out the year and I know they are not AA, but it is VERY common in Brazil to see black women with VERY long hair. Most are racially mixed with a lot of Native American blood and it's very very common to find black women over there with thigh length hair.

I think with AA, it's a combination of stress and lack of knowledge about hair care and we're not as mixed although being mixed isn't a guarantee that one will have long hair but I think that blacks who have native american ancestry do seem to have long hair like Ananda Lewis.

Also the daughter of Sidney Poitier - Sydney Tamiia Poitier has VERY long beautiful thick butt length hair and also the wife of Deion Sanders - Pilar Sanders has very beautiful long hair. Both ladies are biracial.

And of course some of y'all on here especially Irresistible has "Brazilian girl" long hair.


----------



## Martine (Nov 1, 2009)

A lot of you ladies on this forum have bangin long hair. I really love Irresistible's hair. It's so long, thick and lovely. I work in Brazil a few months a year and even though they are Afro-Brazilian they are still African women like us. Their hair is very very long, thick and beautiful. Most are mixed with Portuguese and native American. Like BostonMaria said it is very common for Afro-latinas to have long hair. It is common for black women in Brazil to have waist, butt and thigh length hair. Some of the African slaves they descended from had long hair. Not all are mixed because I know that being racially mixed is no guarantee of long hair. Some African women have very long hair.

A Creole lady at my church has long WL hair and so do her two daughter. Also a coworker, also Creole, has long WL hair.

When I look through my family album a lot of my older relatives had WL hair. I wonder why so many black women in the past had hair down to their knees and it is difficult for most of us to grow our hair to shoulder length?

This forum is an inspiration to a lot of black women because a lot of you obviously put a lot of work into growing your hair and have a lot of patience and discipline in your regime which I don't really have right now. You all are proof that it is possible for AA women to have long flowing hair too.


----------



## Newtogrow (Nov 1, 2009)

I read up until page 15. Nice Thread. 

I'm sorry to report that I know none.


----------



## ActionActress (Nov 1, 2009)

Anew said:


> I don't know any, and most the women I know don't want, or say they don't want hair that long.


 
They say that because they think they can't do it themselves.  But will Oh and Ah at your hair some one else's hair.


----------



## BostonMaria (Nov 1, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Well as you say, there's a mentality out there. It's a shame, but what can you do other than grow your own and stank eye "weave checkers"?
> 
> Have you been on the "long hair mentality" thread yet?



OOh I'm off to stalk this thread (assuming I can find it)


----------



## ActionActress (Nov 1, 2009)

MondoDismo said:


> Since locs don't count zero (and even then the answer was only 1-waist length btw). Now, if there was a thread about how many balding, traction alopecia having, receding hairline due to braids but still get the braids again anyway *because they like to pretend that my broken edges are baby hair *and press them down with Let's Jam having women I know, I could talk for days.


 

LOL!!!  True Dat but sad.


----------



## winnettag (Nov 1, 2009)

Celestial said:


> I believe it because of genetics and the *evidence all around me. I don't see black women with MBL or WL hair*. If I do they are usually biracial or black women who hair would be considered "good." Dreads isn't the actual length of one's hair.


 
Well, to be fair, most of the black women around you probably aren't trying to grow their hair long like we are.....it doesn't mean that they couldn't if they really tried and wanted to.


----------



## jujubelle (Nov 1, 2009)

I can say about 9. And all are family, I included myself when I was younger (I have Bc'd twice and had breakage, but I am now about 4 in from APL). All except for 3 have cut their hair to about BSL. Maybe it is genetics I dunno. But my family had a real basic KISS attitude towards hair. To style it was rollers. Curling irons and flat irons just became in vogue with them recently, they hate blowdryers saying it gives them headaches...lol. Hair is usually kept up and out of the way unless they are dressing up or something important.  I am the only natural one, they get relaxers prob every 6 weeks. We just basically listen to our hair, moisturize as needed maybe my aunts grease their scalps only when they see flakes or "feel" their hair is dry. Natural treatments like eggs and garlic when needed. I am realizing that rebelling and trying to do so much like my American friends was the pitfall so I have since learned to KISS. I am still learning to keep my hands off my hair and to myself which is why I am trying out weaves.


----------



## blue_flower (Nov 1, 2009)

There's an older  black woman who works at the grocery store who has MBL hair. It looks 3c-4a-ish. She either wears it brushed back with a head band, a bun, or a ponytail. I saw her today and her hair looked smoother and the ends were curled. She doesn't smile and she's not that friendly, so I've never asked about her regimen. But  from the way she wears her hair, it's obvious she keeps it simple.


----------



## Renewed1 (Nov 1, 2009)

My grandmother (100% black) had WL hair a few years ago.  But she is about 90 now, so its really short.


----------



## ActionActress (Nov 2, 2009)

Celestial said:


> What I think has no effect on how often my hair grows. How often my hair grows depends on my genes.


 
I think what Jamaraa means is when you think you can't have long hair.  You psychologicalyl begin to do things to your hair that keep it from reaching its potential.  There are many AA women who don't reach their potential _not_ because of short hair genes but because they may not know how to care for their hair and the _FALSE notion_ that we are stuck at ear, neck and chin length.....because of genes. **game show buzz for incorrect** 


Celestial, I think this forum is enough proof to show the contrary. There are women on here who thought their genes were stoping them only to find out they had to _*CHANGE their thought patterns first*_, then their practices.  It is false that AA women or African women in general are doomed to have the shortest "gene" in the world.(That is an example of  thinking that needs to change)


----------



## hillytmj (Nov 2, 2009)

ActionActress said:


> I think what Jamaraa means is when you think you can't have long hair. You psychologicalyl begin to do things to your hair that keep it from reaching its potential. There are many AA women who don't reach their potential _not_ because of short hair genes but because they may not know how to care for their hair and the _FALSE notion_ that we are stuck at ear, neck and chin length.....because of genes. **game show buzz for incorrect**
> 
> 
> Celestial, *I think this forum is enough proof to show the contrary. There are women on here who thought their genes were stoping them only to find out they had to CHANGE their thought patterns first, then their practices. It is false that AA women or African women in general are doomed to have the shortest "gene" in the world.(That is an example of thinking that needs to change)*


 
ITA...I am living proof that a change in belief really helped me embark on my long hair care journey. As long I falsely believed that non-mixed black women couldn't grow long hair, I never even took the time or effort to really learn about my hair and try to grow it. I'm so happy this forum exists because it really opened my eyes to the various possibilities that we have with our hair.


----------



## ActionActress (Nov 2, 2009)

jujubelle said:


> I can say about 9. And all are family, I included myself when I was younger (I have Bc'd twice and had breakage, but I am now about 4 in from APL). All except for 3 have cut their hair to about BSL. Maybe it is genetics I dunno. But my family had a real basic KISS attitude towards hair. To style it was rollers. Curling irons and flat irons just became in vogue with them recently, they hate blowdryers saying it gives them headaches...lol. Hair is usually kept up and out of the way unless they are dressing up or something important. I am the only natural one, they get relaxers prob every 6 weeks. We just basically listen to our hair, moisturize as needed maybe my aunts grease their scalps only when they see flakes or "feel" their hair is dry. Natural treatments like eggs and garlic when needed. I am realizing that rebelling and trying to do so much like my American friends was the pitfall so I have since learned to KISS. I am still learning to keep my hands off my hair and to myself which is why I am trying out weaves.


 

Jujubelle   I LOVE the quote in your siggy!!  I will use that one.


----------



## southerncitygirl (Nov 2, 2009)

I agree my hair has never been armpit length so who knows how much longer my hair can grow in terms of its terminal length. lack of proper hair care, improper usage of chemicals and crappy products are an issue with the lack of length we see on black women.


