Is hair texture the new paper bag test???

[ceebee3]

Bene I'm not concerned w/ "people in general". I'm talking specifics and specificaly this site. People at this site always wanna use "society' to justify some things and then the same "society' to blame for others. Responsibility is always in someone else's court

Lemme make it plain and simple. Many BW seem to be concerned (overly, IMHO) w/ what "others" think. "Others" include everybody from White folks and "other races", to Black men, to other Black women. People constantly complain of being stereotyped. Am I wrong? I see this everyday that I'm here and I wonder why folks care so much about what they can't control and ignore what they can control?

If this is a concern of yours (English "you" understood), then be aware of adding fuel to the fire and don't do it. If you don't want people to think BW are jealous, spiteful, etc over "others" about hair and skin issues, then DON'T behave like you are. One can't cry foul when others say it cuz they have proof was given them. Folks seem to think they can DEMAND love and respect from the general masses, let not give it to themselves and others.

In short, all this hypocrisy and jealousy is making the problems worse both on site and even off it. It's needlessly feeding insecurities. I've been at the rodeo too long to say otherwise.

honestly, i don't care what people think of my hair ..and i wont let society bring my self esteem down due to my hair type not fitting their standards.
i love my hair.i have alot more confidence when i wear it out.and at the end of the day, thats all that matters...is what i think of my own.

So on point! Too many of you care way too much about what others think of YOUR hair.

Stop worrying about what others think, you don't know these people and even if you did, who cares?

 

[knt1229]

IA too, its like if anyone gives an compliment or attention to an type 3 hair, they are accused of not liking their own hair or not liking type 4 hair, and usually the ones who are complaining are the ones w/o type 3 hair

Every time i come on here i always see a thread(or someone in a thread) complaining of one hair type getting more attention then the other! But i just dont see it All i see is women with longer hair getting the attention(which i dont mind at all). If theres no complaints about someones texture it is about race, or someone not being black enough.

I may have only been on here for less then a year but i have yet to see a person with type 3 hair(or less) complain about someone with a tighter curl

But over in the thread for Type 2-3 hairstyles you said you were bored with looking at Type 4's and had a whole rant on Type 4's. http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=420240&page=31

Not trying to start drama but you are guilty of fanning the flames.

 

[LadyRaider]

Who the heck is Andre for starting this stuff? Good grief.

 

[I *Am* Not* My* Hair]

Yes, it is!!! I think I go over board to make sure my hair gives the impression that it is super kinky, just because so many people are obsessed with being 3 something or another!

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and can't nobody tell me my 4 D or F ain't platinum!!!

 

[Neith]

I've never seen this, but I have seen the exact opposite. I've seen some people who are clearly 4a talking about "I've got some 3b-3c in my nape/edges when it's wet..." I just kind of sit here like


I'm giving people the benefit of the doubt though, because we all use different hair typing systems.

I have a few sprigs of looser and more fine hair in my nape, while most of my hair is by far a very coarse 4a. I never claim 3c/4a... 95% of my hair is 4a.

I just find those curls back there and most of my nape to be different from the rest of my hair and I do talk about it sometimes.

I don't see what's unbelievable about that. Do you only have one texture? Many people have way more pronounced texture differences in their hair.

It makes my hair "better" because I have a little smidge of a looser texture in the nape?

I'm sorry that people think that way

I run around here oblivious to all this junk until someone brings it up.

I guess I won't bring it up anymore if it's offensive. I wasn't even aware.

 

[LiberianGirl]

I have a few sprigs of looser and more fine hair in my nape, while most of my hair is by far a very coarse 4a. I never claim 3c/4a... 95% of my hair is 4a.

I just find those curls back there and most of my nape to be different from the rest of my hair and I do talk about it sometimes.

I don't see what's unbelievable about that. Do you only have one texture? Many people have way more pronounced texture differences in their hair.

It makes my hair "better" because I have a little smidge of a looser texture in the nape?

