Scab Hair- What do you Believe? (Youtube Video)

[SweetTea]

I'm transitioning again and I was on the lookout for scab hair. I think it's real, but I think it's something that fixes itself in time. I have two inches of NG right now. When I had one inch and less, then NG felt very rough and dry. Now, my NG stays more moisturized. I'm feeling it now, and it's actually quite oily and not rough at all. I think scab hair is like stubble. When new hair first grows after you've shaved your legs, the hair feels really rough, right? Because of the angle the hair comes out at first. But once the hair (on your head) has a chance to grow out into it's actual curl pattern, I think its "scab hair" like qualities disappear. My hair has done this, now that my new growth is actually a bunch of coils instead of a layer of wiry frizz, the dryness and feel of it has improved.

 

[CheLala13]

I don't understand why someone wouldn't believe in scab hair...

I had scab hair and I used heat maybe twice during my 1 1/2 year transition and I DC'd twice a week. It wasn't just dry hair. It wasn't going away and needed to be cut off.

ETA: Just because you haven't personally experienced scab hair, all of a sudden that means it doesn't exist? I guess I'm not understanding the resistance...

 

[SignatureBeauty]

This is another topic where there is no right or wrong answer, I had never heard of scab hair until I visited another hairboard, but it is just another hair term to describe dry rough hair. But Oh well, everyones hair is different and do different things.


ETA: Thank You Chelala13!!!!!!

 

[knt1229]

I don't understand why someone wouldn't believe in scab hair...

I had scab hair and I used heat maybe twice during my 1 1/2 year transition and I DC'd twice a week. It wasn't just dry hair. It wasn't going away and needed to be cut off.

ETA: Just because you haven't personally experienced scab hair, all of a sudden that means it doesn't exist? I guess I'm not understanding the resistance...

Resistance is your perception not a reality. Nobody is resisting you or the thread topic. All anyone can do is share their opinions and experiences. If you believe in it join the convo and tell your experiences it may help someone figure out their hair. If I believe there may be another explanation then I will share that and it may also help somebody else. This is an open forum we don't all have the same experiences so we won't all have the same opinion.

 

[Blyss_curls]

I don't understand why someone wouldn't believe in scab hair...

I had scab hair and I used heat maybe twice during my 1 1/2 year transition and I DC'd twice a week. It wasn't just dry hair. It wasn't going away and needed to be cut off.

ETA: Just because you haven't personally experienced scab hair, all of a sudden that means it doesn't exist? I guess I'm not understanding the resistance...

This was my experience, too. The scab hair was a very different texture than what eventually came out. My scab hair was thick, extremely frizzy, dry and coarse. It didn't respond to water, product....nothing. There was NO moisturizing that hair.

For me, scab hair continued to grow more from some areas of my head, less in others. I attribute that to some areas of my hair having suffered more damage from relaxing (over the years). I have a fine texture in some parts (which suffered more damage).

I'm glad I had knowledge of scab hair (from P. Farrell's book). If I hadn't, I would have thought my actual hair was that texture, and may have eventually resorted to relaxing it again. erplexed Thankfully, recalling scab hair...I waited it out and slowly I started to see signs of a different texture peeking through.

 

[ZkittyKurls]

I don't understand why someone wouldn't believe in scab hair...

I had scab hair and I used heat maybe twice during my 1 1/2 year transition and I DC'd twice a week. It wasn't just dry hair. It wasn't going away and needed to be cut off.

ETA: Just because you haven't personally experienced scab hair, all of a sudden that means it doesn't exist? I guess I'm not understanding the resistance...

some people just need dphysical evidence of this case...i dont think its being dismissed just questioned. but thats with every belief in the world unless there is "scientific evidence" or case studies, people wont accept it as it being legit

 

[CheLala13]

I understand everyone has an opinion. I'm trying to understand why this is a topic that deserves an opinion. Ahh...whatever, nevermind.

 

[CurlTalk]

Personally, I never experienced scab hair, nor have any women I've known who've transitioned (women who've relaxed for periods ranging for a year to 20+ years).

In my research on the subject though, I came across this: http://www.lamasbeauty.com/beauty/articles/correa/trauma_hair_follicles.htm

which basically says that damaged hair follicles produce thin, less dense hair than healthy follicles. The description of 'scab hair' as being super-course just doesn't add up. I honestly cannot think up a serious biological reason for 'scab hair' being more course than normal hair--to me, it doesn't make sense. Especially because most of the differences between scab hair and normal hair described involve texture, which has been proven to be a direct result of the alignment of the hair follicles with the scalp, as well as follicle shape. Had these been altered to the point of major texture change, the texture wouldn't return to normal in so short a period as a few months, if ever.
When I meet with solid evidence and photo proof, I'll be a believer. Until then...

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i most definitely believe in scab hair. the first time i went natural, i wasn't aware i had it, because well, it was my first time being natural. now that i'm natural again, i can tell a difference in how my ends feel. even though i was cowashing everyday the first time, my ends felt a little wiry compared to how the feel now, with me not washing as often. ♥

 

[.:Eden:.]

Here's pictures from the woman from the first video link in the original post. She shows the difference.

http://growblackhair.net/blog/scab-hair-it-is-real

 

[B_Phlyy]

Personally, I never experienced scab hair, nor have any women I've known who've transitioned (women who've relaxed for periods ranging for a year to 20+ years).

In my research on the subject though, I came across this: http://www.lamasbeauty.com/beauty/articles/correa/trauma_hair_follicles.htm

which basically says that damaged hair follicles produce thin, less dense hair than healthy follicles. The description of 'scab hair' as being super-course just doesn't add up. I honestly cannot think up a serious biological reason for 'scab hair' being more course than normal hair--to me, it doesn't make sense. Especially because most of the differences between scab hair and normal hair described involve texture, which has been proven to be a direct result of the alignment of the hair follicles with the scalp, as well as follicle shape. Had these been altered to the point of major texture change, the texture wouldn't return to normal in so short a period as a few months, if ever.
When I meet with solid evidence and photo proof, I'll be a believer. Until then...

And this is why I don't believe in scab hair. Even before I came to hair boards, every science class I ever took said that hair follicle number and shape was pretty much determined at birth and that is what determines hair type and texture. One cannot grow damaged scab hair (even if the hair follicle has been damaged or changed) as damaged is not a hair texture.

 

[mg1979]

I believe that years and years of relaxers never did well on my scalp, I always had problems, and some people don't have these problems when they relax. I knew my scalp was damaged and that's part of the reason I decided to stop relaxing. I believe that once I stopped relaxing, my scalp went through a period were it was still unhealthy. Anytime your scalp is unhealthy the hair that grows during that time is not going to be healthy. Oh, and I should say the hair was worse in the areas that were most sensitive to the relaxers-the areas that always seemed to get that burning sensation, even if they just started applying the relaxer.

That was what I originally learned the term "scab hair" to be-the new growth that didn't look to great because of the condition of the scalp. It had nothing to do with heat damage. Now I don't believe that everyone gets scab hair or those that do, probably not to the same degree. I feel it has a lot to do with how the relaxer effected your scalp.

 

[DivaD04]

..............deleted.....