Interesting Observation: Coarse hair generally grows longer without much care?

[kblc06]

I once told my friend with super coarse WSL hair that if an atomic bomb was dropped on us, nothing but cockroaches and her hair would be left.

I definitely agree! My BF's daughter has the thickest hair. Grant you, it's hard to manage - no wonder why she abuses it. She never DC, and because it's hard for her to manage it, she gets it flat iron at the Dominican salon every week. She has Butt length super shiny hair that has LOTS of body. Once I flat ironed my hair at the dominican salon and the heat did a number on my hair - it broke off ! Needless to say, I am jealous.

 

[Mystic]

It sucks but.., that is the truth, lol!!

I once told my friend with super coarse WSL hair that if an atomic bomb was dropped on us, nothing but cockroaches and her hair would be left.

 

[FlowerHair]

interesting...i have very coarse hair and have never had an issues growing it long or keeping it relatively healthy. i know my coarse hair doesn't twine and wrap around each other as much as some of my finer haired sisters (I.e. I don't tangle much when it's in it's natural state...) so this helps me retain length I think...

ITA.

I have coarse, thick strands too - not the size of a sewing thread, but definately visible from a distance.

My hair doesn't tangle so much, but on the other hand it needs plenty of moisture. My bff with softer/finer strands has a tangled mess on her head even if she only lies down for a 15 min nap.

She also gets breakage from ponytail holders and such. I never do.

Her hair used to grow faster than mine (retain better) before I realized that my hair needed more moisture and oils/butters than her hair.

Her curls are more durable, mine flatten easily.

 

[Jetblackhair]

I agree with the Op's statement. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, having fine hair.

My hair is medium density, thank goodness, but I am having a time of it, trying to keep it healthy.

It's so prone to breakage and so fine that sometimes I have to hold the strand up to light to fully see it.

Having thick coarse hair would be a dream for me!

 

[MummysGirl]

I totally agree, I have fine strands and I have learned that for my hair to retain length, I need to make sure it gets some form of protein at least 2ce a week.

My leave in conditioner is a light protein, my DC is a light protein so my hair feel so much stronger than it used to feel. I felt I had fine and weak strands for a long time, now I know I have fine but strong strands (thanks to protein).

I've also noticed henna makes my strands feel stronger (haven't applied henna to my hair since May! Gotta get back on it).

 

[Aspire]

Wow. I was JUST having this same conversation with my sister. She has coarse hair and it very easy for her to retain length. Particularly when relaxed because it does not tangle as easily nor do her ends split as easily a mine. The funny thing, she swears her "bad" hair practices are what makes it grow. If she took better care of it, it would probably be 2-3x as long as it.

 

[Hairsnob]

I can agree. Think of this.

You ever notice that when most babies are born they have a full head of hair? Whether curly or straight or whatever. Of course we know they don't always KEEP this "good hurrr"

However, some babies are born almost bald or with VERY thin hair that takes longer to grow and doesn't grow in until they're well after one year old or even older. They seem to be the babies with finer hair later in life.

Just my observation

 

[glamazon386]

I would agree. My mom hair hair like that and she could pretty much do anything to it and it wouldn't fall out.

 

[Southernbella.]

ITA.

I have coarse, thick strands too - not the size of a sewing thread, but definately visible from a distance.

My hair doesn't tangle so much, but on the other hand it needs plenty of moisture. My bff with softer/finer strands has a tangled mess on her head even if she only lies down for a 15 min nap.

She also gets breakage from ponytail holders and such. I never do.

Her hair used to grow faster than mine (retain better) before I realized that my hair needed more moisture and oils/butters than her hair.

Her curls are more durable, mine flatten easily.

My hair doesn't really tangle, either. I don't think people believe me when I say this since my hair is type 4, but it's true. I wonder if the coarseness/thickness has anything to do with that.

 

[1QTPie]

Fine and medium hair checking in. Hair tangles like nobody's business. Breaks very easily, it's hard for me to grow past where my hair currently is. I have to be careful with how much protein I use and how much moisture I use.

Oh and I was a bald baby. I was bald until I was well past 2 years old.

 

[taz007]

I have COARSE hair and my hair will loc/matte at the drop of a hat!

When I was natural, the comb out process was torture! Now that I am relaxed the new growth after 5 weeks is outrageous.