----------



## Mz.Shug (Nov 2, 2009)

Besides the women I've seen on here...nada.I promise you, seeing the pics on this site is the only thing that keeps me believeing and trying.


----------



## Mane Event (Nov 2, 2009)

Mz.Shug said:


> Besides the women I've seen on here...nada.I promise you, seeing the pics on this site is the only thing that keeps me believeing and trying.




I'm with ya! Not sure if you're originally from Vegas...but I swear it's a regional thing. We both live in extremely dry climates, so seeing ladies with MBL and beyond just doesn't happen. I had a cousin move from Detroit to Phoenix...she was a healthy BSL but the dry climate has reeked havoc on her strands erplexed

Every time I go to a state with extreme humidity all the women seem to have beautiful hair. I've seriously considered moving


----------



## jamaraa (Nov 2, 2009)

....................................


----------



## jamaraa (Nov 2, 2009)

....................................


----------



## jamaraa (Nov 2, 2009)

....................................


----------



## jamaraa (Nov 2, 2009)

.....................................


----------



## jujubelle (Nov 2, 2009)

ActionActress said:


> Jujubelle   I LOVE the quote in your siggy!!  I will use that one.



sure go ahead!! LOL


----------



## jennboo (Nov 2, 2009)

In elementary/MS there were 2 black girls(full) i knew of with mbl-wl hair...one was relaxed and the other was a pressed natural. Both girls had nice hair but i was always partial to the pressed natural bc her hair was thicker. 

I went to a high school which was probably 50/50  black/hispanic.

There were a good number of black girls with nice/healthy looking relaxed hair...but it wasn't mbl or wl...apl maybe the longest...but the hair would be really nice looking, thick, bouncy, full of body, shiny.  I actually attribute the health and vibrant look to the frequent patronage of dominican hair shops. There were also black girls with chewed-up thin hair, apl or shorter.

The one black girl (full black, not mixed) at my high school who had waist length hair was a natural who pressed.  All the hispanic girls (mostly dominicans) had waist length to butt length hair, all of 'em.

In college, the girls in my immediate circle (3), most had *decent* looking relaxed hair: The hair would be shoulder to apl, not particularly thick, but they didn't have see-through ends.

Grad school...the one black girl (there werent many of us) who had lengthy hair...it was about mid back, but she was also a natural (in the 3b range) who got her hair roller set at some dominican salon in Pa.

Ive moved back to nyc, and i don't see ANY black women with straight mbl to wl hair. All the 'black' women who have hair that long are noticeably mixed OR have locs.

Collectively, it would appear that black women do have the shortest hair. I attribute it to bad hair care practices AND genetics.


----------



## Oasis (Nov 2, 2009)

I think I posted in this thread a while back but I forgot a woman.  Her hair is at least waist but I'd say TBL. It's always in a bun or a long braid.

People are always harping about how she never does anything to her hair and how if they had it they'd be doing all sorts of styles. In all the years I've known her I've seen her hair out once. She's probably high 2 low 3 range.


----------



## Lanea87 (Nov 2, 2009)

I only know 1 person and she doent even try, her hair really grows fast.


----------



## Miss*Tress (Nov 2, 2009)

jamaraa said:


> Places that are more "natural friendly" probably have longer hair on average, w/ both relaxed and natural heads. It may be that if the attitudes on a place are more positive about African hair in its natural state, all BW benefit.


Very perceptive.


----------



## AsianAfricanPrincess (Nov 3, 2009)

Most of the African-American women I know are anywhere between shoulder length and APL...with a majority being closer to APL.  I only know a few with MBL or WL hair and most of them are from my salon.  


I've heard from this forum that in other US cities, the numbers can be skewed very differently, depending on where you are, etc.


----------



## Pooks (Nov 3, 2009)

I know of one, and her hair seems to have thrived because of what she calls laziness (very very low-manipulation) - she stays in protective styles like twists/plaits/canerows and washes once every 3 months, sometimes longer.

In general, the reason black women 'can't grow long hair' (as perceived by the majority of society) is simply because most of us just DON'T KNOW HOW, or if we are exposed to someone who has healthy hair habits, lots just CAN'T BE BOTHERED when its so much easier to use extensions/weave/relax/constantly heat straighten/whatever.

There's only a small minority, mostly those who populate hair boards, who are interested in putting in the dedication and care that black hair generally needs to grow and thrive healthily.


----------



## jamaraa (Nov 3, 2009)

....................................


----------



## Pooks (Nov 3, 2009)

^^ True.  In my personal experience women my age want long hair but can't be bothered, its probably different because I'm pretty exclusively around other 4a-4b naturals who like me are pretty conservative as regards hair (aren't interested in cuts/colour, etc.)


----------



## Lovestyr (Nov 10, 2009)

I know two women who are MBL. However, they are very older women so perhaps with age comes long hair idk.....


----------



## addaboutmyhair (Nov 10, 2009)

Not including LHCF? 1. And she's mixed, 2b hair. Yes she's black, but I never really felt like I had hope until I saw the brown, 4b long haired sisters on this site.


----------



## Embyra (Nov 13, 2009)

none at all....


----------



## sweetwhispers (Nov 13, 2009)

I don't even know anyone who is APL


----------



## beans4reezy (Nov 13, 2009)

I was working at a trade show in Chicago in October and I actually thought about this thread. So for the three days of the show, I counted the number and WL women (these shows are so boring, you need to find something interesting to do). I saw 4 WL'ers- all non-black.


----------



## CurlyMoo (Dec 2, 2009)

Still haven't seen any. Maybe others have.


----------



## BlackMasterPiece (Dec 2, 2009)

Besides my two cousins who are just those types that dont have to try......I do see ladies with APL or longer hair in NYC, pretty often, we have some really good salons if you know where to go and most of the ladies with hair like that rely on a good salon to get their results.

We'd see much more of this if sista's just knew how to become DIYers.


----------



## candy626 (Feb 25, 2012)

Outside of my family, I only have met a handful. Within my family, it seems like many can reach bsl-mbl. A couple have reached waist length or below. Most women in my family cut their hair when they get to be in their late 20's though.


----------



## pink219 (Feb 25, 2012)

IRL none at all:-(


----------



## Meritamen (Feb 25, 2012)

I only met a handful of women who are AA and have long MBL and beyond hair, everyone else is around SL to APL. A lucky few are BSL... anything beyond that seems to be rare in real life.


----------



## CrissieD (Feb 26, 2012)

I know a few black women with APL-BSL hair.  I don't know many women with MBL and longer regardless of race.


----------



## Seamonster (Feb 26, 2012)

Wow, I just had a meet up for naturals and those interested in going natural. Two waist length 4b/c children came. 1 MBL 4a child was there. Of the adults 3 4a MBL, and 1 3b showed up. The trick with naturals is we have to tell you how long our hair is; the WL looked SL unstretched. There were just 21 of us at the meeting. I see a lot of MBL to WL naturals at the braid shop too, they like to protective style 100% for fashion, but they oil their scalps and use braid sprays.


----------



## MystiqueBabe (Feb 26, 2012)

laurend said:


> I just started looking at the Chris Rock interview with Oprah and it got me wondering, how many AA women I know with MBL or WL hair.  I could only come up with 2 women and that's a shame.  I'm not counting the ones I know from this board.  Now I can see why, Indian hair is so coveted by women of color.



None. Zip. Zero. Zlich. 

Most say they don't want long hair because you can't do anything with it and they have short hair by choice(not always exactly true). Yet they were impressed with the length of my hair when I got a virgin relaxer it was bslIt's a shame really. If majority of BW would take the time to learn and take care of their hair the situation would get better.


