Do you think that white girls have it easier?

unalteredone

unalteredone

New Member
I'm watching the Tyra show, (dont ask why) and the show topic seems to be beauty problems and race. "Beauty in Black and White" so... she's segregated her audience (ridiculous) and picked 2 friends who "envied each other's beuaty routines" one black, one white to "switch" and try to do what the other does. So they airbrush their skin and give them weaves/wigs. It's ridiculous because the white friend gets this big natural fro, when her friend has neck length hair that looks relaxed. And the black friend was STRUGGLING with the "white" wig! She was even mystified by all of the heat protectant her white friend was usuing and didnt know when to apply anti frizz serum. I feel pretty confident that if i had 1b hair for a day i'd be pretty good at styling it....at the very least i'd be able to comb it correctly! I mean, do you really think it's that hard? Or did tyra just pick the most inept people she could find for this segment?


ETA: OMG they are showing how to straighten natural hair and the black hairdresser just combed one section with a fine tooth comb and then pressed the same section like 4 times after it was already straight and then used a new-to-the-market hair tool to straighten the roots... again. It made me cringe!

And also by "styling" i mean for everyday wear, not special occasion.
 
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It's different. I used to flat iron my old roommate's hair and help her style it for events. She usually just wore wash and gos :nono: and could never do anything with it other than put it in ponytails. I had to use different/more products on her hair to give it that shiny sleek look. And lots of hairspray! My roommate freshman year used to complain about not being able to retain length. She stayed neck length for the whole year and would compliment my ability to retain length and get upset when I cut my hair :blush:

ETA: I wouldn't say either side has it easier but it's just different depending on technique and styling ability
 
One day I attempted to stlye my friend's hair, who is white, for a military outing we had. She wanted spiral curls and her hair was maybe sl at the time. It took almost 3 or 4 hours to do her entire head because we had to use spritz and hairspray, curl it, then spray some more spritz and hair spray, then hold the curl so it would not fall and lose its shape then when we were done, we had to go back through and touch up some curls!

It was beautiful afterwards, but it took forever and it took a lot of products!
 
My opinion may be unpopular, but yes, I definitely do think White women have it easier when it comes to styling their hair. If they try to do styles that don't go with their texture well, i.e. spiral curls or waves in stick straight hair, then they have to put in effort like we do, but just their regular day to day styles, for most, seem a lot easier than what we do.
 
I don't think so. The thing that is so different about our hair is that blacks have very versatile hair. We can do every style in the book if we want and it will stay that way for a couple of days until we wash it(if done right lol). But when people with straighter hair want to style their hair it doesn't last long at all. They have very few ways to style their hair compared to us. And yall know how women like change. I think we are actually blessed to be able to do whatever with ours. But we have to make sure we take care our delicate hair as well.
 
My daughter is not white, but her hair type is 1A.

Whether it's harder or easier depends on what I'm trying to do with her hair. Anytime I try to make it do something it doesn't do naturally, there is nothing easier about it. Plus, she gets horrible tangles and hair accessories do not stay in her hair. They just slide right out. Even the stay-put kind.

Oh and gum gets stuck in her hair just like anybody else's hair. Okay, that was a tangent, but I have my reasons for mentioning it. :ohwell:
 
belletifi08 said:
My opinion may be unpopular, but yes, I definitely do think White women have it easier when it comes to styling their hair. If they try to do styles that don't go with their texture well, i.e. spiral curls or waves in stick straight hair, then they have to put in effort like we do, but just their regular day to day styles, for most, seem a lot easier than what we do.
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i will agree with you to a point... because white women tend to let their hair be in its natural state more often ( not changing texture) i feel it is easier to do it. BUT if black women were not consistently trying to change our textures as well it would thus be just as easy to do our hair. I am talking 1b hair because honestly there are SOME white women who have curly hair just as some of US 3b-c ish range. overall i don't see a huge difference besides the fact that our hair can do more which is a good thing
 
Qetesh said:
i will agree with you to a point... because white women tend to let their hair be in its natural state more often ( not changing texture) i feel it is easier to do it. BUT if black women were not consistently trying to change our textures as well it would thus be just as easy to do our hair. I am talking 1b hair because honestly there are SOME white women who have curly hair just as some of US 3b-c ish range. overall i don't see a huge difference besides the fact that our hair can do more which is a good thing
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I don't know, you guys...I haven't been natural since I was 12, but I distinctly remember that even trying to get my natural hair into a pony tail holder was a chore. I read the routines of naturals on the board, and they don't sound all that simple, IMO...Then the stories of knots, excessive tangles from just wearing the hair out, having to airdry in braids or twists, etc. It doesn't sound that easy to me.

While Black hair is very versatile (probably the most versatile of all hair types when it comes to keeping a style), I def. don't think it's as easy as any other hair type. And just b/c I think it's harder to take care of, doesn't mean I think it's worse or deficient in any way. I just think it requires more care and effort to keep it healthy and looking good in comparison to others.
 
