Is 4b hair DESIGNED to be SHORT?

[Missjae09]

This is a very interesting thread.. I must say though reading thru the post from ladies who have hair that is at a length that I hope to one day achieve has left me feeling a bit discouraged but I know that although we all have similar textures our individual growth depends how well we take care of our hair individually so i will continue to have healthy hair practices and hope for the best.

 

[ActionActress]

Interesting question.

I'm inclined to think that it IS designed to appear compact due to the shrinkage factor. No matter how long 4b hair grows (could be waist-length), it will still shrink up to a head/face framing afro form where it doesn't necessarily "hang" (provided it has not been heat damaged)....nothing wrong with that though.

The explains the APPEARANCE of being shorter which should be miscontrued with being short in the true sense. The hair oftentimes *is* long but if you straighten it some way , you'll find it long.

AA

 

[ebonylocs]

I don't know if its designed to be short, but I'm very discouraged right now. I haven't been on here in months- it seems- for that reason exactly. Feels like I'm fighting a [losing] battle w/my 4b hair sometimes.

Well your hair looks abundant and wonderful, so you will be an inspiration to a lot of people. Even me, with my complaining, most (black) people consider my hair to be quite long.

I too am a 4a/b and I definitely don't think that my/our hair is short by "design". I know that my hair can grow... but I've learned that having 4a/b hair means that I have to put more effort into making sure that my hair stays moisturized to retain length.

That is not in question at all - of course it grows!!! The issue that OP is raising is the tender care, time, and vigilance that it requires to *retain* that growth, and how difficult it is to show length once it is achieved.

Nonie I love you!! You see what happens when we forget about our own beauty? And lose knowledge of self?

AA--thumbs up for this one.

I am sorry, but I have an issue with equating long hair with beauty. I have seen people commenting on the youtube video of one very longhaired natural (longhairdontcare?) saying things like "Wonderful! I sent this to my students to remind them of their black beauty.") erplexed It just seems *off*. The truth is, we and our hair are beautiful in many many ways, and to somehow correlate that exclusively with visibly long hair - something that only few of us have without effort and that even those of us who do have don't necessarily *show* in our hair's natural state, seems to me to negate rather than to affirm our beauty.

 

[SND411]

So just because our hair requires different techniques, it is designed to be short?
Why are we comparing our hair techniques to those with straight hair? They are NOT the same. Many people with "straighter" textures need to remove excess oil while we need to replenish out hair with more. Would you then say that those with 3A texture are more likely to have shorter hair compared to their 1A counterparts, or is this "designed to be short" applied to only 4B?

I admit, I am kind of confused with the OP's initial question. Not all 4Bs are the same. Many do not need 6 hours of detangling sessions. KISS.

 

[SND411]

my answer is nope. If you are talking about hair flowing down the back, that ain't gonna happen with natural 4b hair, but if your talking about a BA gravity defying afro, I think there are no limits. Why? Just look at our male counter parts. Every day I see plenty of 4b males walking around with BAAs. I know a few males who have 4b hair and went from shiny Montel bald to an Erykah Badu fro in a little over a year. And how did these males manage this? They do absolutely nothing to their hair. Simply wash, condition, maybe pick it out and occasionally get braids. That's it. We as women do too much to our hair.

EXACTLY. I always viewed BAA as being "very long." I love the defying gravity look.

Ever notice how in those "if you hand long hair what would you do" or "can I live vicariously through you" threads, people often equate long hair with having it "swanging" and straightened?

 

[ebonylocs]

I admit, I am kind of confused with the OP's initial question. Not all 4Bs are the same. Many do not need 6 hours of detangling sessions. KISS.

The long detangling sessions are usually a result of KISS. I.e. someone who leaves a hairstyle in for a couple of weeks and doesn't fool with the hair in between will have a lot of shed hairs to remove on wash day.

 

[SND411]

The long detangling sessions are usually a result of KISS. I.e. someone who leaves a hairstyle in for a couple of weeks and doesn't fool with the hair in between will have a lot of shed hairs to remove on wash day.

But many 4b ladies, such as myself, KISS without having to leave a style in for many weeks at a time. I leave mine in two weeks maximum and can detangle/wash/condition my hair in about 1 hour. I also have VERY thick hair and have seen a lot of growth.

