Doyou think long and healthy hair will ever be the norm for bw??
- Thread starter PinkPeony
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Geminigirl
Well-Known Member
No and if it does happen it won't happen soon. Some people are just set in their ways and what they grow up hearing and seeing.
CurlyMoo
Well-Known Member
Even though I see that short hair is the trend with all races, women of other races are still able to obtain long lengths even with the permanent chemicals whereas we suffer hair loss. It's more than the chemicals its the ablity to give your hair what it needs to trive and obtain the length and healthy hair in spite of.
CurlyMoo
Well-Known Member
Case in point:
http://www.thermalreconditioning.com/
http://www.thermalreconditioning.com/pictures.html
Folks don't talk about this like they do the Black hair relaxers.
CurlyMoo
Well-Known Member
Interesting article on the Thermal Reconditioning site:
http://www.thermalreconditioning.com/news3.html
http://www.thermalreconditioning.com/news3.html
LilBrownied
Member
I hope they put basic hair care for black girls (all children, really) into the school curriculum. It could be part of physical education. I think if we fight for that, it could happen. Then all girls could have access to healthier hair care and grooming knowledge.
CurlyMoo
Well-Known Member
Thermal Reconditioning and African type hair
Because the main chemical in Thermal Reconditioning is Thio it may not be able to soften strong African type hair sufficiently and produce good results. On the other hand, milder, softer African hair types may react quite well to Thermal Reconditioning but again the consultation is quite important because some African type hair will respond well to the procedure and others will not.
Written by Michael Ricca2002
Because the main chemical in Thermal Reconditioning is Thio it may not be able to soften strong African type hair sufficiently and produce good results. On the other hand, milder, softer African hair types may react quite well to Thermal Reconditioning but again the consultation is quite important because some African type hair will respond well to the procedure and others will not.
Written by Michael Ricca2002
yuriko
New Member
I agree that chemical straightener may not be as widely used among other races as they are with black women. But it is still a chemical that breaks down protein at the end of the day.
Japanese relaxer might not have the same bad reputation as our relaxers, but please please do not be fooled by pictures of celebrities who have probably never used this product. Three of my very close friends have been using japanese relaxer for the past 4-6 years, two indian and one latina. And let me tell you that over the years their hair has become thinner, dryer, shorter and more damaged over time, but just like us, they are hooked on the cream and can not seem to stop using it.
One of the indian ones is now at APL with very thin. dry and damaged hair, this is a girl who used to have long, flowing butt length hair when we were in college. I would say that on average all these girls I am referring to have longer hair than the average black woman, but that is because they only retouch every 6months, let them try every 6weeks and see how their hair will look. BTW I have many other Indian friends that want to try this chemical straightener, but are scared too scared of the damage to try it.
My point is that any chemical that will permanently change the texture of your hair will damage your hair!! And all the bad stereotypes associated with relaxing are just something that is part of black culture in America. I am originally from Nigeria, and its rare to hear someone over there have so many issues with relaxer; Over there, its either you use it or you don't, no big deal.
Its not the relaxer that causes black ladies to not retain length, its the poor hair practices. Outside this board, i honestly don't know many naturals with long hair!
This is 2008, and in this age where we have a chemical for everything, it makes sense to me that we have some for our hair too, I am sure that in the foreseeable future, more improved types of chemical straightener will be in circulation.
Japanese relaxer might not have the same bad reputation as our relaxers, but please please do not be fooled by pictures of celebrities who have probably never used this product. Three of my very close friends have been using japanese relaxer for the past 4-6 years, two indian and one latina. And let me tell you that over the years their hair has become thinner, dryer, shorter and more damaged over time, but just like us, they are hooked on the cream and can not seem to stop using it.
One of the indian ones is now at APL with very thin. dry and damaged hair, this is a girl who used to have long, flowing butt length hair when we were in college. I would say that on average all these girls I am referring to have longer hair than the average black woman, but that is because they only retouch every 6months, let them try every 6weeks and see how their hair will look. BTW I have many other Indian friends that want to try this chemical straightener, but are scared too scared of the damage to try it.
My point is that any chemical that will permanently change the texture of your hair will damage your hair!! And all the bad stereotypes associated with relaxing are just something that is part of black culture in America. I am originally from Nigeria, and its rare to hear someone over there have so many issues with relaxer; Over there, its either you use it or you don't, no big deal.
Its not the relaxer that causes black ladies to not retain length, its the poor hair practices. Outside this board, i honestly don't know many naturals with long hair!
This is 2008, and in this age where we have a chemical for everything, it makes sense to me that we have some for our hair too, I am sure that in the foreseeable future, more improved types of chemical straightener will be in circulation.
yuriko
New Member
And BTW all those pics are from women who just had one treatment, of course it looks great, You should have seen how my friends hair looked when they got their first relaxer, heck you should have seen how mine looked when I got my first relaxer- I had BSL hair back in those days, and then the damage began..
