Is it just our hair?

[punchinella]

I notice that most of my Latina friends who have waist length to tailbone hair (all textures) don't mind wearing their hair out all the time. My best friend from Argentina would wear her waist lenth hair down when we went to the gym! Why does it seem like most of our ends get damaged if we don't keep them hidden or baggied most of the time?
Lately I have been doing my nylon baggie method (with the knee-hi) ,wearing buns, putting stinking stuff and flowery stuff to cover up the stinky stuff, and now I am contemplating taking vits. All of this to grow long healthy flowing hair and put it in a bun. This is a lot to do to hide it in the end.
My Latina friends are enjoying their hair while they have it and they don't seem to be losing any. Now that we know we can have the same length they have why aren't we having the same fun?
Someone please help me understand. I have not been here long so maybe some of the seasoned ladies and some knowledgeable newbies can help me out TIA

 

[rrolle234]

Well I'm no Hair expert but From what I have read type 3 & 4 hair is more fragile and dry than type 1 and 2. with that being said, alot of us relax our hair, futher weakening it.
by "our" hair I assume you mean type 3 and 4.

 

[shiningstar84]

you can grow waist length hair out if you are natural with no problems


however relaxed hair is weakened/has broken chemical bonds/etc./etc. and needs constant tender loving care.

i guess texlaxing is somewhere in between

all hair, relaxed or natural and regardless of race, will take longer to grow if dyed, fried, and layed to the side all the time

 

[punchinella]

you can grow waist length hair out if you are natural with no problems


however relaxed hair is weakened/has broken chemical bonds/etc./etc. and needs constant tender loving care.

i guess texlaxing is somewhere in between

all hair, relaxed or natural and regardless of race, will take longer to grow if dyed, fried, and layed to the side all the time

That makes me laugh because my mom used to say that all the time and now I find myself saying that alot

 

[Supergirl]

Our hair is on the dry side whether relaxed or natural. Also, I respectfully disagree with the above poster that said natural hair (AA) can be grown to waist length with no problems and implied that relaxed hair cannot. A natural sister can have just as many "problems" or successes as a relaxed woman can when growing her hair.

And just for a real life example, a friend of mine who is natural, and has been for years, and does not cut her hair, is not waist length. Me and my relaxed hair on the other hand is waist length.

 

[punchinella]

Our hair is on the dry side whether relaxed or natural. Also, I respectfully disagree with the above poster that said natural hair (AA) can be grown to waist length with no problems and implied that relaxed hair cannot. A natural sister can have just as many "problems" or successes as a relaxed woman can when growing her hair.

And just for a real life example, a friend of mine who is natural, and has been for years, and does not cut her hair, is not waist length. Me and my relaxed hair on the other hand is waist length.

Thanks that gives me hope. Do you wear your hair out alot?

 

[Supergirl]

Thanks that gives me hope. Do you wear your hair out alot?

No, not much at all. While I was growing out, I wore protective styles probably 99% of the time. Now, I do about 90-95% of the time.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

Our hair is on the dry side whether relaxed or natural. Also, I respectfully disagree with the above poster that said natural hair (AA) can be grown to waist length with no problems and implied that relaxed hair cannot. A natural sister can have just as many "problems" or successes as a relaxed woman can when growing her hair.

And just for a real life example, a friend of mine who is natural, and has been for years, and does not cut her hair, is not waist length. Me and my relaxed hair on the other hand is waist length.

ITA and thank you sooo much for bringing this up! If everyone who was natural could easily grow their hair to waistlength, then there would be no need for LHCF. I'm sure many ladies here with long hair have no problem enjoying their hair or wearing it down, but long hair has its own hassles. It can get stuck in everything and constantly get in the way. I see white, asian, and latina women with long hair who wear it up 99% of the time because of these factors. Even with longer hair I will probably always wear it up because of preference like a lot of ladies here. But yea, its a shame to let all that hair go to waste

 

[B_Phlyy]

I think it all comes down to personal preference. I have a friend who has had bsl or longer hair since she was 7 and has been relaxing her hair since she was 11 and wears her hair down 99% of the time. However, she does not use heat and moisturizes a lot. I do believe that protective styles can help with hair growth, but protective maintenance is important too.

 

[caligirl]

The key is low manipulation meaning little heat and chemicals. This is more important, IMHO, than wearing your hair in a bun all the time.