 

[Nonie]

The long detangling sessions are usually a result of KISS. I.e. someone who leaves a hairstyle in for a couple of weeks and doesn't fool with the hair in between will have a lot of shed hairs to remove on wash day.

Not necessarily true. I KISS and I don't have long detangling sessions.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

Not necessarily true. I KISS and I don't have long detangling sessions.

ITA.....there is a difference between KISS and just NOT DOING anything to your hair. As a 4AB/3C natural, my detangling sessions are not long either, and are stress free....I have been working 2 jobs (since 08) and trying to start a consulting business this year since started my journey (in 08) and I am now BSB+ so I know KISS is important and have seen my hair thrive ever since....

 

[SimJam]

I think we all must keep this thread in the back of our minds going forward.

what I have got from this discussion is that the main issue with having long (by whatever yardstick one wants to use) 4b hair is dealing with its natural tendency to curl/shrink back up on itself, which leads to several "potential" retention constraints and frustration, specifically regarding dealing with detangling.

so I think what we must do is share any methods/techniques we come across that lessen the time taken to detangle and effort required for maintaining long 4b hair

 

[virtuenow]

Haha, hhanks. That picture was taken spring of last year. I guess I should have said that I had a setback. There is a big patch of hair missing in my crown area (and some around the edges). Unbelieveable! I thought I was doing everything right. Apparently it must have been the half wig that took out my edges; and the claw clip/bun that took out my crown. I called myself giving my hair a rest at the beginning of the year and instead ended up w/a setback.

My 4b hair cannot take the least amount of stress style wise.

It seems like I am required to wear it down, and I mean down all the time. That is fine b/c I hate protective styles and buns-- and prefer "out" styles. But I listened to you guys and tried out protective styles (sorry, had to call everyone out that advocates the evil protective styles). I repeat, I wish I would have known that my 4b hair cannot take it. Now its taking forever to grow back and it doesn't look the same wearing it down.

On a side note, I agree w/whoever said longer hair is easier to handle. I started out w/a big chop, so I've been at the TWA phase and longer phase. Its easier to do "out styles, b/c I am at a length where I can do a braid out w/just 2-4 braids. Does it get any better than that?? Detangling and drying may also be the culprit for my crown...I'll let u know when I figure that out. Detangling is definitly the hardest & longest part of handling 4b hair.

I don't know how old the pic in your siggy is but if that hair is the picture of a "losing" battle... I'm READY TO START MY LOSING BATTLE TOO!

girl I'm not sure what your goal is, but your hair is beautiful!

 

[AvaSpeaks]

For those of you saying longer is easier, at what length would you say it gets easier with respect to natural hair? Also, would you say detangling longer natural hair is easier? Why?

My hair is SL(some strands are close to APL) and detangling was easier when my hair was short(under 5 inches). I didn't have to comb my hair and I could get away with finger detangling. With longer hair, I have to wash in sections and detangling takes time and patience. I have to use a comb or I will have tangling, knots and breakage. It's not necessarily harder (depends on your perception/experience) but it does take more time. I guess it depends on what is important to you and the amount of time one is willing to invest to achieve their desired look/length.

I think it depends on the type of hair you have. If you have tight 4b hair then if it was longer, it might be easier because you have more to pull and stretch and put into styles.

But if your hair is let's say is a looser type/texture then your hair is already "looser" at a shorter length, therefore easier to style at a shorter length.

I think that's what they are trying to say, I'm not sure

 

[AvaSpeaks]

^^^ I understand exactly what you're saying, Mwedzi.

As my hair grows out of the TWA stage, I'm wondering if APL, BSL, or MBL is truly in the cards for me. My hair is thick, kinky, with some random tight spirals in the top. Also, as someone who exercises on a regular basis and sweats like whoa, I'm not sure a goal of really long hair is reasonable.

I may be setting myself up for disappointment. But I do appreciate you and Nonie for being great examples of the possibilities of 4B hair.

Then why are you here on the LONG HAIR CARE Board?

Isn't the purpose of this board to show that our hair can grow long? Regardless? I mean barring illness, sickness or extreme hair problems.

 

[Hairsofab]

I think by design it is meant to be short. People who have 4b long hair have to go out of their way to make sure it grows long. By go out of their way, I mean you can't just wash and go and sleep on your hair. You have to constantly detangle and protect if you want it to grow the same lengths type 1 and 2 hair grow without the effort. Most people can only point to 1 or 2 people with true type 4b hair that is very long. It is not very common. One of those people is Sera, and she admitted that it takes her a lot of time to care for her hair. I can think of dozens of people with type 1 and type 2 hair at that length who do nothing to their hair and it still gets to those lengths.

