"Its just hair!"

[greenandchic]

Warning: This is just a vent.

I admit I get a little irritated when I read or hear someone say, "Its just hair". I've never read it here, but I have on other hair boards, blogs, videos, hair related FB pages, YT, etc.

A part of me wants so say, "Its easy for you to say that because your hair grows at least 1/2" months, you have very little breakage, you're not going bald from excessive shedding, you can bleach and/or use direct heat and you can go from TWA to shoulder length in a little over a year!".

A large part of my feelings is due to my own insecurity about my shedding and the fact it takes so long for my hair to grow and even harder to retain it. I want to cry every time I look at my bathroom trash after wash day, but I'm working on it.

Again, I know its my own ish, but I just want people to think before just blurting out, "Its just hair!"

 

[cutiepiesensei]

Don't feel bad or anything. I'm the same way!!! People anger me when they're like "it's just hair, it'll grow back". Well, not mine. My hair is short and has been most of my life. If I had long hair down my back best believe I would never ever cut that ish all the way back lol

 

[lamaria211]

I feel the same way i work very hard for my hair and its not just hair its my other baby cause thats kind of how i treat it. lol

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

I never understand the "It's just hair" statement and yet they're on a hair board. Yeah...

I see it on here often.

 

[I AM...]

"It's just hair burns the small hair on my behind..(which grow faster than the hair on my head mind you) I cannot stand that!!

I will say this LHCF has played a major part in my jorney and I am now able to offer hair advice. I grow slow and strong now. Direct heat and bleach are the devil though!

 

[lana]

I thought my hair grew slow too, until I started taking Miracle 2000 liquid vitamin which goes right into the bloodstream and works! I also use Mane & Tail conditioner as my overnight leave in conditioner and my prepoo and my final rinse conditioner.

Now regarding the "It's just hair" statement. Who is saying this? Ignore them and never talk to them about hair again. I keep my hair dreams to myself and when I hit my goal this summer....well hater's are gonna hate....but I will just keep swinging...that hair!

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

I never understand the "It's just hair" statement and yet they're on a hair board. Yeah...

I see it on here often.

People come to hair boards for various reasons. All members are not length obsessed or on a tailbone length mission. I just wanted to have healthy hair and learn how to take care of it myself because I did not want to be dependent upon a hairstylist. There is a wealth of knowledge here about hair care, hair styling techniques and products. So being a member here is not that extreme and for some people(including hair board members) it is just hair.

 

[locabouthair]

When I say this I mean no harm.

The same way you look at another woman and think that her hair is easy to grow. I"m looking at you and I can think the same thing. I'm sorry you're having problems with shedding but your hair in your siggy looks good. My hair is a mess right now. I don't think my stylist washed out the perm correctly and a nice size patch of hair on my right side is GONE. I wish mine was thick or even as long as yours.

It kind of annoys me when women on here are BSL and longer and they complain so much. Sometimes I don't come on this side of the board. There are other women like myself who deal with really bad breakage/hair loss and would love to have the hair you have. Once again I hope I didn't sound mean. Just wanted to share a different perspective. I hope your shedding stops but try to be grateful for the hair you do have.

 

[fifi134]

People come to hair boards for various reasons. All members are not length obsessed or on a tailbone length mission. I just wanted to have healthy hair and learn how to take care of it myself because I did not want to be dependent upon a hairstylist. There is a wealth of knowledge here about hair care, hair styling techniques and products. So being a member here is not that extreme and for some people(including hair board members) it is just hair.

Most people want healthy hair regardless of whether they're on a board or not. But if you're willingly to pay to learn techniques about getting healthy hair? It IS more than "just hair" to you.

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

If it was "just hair" people wouldn't devote anytime to it. People would simply not care about their hair; they wouldn't style it, take the time to learn about it, or even think about it for that matter. Boards like this wouldn't exist if it was "just hair"...

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

Most people want healthy hair regardless of whether they're on a board or not. But if you're willingly to pay to learn techniques about getting healthy hair? It IS more than "just hair" to you.

Exactly! This is basically the same thing I was going to write. Obviously, if you're paying money to learn about hair then it IS more than "just hair". Most people aren't willing to do that.

 

[SuchaLady]

I mean it is just hair. As long as you are healthy internally it will continuously grow for the rest of your life. It's not a body part that you just go without upon losing such as a finger or something. However, telling someone this that just expressed frustration about some hair issue is a tad bit insensitive.