Last I checked a lot of us had issues with thio based chemicals. Just because it is marketed to white people don't make it some superior, non-damaging product
Last I checked a lot of us had issues with thio based chemicals. Just because it is marketed to white people don't make it some superior, non-damaging product
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Then again, is it really that necessary
erplexed? I mean some people really just desire short hair, and most want long hair. Not everyone is running around looking for a quick fix, and wanting to have longer hair. True there are weaves and glue, and such, but it is sold to us. If they did not exist, we would have better hair on our heads. I think we have ALOT of variety when it comes to our hair. Why be one when you can be many, is the attitude many bw have regarding their hair.
erplexed? I mean some people really just desire short hair, and most want long hair. Not everyone is running around looking for a quick fix, and wanting to have longer hair. True there are weaves and glue, and such, but it is sold to us. If they did not exist, we would have better hair on our heads. I think we have ALOT of variety when it comes to our hair. Why be one when you can be many, is the attitude many bw have regarding their hair.
Extremus
Well-Known Member
And there you have it! Exactly what I was going to say!
Mis007
New Member
I see healthy hair care on the same path as a healthy body programme personally...you have to put the work in to gain the results
...I don't understand people saying it's not alot of work...well truthfully it is.... if pre lhcf all you were doing were washing your hair once every whenever, hiding it behind weaves and braids not caring for it as you thought you didn't need to, greasing it with whatever, and visiting the salon for a wash and steam (well bascially having little to do with or to your hair as possible)...well doing that takes alot of work, you are doing a 360 now you are caring for you hair!! something many have never thought or even considered they would of been able to do me included...Yes it's easy for others to say it's not alot of work perhaps they have found their regiment...but I bet my last pound that wasn't the case initially...Just how you know what is good for your body, you should know what is good for your hair...it takes time...
I don't know it would take a while though. Because there are so many products in BBS and just everywhere in general that say they help with our type of hair but they really don't. So with teh lies that come from so many products makes it hard enough. And I think because so many get relaxers and think that hair should be very low maintenance. A lot of BW think white women just have it easy because of their hair type but it's not even that, white women still wash their hair everyday, blow dry, sometimes straighten..they prep their hair just as much as women on this board do. So i think until some women stop thinking that hair care shouldn't take more than 30 minutes then, i don't think it'd ever be the norm. But i mean this generation as a whole thinks that everything should be achievable in a short amount of time but that's a different story.
JustKiya
Well-Known Member
I don't think long hair will ever be the norm, and really, I wouldn't want it to. Sisters look like fire with short styles - so I would like for long hair to be something special/unique still.
What I would like, though, is for every black woman, to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if she wanted her hair to be long (and not brought from the BSS) she could do it.
And I would want every sister to know that whether she wears her hair long or short, it can (and should) be healthy and strong.
That's the message that I hope LHCF spreads - not the opinion that we all should have long hair, but that fact that if we want to, we all can have long hair - and all hair can be healthy, too.
What I would like, though, is for every black woman, to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if she wanted her hair to be long (and not brought from the BSS) she could do it.
And I would want every sister to know that whether she wears her hair long or short, it can (and should) be healthy and strong.
That's the message that I hope LHCF spreads - not the opinion that we all should have long hair, but that fact that if we want to, we all can have long hair - and all hair can be healthy, too.
naturalgurl
New Member
I don't think long hair will ever be the norm, and really, I wouldn't want it to. Sisters look like fire with short styles - so I would like for long hair to be something special/unique still.
What I would like, though, is for every black woman, to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if she wanted her hair to be long (and not brought from the BSS) she could do it.
And I would want every sister to know that whether she wears her hair long or short, it can (and should) be healthy and strong.
That's the message that I hope LHCF spreads - not the opinion that we all should have long hair, but that fact that if we want to, we all can have long hair - and all hair can be healthy, too.
ITA/Cosign/Ditto...
Isis77
New Member
I agree with JustKiya, just getting the message out there that Black women can have healthy, long hair if they CHOOSE to work at it will be more powerful than all Black women having long hair because it will finally let everyone know that we have the same exact options as other races with their hair and that we can choose to wear it long, short or any and everything in between, without the dependence on weaves and extensions.
blkbeauty
Well-Known Member
Yes, I hope so.
Not every woman may want long hair, but healthy Yes!
And I think many more women will go natural
I totally agree with Flower. Not every woman wants long hair, but majority of us do strive for healthier hair. I would love to see more BW with Natural hair. I think in the future and the acceptance of "natural" hair, we will see more natural heads.
blkbeauty
Well-Known Member
You bring up an interesting point...Health vs. Length. The majority of my staff at work are WW and the longest length amongst these women is brastrap. This is out of an office of 15 WW. These WW do not care about growing their hair LONG. They talk more about the new fashionable blunt cuts that they want to achieve and or color.
One of these women oneday commented on BW’s hair and said that she would not want to have a BW hair, because its too much work to make it look good. I thought about this and although she was out of her league to make such comments, she was telling the truth. I thought how I could not just run out and get a blunt cut. I have the pressure of 1. Getting a bad perm. 2. getting a bad cut. 3. Using excessive heat. I can’t just go out and rock a new color because I face another problem…breakage.