 

[SND411]

I think by design it is meant to be short. People who have 4b long hair have to go out of their way to make sure it grows long. By go out of their way, I mean you can't just wash and go and sleep on your hair. You have to constantly detangle and protect if you want it to grow the same lengths type 1 and 2 hair grow without the effort. Most people can only point to 1 or 2 people with true type 4b hair that is very long. It is not very common. One of those people is Sera, and she admitted that it takes her a lot of time to care for her hair. I can think of dozens of people with type 1 and type 2 hair at that length who do nothing to their hair and it still gets to those lengths.

But just because we have to do things differently than people with type 1 or 2 hair, does not mean it is designed to be short? Why are type 1 and 2 hair types always the standard of hair or hair care in general? 4b is TIGHTLY coiled hair, while types 1 and 2 or not. IT IS A GIVEN that we take care of our hair in different manners.


It is sort of like body types. Are people who easily gain weight compared to those with fast metabolism/remain skinny meant to be obese? No. Yes, some people who need to work harder to maintain a healthy/athletic shape, but it does not mean they are doing something unnatural.

 

[Nonie]

My comments in bold, but they are not all directly at you Bosinse, but I am addressing anyone that might have similar thoughts or even run away with your thoughts and read more into them than what you said, coz we all know it takes a one word to get our minds working overtime and send ourselves into unnecessary despair or delusional ecstasy.

I think by design it is meant to be (<--Nay, the word here should be "appear") short.

People who have 4b long hair have to go out of their way to make sure it grows long. By go out of their way, I mean you can't just wash and go and sleep on your hair.

Why is that considered such a tall order? Is not being able to have curls unless you spend hours curling your hair only to have them drop an hour later (my Spanish friend's straight hair problem) better? I have another Afghan friend who spends at least an hour every morning giving her hair body coz she hates her wavy hair. She would straighten it first then give it big curls. Now she presses it straight...EVERY BLOODY MORNING!!! I guess when plaiting your hair for bed is something you have done all your life it seems as normal as peeing so it's no biggie to me and is over in the blink of an eye.

You have to constantly detangle and protect if you want it to grow the same lengths type 1 and 2 hair grow without the effort.

I don't have to detangle and I haven't really protective styled. (My hair isn't "protected" by a moisture seal or ends coated or tucked away to prevent damage. I just don't manipulate my hair.) Yet that hasn't stopped my hair growing longer even with the little effort I put into caring for it. I'm sure I'd get better progress if I did PS. Anyway, I know someone with type 1 hair (white friend) who's been struggling to get it to APL with no success, and her is healthy looking, thick just doesn't seem to grow and she complains about it. Also if it were only 4B having to put in some effort to get long hair, there would not be as many other-type-haired ladies on here seeking advice on what to do for their hair to grow. I think we need to stop acting as if we're some unfortunate freaks and just do what needs to be done to get what we want. Other folks figured out what THEIR hair needs. We need to do the same and stop yearning for what isn't ours.

Most people can only point to 1 or 2 people with true type 4b hair that is very long. It is not very common.

That may be so but what is it that Sera has that we don't? She's been doing the right things by her hair consistently. She is also very knowledgeable on her hair's needs. 4B hair hasn't had the resources it now has in the past, and so we didn't have many people to show us the way as we do now. Also 4B hair puts xenophobia in folks because it's like this alien texture that our mothers never let us discover when we were young, nor did doll-makers expose us to it. So having 4B is like having a "new invention" that just takes time to become more familiar to us. And caring for it like having a new program that has glitches that need to be ironed out--just like every new program version does.

One of those people is Sera, and she admitted that it takes her a lot of time to care for her hair.

