"Isn't it unusual for black women to have long hair"

[gmw]

Agreed. Plenty of black women think this so why wouldn't other races? The lady said "Isn't it unusual for black women to have long hair?"

Well, isn't it?erplexed

I don't see WSL black women walking around. I see short/medium lengths and either braids, weaves, or wigs the majority of the time.

Hello!!!

However recently, I have been seeing a lot of black women with long hair. Now maybe it is because I have turned my attention to them, but I see a lot more now.

 

[FAMUDva]

no, SL was long to me before joining LHCF and when i am off the board looking around it still is. i can count all the people i have personally known with APL to BSL hair on one hand.

I was just speaking for myself. I have APL hair and dont' consider it long. Only because I judge based on ALL women. So when I see a white/asian/black/biracial/latina/multiracial woman with SL hair, I have never considered it long. That's just me though. I know other black folks consider my hair long, but it's not by any stretch in my mind.

I wasn't speaking for everyone; just my own opinion. But I do know lots of black women with SL to APL hair. Most of my friends have SL to APL or they have had it before cutting for a style.

 

[MizAvalon]

Ok so this is my first time posting(I am here at work checkin all these beautiful threads by all you beautiful ladies. I just went tru the 31 pages of the 'post your favorite hair pic' W-O-W is all i can say!) I am Aida, 19 years old and I live in The Netherlands. I have been transisitioning for about 8 months now and hairboards are the best thing that could happen to me! Loving the vibe here and positivity because we all know not EVERY board has that-wont be mentioning any names but yall Know whats up(LOL)

ANYWAYS,so I saw this thread and I just HAD to log in and finally post my first post because a couple of days ago I was reading another forum(LMAO..I have no life huh) although that wasnt a hairforum,it was just a random dutch forum. So somebody opened a thread about white people who have black or biracial (adopted) kids and their nappy hair and the white folks not knowing how to deal with their hair.
I read some comments from Black people which made me actually go kinda crazy behind my screen,I just wanted to go and register just to respond to it but I had to calm the *** down.
They said that Nappy/curly/coily/'black' hair DOESNT LIKE WATER because WATER MAKES BLACK HAIR DRY and Crunchy and the best product for black hair is GREASE. -blank stare-..then some white people were like: oh yeah? I didnt know that,that doesnt make sense.. I wanted to go and say something sooo bad:YO GO WHITE GIRL!! Of course it doesn't make sense.UGH Ignorance. And to be honest,this is what my mom,grandma,aunties..everybody been telling me my whole life too and this is how I end up with a head full of straw-ish dry dull crappy relaxed hair. WE GOTTA DO BETTER MY PEOPLE. We just need to spread more knowledge and thats why I loveeeeeeeee these kinda boards
[/ok end venting-mode] *SIGH*

The Netherlands? WOW!! Welcome Aida!

 

[laurend]

Thank you miss Bunny

No i am from Cape Vert/Cabo Verde/Capeverdean Islands and I was born there and moved to the Netherlands when I was about 2 years old. I'm not sure if you ever heard about CV though,its an island group in west africa and its a former colony of Portugal

Yes, I have heard of it. I can't think of the name of the famous female singer that is from there. Anyway, come on board and enjoy the forum.

 

[Guapa1]

yep. i thought it was funny once when the pastor at my last church told a story about why is wife always cut the legs off the Thanksgiving turkey before putting it in the oven. she said cuz her mama 'nem did it that way. so he asked his mother-in-law, she said cuz that's how HER mama 'nem did it that way. so he asks grandma-in-law why, she says because back in the day she didn't have anything big enough to fit the whole turkey in, so she cut the legs off to make it fit.

moral of the story? some traditions don't need to be carried on.

Hilarious!

 

[Jada]

There is a popular myth that African American hair will not grow. That's why it’s prevalent to see beauty supply stores in African American neighborhoods saturated with floor to ceiling, wall to wall hair weaves, extensions, wigs, etc., especially in beauty supply stores owned by Asians. The majority of their customers are African Americans, so what else are people suppose to believe?

The Asians that I work with and the ones in my beauty salon know that some of us don't need to add hair to our head to make it long. They are astonished to see our hair gradually grow to bra clasp or waist length. They know we aren't mixed with anything.

Years ago my stylist said: "The majority of African American women think they know how to take care of their hair, but they don't. That's because they were never taught properly."

Some are just hair obsessed, and they feel that growing hair out to significant lengths is a mystery. Most African American women don't have long hair, and they find it hard to believe if a woman has long hair, then she has to be mixed with something.