I'm sorry that people think that way

I run around here oblivious to all this junk until someone brings it up.

There you go again Neith making too much sense. I wanted to comment on this but decided to leave it alone. A lot of people have multiple textures on their head. I have not seen an overabundance of people with only a patch of 3c hair claim to be 3c/4a. Most of the people I see who claim 3c/4a have a mixture of curl dimensions (corkscrew and coils) throughout their hair, as well as their hair behaves differently than people who strictly fall under a 3 or 4 category.

I think these types of statements are more telling of the mentality of the person making the accusation rather than the person whom is trying to "pass their hair off" as something that it is not.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

I posted a picture here, and I was asked several times if I was TEXTLAXED even though I CLEARLY said I was NATURAL in the body of the post, and my siggy denotes my BC dates.

I'm darker, so it was a little weird, and made me wonder...but I'd never mentioned it; thanks for letting me vent. LOL.

I'm very light, and I've been asked the same question.erplexed At first I was slightly offended, but I let it go. My siggly CLEARLY said all natural.

That's probably why I don't post hair pictures anymore... I'm starting a challenge, so I'll have to post soon.

 

[MekyakaKinkerbelle]

Very interesting topic. I don't type my hair because it doesn't fall into any of the narrow categories (at least not to me). People ask my hair type, and I always say 'kinky, curly, cottony, wavy". The hair typing thing is just so subjective to me.

I always thought maybe people "shouted out their types" because they wanted to find people to identify with as far as routines and possibilities. And I think that still may be the case...

But then again, I do see some folks claiming something that it clearly a fallacy and I see it as a grab for "the good stuff". In that case, it really is sad.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

I would like to say something that I have noticed about natural hair

I have noticed that if your natural hair is a looser curl or a straighter texture, then more people like the brothers and even some sistas are more inclined to like your hair or you get more compliments on your natural hair.

However, if you have the more Afro-Textured natural hair, the hair that is considered "kinky" or nappy or tightly coiled or whatever people call it, then you don't get as many compliments from as many people.

Again, this is something that I have noticed both with brothas and sistas. So yes, I do think that for some reason, hair texture is the new paper bag test, to a certain extent

 

[vkb247]

Plenty of ladies claim 3c because of small spots of finer, silkier hair. This is not necessarily 3c though.

I think people get so confused by Andre's system because it is just talking about curl size that's it. That couldn't be easier to understand because it gives you every day objects to compare too. But people need to claim their silky, coarse, dense, cottony hair because those factors often really determine how well products will work, etc. There is so me overlap here but the majority of the time we are talking about more than hair curl size and trying to make Andre's system encompass it all and it is not made for that.

I mention silkier parts around my edges because I know that these areas are prominent when I have my hair slicked back or up and I want others who are going for my specific look to understand that is one of the reasons it looks the way it does. I use to call this 3c until I realized the curls really aren't that big. I also used to claim 4b because of a coarser, wavier spot than the rest of my hair. But now I realize that I am just 4a with hair that behaves differently in some spots.

 

[lux10023]

i am a 4A and have no qualms about that---lol

for some reason all ppl think blk ppl r ooohing and awwwing over 3c hair or 2c or whateva---

i actually like type 4 hair because of the texture--it can withstand alotta craziness and you will still have hair on your head--and the way a stylelook son type 4 hair i so fly to me--plus the frizziness i see withother hair textures is not something i would like to constantly combat all the time---in general im impressed with healthy hair--short or long---

but just like my skin--im very comfortable being blk--and im even more comforatble with my type 4 blk hair--i hate when ppl speak for a mass group---smdh


tis all.

 

[charmtreese]

Andre's system is only a point of reference for hair typing. It is NOT the "holy grail" of hair typing! If you put all your eggs into one basket with Andre's system, then you're bound to be frustrated and confused and you'll have no one to blame but yourself for that confusion. If people took the same amount of time and energy to get to know their own hair as they do in trying to figure out others and trying to fit it into a hair typing box, then they would see that Andre's system is only addressing one element of hair.