I haven't really looked at Sera's journey from beginning to where she is now, but that she takes long to care for her NOW VERY LONG HAIR is not the same as "it took a lot of time to care for it to get it to where it is now". Everyone with long hair has to spend some time on it. Asha Mandela with her floor-long locks has to wait for hours for them to dry while she cradles them in her arms in a towel like a baby. It just is what it is. Bill Gates used to work 16 hours a day even when he was already a tycoon. Some people like Paris can sit on their butts all day and still swim in money, but others have to put in some work to live the way they want to live. If you don't look at what you do as a hobby, then you will be miserable everyday you have to do it. I am sure if Sera didn't care to put in all the time she does, she'd have chopped that hair off. You have to learn to love what you have to do otherwise stop torturing yourself and know that it's OK to choose that route too. You don't have to kill yourself if it's making you so unhappy. Short hair is cute too.

I can think of dozens of people with type 1 and type 2 hair at that length who do nothing to their hair and it still gets to those lengths.

I can also think of a lot of people with type 4B hair who do nothing and have hair that grows to its terminal length. Yes it locks but it grows. There are also many stories on this very forum of girls who had long hair as kids (natural) and they say they their mothers did very little to it.

Bottom line: 4B hair on the head is not designe to BE short, but it may be designed to SHRINK and LOOK short for reasons already mentioned earlier in this thread. What you see and what really is could be two different things when it comes to unstraightened 4B hair. So let's stop saying it is DESIGNED/MEANT to be short unless we mean hair on our arms or legs; but rather it is DESIGNED/MEANT to appear/look/fool people into thinking it is short whether or not it is.

 

[naijamerican]

I think we all must keep this thread in the back of our minds going forward.

what I have got from this discussion is that the main issue with having long (by whatever yardstick one wants to use) 4b hair is dealing with its natural tendency to curl/shrink back up on itself, which leads to several "potential" retention constraints and frustration, specifically regarding dealing with detangling.

so I think what we must do is share any methods/techniques we come across that lessen the time taken to detangle and effort required for maintaining long 4b hair

I really appreciate SND4's posts asking us about what our own standards of hair actually are.

Nonetheless, I really want to focus on what SimJam said, especially her last paragraph. What are some of the techniques and methods that people are using to detangle their hair? Some of us, due to a variety of factors, want to have long hair. So what are people doing to achieve it?

For me, detangling is not a nightmare per se, but it does take about 30 minutes and I probably don't have more than 5 inches of hair (I big chopped last year and had a quarter of an inch of hair, even though I've been natural for several years. I just wanted to try something different. ). I use the following tools:

1. Widetooth seamless comb
2. Finer-toothed seamless comb
3. Castor oil
4. Conditioner with slip (Elucence or Aubrey Organics)

I purchased the combs from www.hotcombs.net; I use the Hercules Sägemann line.

I will soon begin incorporating rice bran oil, hemp seed oil, and wheat germ oils as MsCocoface does. I kind of wish she would weigh in on this discussion because she has magnificent 4B hair that's about bra-strap length, and she wears her hair in twists and braids.

 

[naijamerican]

:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy at Nonie.

 

[Foxglove]

For me I honestly don't use anything other than my Jilbere shower comb to detangle and I do it once a week in the shower with my hair soaked in conditioner. I used to use the denman but my hair looked the same afterwards so I figured what's the point of fighting to get this thing through my hair if it's not changing anything. It's saved me so much time and my hair doesn't seem to be suffering for it

ETA I did find this video for a product called the tangle teezer. The reviewer has very tightly coiled hair. I'm trying to curbmy inner PJ so I haven't bought it yet but I may purchase it at some point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpG1esRtrtc

 

[Hairsofab]

Bottom line: 4B hair on the head is not designe to BE short, but it may be designed to SHRINK and LOOK short for reasons already mentioned earlier in this thread. What you see and what really is could be two different things when it comes to unstraightened 4B hair. So let's stop saying it is DESIGNED/MEANT to be short unless we mean hair on our arms or legs; but rather it is DESIGNED/MEANT to appear/look/fool people into thinking it is short whether or not it is.

Honestly, I don't see the big deal with saying 4b hair is meant to be short. Like someone else said, if people think short hair in and of itself is a bad thing, that is a cultural value placed on it not something inherent. I don't see a big difference in making a distinction between "looking short" and "meant to be short either". To me if hair looks short, it is short. Our hair wasn't meant to be straightened with hot combs/relaxers, it is a styling option people have adopted only in recent times. We can see the length of the hair strand when it is straightened, but the strand still appears to be short when it naturally coils back on itself.If it grows and grows and still looks short, to me, that means it was meant to be short. Its not meant to be derisive. Because I don't think it is. I think short hair is beautiful as well as long.