----------



## swirl (Feb 26, 2012)

Other than myself...none


----------



## kupenda (Feb 26, 2012)

Lebiya said:
			
		

> I don't know any, but most black women I know don't even know what a moisturizer is. They can show me the best hair glue though, nothing more. Black women do not practice proper hair care, that is probably (or mainly) why we don't see too many MBL -WSL hair sistas.



Exactly what I was gonna say

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF


----------



## snillohsss (Feb 26, 2012)

I know quite a few biracial women that are MBL, but I don't know any full AA women that are MBL.   I don't know anyone that is waist length.  Oh wait... my aunt is waist length. (but she is biracial...)


----------



## MaraWithLove (Feb 26, 2012)

Know? None haha. Unless you count my great-grandmother who passed many moons ago. I've seen at least three around campus though-I see so much natural hair porn on a regular basis, my school is pretty much overflowing with it!  My belly dance instructor has beautiful wavy-curly hair about to her knees (time for her 6-inch cut she says) but she's not AA.


----------



## FoxxyLocs (Feb 26, 2012)

Just myself. I went to middle school with a girl who was WL, but she wears her hair much shorter now. Also someone I know from HS was MBL, but she has also cut.


----------



## runwaydream (Feb 26, 2012)

even though my hair appears shorter bc its now loc'd. im technically MBL. other than me though, idk any other black women irl w. hair that long.


----------



## Americka (Feb 26, 2012)

I know three women who are mbl or wl. All three of them have 3a/b/c hair types.


----------



## AfrikanRose (Feb 26, 2012)

One relaxed MBL, and she is a 4a. No natural AA women that are MBL or longer.


----------



## Dove56 (Feb 26, 2012)

On my mom's side of the family most all of my cousins, aunts (and great-aunts and *uncles*) either have or have had waist-length hair. My mom's was waist-length for years and so was my sisters. I was for many years now I am BSL (growing BACK to WL). Most of my mom's family are 2's though. My mom is a 4a/3c but her sis was a 2A. My sis and I are 3b/c. Wavy hair is the most common hair type in her family.

Besides my family and some of DH's family I don't know to many...


----------



## MissDarcei (Feb 26, 2012)

Well I dont know any "African Americans" because I'm Canadian and the majority of black people in Canada are from the Caribbean but nonetheless, I only know one girl with WL hair. She's my best friend and I did a post about her a few months ago. Most of the black girls I know wear weaves and wigs and when they show their real hair is short and broken. Ive seen some with hair in good shape but it's mostly the type 3s who have healthy hair and its not MBL or WL thats for sure.


----------



## Evolving78 (Feb 26, 2012)

both of my SILs, 5 of my friends, and a 2 of my mother's friend, a few others, here and there.  all of these women are MBL.  i hope to be part of the LONGHAIRDON'TCARE Team this year and beyond!


----------



## Kurlee (Feb 26, 2012)

2 . . . ..


----------



## greenbees (Feb 26, 2012)

Presently, I don't know any AA women personally who have MBL+ hair.

In high school, I knew this AA girl who was natural with MBL length hair. She later relaxed it and cut it to APL. Last time I saw her, she was still relaxed and she cut her hair up to her chin. 

I also have a biracial cousin who had MBL hair when we back in middle school. Her hair is relaxed and APL now.

That's it.


----------



## cheryl26 (Feb 26, 2012)

I don't have any AA friends in real life but have two acquaintances on Facebook. One has very thick, healthy looking should length hair and the others is very short, maybe neck length and choppy


----------



## LisaMar (Feb 26, 2012)

I know at least 5 women.   They are all tex-laxed.  They relax 2-4 times a year only, don't abuse heat and protective style a lot even though they don't know anything about the hair forums.  They were raised and grew up using healthy hair practices for the most part.


----------



## SoopremeBeing (Feb 26, 2012)

My coworker, Briana, she's grazing WL. I really haven't questioned her about her hair, we are cool but we aren't BFFs yet. Everytime we work together, I am GAWKING at her hair. It's thick and healthy, it doesn't look like she relaxes either. Next time I work with her, I'll try to work in a hair topic so I can find out.


----------



## sylver2 (Feb 26, 2012)

i know i posted in this thread but didn't feel like searchin for what i said..but most of the black women i know irl with past mbl hair all have type 3 or type 3 mixed with 4 hair. about 3-5 of them.


----------



## sylver2 (Feb 26, 2012)

sylver2 said:


> the ones i know all have type 3 hair.



haha..yeh i said the same thing.  3 years later and my answer is still the same. im not counting any of the ladies i know from the hair boards.


----------



## lovebug10 (Feb 27, 2012)

A few APL, maybe 1 or 2 BSL  but no MBL and longer...


----------



## GIJane (Feb 27, 2012)

I know of 2. My god-grandmother and god-aunt.  I consider them AA but their hair texture would be more like 2b or 3a.


----------



## cocosweet (Feb 27, 2012)

Right now, just me. About 10 years ago a favorite cousin had MBL relaxed hair but she ran into breakage issues and cut back to APL and has been keeping it there ever since. Back in high school, a classmate had full WL I recall drooling over.


----------



## thecurlycamshow (Feb 27, 2012)

I know of 4 and they all say it's too much hair lol.  Two keep their hair in protective styles, mainly twists, and the other two wear their hair out all the time.


----------



## SmileyNY (Feb 27, 2012)

Right now, 2, besides myself. A friend, who's always had gorgeous long 3a hair w/o trying & a friend of a friend, who has a strict reggie and decided to grow her hair out as an adult. 

My little sister used to have HL hair growing up, but she started getting perms as a teen & it broke off to neck length. However, I'm happy to say she's decided to go natural & has been transitioning for 3 months now!! I can't wait to see her gorgeous natural hair again 

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF


----------



## NJoy (Feb 27, 2012)

I grew up with a friend who cut her hair short about 4 yrs ago. I don't know if she did it to go natural and now has grown it back or if she just wanted a change. My cousin also grew hers to MBL but cut it short too. 

So as far as I know, right now, I don't know anybody else.


----------



## janeemat (Feb 27, 2012)

I can think of 4 people that I grew up with. 2 of them are my cousins and they are sisters. All of these ladies had thick wavy hair wearing a thick plait down the back. It is what we called "good hair"....and it was. I guess looking back it was 3 c type. I have not seen any of these ladies in awhile, so I am not sure what their adult hair looks like. I do know my cousins mom hair is still long silky black hair and she is around 70 years old. Looks like indian hair.  Oh and as far as seeing grown women now with that length of hair is few and far in my neck of the woods.  I can think of only one at the moment.


----------



## BlueNile (Feb 27, 2012)

NuBraveHeart said:


> i have seen one a bit past MBL walking through my neighborhood target. i secretly stalked her through the aisles for about 20 minutes to catch every angle of it. it wasn't shiny or stunningly beautiful or anything, but the length had me mesmerized.
> 
> 
> 
> i never thought about it this way.  this disqualifies many women i've seen in my life time.



This is hilarious. I have a vision of you skulking behind stuff and peeking through shelves and around corners, lol


----------



## lilyofthenile (Feb 27, 2012)

I know this is geared towards AA's but the same can be said for the UK. I have a friend and she is the only black person I have ever seen with WL hair.


----------



## Britt (Feb 27, 2012)

I know and have seen several AA w/ bra strap and mbl hair. I don't see soo much waist length. Growing up I've seen plenty black women with at least bra strap and longer hair that is thick and healthy. I also use to see it a lot in the Dominican salons. I feel like when I was younger I use to see a lot more black women with long and healthy hair. I see a lot more weaves and lacefronts now. A friend of mine is 47 years old w/ thick relaxed mbl hair. She has the hair of the young person, as you age I see a lot of women's hair begins to thin out some... not hers 

Maybe with the surge in black women going natural, stretching relaxers, and using better quality products we'll begin to see a lot more healthy heads of hair.