I use to work at 2 Korean owned beauty supply stores and they do really think that AA hair doesn't grow. I surprised my boss David because my hair grew from ear to shoulder length in 3 months. He would always say everytime I see you it's longer. Duh because it grows at the same darn rate as yours. Why do you think customers come in for relaxers!

 

[RegaLady]

I had a Polish coworker tell me that she didn't think black women's hair grew. I understand where this may come from. However, I grew up around women who had long hair. My mother has WL hair, and cousins, and even in laws(SO's sisters). If a woman had short hair in my family it was usually by choice, or everyone knew she did not care for it. I had to inform my coworker about this. For a while, me and my sister thought we couldn't grow hair, but I think it was that we didn't want to face the reality that we were doing damage to it. But, black women really just look good in everything. While all women look great with long hair, I think we are more likely to look good in short hair also, than any other group of women.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Am I the only one who doesn't equate extensions with being bald? We're not the only ones who wear them so why is it that when others wear extensions its not seen as abnomal?

 

[PeaceFlow]

I use to work at 2 Korean owned beauty supply stores and they do really think that AA hair doesn't grow. I surprised my boss David because my hair grew from ear to shoulder length in 3 months. He would always say everytime I see you it's longer. Duh because it grows at the same darn rate as yours. Why do you think customers come in for relaxers!

Sorry off topic but I went to get a half wig at the Korean bss and he told me to try them on (I have a little bit longer than twa), later on he was like aww well "you dont need this you can grow your hair you know".

I didnt have a reply because he caught me off guard but I found it funny I was in the biggest hair store in my city and he was telling me I can grow my own hair lols. In regards to comments I have had them ever so often but I do get quite a few non blacks that are fooled by a more realistic weave/wig, there was an Asian girl I talked to in my last work who would go on and on if a Balck woman had scraping shoulder length. Also this Black boy with braids took it out one day and she was like "I cant believe how long his hair is, I mean usually they have it fake I thought it was extensions!"

 

[locabouthair]

I really can't blame people of other races for thinking like that because a lot of BW wear weaves and wigs. But everytime I feel like giving up on this hair thing, comments like that make me more determined to reach my hair goal.

 

[glam-]

GIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLL I live in the DC/Metro area and I'm hard pressed to find a chick that ISN'T weaved up or wigged out!!!!!!

Exactly If there are more weaves & wigs in Philly than in DC, than that's a whhhhhhhole lot of weave.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

I just don't get why weaves and wigs have to be a black woman's thing. Everyone's wearing them! And why is it unnatural to wear them? I get fed up with non-black women making those statements.

 

[shocol]

I just don't get why weaves and wigs have to be a black woman's thing. Everyone's wearing them! And why is it unnatural to wear them? I get fed up with non-black women making those statements.

I think it's because non-black women have a relatively easier time retaining length. So for them, weaves and wigs are truly styling options, or something for special occasions. I honestly believe that a lot of black women have a dependency on weaves and wigs because we don't know how to take care of/grow our own hair. I have to agree, it is unnatural to wear wigs/weaves constantly because you refuse to properly care for you hair.

 

[hunnybunny81]

I just don't get why weaves and wigs have to be a black woman's thing. Everyone's wearing them! And why is it unnatural to wear them? I get fed up with non-black women making those statements.

I think maybe they mean its unnatural to wear hair that didn't grow directly out of your own scalp...and IMO it IS unnatural...just like some natural's will say its unnatural to relax...I still do it..but I wouldn't be offended if they thought that...I am chemically altering what comes out of my scalp, and women who wear weaves are adding hair that didn't come out of their scalps....

I guess it all relates back to the stigma that you see more non-black women sporting their own hair, then you do with extensions. Where as with Black women it seems its the exact opposite..you see more black women with fake hair than you do without....


To me it seems that if wearing weaves was all about protective styling, than how come we don't see more weaves with shorter styles? Isn't a weave with shorter hair just as good in terms of protecting the hair? It seems to me that with the exception of the few who wear weaves for protective purposes, most wear weaves for Vanity reasons...they want longer hair...yeah some may put in a weave to "try out" a shorter style but IMO there are far more women getting long weaves than short and it makes me think it has more to do with wanting length than it does trying to get healthy hair...people may disagree but that's how I feel...

That's not to say that Non BW don't wear extensions, cause they do! I just think the proportion isn't the same...Also, the BW that don't wear weaves, usually have jacked up hair...I'm not just talking about length but health too, You don't see that many BW walking around with healthy, let alone BSL and longer hair..the women on this board are the MINORITY, we all know the average woman walking around doesn't know how to take care of their hair...if they did...I truly think we'd see more ladies in the street with healthier, non-weaved hair...