 

[MissFallon]

I wore my hair down everyday from January to December of last year and my hair grew with no problem. It went from a little below shoulder length to a about an inch past bsl. The only thing I did differently was start to rollerset more instead of blowdrying and flat ironing and stopped using heat on my hair. So I agree that it can be done and it doesnt have to be protective styles all the time you just have to take care of your ends and not use so much heat.

 

[Teacake]

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[Shine-On]

I think it all comes down to personal preference. I have a friend who has had bsl or longer hair since she was 7 and has been relaxing her hair since she was 11 and wears her hair down 99% of the time. However, she does not use heat and moisturizes a lot. I do believe that protective styles can help with hair growth, but protective maintenance is important too.

Good point. As soon as my hair is below my shoulders, I'm going to wear it down whenever possible. I'll pin it up for work but other than that, I'll let it be free .

I have a co-worker with brastrap length relaxed hair and she wears it down every single day. It appears healthy and growing so I know it's possible. I will note that I don't think she uses heat often.

 

[BklynHeart]

I wore my hair down everyday from January to December of last year and my hair grew with no problem. It went from a little below shoulder length to a about an inch past bsl. The only thing I did differently was start to rollerset more instead of blowdrying and flat ironing and stopped using heat on my hair. So I agree that it can be done and it doesnt have to be protective styles all the time you just have to take care of your ends and not use so much heat.

I agree. My hair grows better when I leave it down and alone. When I started bunning, my edges became thin, and my ends looked chewed up because of the way I was tucking them in. So I went back to what worked for me.

 

[dimpalz]

Our hair is on the dry side whether relaxed or natural. Also, I respectfully disagree with the above poster that said natural hair (AA) can be grown to waist length with no problems and implied that relaxed hair cannot. A natural sister can have just as many "problems" or successes as a relaxed woman can when growing her hair.

And just for a real life example, a friend of mine who is natural, and has been for years, and does not cut her hair, is not waist length. Me and my relaxed hair on the other hand is waist length.

She doesn't cut it but does she take as much care of hers as you do yours? I agree with Iwill, relaxing and processing don't do your hair any favours in the health department. You have long hair but whose to say it wouldn't be longer if your hair was natural and you took as much cre of it? You can't compare two different people, your friend could eat burgers and fries all day, never moisturise her hair and wear it it tight ponies everyday. These things wont help her hair grow or maintain length.

I understand what you're saying but how it is is simple. There are some people who just have long hair. Punchi I'm sure there are plenty of short-haired Latinas and mixed race people looking at Supergirl, macherie and the other longer haired ladies saying the same thing you are. Sometime it's just genes, just like those people who eat all day long and never gain a pound, it just so happens you know alot of Latinas with the longhair gene.

 

[Denim And Leather]

Co-signing with Supergirl. This board is filled with women with beautiful long healthy hair that is relaxed.

It is possible to have healthy, relaxed hair.

 

[punchinella]

Thanks for all the input ladies, I like the differences of opinion. That way I can sort through the pros and cons. Thanks again

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

I wear my hair down 90% of the time. and my hair is growing just fine. I think it's important for everyone to know that doing protective styles is not the ONLY way to grow your hair. However it probably is the way to maintain the most amount of length. But i am satisfied with my hair growth when i wear my hair down alot. It is important to moisturize daily and do deep cond treatments and to use oil and i think this is the recipe to retaining hair.

 

[Lovelylocs]

Punchinella, I'm sure that further down your hair journey you will be able to decide what is best for your relaxed hair. (If you are relaxed)

When a person's hair is relaxed correctly (not overprocessed, etc.), their hair will thrive if it is moisturized and if there is little manipulation. There are many relaxed ladies with hair that is brastrap and longer that wear their hair out everyday.

Also, Punchinella, do your friends that wear their hair down all of the time have really healthy, beautiful long hair or is it just average looking? Most people (of any hair texture) that I see who wear their hair down all of the time have average to damaged looking hair. On the other hand, people who wear their hair up most of the time, tend to have gorgeous looking hair when they finally wear it down.

 

[Lovelylocs]

She doesn't cut it but does she take as much care of hers as you do yours? I agree with Iwill, relaxing and processing don't do your hair any favours in the health department. You have long hair but whose to say it wouldn't be longer if your hair was natural and you took as much cre of it? You can't compare two different people, your friend could eat burgers and fries all day, never moisturise her hair and wear it it tight ponies everyday. These things wont help her hair grow or maintain length.