----------



## Ms. Martina (Feb 27, 2012)

Most women in my family have long thick hair. It's always been that way. We all looked like Ashley Banks growing up lol. And there are thousands of us since I have a hugeeee family. There's lots of hair "idols" at the reunions too lol. So, long hair is normal or even expected in my family. But pretty much outside of that I rarely see real MBL-WL hair in my city. There are a lot more people going natural these days, so I see a lot of short afros. You know how crazy shrinkage is, so some of them could be MBL but just have some shrinkage...idk. Other that that, no. Long weave is what I see around here. I also don't think most people want WL hair. For most, that would be too much to handle. Especially if you have thick strands and lots of hair like me. I've been thinking about going to WL, but I might just stop at MBL and trim to maintain that length.


----------



## Spiffy (Feb 27, 2012)

I know of two, one who could be Chime/Haircrush's hair twin. Both girls have family members who are hairstylists that care for their hair.


----------



## koolkittychick (Feb 28, 2012)

BellaLunie said:


> I'm 100% Haitian and most Haitian women I know are only APL, BSL. I don't know any AA or Haitian with MBL OR WL. Right now I'm between SL and APL due to bad hair practices. Before joining I would relax from root to tip  how could I be so stupid?
> 
> ETA: what does being Brazilian, Haitian or Ethiopian have to do with anything? Pardon my ignorance



The assumption is that women from those regions have more of a racial mix in their background, and therefore can grow longer than average hair. That being said, I am Haitian-American, and none of the women in my family have/had hair past APL (despite having a Dominican and French grandpaent from both sides of my family), which is probably why I struggle to get there in the back and go beyond it in the front. 

In answer to the question, I knew several in grade school (only one was not obviously racially mixed, and she was Haitian) and only one now; she is Jamaican, and her hair started growing like a weed when she became pregnant with her daughter (it was shoulder length before that).


----------



## greenbees (Feb 28, 2012)

I remembered two more people. Another cousin of mine (biracial-AA mom, Indian father) who had tailbone length natural hair at one point. Her hair is waist length now.

I also know an AA girl (who is my stepmom's soror's daughter) with MBL relaxed hair.


----------



## leleepop (Mar 1, 2012)

I know 3 more from the top of my head, and also people I dont know, ppl from childhood I didnt even include.  I originrally posted 7 so thats 10. I read this thread and now I think in my area(Houston,TX/Southeast Texas) that MBL or longer  hair is a little more common than some other places in America the ladies are from. I will soon be added to the list because I myself am approaching MBL.


----------



## remnant (Mar 1, 2012)

In RL I know 3 women, one is my cousin (not here in France, in my country Cameroon) .
Edited: My bad I'm not AA nor those women ....sowry


----------



## aa9746 (Mar 1, 2012)

aa9746 said:


> I knew two but one cut her hair to shoulder length this summer. So now I only know one.


Forgot about this thread. I can add me now


----------



## PinkPeony (Mar 1, 2012)

Absolutely none.


----------



## allmundjoi (Mar 1, 2012)

3 good friends, 3 colleagues, 3 cousins.


----------



## WhippedButterCreme (Mar 2, 2012)

Midback and waist are super long!! Lol I honestly think bsl could have been included since that length is still 'long' for the majority of other races lol. Also then I could say my lot of cousins on my mom's half of the fambam have bsl length.

But with midback my grandmother's sister, a girl from high school and a girl who I always talk to in the salon. Her dad's half Japanese though.


----------



## danysedai (Mar 2, 2012)

remnant said:


> In RL I know 3 women, one is my cousin (not here in France, in my country Cameroon) .
> *Edited: My bad I'm not AA nor those women ....sowry*



I think maybe they mean just black women, not specifically AA.


----------



## danysedai (Mar 3, 2012)

Here in my city, Mwedzi who's a member here, BSL natural, nobody else that I know, everyone wears weaves,wigs or extensions, or short chewed damaged relaxed hair.
My sister in Cuba is BSL natural unstretched, about WSL flat ironed. My other sister is relaxed MBL.I'm close to BSL relaxed.
But well you said AA and we're not.


----------



## dyh080 (May 24, 2012)

Growing up one of my sisters had barely shoulder length hair and it was considered long.
I had mostly neck length and our other sister had ear length. The shoulder length sister would sometimes make fun of us  for having shorter hair.

To this day my shoulder length sister gets nervous whenever I let my hair get longer.

I have a cousin who went natural approximately 4 years ago who has bra strap length hair. Can't recall any black women that currently have longer hair.


----------



## Embyra (May 24, 2012)

0


----------



## YasashiiSekai (May 24, 2012)

I know two technically.
One was mid back, but recently cut her hair back to armpit. 
The other, my mother, made me cut her hair down to her shoulders. She was hip length. I cried for her a little when I did it, but she wanted a change.


----------



## NaiyaAi (May 24, 2012)

None. At all. =(


----------



## lamaria211 (May 24, 2012)

I no one


----------



## NappyNelle (May 24, 2012)

I only knew one that was BSB; she was a press & curl natural.

The only AA women that I know are MBL+ are on here, other hair forums, youtube, and tumblr. Hopefully, I will make it soon.


----------



## greenandchic (May 24, 2012)

None.............


----------



## curlycrown85 (May 24, 2012)

No one personally. But I see a lot on here, in other forums, blogs, and Youtube videos. I'll probably be the first one I know.


----------



## GloriousPraise (May 25, 2012)

About 7-8
•	One cousin - waistlength.  She's been waistlength since she was very young.  She wore her hair natural for years (braids/twist/flat twists), but switched to a relaxer a few years back, and it hasn't seemed to slow her growth at all.  

•	One aunt - waistlength.  She is currently relaxed, but for decades was strictly ole school “press and curl".  I know she used to consistently use Royal Crown (hair grease).  

•	Two co-workers - midback.  One in locs and the other relaxed.  The relaxed head is very serious about hair care - VERY (limited heat, good products, protective styles)

•	Two ladies at church - one midback and the other waistlength.  I don't know what their hair regimes are.  But on Sundays they seem to be rockin' rollersets.  During midweek services, they are usually in the same rollersets or ponytails.  

•	A friend of mine - midback.  She has locs that hang at about brastrap, but I'm guessing that if her hair was ever full stretched or straightened she'd be at least mid-back.

•	This one may not count, because I lost contact with her.  But there was a hairstylist who was natural (she wore her hair flat ironed most of the time).   Her hair was MB.  At the time I was relaxed with a short, sexy, pixie ‘do.  Her hair was long and healthy, but her hairstyles were always basic and plain Jane (aka protective styles), so I wasn’t trying to keep up with her, or get to know her regime…but oh my, how I wish I had her contact information now.


----------



## Nix08 (May 25, 2012)

One...........


----------



## caliscurls (May 25, 2012)

An aunt who passed many years ago. She had thick silver hair that she'd wear in one luscious braid going down her back.


----------



## MrsJaiDiva (May 25, 2012)

Me, but that was when I was a child and in braids.  I let bald headed b1tches peer pressure me into cutting my hair in Jr High, and never got it to grow past APL.  

My Mom & Sister had WL, and TBL Dreads.  My sister would get annoyed, because she'd always be sitting on her hair.  She recently chopped them to SL, and my Mom cut off her dreads and has a TWA that she loves.  

I have two Hatian girlfriends that could probably grow it down to the floor if they felt like it....every time they cut their hair I want to punch them in the face! *sucks teeth*


----------



## Hairlosophy (May 25, 2012)

Other than here on LHCF?  Zero.