I am not saying people with 4b hair can't ever grow their hair out, just that I don't think the coil pattern of the hair allows for easy retention that leads to hair that is long or appears long. I don't see how anyone can dispute that. For every 4b you can name that is mid back length on the internet, I can name 2 or 3 people with type 1-2 hair in real life who are also the same length with none to minimal effort.

 

[Stormy]

I think if 4B hair was designed to be short, it'd get to a certain length and then just break off because something in its design would prevent it from being able to support the weight of its new length. I do think by designed it's supposed to curl back down no matter what its length for the temperature control and scalp protection already mentioned.

By design, eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair on your skin are supposed to stay short which is why you very rarely see people covered in long hair from head to toe looking like baboons. When you do see a hairy person, they are more of a freak than the norm.

I agree with the bolded! Also, I just think it's designed to shrink just like other hair types are designed to stay straight, wave or curl up. Not hold a curl, braid or whatever. BTW... I loooove my shrinkage! I think it's the coolest thing!

 

[southerncitygirl]

I'm liking the responses

I wonder what our big lips and wide/flat noses are for? hmmm...??? Anybody wanna take a stab at it? I'm curious.....(or I could just google it )

its been proven that with our flatter features the sun bounces off our face differently, melanin is only one smaller piece of the puzzle as to why we age well.

 

[Nonie]

Honestly, I don't see the big deal with saying 4b hair is meant to be short. Like someone else said, if people think short hair in and of itself is a bad thing, that is a cultural value placed on it not something inherent. I don't see a big difference in making a distinction between "looking short" and "meant to be short either". To me if hair looks short, it is short. Our hair wasn't meant to be straightened with hot combs/relaxers, it is a styling option people have adopted only in recent times. We can see when we straightened the length of the hair strand, but the strand still appears to be short when it naturally coils back on itself.If it grows and grows and still looks short, to me, that means it was meant to be short. Its not meant to be derisive. Because I don't think it is. I think short hair is beautiful as well as long.

I am not saying people with 4b hair can't ever grow their hair out, just that I don't think the coil pattern of the hair allows for easy retention that leads to hair that is long or appears long. I don't see how anyone can dispute that. For every 4b you can name that is mid back length on the internet, I can name 2 or 3 people with type 1-2 hair in real life who are also the same length with none to minimal effort.

I guess you are one of those people who judges a book by its cover. How things look to you is how they are, the end. You see a little boy from India and you assume he's got the mental capacity of any other kid his age not realizing that the kid you're looking at has actually attended conferences with doctors and is a genius that actually holds discussions on the advancement of medicine with people old enough to be his grandpa. Appearances can be deceiving, and not just when it comes to hair, but when it comes to everything.

What's wrong with that statement is it is untrue and totally ignores that fact that things meant to be would just be no matter what you did and it would take having to do something unnatural to get it to be what it isn't meant to be and most times when you try to mess up with what was meant to be, you pay gravely.

Take for example pale people. They are meant to be pale coz that was in the blueprint of their makeup. But when they decide that they will apply darkening products and spend a lot of time in the sun to create the illusion of melanin that wasn't really there, they get cancer. They were never meant to be that dark and they have to do unnatural things to change what was meant to me.

Another example there are bodybuilders whose bodies bulk up naturally. They are meant to be huge. Then along comes a tiny little person who is not meant to be that huge and she takes steroids to bulk up and ends up with all sorts of ailments from that.

Eyelashes are not meant to be longer than what is normal to each person, so people buy products to make them grow abnormally long. And what happens? They may get them long but they also risk iris eye color change and there have been more serious ailments from previous products, IIRC even blindness. Why? Coz your eyelashes were not MEANT to be that long.

Jocelyn Wildenstein was not meant to look like a cat coz she's human and we all know what trying to be what she was not meant to be did to her face.

If 4B hair was not meant to grow long, it would not grow long, period, unless you got some shots, took some special magic pills, saw a witchdoctor, got touched by an angel...whatever. Yeah, maybe a handful of people do get that done to grow their hair, but there are so many more people who aren't doing anything unnatural and growing long 4B hair. I guess they must be special because it is isn't meant to be but it is for them, huh?