I understand that I have 4b hair, however, I also understand that I have a thin density, with fine strands, that tend to lack elasticity. I have never had to ask anyone what my hair type/texture is, because I am my best resource in determining that factor.

 

[Irresistible]

There you go again Neith making too much sense. I wanted to comment on this but decided to leave it alone. A lot of people have multiple textures on their head. I have not seen an overabundance of people with only a patch of 3c hair claim to be 3c/4a. Most of the people I see who claim 3c/4a have a mixture of curl dimensions (corkscrew and coils) throughout their hair, as well as their hair behaves differently than people who strictly fall under a 3 or 4 category.

I think these types of statements are more telling of the mentality of the person making the accusation rather than the person whom is trying to "pass their hair off" as something that it is not.

This is all so ridamdiculous

 

[jamaraa]

If you have a head w/ multitextures and claim that, how are you lying? It's actually quite common. People have many colors of hair on their head...hair color is rarely uniform on individual strands, so why should hair texture be? Some heads would be a real riddle up in here!

Consider this, if you have multitextures happening on your noggin and you treat your head as only 1 texture, what of those other areas you're neglecting? I suspect that's where people get breakage/problems often complained of.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

well honestly, i think many loose textured haired pple here lie and claim a tighter texture to be accepted. here in dis forum pple also buy into de good/bad hair thing where if ur hair texture is loose but long and healthy, dey think oh u av dat good hair u prolly dint av 2 wrk too hard to achieve results.

But if u av long healthy hair with a tight texture, pple think it must have been more of a challenge for u to achieve good results since u av bad/ difficult hair; so they say BRAVO BRAVO u wrked so hard u deserve it, u've broken de 'black women cant grow hair' stereotype.

since those with loose textures are now left out, they seek more praise and glory for their hardwrk by claiming type 4 when dey r clearly a 3a! dis way pple will recognize their efforts since their hair would now be 'categorized' as bad/difficult. but dats my opinion anyways, dont stone me PLEASE

When did all of this happen? I have been reading this site for a long time now, when this start to happen

Also, to all those members with valuable hair care advice that are lurking, please speak up!!! I need and want your hair advice. I will admit it, I want long hair. Hell, that's why I joined the board!! So please, your advice is much welcomed to me. I don't give a damn what your hair type is, I just want the advice. We all know it's a hair board for people of African descent so the hair type shouldn't matter that much. We should all be able to gleem something from the info no matter what our hair type is.

I don't see what the problem is?

 

[Leesh]

in puerto rico they used to do a fan test. the paper bag or feature test didnt work cause you can have some one dark with very european features and some one light with very black features. so they would have a fan set up in certain establishments and if your hair blew in the wind then you have enough european in you to get in, if you hair didnt move, you were too black...

so yeah, its been around for a minute...

I didn't want to ask this question from the previous post that mentioned it cause I felt, lets say "Stupid", but may I ask, what is the paper bag test, is it what I think it is, comparison to skin color?

 

[Supervixen]

Plenty of ladies claim 3c because of small spots of finer, silkier hair. This is not necessarily 3c though.

I think people get so confused by Andre's system because it is just talking about curl size that's it. That couldn't be easier to understand because it gives you every day objects to compare too. But people need to claim their silky, coarse, dense, cottony hair because those factors often really determine how well products will work, etc. There is so me overlap here but the majority of the time we are talking about more than hair curl size and trying to make Andre's system encompass it all and it is not made for that.

I mention silkier parts around my edges because I know that these areas are prominent when I have my hair slicked back or up and I want others who are going for my specific look to understand that is one of the reasons it looks the way it does. I use to call this 3c until I realized the curls really aren't that big. I also used to claim 4b because of a coarser, wavier spot than the rest of my hair. But now I realize that I am just 4a with hair that behaves differently in some spots.