NO

Black girls are lazier at taking care of their own hairs and putting in the time and effort for it to be nice. And since they are often also entrenched in bad habits ie relaxing too often and doing things that will jack up their hairs, they end up not liking their hairs or wanting to make any kind of effort.
many people i know will spend more time wraping, brushing and trying to take care of their weaves, but with their own hairs, that monthly relaxer is as far as its gonna go as far as taking care of it goes. most of my friends do not own hair products at all. They have weave products though

I've had people tell me that they wont adopt a healthy hair routing because they have no time, and i have a lot of energy to be washing and Dcing every week.
The same people are in a salon changing their weave every two weeks:rolleyes:

White people have to do a lot of work on their hairs to get it to look or feel great, but its not uncommon for a white girl to take 5-6 hours or however long, getting ready to go out. 1 hr on painting their face, the remainder on hair. Tons of products, straightening, (which their hair can usually take cos its not been subjected to anything as chemically damaging as a relaxer), sprays etc
 
I personally don't feel their hair is better than ours, but it is definately easier to style and maintain. If I could use the flat iron and blowdrye each day without my hair drying out or gettting damaged,styling would be much easier. I personally find it harder to cowash (like they do) and make me hair look decent day to day without heat.
 
Henrietta said:
NO

Black girls are lazier at taking care of their own hairs and putting in the time and effort for it to be nice. And since they are often also entrenched in bad habits ie relaxing too often and doing things that will jack up their hairs, they end up not liking their hairs or wanting to make any kind of effort.
many people i know will spend more time wraping, brushing and trying to take care of their weaves, but with their own hairs, that monthly relaxer is as far as its gonna go as far as taking care of it goes. most of my friends do not own hair products at all. They have weave products though
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Now THAT'S just terrible... :nono:
 
Henrietta said:
NO

Black girls are lazier at taking care of their own hairs and putting in the time and effort for it to be nice. And since they are often also entrenched in bad habits ie relaxing too often and doing things that will jack up their hairs, they end up not liking their hairs or wanting to make any kind of effort.
many people i know will spend more time wraping, brushing and trying to take care of their weaves, but with their own hairs, that monthly relaxer is as far as its gonna go as far as taking care of it goes. most of my friends do not own hair products at all. They have weave products though

I've had people tell me that they wont adopt a healthy hair routing because they have no time, and i have a lot of energy to be washing and Dcing every week.
The same people are in a salon changing their weave every two weeks:rolleyes:

White people have to do a lot of work on their hairs to get it to look or feel great, but its not uncommon for a white girl to take 5-6 hours or however long, getting ready to go out. 1 hr on painting their face, the remainder on hair. Tons of products, straightening, (which their hair can usually take cos its not been subjected to anything as chemically damaging as a relaxer), sprays etc
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While i agree that a lot of black women spend more time on their weaves than their real hair, i think that a lot of the problems black women have with haircare is lack of information/knowledge about why our hair is different and what our hair needs. Simple things like thinking that putting grease on your hair actually moisturizes it, or not thinking to put heat protectant on it for example.

None of my white friends spend that much time taking care of their hair, so i cant agree with you there. I've never heard of a white (or rather, non black) friend of mine DCing, although i'm sure there are some people who do, i just havent heard about it. I've never heard any of my friends talking about moisturizing everyday or anything that really pertains to the HEALTH of their hair besides trims. In my experience most of them wash/rinse everyday and then airdry on their way to class in the morning. Some blowdry every day, some flatiron too, but none of my friends avoid washing their hair/getting it wet because they need to spend hours styling it later. (Except my bf's little sister, who has naturally curly hair, but ALWAYS wears it straight.)
 
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What is the routine for type 1 hair? I've always thought it was washing & heat styling everyday. Is it really easier to wash, blow dry and curl your hair everday or every other? There was a time when I was doing this about 3 times a week. My hair looked great every day, I didn't notice any damage but I wasn't used to the time commitment.

So, no, I don't think it is easier.
 
I don't know. I can't speak for everyone else's head. I know that "my" hair in it's natural state generally takes a shorter amount of time in day-to-day stying than my white female coworkers (none of whom can just "wash and go" without blow drying and/or curling their hair first--that might work in college, but not in a professional work setting).

Now, having super curly hair with thin strands has more potential for knots and breakage, so I think I do more (deep) conditioning than my coworkers, most of whom have 1a-2a hair and their strands are much thicker than mine. I also do more preventative maintenance than they (more protective styles, more moisturizing products). But I'm being honest when I say that they all admire my hair and sort of deride the problems of their own hair--too flat, won't hold a curl, has to be washed daily--I don't particularly admire theirs, but I do know the grass is usually always greener.