Making such sweeping statements like "4B hair is meant to be short" is as crazy to me as saying "Americans are meant to be fat" based on the fact that the %age of people in the US who are overweight is high. Neither of those is MEANT TO BE otherwise the alternative would not exist at all. There are reasons 4B hair may be short (bad hair care practices due to ignorance of what's best for it, for example), which if addressed would reveal what is truly meantto be. Just like there are reasons for the obesity you see (unhealthy diets and lifestyles, for example) which if addressed can show you what really is meant to be.

 

[greight]

Then why are you here on the LONG HAIR CARE Board?

Isn't the purpose of this board to show that our hair can grow long? Regardless? I mean barring illness, sickness or extreme hair problems.

Yes, but I do think people have to be realistic/honest about what it takes for 4b natural hair to get there. I personally believe it takes a different kind of effort and patience, especially if you've been relaxed for most of your life. You're learning a new language that's finicky and changes every season.

I have fine, coily strands. I cannot do wash and goes anymore beyond 6 inches without getting out trimming scissors for the aftermath.

Plus, I think protective styles are a must for 4b hair to grow long. Some do not like the idea of not being able to wear their own hair out. I'd love to rock a fro, but I can't if I want to grow my hair long.

Other hair types can get away with certain things more so than 4bs. Doesn't mean that one is better than another, it's just that you gotta be realistic about how much time and effort you are going to put in.

 

[greight]

I really appreciate SND4's posts asking us about what our own standards of hair actually are.

Nonetheless, I really want to focus on what SimJam said, especially her last paragraph. What are some of the techniques and methods that people are using to detangle their hair? Some of us, due to a variety of factors, want to have long hair. So what are people doing to achieve it?

I'm still learning. I've realized that I need to perfect how I wash/condition my hair because I feel that I still don't get my hair rinsed perfectly in braids or twists. It irks me to no end. Last wash, I did a clarify/moisturizing 'poo/protein/deep condition and that means if I didn't wash it all out properly the first go around, then I was setting my hair up for a disaster. I had to unleash the hair to rinse properly

My hair does need to be stretched out to it's apex in order for me to minimize the headaches.

Methods that I've tried:
1. I used castor oil to soften the hair up and add olive oil for additional slip. I felt like my hair wasn't soft enough, however, and felt like I was breaking more hair using this detangling method.

2. Conditioner (Lustrasilk... V05 does nothing for me) - this is okay, but also has it's issues because my hair shrinks up with the conditioner (especially if it has good slip) and that's asking for SSKs

3. Aloe Vera Juice - this worked well for me because I sprayed it on so it didn't get to wet and I was able to work quickly to get the shed hairs out. It works better if hair was previously detangled, however.

I was thinking about threading my hair into small sections (20 sections) and working it out like that.

 

[Kurlee]

I guess you are one of those people who judges a book by its cover. How things look to you is how they are, the end. You see a little boy from India and you assume he's got the mental capacity of any other kid his age not realizing that the kid you're looking at has actually attended conferences with doctors and is a genius that actually holds discussions on the advancement of medicine with people old enough to be his grandpa. Appearances can be deceiving, and not just when it comes to hair, but when it comes to everything.

What's wrong with that statement is it is untrue and totally ignores that fact that things meant to be would just be no matter what you did and it would take having to do something unnatural to get it to be what it isn't meant to be and most times when you try to mess up with what was meant to be, you pay gravely.

Take for example pale people. They are meant to be pale coz that was in the blueprint of their makeup. But when they decide that they will apply darkening products and spend a lot of time in the sun to create the illusion of melanin that wasn't really there, they get cancer. They were never meant to be that dark and they have to do unnatural things to change what was meant to me.

Another example there are bodybuilders whose bodies bulk up naturally. They are meant to be huge. Then along comes a tiny little person who is not meant to be that huge and she takes steroids to bulk up and ends up with all sorts of ailments from that.

Eyelashes are not meant to be longer than what is normal to each person, so people buy products to make them grow abnormally long. And what happens? They may get them long but they also risk iris eye color change and there have been more serious ailments from previous products, IIRC even blindness. Why? Coz your eyelashes were not MEANT to be that long.

Jocelyn Wildenstein was not meant to look like a cat coz she's human and we all know what trying to be what she was not meant to be did to her face.