I used to have a problem with dryness until I discovered steaming and overnight Joico Intense Hydrator treatments. Steaming alone did not work for my hair.

 

[♦K.O♦]

For those of you who say your hair is coarse, allow me to ask you a question. Do you find it to be true that your strands are thicker than 1 ply of a 2 ply sewing thread? I don't know how one knows that their hair is coarse. The only concrete test I have read says that you take a sewing thread and separate the 2 plies. If your hair strand is finer than that, you have fine hair, same as that you have normal hair, and thicker than that you have coarse hair. My strands can feel quite wiry so I want to say coarse, but when I did that test, even the thickest of my strands were not as thick as that 1/2 a sewing thread. The thinnest of my strands were much finer.

I think I have everything in my head. Some strands are thicker than two ply, some are thinner than 1 strand, and some are the size of one ply.

I've never been bald. Even when I did my own blonde highlights in HS, and then dyed my hair a bright color again, and used heat every day, my hair still looked good. When my hair was above my shoulders or APL, it was because I cut it that way. That said, some parts took more damage than others.

When I was a kid, before I started messing in my own natural hair, my hair was always between APL and BSL, and my mom did nothing special to my hair. No DCs, no nothing. I used grease. lol



I dont know what I am- I guess normal?

 

[Poohbear]

I agree kblc06! This is an observation I have made as well after looking at different types of hair over the years of being a member of hair forums.

 

[Poohbear]

I have COARSE hair and my hair will loc/matte at the drop of a hat!

When I was natural, the comb out process was torture! Now that I am relaxed the new growth after 5 weeks is outrageous.

I used to have a problem with dryness until I discovered steaming and overnight Joico Intense Hydrator treatments. Steaming alone did not work for my hair.

Sounds more like you have DENSE hair rather than COARSE hair. In other words, you have hair strands that grow in closely compacted together. And if your hair easily locs/matts together, sounds like a bunch of fine strands that grow in closely together. My hair is that way. You can hardly ever see my scalp.

 

[skegeesmb]

My hair is coarse (you can definitely see if on a white piece of paper well), and I could do a lot to it, but color is my deal breaker. If I do a light color for some reason it seems to weaken my hair and makes it fine wherever the color is (I'm thinking the lifting process to make my hair light). Dark color is fine, but I can't lighten it without damage if I am relaxed. I never tried it natural though.

But I can retain the length pretty well.

 

[dynamic1]

I agree. I posted the following in Mwedzi's thread las week, "Does our type really correlate with our length? type 3's"

"Interesting thread(s).

It would be nice to see the correlation between hair density and hair length; or, strand diameter and hair length.

Over the years, I have made a random observation that higher density individuals tend to have more success regardless of hair type. Among my family and friends, those with higher density and thicker strand diameter (coarser) have an easier time growing longer lengths. The family members with thinner hair with fine strands have a harder time with achieving length. The latter happen to be in the 3a-3b category, while the former range from 3b-4b."

 

[kblc06]

I agree. I posted the following in Mwedzi's thread las week, "Does our type really correlate with our length? type 3's"

"Interesting thread(s).

It would be nice to see the correlation between hair density and hair length; or, strand diameter and hair length.

Over the years, I have made a random observation that higher density individuals tend to have more success regardless of hair type. Among my family and friends, those with higher density and thicker strand diameter (coarser) have an easier time growing longer lengths. The family members with thinner hair with fine strands have a harder time with achieving length. The latter happen to be in the 3a-3b category, while the former range from 3b-4b."

This is an interesting dynamic. I have often thought the same and would be curious to a breakdown on the board of individuals who have type 3 or 4 hair BUT also have coarse hair who have not achieved APL or BSL

 

[taz007]

Sounds more like you have DENSE hair rather than COARSE hair. In other words, you have hair strands that grow in closely compacted together. And if your hair easily locs/matts together, sounds like a bunch of fine strands that grow in closely together. My hair is that way. You can hardly ever see my scalp.

Trust that I do NOT have fine hair. It is definitely coarse and dense. Each strand of my hair is about the size of a strand of thread.

I will do a comparison this afternoon to be sure.

 

[MAMATO]

Trust that I do NOT have fine hair. It is definitely coarse and dense. Each strand of my hair is about the size of a strand of thread.

I will do a comparison this afternoon to be sure.

