Do you think long hair is hereditary?

[pcRN]

I have always worn my hair in a nice bob about chin length since I was in high school (about 14 years). My mother's hair is between SL and APL, and my sister was at BSL before she cut it. Anyway, my question is do you think that long hair is hereditary, or is it all about how you take care of your hair.

 

[JustKiya]

I think it's both.

Your genes influence how fast your hair grows, and how 'long' (time, not length) it grows before shedding.

From that preset genetic 'max', you control how close you get to that by your health (whole body and scalp), your nutrition, and your hydration.

You control how much of it you actually KEEP by the treatment of your hair....

 

[Evazhair]

Definitely part nature part nuture.

 

[nappy85]

I think it's both, but mainly how you take care of your hair. Sometimes I think it looks hereditary, but it's simply the same hair care practices passed down throughout the family. I find most people learn their hair care practices from their parent or sibling. My mother's has been around shoulder length for a while. My hair stayed around shoulder length until I went natural (we had similar hair care practices). I have a completely different regimen and now may hair is about 1" away from brastrap length and my mother's hair is still around shoulder length.

 

[velvet]

I think it's both, but mainly how you take care of your hair. Sometimes I think it looks hereditary, but it's simply the same hair care practices passed down throughout the family. I find most people learn their hair care practices from their parent or sibling. My mother's has been around shoulder length for a while. My hair stayed around shoulder length until I went natural (we had similar hair care practices). I have a completely different regimen and now may hair is about 1" away from brastrap length and my mother's hair is still around shoulder length.

I completely agree. My mom did a good job of taking care of my hair when I was growing up, but once I threw out some of her bad habits my hair far surpassed hers.

I also see a lot of African women where I live, who overprocess their hair but take really good care of their mixed daughter's hair. Then they attribute their daughter's hair length to the "white" genes.

 

[glamazon386]

I think it is a factor but any hair that is well taken care of will grow. I think some people may assume it's hereditary because we are taught how to care for our hair from our moms, grandmoms, etc. If you're all doing the same thing and have the same hair type, then you should yield the same results.

 

[PanamasOwn]

I think it plays more a part on your texture of hair.. (i.e. if you r white, most times you will have longer straighter hair with little body; if you are mixed with black and white you can achieve that look, but your natural hair is more poofy, with much more body and usually a defined texture)

now as far as length, I think its hair practices...you can achieve long lengths with good hair practices, but you can cant change your God given texture (without chemicals of course)

 

[locabouthair]

I think it's both.

Your genes influence how fast your hair grows, and how 'long' (time, not length) it grows before shedding.

From that preset genetic 'max', you control how close you get to that by your health (whole body and scalp), your nutrition, and your hydration.

You control how much of it you actually KEEP by the treatment of your hair....

Well said!

it's not all about genetics, your haircould grow to WL but you would never know if you keep treating it badly.

 

[elaine07]

Definitely part nature part nuture.

ITA!

 

[fluffylocks]

Yeah, i've read its very rare for someone not to be able to grow their hair past SL or not be able to get to BSL.

And i dont think we can use that rule of "look how long your family members hair are...thats about how long your hair can grow"
Because most of our family members dont know how to take care of their hair.

For you if you were even thinking about yourself, you know you could probally def. get to great lengths if your sister was BSL and your mom between SL-APL and they dont even really know everything about haircare (what is their regimen by the way? I just love to know how people outside of hairboards grow their hair long)---SL imo is a great accomplishment for alot of black women that dont really know whats going on.

 

[sonce]

I have always worn my hair in a nice bob about chin length since I was in high school (about 14 years). My mother's hair is between SL and APL, and my sister was at BSL before she cut it. Anyway, my question is do you think that long hair is hereditary, or is it all about how you take care of your hair.

I think that we all have a basic capacity to grow long hair. Those who are at the extremes--knee length and beyond might have unusual genes on their side, but I think that we can all grow a basic amount of hair (like at least 18 inches = 3 year anagen phase = low end of average). What makes the difference is hair care.

If you attribute all to genes then I am a freakish anomaly in my family where most women have short hair (neck length to just above shoulder length). But if you consider that all the short-haired women have been chemically treating their hair for years and years (and abusing the chemicals on top of that--not even using them properly), you're back to the hair care explanation. The hair care explanation is further strengthened when you consider that "coincidentally," all the long-haired women in my family are just like me: Naturals who rely on traditional products (coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera gel, mango butter, cocoa butter etc) and regimens (braiding and twisting) rather than modern chemicals. Both the naturals and the relaxed heads have the same genes. Yet the difference is night and day: BSL, MBL and WL for the former while the latter have an average of neck length hair.