----------



## NikkiQ (May 25, 2012)

Only one. My cousin's wife and her WHip length hair was GORGEOUS...until she had her son and just did not take care of it at all afterwards  tragic.


----------



## itismehmmkay (May 25, 2012)

dyh080 said:


> Growing up one of my sisters had barely shoulder length hair and it was considered long.
> I had mostly neck length and our other sister had ear length. The shoulder length sister would sometimes make fun of us  for having shorter hair.
> 
> *To this day my shoulder length sister gets nervous whenever I let my hair get longer.*
> ...








______________


----------



## lovebug10 (May 25, 2012)

Just one... hopefully I can include myself in the near future and say 2!


----------



## beans4reezy (May 25, 2012)

Just one.  A sitter that watched my sons once.  Girl had WL thick hair. I wanted to ask about her reggie..but it really wasn't the time for all of that, LOL.


----------



## Mahsiah (Oct 18, 2013)

Just me. 

The longest length they usually have is BSL.


----------



## naija24 (Oct 18, 2013)

i know two. One is mixed and has like 3c hair. Her hair is maybe MBL. The other is a close friend of mine. She had beautiful WL hair but it was so thick and tangled so badly that she finally said no to the SSKs can cut it to APL.


----------



## Stormy (Oct 18, 2013)

I know 1 who works in our office suite. I think she may be type 3b or 3c and may be mixed. Back in high school I knew another one. She was part Indian though. Oh well... I know there are others out there. I've seen some out and about in stores with WL or MBL dreds. 

I have a lot of friends and former coworkers with APL and BSL though. Strange how that is, because it seems like from BSL you'd only have a few more inches to go for MBL at least. A lot of AA women probably just don't wanna deal with all of that hair though. I know I don't.


----------



## DarkJoy (Oct 18, 2013)

I've known one for years. SHe's natual low density Type 3 WL. Just wears it in ponys or buns. The natural color is sandy brown. I've always been jealous of her hair!

Also knew one super dense, course stranded BSL Type 3c prety much identical to Naptural85. SHe shingled the mess out that hair to and was always bragging about it. Yes, I was jelly of her too!


----------



## RegaLady (Oct 18, 2013)

A handful.

Most are people in my family and inlaws. 

I know a couple MBL WL women who are locked up.


----------



## SunRai Naturals (Oct 18, 2013)

Zero that are waist length. MBL length I can count on one hand. For hair like mine 4b/c--ZERO for either length outside of the internet except for myself (I'm inching past MBL and approaching waist).

ETA: I'm not including those that I know with locs in the above statement only those with loose hair.


----------



## ElevatedEnergy (Oct 18, 2013)

I know many...my hair stylist, 2 of my sisters, handful of friends etc. Shoooot, I've been there myself so I know it's possible.

Some are relaxed, some are natural. All have amazing hair.

Edited to add: Growing up, my sisters and I were taught how to take care of our hair really well and my grandmother was super old school and hated for us to cut it. None of us had relaxers...back then it was just considered a press and curl. I was almost stoned when I cut my hair and relaxed it as an adult. lol


----------



## lovemyhair247 (Oct 18, 2013)

My younger cousin is MBL relaxed and one of my close friends is APL curly and WL straight-she's natural. I know way more black women who are in between APL and BSL though.


----------



## hnntrr (Oct 18, 2013)

My mother is just past APL and my sister is MBL, both have been natural for 3 and 2 years respectively. They are on 24/7 wig regimens. We are all black women.


----------



## PinkSunshine77 (Jan 29, 2014)

I don't know one AA woman IRL with hair longer than SL.


----------



## Rnjones (Jan 29, 2014)

Let's see. I know 3. My mom, coworker, and this other chick.  I think that's it.  

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF


----------



## Lia3257 (Jan 29, 2014)

Not many at all. Of the AA friends I have, my hair is the longest.


----------



## Saludable84 (Jan 29, 2014)

The only one I know is mixed so does she really count? Otherwise, just black, I'm the longest person I actually know.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF


----------



## Prettymetty (Jan 29, 2014)

Not a single one


----------



## cravoecanela (Jan 29, 2014)

Hmm.. there's a girl in one of my classes that has 3b hair that i'm pretty sure is waist length if stretched. My grandmother and mother used to have waist length hair when they were younger but lost it when they came to america and put a jherri curl/perm in it.


----------



## AgeinATL (Jan 29, 2014)

Two of my sisters (one is WL stretched, one is MBL stretched, both natural), me (WL, transitioning), an old co-worker of mine had HL hair (relaxed), a friend of mind has WL Locs. That's about it.


----------



## NowIAmNappy (Jan 29, 2014)

Me, my sister, my bestie from high school, a friend at my church.. all of us are natural


----------



## Beamodel (Jan 29, 2014)

Three women at my job including myself. We are all relaxed.


----------



## Rnjones (Jan 29, 2014)

Beamodel said:


> Three women at my job including myself. We are all relaxed.


Are they on an active hair journey like us soldiers?  Do yall talk hair?

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using LHCF


----------



## Beamodel (Jan 29, 2014)

Rnjones said:


> Are they on an active hair journey like us soldiers?  Do yall talk hair?  Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using LHCF



No, just me. I will say this though. Both of them kept their hair in a pony tail hanging. They have real thick beautiful long relaxed hair.


----------



## EnExitStageLeft (Jan 29, 2014)

I have a coworker with healthy BSL hair (Recently relaxed...her hair is to die for). 

Most of the women on my fathers side of the family have long hair. I have a cousin whom is color treated and her hair is still MBL and gorgeous (She's natural). 

I'm MBL, so thats three. Not including me, only 2. 

TBH, I don't think alot of women care about length. My mom has grown her hair to APL thrice in a year in a half and still cuts it back to SL or CBL. She loves short hair. 

I think the health is what a lot of them want.


----------



## sylver2 (Jan 29, 2014)

sylver2 said:


> the ones i know all have type 3 hair.



I answered this 4 years ago and my answer is still the same. all the mbl or longer ladies i see have some 3 type in their hair.
i never see pure type 4 (no 3 anything) mbl or longer  we are rare


----------



## sherrimberri (Jan 29, 2014)

I answered this a few years ago too and my answer has changed to 3. Myself included and all of us are type 4 natural.


----------



## ManeStreet (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm waist length. I'm black not mixed. There's a co-worker of mine who's mbl. I knew 2 women at my church who were waist length/tailbone length. All of them are black.


----------



## DoDo (Jan 30, 2014)

One. She has a looser texture and flat irons every two weeks.

My best friend could have easily grown her loose hair to waist length because she had really healthy hair practices.

But she has INCREDIBLY thick hair so it was just way too much of a chore for her to do in its loose state. So, she switched to locs and is now bsl.

My former supervisor has locs and they are whip length.

My former co-worker is relaxed and bsl.


----------



## rawsilk (Jan 30, 2014)

It varies by age -- very rarely see anyone over 30 with long healthy hair.  

I do see younger (teens and 20s) girls at MBL who have presumably been covering with weaves and take their hair out every once and a while. Their hair looks fairly healthy but sometimes dry and in need of a trim to BSL - nothing awe inspiring. *(I wish that young AA girls knew just how easy it is to grow their hair at that stage in life.  If they did, they would double down on the hair care and leave the weaves and direct heat alone.)*

One of the few times that I saw a woman over 30 with WL hair, I stopped her and got stylist info.  She said that she was natural and flat ironed (hard w/ a lot of heat) every two weeks faithfully and that doing so over several years had greatly improved the health and length of her hair.  I went to her stylist once and loved the sleekness and swing but concluded (after smelling my hair) that it was way too much heat for me.

