Old School Hair Beliefs

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I spent the latter part of my childhood living with my grandmother and she had quite an impact on my life. Among other things, she also had some old school beliefs about hair that I thought I'd share. Some of these are but I still find it interesting:

• never cut a boy's hair before his first birthday or he will stutter when he grows up
  
• always burn your shed hair because if someone finds it, they will put some "hoodoo" on you
  
• cut your ends only during the full moon
  
• never wash your hair if there are visitors staying at your house

What "old time" beliefs do you have in your family?

 

[Miss*Tress]

If somebody blows on your hair, it will fall out.

 

[OrangeMoon]

I spent the latter part of my childhood living with my grandmother and she had quite an impact on my life. Among other things, she also had some old school beliefs about hair that I thought I'd share. Some of these are but I still find it interesting:

• never cut a boy's hair before his first birthday or he will stutter when he grows up
  
• always burn your shed hair because if someone finds it, they will put some "hoodoo" on you
  
• cut your ends only during the full moon
  
• never wash your hair if there are visitors staying at your house

What "old time" beliefs do you have in your family?

I've been told the other but hummmm @ the bolded...what gives?

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

- I was told I should wash only every 2 weeks and was always told I was washing too much if I washed once a week.

- My mom always told me I just had "different" hair and she just has hair that doesn't get long

- I was told by my mom that its "normal" and "to be expected" for me to lose a hairball the size of my fist or larger every time she styled my hair

- I was told the reason my mom smacked loads of ultra sheen grease on my scalp is because it moisturizes it

- My mom was trying to get me to wash in braided sections ever since I was little but I dismissed it as "old school" man, I really shoulda took her word on that sooner lol its been KEY to retention for me

- My mom wasn't perfect at styling my hair but she really knew her stuff when it comes to natural DC's she has always had an old-school haitian deep conditioner recipe for any issue I might have been facing at any given time so that was super valuable and still is.

Other then that my mom told me encouraging things about my hair called it beautiful, told me I didn't need to relax and tried to get my spirits up after the kids would taunt me in school for having coarse tightly coily hair.

However whenever there was a special event coming up, she pressed my hair with the old-school over the stove iron, she was gentle, and it never lasted....and I remember feeling uglier and uglier as it reverted especially since the kids at school would give me hell over my big hair. Throughout my childhood I think the fact that she would press for all special occasions sent me a subliminal message about looking presentable.....but I matured and recognized where that came from in adulthood.

I have two cousins who have simply always had long hair effortlessly despite abysmal haircare practices they just have super strong long thick hair with blunt healthy ends. She would get annoyed by people always asking her about her hair, so just for kicks, this one time she told this one girl to only cut her hair on a full moon and her hair will grow faster and the girl followed her advice verbatim and she said after that experience she was creeped out and stopped telling people anything about what she does to her hair

 

[Lynnerie]

I was told to wash my hair every 2 weeks.

Grease my scalp because black people have dry hair/scalp.

Don't get your hair wet. (Unless your washing it)

Don't let your friends play in your hair.

 

[longhairlover]

my grandmother (rip) use to say the same thing, i'd have a ball of hair on the stove setting fire to it lmao!!!! even though i stopped starting house fires i'm still cautious of how to dispose of my shed hair or hair from trimming now I flush it, I won't throw it in the garbage because deep down inside I still hear my grandmother with her voodoo and hair concept lmao!

I spent the latter part of my childhood living with my grandmother and she had quite an impact on my life. Among other things, she also had some old school beliefs about hair that I thought I'd share. Some of these are but I still find it interesting:

• never cut a boy's hair before his first birthday or he will stutter when he grows up
  
• always burn your shed hair because if someone finds it, they will put some "hoodoo" on you
  
• cut your ends only during the full moon
  
• never wash your hair if there are visitors staying at your house

What "old time" beliefs do you have in your family?

 

[Auburn]

Two people working on your hair is bad luck

 

[Grand Prix]

Throw your shed hairs away or the birdies will use them to build their nests.

 

[Nameless]

Never wash your hair more than twice in a month, it will dry up your hair.

Only yt people wash their hair once a week. A friend told me recently when I started my HHJ.

Never let water near your hair unless it's wash day.