 

[newbeginnings2010]

I haven't been on the hair boards in a while, but I understand how you feel OP. I used to be the same way when I first started my hair journey. Here I am years later and still fighting for the same goal: BSL (which you've already reached and I'm jealous! ). It's not just hair to you when you put a lot of time, effort, and money into it. You just have to ignore people's insensitive remarks. It helps to take hair hiatuses from the boards to stop stressing over your hair and others' opinions of it too. I know it's helped me.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

Most people want healthy hair regardless of whether they're on a board or not. But if you're willingly to pay to learn techniques about getting healthy hair? It IS more than "just hair" to you.

not really, I like this forum as a whole. You don't know me so you can't speculate about my motives and how I feel about my hair. I like for my hair to look good, it's part of my appearance. Just like i wash and iron my clothes, I take care of my hair. Access to the hair care forum is free. I paid $6.50 to have access to the other boards. I like the off topic board, the health and fitness board, I lurk on the cooking forum etc... $6.50 is not much money at all. I would never pay $20 - $100 a year to be part of a forum, ever. I am not hair obsessed. My regimen is simple(always has been). I don't go to the extreme for my hair. I am not judging others that do. Just realize that there are different types of members here.

 

[EbonyCPrincess]

I agree. Honestly if it were "just hair" why is a woman's hair specifically mentioned in the Bible? Why can healthy, well styled hair boost someone's self esteem? Why is there a multi-billion dollar industry devoted to it? Several successful businesses online, including hair forums, devoted to it? I mean I do think the statement is ridiculous and have ALWAYS thought so. And the way in which it is used - like someone said - don't tell me its just hair when I'm frustrated. I get annoyed with those who have long hair or for whom growth and retention are fast and easy when they say this.

I'll admit I have said it ONCE when I was really upset about a setback but it was to keep myself from going off the deep end about it. I had to give myself a reality check in that its not worth going into a deep depression over and can't get me into heaven or send me to hell! Literally I had to go that extreme because I was quite upset over my setback. But in the way I used "its just hair" it was very obvious that it wasn't just hair to me and that I was just trying to keep myself balanced! lol

 

[MsBoinglicious]

For some it is just hair and for others not so much! I have said "its just hair" plenty of times. Especially to people who NEED to cut their hair. You got mid shaft splits. How is that helping you buy keeping it. What's the point really? Cut it...its just hair. Its not like you going to die if you do!

*shrugs*

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

If it was "just hair" people wouldn't devote anytime to it. People would simply not care about their hair; they wouldn't style it, take the time to learn about it, or even think about it for that matter. Boards like this wouldn't exist if it was "just hair"...

So, it's only two extremes when it comes to hair? You are either hair obsessed or walk around not groomed. There is a middle ground. Doing your hair is part of grooming.

 

[greenandchic]

When I say this I mean no harm.

The same way you look at another woman and think that her hair is easy to grow. I"m looking at you and I can think the same thing. I'm sorry you're having problems with shedding but your hair in your siggy looks good. My hair is a mess right now. I don't think my stylist washed out the perm correctly and a nice size patch of hair on my right side is GONE. I wish mine was thick or even as long as yours.

It kind of annoys me when women on here are BSL and longer and they complain so much. Sometimes I don't come on this side of the board. There are other women like myself who deal with really bad breakage/hair loss and would love to have the hair you have. Once again I hope I didn't sound mean. Just wanted to share a different perspective. I hope your shedding stops but try to be grateful for the hair you do have.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. My sig photo was taken a year ago and my hair on top is thinner now. I've been ay the same length since the summer.

You give me a different perspective, but I don't see my hair being this thich even a year from now if I can't stop this.

 

[SheenaVee]

Well, for me, obviously I care about hair to a certain degree seeing as I went searching for ways to keep my hair healthy and that's how I ended up on this board.

BUT I do have the mindset that 'it's just hair', especially when I see people doing too much for hair growth. However, when I think "it's just hair" I'm thinking of it in a positive light, more like, "don't worry if the stylist cut off too much, it's just hair, it will grow back in no time!"
But I can understand how that could seem annoying and insensitive to someone who's just had their hacked off by a stylist or something after months of retaining growth.