I had an aunt (not on "mixed" side of fam) who had WHIP hair well into her 60s. She was relaxed and roller set faithfully (taught me how), never used ANY direct heat at all and was extremely conscientious (okay, obsessive) about hair care. She once made her husband drive her all over town in a blizzard looking for a particular conditioner. 

I saw a 30+ woman at Whole Foods one time who had natural WHIP hair in two air-dried looking braids.  It looked thick and she was a darker skinned woman but something told me she was mixed. She was also a raw-foodist. (Come on, you KNOW I asked. LOL)

I remember running into an ex boyfriend's older sister (she might have been in her 50s and I hadn't seen her since she was around 40) and her hair was WL.  Whereas her 3(b)-(c) ish looking hair had always been a wild, straggly  mess that never went beyond CBL, it was now sleek and healthy and beautiful all the way to the ends. I saw her in the salon and noticed that it was curly wavy when wet (so no apparent relaxer - maybe tex-lax?) and after she had it set on huge black rollers, it was completely straight.  Maybe she just got hip to roller setting. I also noticed that she seemed to have become a little compulsive/picky -- telling the stylist not to use a certain product, etc. 

Bottom line -- it is rare.  Even when you see groups of Ethiopian women who typically have gorgeous thick shinny hair, it is rarely MBL or WL.  The only people I see regularly with hair past MBL who have hair that remotely resembles AA are Dominicans and I know for a fact that* a lot *of the things that the stylists do to AA hair (e.g., extreme high heat blow out on _relaxed _hair!), they don't do to their own. On the other hand, to be fair, Dominican products, detangling techniques and re-introduction of roller sets are probably responsible for a lot of increased length by AA women.

One thing that WL women seem to have in common (other than a lot of roller setting), IMO, is that they are quietly passionate about their hair -- they don't go around preaching and reprimanding, but if you watch and observe the way that they care for their own hair -- it is obvious that it commands a lot of their time, energy and focus.


----------



## reeko43 (Jan 30, 2014)

Every woman on the train today who appeared under the age of 30 had WL hair.


----------



## Brwnbeauti (Jan 30, 2014)

Every student that I've had whose mother is a beautician has had WL hair. About ten. Currently I have a cousin, one student, and an associate who have WL hair. All these ladies are relaxed and AA.


----------



## LovelyRo (Jan 30, 2014)

I probably already answered here but, I know about 2/3 people that are either MBL or WL... IRL! My step mother used to be BSL but she's been APL the last few years!


----------



## CenteredGirl (Jan 30, 2014)

I know of no one.


----------



## MileHighDiva (Jan 30, 2014)

rawsilk said:


> It varies by age -- very rarely see anyone over 30 with long healthy hair.
> 
> Bottom line -- it is rare.  Even when you see groups of Ethiopian women who typically have gorgeous thick shinny hair, it is rarely MBL or WL.  The only people I see regularly with hair past MBL who have hair that remotely resembles AA are Dominicans and I know for a fact that* a lot *of the things that the stylists do to AA hair (e.g., extreme high heat blow out on _relaxed _hair!), they don't do to their own. On the other hand, to be fair, Dominican products, *detangling techniques* and re-introduction of roller sets are probably responsible for a lot of increased length by AA women.
> 
> One thing that WL women seem to have in common (other than a lot of roller setting), IMO, is that they are quietly passionate about their hair -- they don't go around preaching and reprimanding, but if you watch and observe the way that they care for their own hair -- it is obvious that it commands a lot of their time, energy and focus.



rawsilk  What are Dominican detangling techniques?


----------



## rawsilk (Jan 30, 2014)

Meaning, detangling the very ends first and moving  UP  slowly and methodically towards the root, as opposed to raking from the root in one swoop, catching a bunch of hair in the comb and throwing it away.  I can remember when the latter was par for the course in AA beauty salons. It wasn't until people started going to the Dominican Salons in droves that AA stylists started being gentler with hair as standard practice.  (Not saying that there weren't exceptions.)  





MileHighDiva said:


> @rawsilk What are Dominican detangling techniques?


----------



## biancaelyse (Jan 30, 2014)

Mainly family. All 3 of us in my house.  All nieces except one that cut her hair recently and too many cousins to name.


----------



## rawsilk (Jan 30, 2014)

Exactly.  But I can remember a time, before asymmetrical and other short cuts became the lure of salons, that AA women over 30 had A LOT more hair. Might not have been common place to see women with MBL or WL but their hair didn't look puny and while some wore wigs - ala Diana - most of the women I saw growing up had AT LEAST SL or APL. I wonder if it was because they were doing their own hair -- something in water? stress? I dunno.


reeko43 said:


> Every woman on the train today who appeared under the age of 30 had WL hair.


----------



## koolkittychick (Jan 30, 2014)

Besides myself, only one other woman, who is Jamaican-American. Her hair is relaxed and grazing WL (I am Haitian-American, MBL and relaxed). We are both over 40. When I was younger, I knew many girls of Caribbean descent, all of varying racial mixtures but still identified as black, who had hair that was BSL or longer. Today, the only other women of color I know with hair BSL or longer are Dominican, and in my part of the country, they do not consider themselves black. I know of no AA women with American ancestry who has hair that is BSL or longer.


----------



## ManeStreet (Jan 30, 2014)

MileHighDiva said:


> rawsilk  What are Dominican detangling techniques?



From my experience they are horrible at detangling. I can only base that off the 5+ Dominican salons I went in maryland. However, when I had my hair done in D.R. & she was very gentle.


----------



## serene (Jan 30, 2014)

Myself and two of my girlfriends.  We are all natural, but only one of us wears her hair straightened primarily.


----------



## reeko43 (Jan 30, 2014)

rawsilk said:


> Exactly.  But I can remember a time, before asymmetrical and other short cuts became the lure of salons, that AA women over 30 had A LOT more hair. Might not have been common place to see women with MBL or WL but their hair didn't look puny and while some wore wigs - ala Diana - most of the women I saw growing up had AT LEAST SL or APL. I wonder if it was because they were doing their own hair -- something in water? stress? I dunno.



I was being facetious. They all had poorly executed waist length wigs!


----------



## naturalmanenyc (Jan 30, 2014)

A few including my former hairstylist, a close friend (natural) and my BFF before she cut her hair.


----------



## divachyk (Jan 31, 2014)

Self. Otherwise, none. However, most seem content with their current length.


----------



## rawsilk (Jan 31, 2014)

LOL -- for a second, I thought you might be joking. That's hilarious.





reeko43 said:


> I was being facetious. They all had poorly executed waist length wigs!


----------



## rawsilk (Jan 31, 2014)

Before I resigned myself to handling any and all hair care myself, I had started to notice that some of the newer ones, especially outside of NYC, were sort of careless.  But the good ones are really good at gentle hair care -- until they nuke your roots w/ the roundbrush and blow dryer! 





ManeStreet said:


> From my experience they are horrible at detangling. I can only base that off the 5+ Dominican salons I went in maryland. However, when I had my hair done in D.R. & she was very gentle.


----------



## Harina (Jan 31, 2014)

I don't see women in general with waist length hair at all. Maybe it's just where I'm at. Or maybe I just don't notice.