I truly think most women who wear weaves don't for "protective purposes"...they want long hair and don't know how to grow it themselves so they buy it. plain and simple.

Those that use weaves for protective measures, I'm not knocking you at ALL...just know that there is no way to differentiate between you and the next weave wearer....you end up getting lumped in the same "Can't Grow Hair" Category by the average onlooker...

 

[esoterica]

It's not surprising that people in general think that black women can't grow long hair. The majority of us are always in weaves, wigs, braids and the ones who do wear their own hair have short, overprocessed, chewed up hair so you really can't blame people for thinking that. We brought that on ourselves. Then you have black influential women like Tyra Banks who perpetuate that myth by talking about wigs and weaves every chance they get. It's sad but it happens. Once more black women realise that, their hair is beautiful and can grow long once they stop abusing it, the status quo will slowly change.

what she said.

 

[ButterflyBeauty]

GIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLL I live in the DC/Metro area and I'm hard pressed to find a chick that ISN'T weaved up or wigged out!!!!!!

I agree, see lots of wigs and weaves in Baltimore and DC. However, I see lots of naturals in PG and Montgomery counties.

 

[RegaLady]

I just don't get why weaves and wigs have to be a black woman's thing. Everyone's wearing them! And why is it unnatural to wear them? I get fed up with non-black women making those statements.

I hear you!
I think weaves and wigs are fine. I wear it, especially since I am wearing it as a PS. I still view them as being unnatural, because it is not my hair. However, I don't care that it isn't. I mean really. I know what I am trying to do for myself, and who cares what anyone thinks.
If a women chooses to wear one, because she wants to 'pass' it off as her own, then so be it.
If a woman wears one, and doesn't take care of her hair, than so be it.
They can say we are all bald headed women, who wear straws on the top of our heads, should it really make a difference to me? I dunno, maybe black women shouldn't get so caught up in what other people are saying, and do what they do, whatever that is!

 

[RegaLady]

In addition, I never see posts talking about how come white girls, or Hispanic gals, or Asian girls, don't wear blonde hair, or why they dye it a certain color. People just do what they do! Not every shade of color on 'other' women, is their real color.

 

[la mosca]

Why do we think grease is the answer?

I don't get it. I have given up on helping with hair. Its not my business. People get offended and act a fool when all you are doing is help them. i know its bad to say but now even if their head is on fire.. They will get nothing from me. You want that tight weave?... You go girl it looks good. You wanna slap on that petroleum jelly on your head?.... You go girl and look at that sheen. People are not willing to open their minds and learn about hair care cause its not important.

Oh mercy . . .

 

[la mosca]

Dear Ladies,

I am West African and long hair is not prized in the society though now with all of the Western images from the music videos, there is pressure for African women to have long hair. It's not offensive if someone says that most black women have short hair, though I understand I myself hate generalisations and it is the way that someone says something that makes a difference. So what if we have short hair, we have beautiful skin tones and features and we don't age quickly. I guess the issue of hair is such a sensitive issue for black women in the States and we have to prove that we are still pretty or feminine to other races. However, I have to say that while we black women are to a degree obsessed about our hair, white women talk about their weight issues constantly and they are also obsessed with hair colouring which I often bring to their attention.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Great points.

 

[tonia682]

This is also true among our children. I am an elementary teacher and I usually wear my hair in a ponytail or clipped up. One day I decided to wear my hair out after getting a touchup. As I'm walking down the hall, two 5th grade girls walk past and one whispers (not too quietly) to the other, "I almost thought that was her real hair." I was like erplexed. When I told her that it was my real hair, her mouth just dropped open. My hair isn't even that long. It's a little between SL and APL. But unfortunately where I teach it's not uncommon to see these young girls with tore up heads of short hair. A lot of them either have perms that are not being taken care of properly or braids that are so tight its tearing their edges out.
In my kindergarten class alone, at least 5 of them had perms and hardly any hair . So whenever I did wear my hair out, I would always be asked by some child or teacher (black and white) if my hair was real. I guess because they were not used to seeing a black woman with a head of healthy hair and it not being a weave.

You must be living my life!!!! I teach also so I keep my almost SL hair up in clips quite a bit. When I do wear it down I can hear the comments from the older girls in my school. It saddens me to see how our little girls hair is being taken care of. Putting in perms, weaves, tight braids at an early age really damages their hair so that they are then forced to really have to put all that mess in their hair. It leads to a vicious cycle.