 

[LexaKing]

greenandchic

I totally understand your vent. My grandma once cut my hair 2.5 inches when it was suppose to only be a trim, and when I got upset her response was "It's just hair" and "it grows back". And yes even though all hair grows some people dont understand the effort made to keep hair healthy. Trying to reach healthy long hair is a LIFESTYLE change. It takes many days and nights of maintenance, research for the right products, and patience. ESPECIALLY patience, how can anyone say, its just hair itll grow back when you have had to have so much patience already?! Thats the whole point of calling this a hair "Journey".

 

[LexaKing]

Whenever I see people with the healthy length goal im trying to achieve I just think, I wonder how much they cared for their hair and how much patience they had to grow it there. Its more motivation for me rather then discouraging or jealousy. I had someone tell me, "You dont know what its like to struggle with hair, you've always had beautiful hair", and even though I was thankful for the compliment, I still thought to myself, do you know how hard and long it took me to achieve this?!

 

[Tiye]

Well, for me, obviously I care about hair to a certain degree seeing as I went searching for ways to keep my hair healthy and that's how I ended up on this board.

BUT I do have the mindset that 'it's just hair', especially when I see people doing too much for hair growth. However, when I think "it's just hair" I'm thinking of it in a positive light, more like, "don't worry if the stylist cut off too much, it's just hair, it will grow back in no time!"
But I can understand how that could seem annoying and insensitive to someone who's just had their hacked off by a stylist or something after months of retaining growth.

I agree, to me it's just hair. Clarification - I like hair, I like doing hair, I like maintaining and growing healthy hair, and I've always been this way. But bottom line is there's a rest of you and hair is just protein strands at the very top of you. Some people get their blood pressure up over an inch or two and they have hair down their backs. If that's happening it's okay to look at the big picture - it is just hair and it really will grow back. jmho

 

[locabouthair]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. My sig photo was taken a year ago and my hair on top is thinner now. I've been ay the same length since the summer.

You give me a different perspective, but I don't see my hair being this thich even a year from now if I can't stop this.

Maybe it's your iron levels? Please check out the derm if you haven't already. It's probably something internal.

 

[Honey01]

OP, I totally understand where you are coming from.

I know that when we hear the refrain "it is just hair" the person meant no harm. I suspect for many (not all) of those women their growth and retention is good. But, I do kind of wince a little when I hear it.


Is it a matter of life or death? Of course not! That is totally not what you are saying.

I am a crossroads right now. I am on a somewhat unintended transition right now. I am experiencing a some shedding/breakage right now and am tempted to give up and relax. Although I suspect bc'ing would help alleviate my breakage/shedding, Right now I am just not in a place emotionally where I can cut all my hair off.

Yes, it has hair that will grow back. But, not necessarily quickly or to the same or exceeding current length.

 

[greenandchic]

Maybe it's your iron levels? Please check out the derm if you haven't already. It's probably something internal.

My ferritin levels are low. I got my results back about a month ago and it was <40. I am working on getting those levels high though diet and supplements, but I can imagine it will take some time.

 

[HoneyDew]

For me it is "just hair". I care about it and it means a lot to me but I try not to let it be THAT big of a deal. It grows back.

 

[Missigirl]

I have said this to myself before. But I will think before I say it out loud to anyone and hopefully not say it at all. I spend lots of $$$ and time working on my hair when I was relaxed and now that I am a curly girl. So it is definitely not "just hair" to me.

OP keeping doing what is right for your health and your hair will stop excessive shedding.

 

[empressri]

I don't care if it's hair, your toes, your nose or a crooked nipple.

If it's something that bothers you it will never be JUST (insert thing) and I hate when folks try to downplay it!!!

Find something that's near and dear to them and say it's just such-and-such and see how they act.

 

[Missigirl]

I don't care if it's hair, your toes, your nose or a crooked nipple.

If it's something that bothers you it will never be JUST (insert thing) and I hate when folks try to downplay it!!!

Find something that's near and dear to them and say it's just such-and-such and see how they act.

So true! Let me give you a fist bump and a high five!!!

 

[IMFOCSD]

I agree w/you OP....I for one feel that it is not "just hair". I grew up w/super short, damaged and chewed up hair...my desperstion lead me to search for healthy hair tips and that's when I found lhcf in 2005. I protect my hair like its nobodies business lol. To some who don't care about hair much i can look weird to them when it comes to hair but I honestly don't care. I don't allow anyone in my hair...I relax, trim, wash/DC/protein, etc myself. To me my hair is a big deal which is why I work hard to keep it growing and becoming more healthy as time goes on.