----------



## icsonia22 (Sep 10, 2020)

It would be interesting to see how the answers have changed now in 2020. I don't know that many AA IRL with MBL or longer hair (my cousin before pp shedding. Most of my hair is at BSL and I'm a fined hair 4b natural) but i can 100% attribute it to bad hair care practices. Many of my family members care more about preserving a style than growing their hair long. They don't practice gentle detangling and don't moisturize properly. There are so many type 4 naturals (even some relaxed heads but idk their hair type) on youtube with MBL hair or longer and i think that its possible for all black women. Some people just don't feel like putting in all of the work though


----------



## kxlot79 (Sep 11, 2020)

In real life, I don’t know any besides myself, unless they are loc’d, biracial, or mixed race.
It seems the older I get, the shorter Black women’s hair gets. I read another post about how “lifestyle length” changes a Black woman’s perspective on how much hair she wants to grow, as she ages and her priorities change.
Reading that lowkey seemed a little sad to me. Lots of women shorten their hair after wifehood, motherhood, &/or increased work responsibilities... but it seems Black women are a lot more susceptible to short lengths than any other race of women.
At the end of the day, I’m content when a Black woman _chooses_ short hair. But for me, the most time consuming aspect of my haircare is styling and as long as I keep that mostly simple, I’m gravy. #LongHairForLife


----------



## LivingInPeace (Sep 11, 2020)

Off the top of my head, I only know one African American woman with MBL hair. And she's a 3b.


----------



## Lylddlebit (Sep 11, 2020)

I still don't see a lot of African  American  women with real,  loose, long hair  that is styled well on a regularly basis.  Now, I  do know a lot of women who have grown their hair out and  their hair is much healthier at their current stage of length than what used to be the norm.  However, visible African American MBL+  is still  one of those areas that isn't in the majority. Many women have lovely, healthy hair but you never/rarely see their actual hair looking as good as it could because they are hard core healthy hair over style.  Some women have gorgeous hair under wigs and weaves but for one reason or another the wigs and weaves is the style you see most often.  So I would say there are 2 reasons I still don't see AA MBL+ that much 1) Many who have it don't rock it out on a regular basis and   2) Many women have achieved growing their hair out at their desired length and once they do they are more apt to keep it at the length and health that fits their personal style rather than long hair for the sake of long hair.  I do know for sure more women have MBL+ than what was popular back in the Aaliyah days but  consistently seeing  AA MBL+, fly hair on the regular that isn't a wig or weave is still in the minority.


----------



## Beachy (Sep 11, 2020)

@Lylddlebit 


I agree with a lot of what you said as I have to use myself as a reference. I am honestly not sure if you asked anyone outside of my close family how long my hair was if they would put me in that category. And I have even had a person at work (a black male) reference my hair as short, not in a derogatory way at all. People usually assume the bun on my head is fake and I am not that person that wears their hair out. I may straighten my hair 1x a year and when I go to work I purposefully wrap it and wear a scarf or turban. I don’t want the attention because I know someone will eventually say something insensitive, rude, or stereotypical and that will lead to nothing good, so I don’t give them the opportunity.

In regards to personal style and lifestyle length I don’t think we should automatically think that means shorter. I believe that for some AA women longer hair makes their life easier more versatility/styling options. My lifestyle length is the longer the better because I can bun with my eyes closed now instead of past struggles on some days as to what to do with my hair.

So all that being said I have really tried to think if I know anyone IRL that falls into that category and I am very sad to say that I don’t at least not anymore. The only other person I knew was my daughter and she has since cut her hair multiple times. I do believe/agree that despite not being able to identify anyone in that category that AA women’s hair health has increased tremendously and that there are far more long beautiful heads of hair hiding under wigs and weaves than when this thread was originally posted


----------



## luckiestdestiny (Sep 11, 2020)

kxlot79 said:


> In real life, I don’t know any besides myself, unless they are loc’d, biracial, or mixed race.
> It seems the older I get, the shorter Black women’s hair gets. I read another post about how “lifestyle length” changes a Black woman’s perspective on how much hair she wants to grow, as she ages and her priorities change.
> Reading that lowkey seemed a little sad to me. Lots of women shorten their hair after wifehood, motherhood, &/or increased work responsibilities... but it seems Black women are a lot more susceptible to short lengths than any other race of women.
> At the end of the day, I’m content when a Black woman _chooses_ short hair. But for me, the most time consuming aspect of my haircare is styling and as long as I keep that mostly simple, I’m gravy. #LongHairForLife


I knew that a lot would go back to relaxing and I'm seeing that. It's faster even when ppl want to say otherwise. I am natural btw, and I'm disabled with chronic pain. I've shaved it off again (2 1/2 years ago no choice as it kept coming out with all the stress, prednisone) only to have it mid back to waist (that in btw) point again after braiding it up and leaving it alone. I know the frustration and it's just too painful to do too much of anything much less my hair. I need quick and fast but also want to look fabulous. 

So I do think that it's not just bw but women in general. As they have other priorities: kids, or too busy, or health issues, etc..they are not checking for their hair in a way that maybe someone else will.  


I decided to still nurture my hair but to find simplified ways to do it so that it can thrive, still look good but be okay if I have to be hospitalized again, etc (because it's weeks on end at a time).  Because I still want to look good because when we look good, we feel good. Sometimes looking bad makes me feel worse. So I do want to do something but not make my hair into this huge deal that requires extraordinary amounts of time. That's something you can do as a teen or in your twenties, but with more responsibilities and less time and/or conserving energy (raises hand) for health, you are going to approach things differently. So I can see that is why some would choose to cut it off. I've found that the longer it is, the easier it is for me regardless though because of the weight of my hair. Sounds weird but it is what it is. I think also others may neglect their hair and find that they have certain issues with it when they get in the 30s and onward too where it thins, etc and they don't know how to handle it or don't really want to. They assume the solution is to just let it go or cut it short. 

 These are broad terms because everyone is different but I think that is some of the reasons you'll see short hair. But I definitely see short haired ww with age.  In fact, not only short hair but thin see through hair for ww with age. We just assume they don't have these issues but they definitely do. They are also finding ways to actively mask things.  Most of us are instead of treating the problems and that' s a shame.

I've thought of ways to create products that address all problems (like I put things in my shampoo for thickness, growth etc in addition to cleaning and the same for my conditioner. I also finish with a tea rinse I've concocted) because I find that the industry wants women to purchase a million products. Men it's 3 in one, but for us it's 25 products for the same thing. I'm over exaggerating but you get the point. We need products that can easily create amazing results while not having to go through so many steps. That's fun when you're just discovering your hair, or younger, but after a while it gets old.   At least for me. I want it over and done and I want to look good too. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I guess because I have women in my family with long hair, I don't think about it and probably take it for granted. I think that the hair care practices my grandmother passed to my mother and me are the same taught here. She always combed from the ends up, etc.  I assume it was just intuitive for her but that's probably why our family members have always had long hair (at least bsl without trying) on my mother's side. My dad's side will take a brush and comb ferociously (seen it and tried to tell them but they aren't listening) and/or a comb with tiny teeth and rip through it (sigh).  A lot of us just don't have the know how or instinct and that's why our hair is short. We're trying to do our hair like WW and we aren't white.  There's nothing wrong with our hair, we're just different. I think the whole, teaching everyone we're the same thing is the reason we've had such issues (among others). Our uniqueness makes us special and is also why we need to treat our hair in a way specific to our culture and hair needs.  Well everyone knows that here so I won't go into a long speal on that but I do agree with you on most points


----------



## luckiestdestiny (Sep 11, 2020)

Btw everything I wrote, I say in general because not everything applies to us. We have some in the 2-3A ish area and they are able to comb their hair with tiny combs and use brushes (regular not specific for us) any kind of way. Some of us, no matter the hair type have hair so thick it's indestructible (good for you btw). We are all different and what I wrote wouldn't applyto everyone of course. I was writing in general for Bw.  I have fine hair, and that has its own requirements. Everyone thinks I have such thick hair but it's just super dense (tiny fine hair but tons of them per area. I mean if I put my hair next to a strand of thread it would look pathetic and is no where near as thick as half or one fourth of it).  But if I take the time (tons of it) to comb it slowly, and make sure to nurture it, it thrives and grows just as fast,  long (if not longer) than most while appearing super thick and luscious.