If Andre is strictly about curl size, that is a lot simplier than what it seems like LHCF tries to do. I really think people try to add texture to it, which makes it confusing. Granted it's just curl size and not texture, I think this board has a wide variety of types 2-4.

 

[wavezncurlz]

@ this thread. Topic is old as the hills. Unless we reprogram, it won't go away.

BTW: as a 3something, I've noticed fewer comments when I post (and a whole lot of views). Could it be that perception clouds our judgement about what is desireable. I've mentioned in other posts that when I first joined the boards, I wanted tighter curls and coils. Seemed to me that the 4s had the lock on twistouts and braided styles as they failed on me...(think Blackmasterpiece)...Grass is always greener...

 

[Jaegermany]

IMO I think when we see how much "knowledge" we have here about hair and just in general we expect certain mentalities to be different and are caught off guard when we see certain mindsets. But honestly LHCF is just a microcosm of society....

There have been many jewels dropped in here...I picked them up and put them in my pocket

For every side eye that someone has given towards a hair texture or length Ive seen negative tones in general. Some people just feel entitled.....and for those I steer clear. I am not trying to change the world....

 

[AvaSpeaks]

If Andre is strictly about curl size, that is a lot simplier than what it seems like LHCF tries to do. I really think people try to add texture to it, which makes it confusing. Granted it's just curl size and not texture, I think this board has a wide variety of types 2-4.

That's because people don't really know what they are talking about. There is a difference between type and texture. And yes, our hair is different from other races, and yes I do believe that with all my heart.

Personally, I don't give a damn what anybody thinks of my hair texture or type. All I know is that I got short hair and I want longer hair, my hair "texture" doesn't fit any of the categories here and despite that I still think I got the best hair texture/type or whatever it's called on the planet, and all haters can got to Hades very much!

 

[ceebee3]

I didn't want to ask this question from the previous post that mentioned it cause I felt, lets say "Stupid", but may I ask, what is the paper bag test, is it what I think it is, comparison to skin color?

Yes, it's what you think it is. They put the bag up to your face and if you are the same complexion or lighter than the bag, you are A OK, if your darker, well .............

 

[skegeesmb]

There has always been a good hair bad hair mentality. Honestly I've been a member when 99 percent of the people on this board were relaxed the word texlaxed or whatever the heck that word is wasn't even a word yet.

I had taken a vacation from this board and a lot of older members are still here, but they don't post. I mean why would they? Posters are SO offended by stuff that no one wants to post, and frankly it's much more entertaining to read this stuff.

Sorry to go off topic.

 

[dicapr]

I think the whole typing system should just be let go. When I first got here I mistakenly thought that similar hair types=those products will work for me also. I actually find that density of the hair is a better determines whether products and techniques will work for me. I'd rather know if you have find strands than 1234abc typing. Typing on here has become a way for others to project their personal insecurities on others. Just let it go!
I am a fan of versitile and thick hair. I wish I had my niece's hair-she is 3a-3c but I also wish I had a co-workers hair and she is 4a/4b. But I guess I have a problem becasue I have naturally thin hair.

 

[Leesh]

This is the OLD ruler test actually. Frankly, OP your question was a loaded one. It assumes that it's the "Andre 3" people who are so fixated on hair texture and that they are the ones who volunteer this info more readily than "Andre 4 people". I don't see this at all on this site. If anything, people are ASKED what their hair type is, frequently...much too frequently. Then when they answer, folks spend precious time debating whether or not they're telling the truth . If you are an "Andre 3", should you lie to make others feel comfortable? I'm starting to think you really must if you want some peace!