I understand what you're saying but how it is is simple. There are some people who just have long hair. Punchi I'm sure there are plenty of short-haired Latinas and mixed race people looking at Supergirl, macherie and the other longer haired ladies saying the same thing you are. Sometime it's just genes, just like those people who eat all day long and never gain a pound, it just so happens you know alot of Latinas with the longhair gene.

What do you mean by "long hair gene"? And what chromosome is this located on?


I think that the people of these other races just have had better hair regimens that suit THEIR HAIR. That is why their hair has been thriving for all of these years. The ones with the healthy long hair knew things like how often to shampoo, condition, etc. so that THEIR hair will thrive. The majority of Black 3's and 4's have not had a sufficent regimen for THEIR hair and as a result have had broken hair.

This is like a Nurture vs. Nature debate.

 

[Southernbella.]

I wore my hair down everyday from January to December of last year and my hair grew with no problem. It went from a little below shoulder length to a about an inch past bsl. The only thing I did differently was start to rollerset more instead of blowdrying and flat ironing and stopped using heat on my hair. So I agree that it can be done and it doesnt have to be protective styles all the time you just have to take care of your ends and not use so much heat.

Same here. I wear my hair out 95% of the time, and it's still growing. I rollerset too, so my ends see heat maybe once a month (or less), and that's only if I need a quick curl or something and don't have time to dry roll them.

It can be done! I see the use for protective styles, especially if you're shoulder length, because your ends could rub your clothes and get drier. However, I don't think they are absolutely necessary for healthy hair. By all means, figure out a regimen for your hair that will nurture your ends, and wear that hair out!

 

[punchinella]

She doesn't cut it but does she take as much care of hers as you do yours? I agree with Iwill, relaxing and processing don't do your hair any favours in the health department. You have long hair but whose to say it wouldn't be longer if your hair was natural and you took as much cre of it? You can't compare two different people, your friend could eat burgers and fries all day, never moisturise her hair and wear it it tight ponies everyday. These things wont help her hair grow or maintain length.

I understand what you're saying but how it is is simple. There are some people who just have long hair. Punchi I'm sure there are plenty of short-haired Latinas and mixed race people looking at Supergirl, macherie and the other longer haired ladies saying the same thing you are. Sometime it's just genes, just like those people who eat all day long and never gain a pound, it just so happens you know alot of Latinas with the longhair gene.

After rereading the posts I noticed that you mentioned the longhair gene. Is there really such a thing? Because if there is why are we all on here sharing tips to grow long hair? Does that mean that some of us will never reach our goals because we don't have the gene?

I am not trying to start a debate, I just need to better understand what you are saying because I don't like to twist ppl's words around.

 

[punchinella]

Punchinella, I'm sure that further down your hair journey you will be able to decide what is best for your relaxed hair. (If you are relaxed)

When a person's hair is relaxed correctly (not overprocessed, etc.), their hair will thrive if it is moisturized and if there is little manipulation. There are many relaxed ladies with hair that is brastrap and longer that wear their hair out everyday.

Also, Punchinella, do your friends that wear their hair down all of the time have really healthy, beautiful long hair or is it just average looking? Most people (of any hair texture) that I see who wear their hair down all of the time have average to damaged looking hair. On the other hand, people who wear their hair up most of the time, tend to have gorgeous looking hair when they finally wear it down.

That's a good question, because it's mixed some have thick healthy hair (the one who wears her hair down to the gym). One has loose curls that she wears up at work and as soon as she gets off work she lets it down her hair is bouncy and healthy but naturally thin. One has a nest on her head, her hair is very curly (like spiral curls), if she does not comb it for a few days it will begin to dread. But she doesn't care if it looks wild and messy (like those tangly wigs). Sometimes she can't even comb it unless she wets it because it is so tangled, but she wears it down anyway.

 

[punchinella]

bumpity bump

 

[BroadstreetBully]

After rereading the posts I noticed that you mentioned the longhair gene. Is there really such a thing? Because if there is why are we all on here sharing tips to grow long hair? Does that mean that some of us will never reach our goals because we don't have the gene?

I am not trying to start a debate, I just need to better understand what you are saying because I don't like to twist ppl's words around.

Well growth periods are genetically determined. Typically your hair will grow anywhere from 3-7 years on avg. Someone with a growth phase of 3 years will have a shorter terminal length than someone with a growth phase of 7 years. Therefore, genetically our hair will only grow to a certain length. Also taking this into consideration, your growth rate also plays a part. Even if two people have a growth period of 3 years, someone whose hair grows 6 inches a year will have the potential of longer hair than someone whose hair grows 3 inches a year. So for someone whose growth phase is 3 years with an avg of 6 inches a year growth, floor length hair is out of the question.