My hair locs as well and I do have coarse, some look like a 2-ply thread

 

[taz007]

I just did a strand test. I took a picture of my hair side-by-side with some sewing thread.

Here is a pic (my hair is on the bottom):

The pic may not be very clear but I hope that you can see the difference.

 

[jupitermoon]

I think my hair is on the coarser side. It doesn't tangle badly and I've never had to do much to grow long hair. I don't DC or use protein treatments or anything, but I do stay away from heat and chemicals. Strangely enough I don't have a problem with hair dryness either. Perhaps my hair is neither coarse nor fine? I think my hair grows at about average rate.

 

[Poohbear]

Thanks Taz007! Maybe you have very porous hair which could be the reason for the locking and matting?

 

[taz007]

Thanks Taz007! Maybe you have very porous hair which could be the reason for the locking and matting?

Hrrm....

I am placing that same strand into a bowl of water. So far it has been floating for 10 minutes. I will check back in 3 hours.

 

[taz007]

Ok, it has now been almost 5 hours and my strand is still floating. What does that mean?

 

[anon123]

ITA.

I have coarse, thick strands too - not the size of a sewing thread, but definately visible from a distance.

Are they the size of 1/2 a sewing thread (1 ply)?

I just did a strand test. I took a picture of my hair side-by-side with some sewing thread.

Here is a pic (my hair is on the bottom):

The pic may not be very clear but I hope that you can see the difference.

Is that the whole thread? Or did you separate it into 2 plies and just use one. If that's the whole thread, your hair is really thick.

I'm not sure what kind of hair I have.

 

[Jetblackhair]

Wow, your hair is thick! My fine hair looks practically invisible next to a piece of thread.

I just did a strand test. I took a picture of my hair side-by-side with some sewing thread.

Here is a pic (my hair is on the bottom):

The pic may not be very clear but I hope that you can see the difference.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

It makes sense. Some of the thickest hair I've seen seems to take to whatever type of styling gets done to it and it remains thick and healthy looking, whether it is natural or straight.

btw, i think imma do a picture strand test. I know my hair is fine, but I want to see it side by side with the thread to make sure I'm not delusional about it. lol

 

[Telle12345]

NO ITS NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!

I swear I must have the coarsest hair known to man. I have strands that feel like wire and I had a friend told me one time my hair cut her I have been struggling to get past NL!! I did have a lot setbacks though. As a little girl my mother and grandma tried almost everything to make it grow and it wouldnt budge past my ears. The longets it ever was was SL.

ALL the women I know that have grown their hair either really long have fine strands or normal strands.

My aunt and I have the same hair type but she can grow her hair past her shoulders but I havent (at least not yet). She has normal/fine strands but I dont.

Now this is NOT to say that I coarse hair will not grow, because I have gotten some growth spurts but I STILL believe people with normal/fine strand retain length better. Im not talking about 4a vs 3b. I'm talking about the diameter of the strands.

I have discussed with a couple of people on the board who have fine hair and wish they didnt have it. No one believes me that coarse hair is NO picnic. The dryness is REDICULOUS!!!

I also believe that there are few people with really coarse hair. The majority have fine and normal strands IMO.

I have to agree! I have some coarse a$$ hair! Man, if you plucked a strand out and held it in the air, you could see that mess from a mile away! It's THAT coarse!

It takes a lot to retain moisture and sometimes my ends literally crumble away if I'm not careful! I think coarse hair tends to be dryer and needs special care.

I think other races have the added bonus of having straighter hair, so the natural sebum can travel down easier and moisturize and lubricate the hair shaft better.

 

[sharifeh]

I just did a strand test. I took a picture of my hair side-by-side with some sewing thread.

Here is a pic (my hair is on the bottom):

The pic may not be very clear but I hope that you can see the difference.

ooh interesting
now i want to do this too

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Sounds more like you have DENSE hair rather than COARSE hair. In other words, you have hair strands that grow in closely compacted together. And if your hair easily locs/matts together, sounds like a bunch of fine strands that grow in closely together. My hair is that way. You can hardly ever see my scalp.

Interesting. Not that my hair matts, or locs very fast, but it will if I don't comb it for a while. I always thought I had thick hair until reading about this test, so I plucked one and don't you know it I have fine hair!!! But don't you know I have SOOO much hair. It is THICK. So I guess it's dense. I have tons of strands I guess then.