Much of this emphasis on texture is coming from the fact that it seems half our board is suddenly going natural. Given that so many BW have no real practical knowledge of their hair and its texture, I suspect many secretly hope they will have a hair type that they end up not having. Once they have their hopes dashed and fears confirmed, many simply get very passive-aggressive about the matter. Either they LOUDLY tout their texture over others or they spend too much time worrying about other folks' textures....both of these camps spend inordinate amount of time/money/thought trying to change THEIR texture or being in denial about it. This isn't about anyone else, it's about them. I understand people have their insecurities, but that doesn't give them the right to inflict or project them on to other people. They need to accept themselves before demanding that others do.

Of late, I'm starting to wonder if people w/ looser textures, relaxed heads, and even mixed race people of any sort are welcome here? The level of bigotry and angry tone (both overt and covert) is just stunning to watch. I've been a member here too long and I'm too observant to not have noticed it and have a good idea of why it's happening. I don't have a hair texture bias either...y'all don't know mine because I'm not telling. I don't buy into Andre's system anyhow. The Andre system is too flawed to take seriously as a accurate way to describe hair for any useful purposes IMHO, but mostly people are talking about aesthetics anyway.

Rulers work both ways folks. People sit up and openly dismiss people w/ a texture different than their own, so hurt feels go in all directions, not just one.

As for there being a long vs short hair bias, well this is The LONG HAIR Care Forum...you knew that when you signed on. That dog don't hunt. Some folks will find anything to get a badditude about.

I Love You Jamaraa! Thats all I have to say!

 

[AvaSpeaks]

There has always been a good hair bad hair mentality. Honestly I've been a member when 99 percent of the people on this board were relaxed the word texlaxed or whatever the heck that word is wasn't even a word yet.

I had taken a vacation from this board and a lot of older members are still here, but they don't post. I mean why would they? Posters are SO offended by stuff that no one wants to post, and frankly it's much more entertaining to read this stuff.

Sorry to go off topic.

Or not only older members not posting because of people so "offended" but also what about people not posting pics anymore because they have to "prove" what their hair texture is I mean why is it that if somebody says they have 1a/3c/4b hair texture, then they got to post a pic to prove it? SMH

Please again to those old lurkers, please start posting again. I really like LHCF but I do feel that lately (within the past year) I feel that real substantial info and threads have been lacking and now we are reading a bunch of "stuff". Let's get back to the original purpose of the board, to grow our hair long!

 

[Cali*Rocks]

I've noticed this too. I know a lot of people have different textures, and I'm not all up in their head checking it out. My thing is why do people claim 3c if they have a very small patch of it? It was very hard for me to find a regular 4a natural because everywhere I look people are 3c/4a..even if they might have four 3c strands. If the majority of your hair is 4a, why even mention 3c?..serious question.

I think those are the same people who will be like oh my great-great grandma was Indian

 

[AsianAfricanPrincess]

If you have a head w/ multitextures and claim that, how are you lying?

Honey, it's called "insecurity" and some of these folks are revealing a lot more about THEMSELVES and THEIR OWN INSECURITY than they are about other folks...

And who the heck is up in someone's scalp to be able to accuse anyone on the boards of "lying"??

 

[jamaraa]

I think those are the same people who will be like oh my great-great grandma was Indian

Umm...what if they WERE Indian?! Why such bigotry? This statement is pure bigotry, sorry.

 

[AsianAfricanPrincess]

I think these types of statements are more telling of the mentality of the person making the accusation rather than the person whom is trying to "pass their hair off" as something that it is not.

Girl, tell it! See, this is why I come to LHCF... Keen, observant sisters, for real...

 

[Cali*Rocks]

@ this thread. Topic is old as the hills. Unless we reprogram, it won't go away.

BTW: as a 3something, I've noticed fewer comments when I post (and a whole lot of views). Could it be that perception clouds our judgement about what is desireable. I've mentioned in other posts that when I first joined the boards, I wanted tighter curls and coils. Seemed to me that the 4s had the lock on twistouts and braided styles as they failed on me...(think Blackmasterpiece)...Grass is always greener...

Yes I understand that. I wanted some input and I got some, so thanks for answering