Do I think our hair is more "difficult?" Not per se. I do think though, that every upside has a downside, and I think while our hair is gorgeous in it's natural state, and we have more versatility, I think that does mean that we need to spend a little more time in prevention and care in exchange for that versatility--which is an easy trade-off for me, cause I really like my hair. :look:
 
Hey Ladies,

Just wanted to also chime in. My Indian friends are very meticulous about their hair so the whole thing about black women being too much into their hair is not just a black thing. But then again black women also get a bad rap for not taking enough care of our hair. So in the end, you can't win this argument either way.

When I worked in the States, I had a white co-worker named Pam and she always used to tell me that she loved afro-textured hair because it was so versatile and seemed easier to manage than her own hair. I was always wearing my natural hair pressed, twisted, etc and she loved it. She confessed to me that she hated her hair because it was thin and fine and never grew past her collar bone without it looking scraggily. And I used to feel sorry for Pam because she did not have that stereotypical bouncing and behaviour hair. Our other co-worker another black woman had the most beautiful locks and Pam would just gloat over that too. Women always want the opposite of what they have. Women with straight hair want curly and curly haired women want straight hair.

Also, white women when they don't wash their hair after a few days or don't comb it, it looks terrible and you can really tell the difference. So, no they don't have it easier just because they have that wake up and go hair. For all things to be healthy requires maintenance regardless of the race. Because black women have very dry textured hair and we don't know which products hold moisture properly, we think our hair is harder to deal with but in fact it's not. When moisture is conquered afro textured hair is actually so striking regardless of its length and white women truly envy that, let me tell you.

Best,
Almond Eyes
 
Well, if the question is "do they have it easier?", the answer is going to depend on what "it" is. Put into a style that can hold and last for a long time, I have it easier. Wash and comb w/o breaking in a short amount of time, straighter hair has it easier. It depends on what you want to do with your hair. And of course, just as all black people don't have the same texture, all white people do not, either. But I've had white and Asian roommates and most of my time is spent around white people and in general they seems to be less stressed and concerned, but that is very general. My Korean roommate had the easiest hair on the planet (around bsl) and there is no way my hair could be that easy unless I had a twa. I don't even think dreadlocks could be that easy for me. And it always looked good. I never saw her spend more than 10 minutes (max!) on her hair.
 
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It's not easier. I chock it up to education. I was not educated on how to care for my natural hair. I believe if this education was available, that we'd have an easier time with "our" hair too. My white friends envy black hair because it is so versatile. We could do so much styles and still have our hair look good. :lachen:
 
Qetesh said:
i will agree with you to a point... because white women tend to let their hair be in its natural state more often ( not changing texture) i feel it is easier to do it. BUT if black women were not consistently trying to change our textures as well it would thus be just as easy to do our hair. I am talking 1b hair because honestly there are SOME white women who have curly hair just as some of US 3b-c ish range. overall i don't see a huge difference besides the fact that our hair can do more which is a good thing
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i agree. if more black women liked what their natural texture was they wouldn't see a problem with it, in other words if the idea of something being beautiful wasn't pin straight hair or loose curls then i think black women would have it 'easy'. But since a lot of black women manipulate their hair so much and go against what their hair naturally does of course it won't be easy. White women have it easier because they use products that tend to enhance their hair type and not against it. Like i have a friend who has naturally wavy hair and if she just uses a bit of gel or moose after a shampoo it'll give her loose waves. I think no matter what hair type black women and white women end up having to re do their hair every morning, but i know white girls who just have to wash their hair, tie it in a bun with moose and the next morning have gorgeous hair. I just think white people have a better idea of what does what to their hair and aren't lied to as much when it comes to products, and what is and isn't good for their hair. Plus they do their own hair more because most white women only go to the salon if getting a hair cut while black women go sometimes 3 times a month to the hair salon.
 
belletifi08 said:
I don't know, you guys...I haven't been natural since I was 12, but I distinctly remember that even trying to get my natural hair into a pony tail holder was a chore. I read the routines of naturals on the board, and they don't sound all that simple, IMO...Then the stories of knots, excessive tangles from just wearing the hair out, having to airdry in braids or twists, etc. It doesn't sound that easy to me.

While Black hair is very versatile (probably the most versatile of all hair types when it comes to keeping a style), I def. don't think it's as easy as any other hair type. And just b/c I think it's harder to take care of, doesn't mean I think it's worse or deficient in any way. I just think it requires more care and effort to keep it healthy and looking good in comparison to others.
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maybe it was the way you were taking care of your hair at the time. I cant honestly speak for everyone. but my hair is natural and i don't find it a chore to put it up at all. its just a matter of minutes as i assume it would be for a "white" girl. it defiantly looks different tho. and white girls hair tangles when its long just like ours. I do wash and go's often and honestly a lot of white women cant get away with that. my regimen is simple i just cowash every other day or so and deep condish every other week. besides that I jus go or maybe i will do a braid out and let it dry. a lot of white women spend an hour or more on their hair in the morning. I guess it depends on each person if its going to end up taking more time or not.
 
To a certain extent they do, because they need minimal amintenance for their hair and it looks so healthy, but I heard that everyones hair grows at the certain rate so I'm not sure on that one.
 
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