I was told that Blue Magic is my friend. It is multi purpose: Greases scalp and moisturises hair. SMH

Dirt makes your hair grow. WTF. My friend used to say that whenever her scalp was itchy, she was happy because scrathing it promotes hair growth. This coming from the girl that never passed NL despite doing this technique for years.

 

[shopgalore]

A lot of the things you are all mentioning is exactly what I have been told and heard.

What sticks for me is the hair disposal issue, I tend to dispose of my hair extra carefully, never just in the bin, it must be wrapped with something.Lol!

 

[DiamondDivyne]

Um...yeah, I've heard most of this...except not to wash your hair when you have visitors. To this day, I still burn my hair from my trims (my mom does it @ home just so that I can have all the hair). Weird, but what can I say, old habits die hard.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

chlorine in swimming pools strips relaxer from the hair

And this one was really weird collect all your shedded/broken/trimmed off hair put them under you pillow and your hair will grow quickly on the next month (sort of like the tooth fairy but its the hair fairy.)

 

[PinkyD]

1. I still burn or flush my hair. I was told the birds would build nests with my hair as well (why is that bad?)
2. Please! Post a Haitian hair recipe.
3. Blue Magic is a moisturizer
4. Aloe vera is good for your skin and hair (why thank you you auntie!)
5. I may try to follow the lunar hair cutting reccomendation...hmmmm. Many cultures have this recommendation.

ETA: 6. Putting egg in your hair removes the relaxer...hmmmm

 

[BlkOnyx488]

@ the bolded
there's a name for that it's called "puttin' the roots on someone"
When I worked in a hair salon we had a customer who whould collect her hair in a baggy and take it home, becomes of the fear of someone "puttin' the roots on her"

My old skool rule, you are suppose to get a perm at 12, if you wait til after that, your hair will be trained not to take a perm

• never cut a boy's hair before his first birthday or he will stutter when he grows up
  
• always burn your shed hair because if someone finds it, they will put some "hoodoo" on you
  
• cut your ends only during the full moon
  
• never wash your hair if there are visitors staying at your house

What "old time" beliefs do you have in your family?

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I spent the latter part of my childhood living with my grandmother and she had quite an impact on my life. Among other things, she also had some old school beliefs about hair that I thought I'd share. Some of these are but I still find it interesting:

• never cut a boy's hair before his first birthday or he will stutter when he grows up
  
• always burn your shed hair because if someone finds it, they will put some "hoodoo" on you
  
• cut your ends only during the full moon
  
• never wash your hair if there are visitors staying at your house

What "old time" beliefs do you have in your family?

@ the bolded
there's a name for that it's called "puttin' the roots on someone"
When I worked in a hair salon we had a customer who whould collect her hair in a baggy and take it home, becomes of the fear of someone "puttin' the roots on her"

WW Puttin the roots? I thought my little wash every 2 weeks was somethin but some a this foolishness still got yall burnin yall hair WOW

My old skool rule, you are suppose to get a perm at 12, if you wait til after that, your hair will be trained not to take a perm

Wow.

 

[labelfree]

1. Dirty Hair Grows Faster
2. Only trim your ends on the New Moon

 

[C.I.M.S.]

Two people working on your hair is bad luck

OMG!!!! I have never heard this before but when I read your comment I immediately thought of my first year of college. Back in the 90's I use to wear long poetic justice braids (but not dookie size.) When I moved to D.C. I had to find someone to do my hair. I found this lady and her sister and they used to do my hair together.
I got mugged soon after.
I tripped and fell in front of what felt like the entire school.
I had financial issues (on scholarship.)erplexed
The list goes on...
I don't know if it means anything. Just saying.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

WW Puttin the roots? I thought my little wash every 2 weeks was somethin but some a this foolishness still got yall burnin yall hair WOW


Wow.

I think (for me) it has a lot to do with living in the south, near Louisiana. Voodoo is some big stuff around here and that whole burning your hair thing is related.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

@ the bolded
there's a name for that it's called "puttin' the roots on someone"
When I worked in a hair salon we had a customer who whould collect her hair in a baggy and take it home, becomes of the fear of someone "puttin' the roots on her"

My old skool rule, you are suppose to get a perm at 12, if you wait til after that, your hair will be trained not to take a perm

This is something we had as well but I can't remember what the reason was. I just know it was a big deal for kids not to get relaxers before 11 or 12.