 

[HAIRapy]

I think it's the ability to grow hair maybe alittle easier or faster than other that's hereditary. Maybe it's not even the growth part, but maybe the hair's ability to be retained. Like the type of hair your family has may not be as dry as another family's hair. Dry hair breaks easier, there goes the length. It all comes down to how you take care of it though. Yeah, in a weird way, I think that makes sense.

 

[kellie7777]

i agree. growing up i saw my sisters with long hair, but they always cut it. my mom always wore a short cut and she always cut mine.. once i moved away from home and visited salons my hair grew past my shoulders, but then i cut it cause i had to sit under the dryer too long and didnt like the blowdyer heat....

i think hair will grow no matter who you are.. if it is getting the care it needs. it will surprise the critics.

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I think it's both. Even dead people continue to grow hair & nails for a bit. I agree that your genetics influence how fast your hair grows (.5 - 1 inch per month) and how much you shed daily/weekly.

My opinion is based on the fact that DH has locks and if he had not cut it a couple of times his hair would be at his hips. He does nothing special to his hair and gets it twisted about once a month. Nobody in his family has really long hair (APL is the longest I've seen) but his is uber long since its all retained in the locks.

 

[shunta]

Definitely part nature part nuture.

Absoultely!

 

[natstar]

I am starting to think heredity plays a larger factor than anything else. Granted, if you take care of your hair, there should be some growth, but I am now starting to think that genes play a larger role in determining long hair.

 

[krissynick]

I think its both.

 

[Imani]

i think heredity plays a part. But its not that it won't grow, u may just have to go about it a different way. everyone in my family has dry 4b hair. and almost everyone (including myself) has short hair not even shoulder length. But, my mother has gotten longer hair with dreads and other natural styles (braids, twists, etc). Everyone else presses or use relaxers. So if all of us wore natural styles w/no heat/chemicals and proper care we could all probably have longer hair.

this is one of the reasons i'm considering going natural, it just seems like my hair won't retain length relaxed even after trying all the advice on this board

ETA- i'm seen proof on the board that 4b relaxed hair can get long. i am just speaking from me and my family's personal experiences.

 

[Nightingale]

I think it's both.

Your genes influence how fast your hair grows, and how 'long' (time, not length) it grows before shedding.

From that preset genetic 'max', you control how close you get to that by your health (whole body and scalp), your nutrition, and your hydration.

You control how much of it you actually KEEP by the treatment of your hair....

Well said.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

I am starting to think heredity plays a larger factor than anything else. Granted, if you take care of your hair, there should be some growth, but I am now starting to think that genes play a larger role in determining long hair.

I don't think that heredity plays a larger role.

All of the women on my mother's side of the family have or had long hair. But my hair has never gotten past my neck.

Could it be because of my father's side of the family? Maybe

Could it be because I am sick? Possibly

Health plays a very strong role in how our hair grows and retains. I get tons of growth every month, but I can't retain anything. With the constant growth I get, I could hit waistlength in 2 years

But again, it could be health reasons. It could be because I'm lazy and don't practice barely any hair care routines consistently. Genetics ain't the whole story.

It's funny how only Black people use the "genetics" argument to explain why we have "shorter" hair.

 

[nichelle02]

I think it's both, but nurture certainly plays a huge part. I'm 40 years old now so I was around during the jheri curl 'age'. When I had a curl for a short time while in high school, I had great length. It's only now that I know that it was probably because I was keeping my hair moisturized and was not burning it off every day with a curling iron. When I think of the hot iron, sizzling and smoke from my earlier days, I cringe.

I've only been on this board for a short few months, but it has made a huge difference in my hair. I recently saw a cousin that I had not seen since I started using healthier hare care methods and her first words were "Your hair looks so good!" That was before the 'hello'. I can recall two other cousins who had what would be considered bsl length hair while we were growing up. Now that we are older, one of them has 1" hair and the other one is above shoulder length. When I see my extended family later this year, I think they will be shocked at the change in my hair. I'm still relaxed (considering changing that), but how I am taking care of the hair that I have has made a drastic difference. I haven't retained this much length since those jheri curl days.

 

[kaykaybobay]

I think its both too, my hair would probablly be longer if I knew how to maintain it before. My mother and sisters all have mid back length. My grandads mother and sister all had hair to their waists while I didnt get that gene I'm pretty happy with the way it is going now.