 

[dimpalz]

With regard to the longhair gene think of it like the skinny girl gene. That skinny girl eats all day long and for some reason she doesn't get fat. It's more than likely her skinny gene is giving her a faster metabolism or her skinny gene has given her less fat cells in her body for the fat to be stored.

The longhair gene gives some people stronger hair that, while it visually looks the same as others on the outside, on the inside it can (these are just speculative examples btw) hold moisture for longer so it doesn't need as much attention or it's growth period is longer and it's rest period is shorter.

Of course this means that some people may never have waistlength hair. Alot of ladies say this isn't true, sure it's possible in theory - exercise and take vitamins in the growing stages and moisturise and protect in the rest stages etc - but in practice not many people can do that 100% of the time and 100% right. This isn't to say we can't all have reasonably long hair (BSL) it's just letting you know that your genetics may make it difficult for you. I'm not immune from this theory, I've never had long hair, yet all my female cousins and even younger brother do and they take minimal care of their hair. I know that genetically it's harder for me because either my growth period is shorter or my hair just isn't as strong.

 

[KiniKakes]

you can grow waist length hair out if you are natural with no problems


however relaxed hair is weakened/has broken chemical bonds/etc./etc. and needs constant tender loving care.

i guess texlaxing is somewhere in between

all hair, relaxed or natural and regardless of race, will take longer to grow if dyed, fried, and layed to the side all the time

This is a good post. I often feel kind of sad, when I think about reaching my ultimate goal (Mid-Back to WL) because I know that I'll probably still wear my hair in protective styles 95% of the time. I just feel like its better for my hair. As my hair grows longer (a couple inches shy of BSL now) it becomes more and more of a hassle to wear it down.

Take this past weekend, for instance. I decided to treat myself (and the BF, lol) to wearing my hair out Saturday at the mall. Its usually in a bun, mind you. But anyway, so I had it freshly washed on Friday, and I pin-curled it that night.... so it was full and bouncy the next day. But I kid you not, from morning to the evening, soooo many little things kept happening to my hair that, by the evening, I vowed not to wear it down again for a long time.

My hair kept catching under my purse handle, although I was making a conscious effort to lift it up before putting the purse on my shoulder.... it did this several times though. I would gently pull the hair from under my purse.... a few times I heard hairs TEAR, which made me cringe. When i got into my BF's truck as we left the mall, I closed the door.... and was stuck, because there were a few strands stuck in the closed door. Ya'all know I freaked out, and quickly opened the door and examined the strands. Dont ask me HOW that happened.... I guess a few hairs flew up when i plopped down, and got stuck in the door. Anyway, then I had to comb it once in the afternoon, because it was just getting too frizzy and wild.... and a strand or two snapped/popped. I was horrified. Then the wind kept getting it stuck to my lipstick as I walked, which was hella annoying......

Either way.... as much as I love long hair and want to grow it out..... I can see why it would be "unhealthy" for me to wear it out every single day. So many little instances happened in the course of that one day.... that i fear that wearing it down every day would damage it tremendously. KUDOS to those long-haired ladies who can wear their hair out everyday and still maintain optimal growth. But I already know that's not for me. I'll keep it for rare treats.

@ "fried, dyed, and laid to the side." That was one of my father's favorite expressions. He wasnt an advocate of relaxed hair, and that was his way of mocking those of us who chose to go this route. But it cracks me up every time I hear it.

 

[punchinella]

Thanks for replying ladies, RedRiot and Dimpalz thank you for the clarification I see where you are coming from

And KiniKakes I have had those kinds of days with my hair when it seems like it gets caught in everything and everything gets caught in it

But we are all going to keep on trying to grow some hair, right ladies

 

[Country gal]

The key is low manipulation meaning little heat and chemicals. This is more important, IMHO, than wearing your hair in a bun all the time.

I agree. ...

 

[Barbara]

I have the same experience as Kinikakes, so I can relate to her.

Years ago, I was wearing protective styling not knowing it was good for my hair until I learned about Wanakee's regimen from her booklet. Her entire regimen is on the website. She gives detailed information about dry hair, "crunchy" ends, and why it is necessary to retain growth by wearing protective styles to protect the ends.

All the doubts, comments, or questions on this thread can be answered thoroughly there.