 

[Barbie83]

Dirt makes your hair grow. WTF. My friend used to say that whenever her scalp was itchy, she was happy because scrathing it promotes hair growth. This coming from the girl that never passed NL despite doing this technique for years.

What IS IT with that one? My friend says the same thing. She spent a year in sew-ins, washing infrequently (maybe every 2-3 weeks). I almost believe her because she went from SL to almost BSL. But I think it was more because of the low manipulation and protective styling. hmmm... either way I won't be trying the "dirty hair" method

 

[natura87]

Dont wash your hair..only non black people can do that. Just slap some grease and oil sheen on it.

Seriously.

 

[MaintaintheSexy]

my grandmother (rip) use to say the same thing, i'd have a ball of hair on the stove setting fire to it lmao!!!! even though i stopped starting house fires i'm still cautious of how to dispose of my shed hair or hair from trimming now I flush it, I won't throw it in the garbage because deep down inside I still hear my grandmother with her voodoo and hair concept lmao!

I believe this. People are jealous and evil so I make sure that I don't leave my hair laying around because believe it or not, A LOT OF PEOPLE PRACTICE VODOO. Other than that I would hear that:

-Dirt and Dandruff makes your hair grow (I don't believe this)
-To wash you hair once a month (I'm still trying to figure this one out)
-Grease your scalp (I learned moisture is better)

I don't pay most hair beliefs any mind. I simply pray to God that he makes my hair healthy (and long!), they way He intended it to be.

 

[coolsista-paris]

i've heard a few of your stuff before. and also:

-oil your scalp a lot,black people have dry hair/scalp
-use blue magic or DAX for moisturising!
- don't wash your hair often. (almost like stay a month like that)
- we have to pull harder for the knots to come out!!!!!!!! ouuuuuuuuch!!!!!
- we have to shave your hair so that you don't get lice!
-shorter hair is better and easier to deal with

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

OH I remembered another one:

If you put chalk in your hair, you can get lice and/or it will make you go bald.

I was so nervous wheneverI got done writing on the blackboard at school LOL

 

[PinkyD]

I forgot! According to my mommy: You shouldn't get a perm before 11 or 12 because the child's hair is not mature till that age. Any process prior to that may cause permanent (pun !) damage.

We all have our own opinions about chemical straightners, but I don't like to see young children with a relaxer, especially the 2 and 3 year olds...

I think the reasoning behind not washing your hair often is multifaceted:
Our hair tends to be alot to handle, I have a young cousin with waistlength hair (unstreched), and wash day is a long process for her. As a child I had APL-SBL hair unstreched, wash day was a long process, I could go on, but the point is it doesn't matter the length it's hard to washa nd plait.

Also washing with harsh shampoos causes dryness ( I have had bar soap used on my hair as well as dishwashing liquid), the old school claim to wash minimally and slap on oil was to counteract or minimize dryness. Clear people tend to require more frequent washings since their hair gets oiler. (My caucasian roomate could not go more than a day without washing or her hair would become limp with oil)

 

[Natirelle]

scratch the dandruff out of your scalp !!!! whether realxed or natural.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

scratch the dandruff out of your scalp !!!! whether realxed or natural.

UG!! I remember people doing this in my family! UGGG!

 

[PinkyD]

I remember reading a thread on CurliNikki abpout Hair Then, Hair Now, it has some hilarious stories about what people used to do to their hair and old beliefs. I love these stories.

 

[Natirelle]

UG!! I remember people doing this in my family! UGGG!

yup with that black rat tail greasy comb !!!!dont forget to grease afterwards.

 

[aurora3140]

^^^ Me, too!

I did this religiously, as well as greasing/oiling my scalp, and the dandruff always came back before my next wash day.

Oddly enough, I no longer do these things and my scalp has been flake-free for years!

Go figure.

1. I still burn or flush my hair. I was told the birds would build nests with my hair as well (why is that bad?)
2. Please! Post a Haitian hair recipe.
3. Blue Magic is a moisturizer
4. Aloe vera is good for your skin and hair (why thank you you auntie!)
5. I may try to follow the lunar hair cutting reccomendation...hmmmm. Many cultures have this recommendation.

ETA: 6. Putting egg in your hair removes the relaxer...hmmmm

I think the belief is that you'll go crazy if your hair is used in a nest.