When I think about it, the negativity towards BW hair is NOT the length perse, which has been embedded for us to believe, if this was the case, ALL the WW I know would fawn over some of the BW I work with and their long, yet see through hair. Instead, they adore the young 20 year old receptionist thick, healthy shoulder length. Men would’ve not gave Halle a second glance when she had her short cut or Malinda Williams would not be considered pretty because her tresses are short if length for BW was the end all to everything and both these women have appeared in countless of hair magazines for having healthy hair.
To me the lack of healthiness and IMO, the endurance it takes (because of our texture) to maintain that health has been the main focus. The truth is this having to have long hair is really like an obession that is unneccessary. We glue, sew, fry and everything else for the quick fix just to make it appear we have long hair. Some of us are really bald and walk around with 1 strand with sewn in weave just to have this long hair. What about the health in all of this? No one barely speak about that!!
Nightingale
On the Grow and Keeping it Simple
I hope having healthy hair and recognizing the possibility for long hair if the choose, becomes the norm for black women.
Butterfly08
New Member
I'm gonna be the cynicist and say no. erplexed Nowadays it is common practice for kids 3 and up to have braided weave down their back. That was unheard of when I grew up (not to say the hair was any healthier though with the prevalance of jheri curls, overprocessed perms, tight ponytails, etc.)
My 10 yo daughter's hair is APL and she's been begging for weave for years.erplexed It's just so common - probably 80% of her AA classmates have them. 
Many people in this generation want things right away and a lot of people will go for the instant results and glamour of weave or dependence to a SHS.
Long healthy hair takes patience, discipline and knowledge. I do think that more and more women will learn how to properly take care of their hair, but sorry, I just don't see it being the norm any time soon.
erplexed Nowadays it is common practice for kids 3 and up to have braided weave down their back. That was unheard of when I grew up (not to say the hair was any healthier though with the prevalance of jheri curls, overprocessed perms, tight ponytails, etc.) My 10 yo daughter's hair is APL and she's been begging for weave for years.
erplexed It's just so common - probably 80% of her AA classmates have them. Many people in this generation want things right away and a lot of people will go for the instant results and glamour of weave or dependence to a SHS. Long healthy hair takes patience, discipline and knowledge. I do think that more and more women will learn how to properly take care of their hair, but sorry, I just don't see it being the norm any time soon.
MonPetite
New Member
I'm gonna be the cynicist and say no.
My 10 yo daughter's hair is APL and she's been begging for weave for years.
Long healthy hair takes patience, discipline and knowledge. I do think that more and more women will learn how to properly take care of their hair, but sorry, I just don't see it being the norm any time soon.
I must join you in a bit of out of character cynicism.
At some point the health of your hair must be a greater priority than style.
We all know how likely that is to happen in the Black community.
We'd rather be obese with "fly" hair than wear a bun 99% of the time so we can be free to work out regularly and protect our ends.
It's a lifestyle and a mentality change.
Two things we often won't do for OUR HEALTH, let alone HAIR. Something that can be bought with great ease by comparison.
JustKiya
Well-Known Member
I live in Toronto, Canada and I see so many relaxed damaged heads. The hair is thinning, its breaking and is dry and most of all "bad weaves". Im not saying there is anything wrong with relaxing and wearing a weave but if the hair is already damaged then these things will only make it worse not help. But I am seeing more naturals which im happy about. I think slowly but surely it can happen.
HairQueen
Active Member
I am doubtful becasue...I think for that to happen the message would need to start with stylists sending out the message that hair should not be relaxed every 6 weeks but that clients should stretch longer.
Also the blow dryer on dripping wet hair is no good and should not be used. Stylists would also have to stop using those awful stove looking curling irons that get EXTRA hot to get the hair straight but again this is not going to happen becasue people want immediate beauty and these styling tools provide this.
I don't think that stylists are going to promote relaxer stretching because if clients realxed their hair less often that would mean less money for them..
Also the blow dryer on dripping wet hair is no good and should not be used. Stylists would also have to stop using those awful stove looking curling irons that get EXTRA hot to get the hair straight but again this is not going to happen becasue people want immediate beauty and these styling tools provide this.
I don't think that stylists are going to promote relaxer stretching because if clients realxed their hair less often that would mean less money for them..
yuriko
New Member
At the end of the day, you are right, these healthy practises, co-washing at home, bunning, stretching relaxers do take money away from the stylists. One stylist told me to relax my hair every four weeks. Another told me I should trim every month. Every stylist I have ever met uses way way to much heat. Its funny because my white friends never go to a hairdresser, and I was going every other week and my hair was just getting more damaged. counter-intuitive isn't it.
*Muffin*
New Member
I already posted in this poll a long time ago (No idea what I wrote, lol) but I just wanted to mention that as of late I've been seeing some bw with some long hair (at least apl) and it's their's. I feel that people are getting tired of damaging their hair the way they have been and want to start taking better care of it. Also some[/B(definitely not all, though) black beauty magazines are starting to recommend things like deep conditioning, low manipulation, and protective styles. And I'm seeing a lot more naturals than I used to so all these things could be accounting for why I'm seeing AA women with longer hair. It's a welcome change .
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