----------



## kxlot79 (Sep 11, 2020)

@luckiestdestiny 
What a thoughtful post!
This response isn’t specific to what you wrote but more a response somewhat prompted by it.

While I definitely agree that ALL women reach a crossroads of cosmetic maintenance re-evaluation, I maintain that my experience is that Black women are MUCH more susceptible to letting that go first. Or letting hair be among the first time/energy downsizings.
Black women have such a higher standard for “well styled hair,” and our time/energy commitments to our appearance are double, triple+ what’s average for other women. Most of that is social conditioning, and generational dysfunction that goes so much deeper than most of us are willing to work through. It definitely is not something that’s all on us, and I blame our susceptibility to that on the clear agendas to defeminize unambiguous Black women, compounded by colorism, featurism, texturism, and respectability politics.

Add to that, the fact that women of every other race normalize “seamless” hair extensions, and the contrast becomes a lot blurrier. 
Many non-Black older women who SEEM to have healthy long hair are actually rocking extensions and wigs, but they don’t look as obvious on them (unless they’re poorly installed or old), whereas truly “unclockable” wigs and weaves on Black women seems relegated to metros and social media/entertainment spheres. Seeing an unclockable wig on a Black woman in the grocery store or while standing in line at a neighborhood bank is *rare* IME. But I consider at least PART of that is the disproportionate commonality of raggedy “real” hair— so much so that when a Black woman is rocking her real hair and it is particularly well-styled, most people assume it’s a wig anyway (backed up by my personal experiences of people assuming I had extensions or was wearing a wig anytime my hair wasn’t in a bun or shrunken WnG— and sometimes even then, plus the experiences of dozens of members here).
And the care of Black hair has yet to be normalized with any kind of commonality, not in any specific Black community. 

While it’s common to see non-Black women, even with age, infirmity, or busy schedules rock long hair despite these things, it’s RARE to see any similar % of Black women doing the same, because 1) we legitimately invest so much more time, energy, and money into our haircare 2) we are quick to call our basic hair maintenance burdensome
Idk if “burden” is sometimes appropriate. But I’d wager it’s more constructive to have a routine that is as easy as possible— for Black women, that just so happens to mean cutting or wigs/weaves at a visibly higher rate than non-Black women. But at the end of the day, we all want Black women to win and to thrive, and if that means cutting hair for her, so be it.

There are a lot of colluding factors at work when considering how Black women’s attitudes generally change about hair as we age. Some of it is practical, like with medical issues, or a heavy-hearted time/energy reduction. But a lot of it is, I think, Black women evolving beyond the superficial spectacle of long hair. Most of the time when I encounter the CHOICE to go short in Black women, it’s kind of rebellious, and often is correlated to a feeling of freedom or security from feeling any kind of “bondage” to hair— especially dramatic for women who at any point in time felt like they were slaves to their hair. Short hair can be a LIBERATION for some women.
I prefer any of those highfalutin ideas to short hair from damage, neglect, or incompetence though— or self hate— all of which are just as liable to be reasons for Black women with short hair.
I honestly feel that Black women’s hair choices are never as superficial for the majority of non-Black women. So I definitely believe that the rarity of long hair for Black women is so much deeper than simple “choice.”


----------



## Rocky91 (Sep 11, 2020)

I actually think the tide is turning a bit. I am seeing a lot of “I went back to relaxed hair” videos on YouTube lately, and a lot of it seems tied to folks wanting to grow their hair long with what can sometimes be simplified care (totally dependent on choices, of course). So I predict a bit of a revival of an interest in long hair from newly relaxed ladies, maybe they will find their way to the board. And I welcome it, even as a lifelong natural lol. Because I just like to talk hair and see hair pics


----------



## icsonia22 (Sep 12, 2020)

Rocky91 said:


> I actually think the tide is turning a bit. I am seeing a lot of “I went back to relaxed hair” videos on YouTube lately, and a lot of it seems tied to folks wanting to grow their hair long with what can sometimes be simplified care (totally dependent on choices, of course). So I predict a bit of a revival of an interest in long hair from newly relaxed ladies, maybe they will find their way to the board. And I welcome it, even as a lifelong natural lol. Because I just like to talk hair and see hair pics



The grand majority of those videos seem to come from women (mostly type 4) who have given up on their hair period. Its never directly stated but its kind of implied. Normally they've been natural for 3+ years and are hovering between NL and CBL. The hair is damaged and they just don't see the point of fighting with it anymore. People still buy into the idea that they just have bad hair. This is what my hair looked like after 3 years the first time that i went natural



You couldn't have convinced me that I didn't have the most trash hair in the world. The truth is I hadn't found a good moisturizer, i used a pick all the time, wasn't gentle with detangling, wore shrunken styles all the time and all of these things affected my retention. I tried to texlax after this hoping for better results, but i couldn't figure out how to keep my hair on my head with that either. It took me 4 big chops before i finally figured out what works for me. The reality is, who wants to spend all that time in trial and error? It's discouraging. I love hair period whether its natural or relaxed. I just wish that these women were truly making the decision for reasons other than feeling like their hair is bad and that it will never grow past a certain length.


----------



## LivingInPeace (Sep 12, 2020)

Rocky91 said:


> I actually think the tide is turning a bit. I am seeing a lot of “I went back to relaxed hair” videos on YouTube lately, and a lot of it seems tied to folks wanting to grow their hair long with what can sometimes be simplified care (totally dependent on choices, of course). So I predict a bit of a revival of an interest in long hair from newly relaxed ladies, maybe they will find their way to the board. And I welcome it, even as a lifelong natural lol. Because I just like to talk hair and see hair pics


And then in a few years we'll see all of these women posting videos on how they're trying going back to natural because of their damaged hair. The cycle will repeat itself.


----------



## Rocky91 (Sep 12, 2020)

icsonia22 said:


> The grand majority of those videos seem to come from women (mostly type 4) who have given up on their hair period. Its never directly stated but its kind of implied. Normally they've been natural for 3+ years and are hovering between NL and CBL. The hair is damaged and they just don't see the point of fighting with it anymore. People still buy into the idea that they just have bad hair. This is what my hair looked like after 3 years the first time that i went natural
> 
> View attachment 463095
> 
> You couldn't have convinced me that I didn't have the most trash hair in the world. The truth is I hadn't found a good moisturizer, i used a pick all the time, wasn't gentle with detangling, wore shrunken styles all the time and all of these things affected my retention. I tried to texlax after this hoping for better results, but i couldn't figure out how to keep my hair on my head with that either. It took me 4 big chops before i finally figured out what works for me. The reality is, who wants to spend all that time in trial and error? It's discouraging. I love hair period whether its natural or relaxed. I just wish that these women were truly making the decision for reasons other than feeling like their hair is bad and that it will never grow past a certain length.


i think it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I see quite a few women with lovely natural hair who are just ready for what they believe will be lower maintenance for their lifestyle. This girl’s natural hair was lovely and so is her relaxed hair.


----------



## Rocky91 (Sep 12, 2020)

LivingInPeace said:


> And then in a few years we'll see all of these women posting videos on how they're trying going back to natural because of their damaged hair. The cycle will repeat itself.


I honestly don’t think so, because I see a pretty big emphasis on proper hair care, with women determined to not have the relaxed experience of their youth. If anything, I think some might actually reach hair goals they may not have reached otherwise due to being more overall satisfied with their hair.

 Youtuber ulovemegz is a good example, I just don’t think she was satisfied with her natural hair and it’s clear she’s happier relaxed.


----------