 

[jenteel]

I think maybe they mean its unnatural to wear hair that didn't grow directly out of your own scalp...and IMO it IS unnatural...just like some natural's will say its unnatural to relax...I still do it..but I wouldn't be offended if they thought that...I am chemically altering what comes out of my scalp, and women who wear weaves are adding hair that didn't come out of their scalps....

I guess it all relates back to the stigma that you see more non-black women sporting their own hair, then you do with extensions. Where as with Black women it seems its the exact opposite..you see more black women with fake hair than you do without....


To me it seems that if wearing weaves was all about protective styling, than how come we don't see more weaves with shorter styles? Isn't a weave with shorter hair just as good in terms of protecting the hair? It seems to me that with the exception of the few who wear weaves for protective purposes, most wear weaves for Vanity reasons...they want longer hair...yeah some may put in a weave to "try out" a shorter style but IMO there are far more women getting long weaves than short and it makes me think it has more to do with wanting length than it does trying to get healthy hair...people may disagree but that's how I feel...

That's not to say that Non BW don't wear extensions, cause they do! I just think the proportion isn't the same...Also, the BW that don't wear weaves, usually have jacked up hair...I'm not just talking about length but health too, You don't see that many BW walking around with healthy, let alone BSL and longer hair..the women on this board are the MINORITY, we all know the average woman walking around doesn't know how to take care of their hair...if they did...I truly think we'd see more ladies in the street with healthier, non-weaved hair...

I truly think most women who wear weaves don't for "protective purposes"...they want long hair and don't know how to grow it themselves so they buy it. plain and simple.

Those that use weaves for protective measures, I'm not knocking you at ALL...just know that there is no way to differentiate between you and the next weave wearer....you end up getting lumped in the same "Can't Grow Hair" Category by the average onlooker...

SO TRUE!
excellent post


but i also get where redliz81 is coming from
in that sometimes we do care 2 much abt what others think
sometimes u gotta do u!!!
i've learned in life that people are gonna think what they want to
irregardless of the truth
at all my hair lengths my hair was thought to be fake
relaxed or natural......

 

[almond eyes]

Dear Ladies,

In Africa for centuries women wore wigs to protect the hair from lice and dust. Wigs were also seen as a sign of mobility. When othrodox Jewish women get married they shave their heads and wear wigs for the rest of their lives. Women who have cancer don wigs. I don't understand how wigs got such a bad rap or became synonomous with not taking care of one's hair. Women on a whole adorn their hair wigs, colour, relaxers, etc because utimately that is the way we show our beauty to the opposite sex kind of like peacocks.

I think the reason why black women on a whole are not seen as having long hair is not because we are not capable, it is because again historically having long hair (hair that hangs/bone straight hair) or hair worn out was not a sign of beauty in many parts of Africa mostly because of the climate which is extremely hot. The focus was on a woman's neck, the smoothness of a woman's skin, her body so African women kept their hair short, in a wig (for special ceremonies), wrapped or in braids. However, now because centuries later Western images have bombarded women as to what is beautiful, everyone including black/African women want straight long hair that hangs as a sign of beauty. I am not saying that it is wrong either to have such desires but it's important to know where those desires come from historically and that we as African peoples still are tied to our traditions even though some of it has been lost which is why we love our wigs and sometimes 'outrageous' hair styles.

While I have no problem with relaxers, once they became introduced into the mainstream society, the original formulas were very damaging and caused many black women breakage (not necessarily because of lack of care) which is how damaged hair became linked to black women. Some black women cannot wear relaxers no matter how well they take care of their hair and some black women cannot grow long hair no matter how well they take of it too. If you are able to grow long hair power to you but if not it does not mean that you are unable to take care of your hair.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

Dear Ladies,

In Africa for centuries women wore wigs to protect the hair from lice and dust. Wigs were also seen as a sign of mobility. When othrodox Jewish women get married they shave their heads and wear wigs for the rest of their lives. Women who have cancer don wigs. I don't understand how wigs got such a bad rap or became synonomous with not taking care of one's hair. Women on a whole adorn their hair wigs, colour, relaxers, etc because utimately that is the way we show our beauty to the opposite sex kind of like peacocks.

I think the reason why black women on a whole are not seen as having long hair is not because we are not capable, it is because again historically having long hair (hair that hangs/bone straight hair) or hair worn out was not a sign of beauty in many parts of Africa mostly because of the climate which is extremely hot. The focus was on a woman's neck, the smoothness of a woman's skin, her body so African women kept their hair short, in a wig (for special ceremonies), wrapped or in braids. However, now because centuries later Western images have bombarded women as to what is beautiful, everyone including black/African women want straight long hair that hangs as a sign of beauty. I am not saying that it is wrong either to have such desires but it's important to know where those desires come from historically and that we as African peoples still are tied to our traditions even though some of it has been lost which is why we love our wigs and sometimes 'outrageous' hair styles.