If 4B hair was not meant to grow long, it would not grow long, period, unless you got some shots, took some special magic pills, saw a witchdoctor, got touched by an angel...whatever. Yeah, maybe a handful of people do get that done to grow their hair, but there are so many more people who aren't doing anything unnatural and growing long 4B hair. I guess they must be special because it is isn't meant to be but it is for them, huh?

Making such sweeping statements like "4B hair is meant to be short" is as crazy to me as saying "Americans are meant to be fat" based on the fact that the %age of people in the US who are overweight is high. Neither of those is MEANT TO BE otherwise the alternative would not exist at all. There are reasons 4B hair may be short (bad hair care practices due to ignorance of what's best for it, for example), which if addressed would reveal what is truly meantto be. Just like there are reasons for the obesity you see (unhealthy diets and lifestyles, for example) which if addressed can show you what really is meant to be.

this entire post is fantastic

 

[Kurlee]

to the OP, no, I do not think 4b hair is designed to be short. As a whole, most are very misinformed about 3c and up type of hair and these hair types are usually stereotyped, mistreated and ignored when it comes to research, except for a fringe element (online boards and those who are actually in a position to research AND give a damn). I think many are missing the fact that those who are in the position to learn and study this type of hair, usually do not have the hair and do not understand the hair type. Also, I feel that those usually in a position to do the research USUALLY are not interested in these areas and even if they are confronted with it, do so with preconceived biases. Lack of knowledge is what I think separates the relative ease and care of some hair types and the apparent "difficulty" of others.

 

[laurend]

I agree with OP and mwedzi on this. In the past I grew out my 4b natural hair to BSL / MBL in about 3 yrs, but it took nearly constant protective styling and multiple-hour detangling sessions as I treated my hair like fragile silk. Most of the time I had my hair in twists or extensions and just left it alone, except for fortnightly washing & conditioning and nearly daily moisturising / baggying the ends. That worked because I was a student and appearances didn't matter much. But the marathon fortnightly detangling sessions were a pain in the ***, so was the fact that I couldn't wear my hair out without tangles and jepordizing my length, and because of shrinkage, I didn't know how long it was until I relaxed it.

Now, I am not willing to spend all that time on my hair. First I texlaxed because I wasn't ready to let go of texture, and now after a year of no 'laxing at all, I am ready to go fully straight. I love the look and feel of natural 4b hair, but I can't deal with the tangles right now. The tangling and fragility that are characteristic of my hair type are preventing me from retaining like I would like. I figure I can't get rid of the fragility - might as well reduce the tangles - might actually help me retain better if it doesn't add too much to the fragility.

And no, no one is talking about a "deficit". Like Mwedzi said, it's just a neutral characteristic of my hair. Calling it a deficit would mean there is something innately good / superior about long hair, and I don't believe that is the case. And yes, theoretically, the strands of my 4b natural hair could grow to tailbone length *if* I did nothing to break them. But it is the lengths I would have to go to to *not* break them that are at issue here.

I agree with the OP, Mwedzi, and the above statement. I have mainly 4a hair but it hasn't grown a long as others on the board. Me and LennieB were the same length at one time but she has surpassed me and is waist length. I have been doing all the right techniques so I asked myself why? Why aren't I waist length also? The only thing I probably have to do differently is staying in a protective hair style 4 to 6 weeks at a time. I hate that because protective hairstyles aren't the best look for me.

 

[SND411]

I agree with the OP, Mwedzi, and the above statement. I have mainly 4a hair but it hasn't grown a long as others on the board. Me and LennieB were the same length at one time but she has surpassed me and is waist length. I have been doing all the right techniques so I asked myself why? Why aren't I waist length also? The only thing I probably have to do differently is staying in a protective hair style 4 to 6 weeks at a time. I hate that because protective hairstyles aren't the best look for me.

But there are soooo many of factors that could have been in play. Hair growth and retention is not just based on hair techniques. Internal chemistry of the hair shaft, health, eating habits, exercise, genetics, the speed of hair growth, weather, stress, and hair cycles have a lot to do with it as well

 

[laurend]

But there are soooo many of factors that could have been in play. Hair growth and retention is not just based on hair techniques. Internal chemistry of the hair shaft, health, eating habits, exercise, genetics, the speed of hair growth, weather, stress, and hair cycles have a lot to do with it as well

Health: excellent
Exercise: Exercise physiologist and fitness instructor
Eating habits look at the above
The difference, yes I agree with is genetics, I have 4a hair and she has 3 c hair.