While I have no problem with relaxers, once they became introduced into the mainstream society, the original formulas were very damaging and caused many black women breakage (not necessarily because of lack of care) which is how damaged hair became linked to black women. Some black women cannot wear relaxers no matter how well they take care of their hair and some black women cannot grow long hair no matter how well they take of it too. If you are able to grow long hair power to you but if not it does not mean that you are unable to take care of your hair.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Hmmm....interesting thought! :scratchch

I agreed with everything except the part about some black women can't grow long hair no matter how well they take care of it. I personally believe that everybody's hair grows, and so if the hair isn't long, it's not because the hair doesn't grow.

Sure, maybe growing "long hair" may be easier for some black women than it is for others. But I just don't believe that if a black women without any chemicals in her hair, who is eating right, staying healthy, and practicing good healthy hair routines cannotgrow "long hair". I just don't believe that. Sorry....

 

[almond eyes]

Yes, I should not make generalisations. But I work in the DRC (Congo) and many of those women sport afro natural hair and it just doesn't grow long it is very short and the coil is extremely tight. As an African, who lives in both US and Africa I can say that I find that not all African women are capable of growing long hair and that is not a bad thing. Maybe in the States because of all of the racials mixes but in some parts of Africa (not all) this is not the case.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Tamrin]

Yes, I should not make generalisations. But I work in the DRC (Congo) and many of those women sport afro natural hair and it just doesn't grow long it is very short and the coil is extremely tight. As an African, who lives in both US and Africa I can say that I find that not all African women are capable of growing long hair and that is not a bad thing. Maybe in the States because of all of the racials mixes but in some parts of Africa (not all) this is not the case.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Maybe you are not saying GROW but retaining length. All hair grows. Racial mixing has nothing to do with it. Big misconception.

 

[ButterflyBeauty]

Maybe you are not saying GROW but retaining length. All hair grows. Racial mixing has nothing to do with it. Big misconception.

No, genes do play a role in hair length. Due to the environment in Africa it is not necessarily benefical to have loads of hair on your head. Adaptation to the climate may be one of the reasons that some African women and men have hair that grows to a certain point. I think AlmondEyes is right on point.

 

[Tamrin]

No, genes do play a role in hair length. Due to the environment in Africa it is not necessarily benefical to have loads of hair on your head. Adaptation to the climate may be one of the reasons that some African women and men have hair that grows to a certain point. I think AlmondEyes is right on point.

Genes play a role in hair type, however i do not believe in the part about genes cause the hair to grow to a certain point. Implying their hair stops growing. Im going to insist on Hair Grows however what you retain is a different story. But weather can affect the retention due to dryness and sun damage. Now thats a different story. The sun can be murder on hair. But I refuse to believe that hair only grows to a certain point.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

Genes play a role in hair type, however i do not believe in the part about genes cause the hair to grow to a certain point. Implying their hair stops growing. Im going to insist on Hair Grows however what you retain is a different story. But weather can affect the retention due to dryness and sun damage. Now thats a different story. The sun can be murder on hair. But I refuse to believe that hair only grows to a certain point.

Yeah, I don't believe that either.

I think what AlmondEyes and others have seen are perhaps people living in environments where it may be harder to retain length of hair grown, and maybe certain products or healthy hair techniques are not widely-known, but I believe that everyone's hair grows regardless of race or nationality.

I'm half African/half American (my dad is from Cameroon, and my mom's American), and I have cousins even in Cameroon who have hair that is at least shoulder length. So hair CAN grow. It's what you retain that is the problem. And the ability to retain or grow hair to your maximum potential can be due to a LOT of factors: diet/nutrition, environmental causes, personal health/sickness, hair routines etc.

Just think, if we didn't clip, trim, file, chew or break our nails...guess how long they would probably grow??

 

[ButterflyBeauty]

Genes play a role in hair type, however i do not believe in the part about genes cause the hair to grow to a certain point. Implying their hair stops growing. Im going to insist on Hair Grows however what you retain is a different story. But weather can affect the retention due to dryness and sun damage. Now thats a different story. The sun can be murder on hair. But I refuse to believe that hair only grows to a certain point.

No, I will get some info for you. If you research the science of how the hair grows you will find information explaining the maximum length hair is genetically determined. Evolution and environment play a role in the expression of these genes.