She May Not Be A Woman of Color But

[Gr8ness83]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFLcZY4gT8M

This lady documented her hair growth every month for 4 years. I know some ladies would make mention that she is Caucasion and it is not the same but in all fairness, hair grows at an average of 1/2" per month, since her hair is straight, the growth is obvious.

Her caption for her video: "Watch my hair grow! I took a photo every month for 4 years. 1st year without trims, 2nd year trimming 1 cm each month to create a nice hemline, 3rd year trimming 1.2 cm each month to maintain the hemline as my rather fine hair started to thin out at the ends, 4th year: big trim back to waist length, now growing again without trims. My current goal is tailbone length."

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

Growth is not an issue for curly/coily/kinky/nappy hair. Retention is the problem. Someone with straight hair(that is not abused) doesn't have same problems with retention. I have seen some members do almost everything right and still struggle with retention. They can be on a hair journey and after four years still struggle to get past apl or bsl. I know people around here like to say hair is hair but I think straighter textures don't have the same struggle as someone with a kinkier texture. I am sure straight hair has its own set of issues but it is just different.

 

[Ogoma]

Thanks for sharing OP.

I don't know if it is as simple as coily/curly/kinky hair vs straight hair. Is straight, fine hair less or more fragile than coily coarse hair? Can anyone answer that definitively? There are many women with coily/curly/kinky hair that get from full SL to WL way under 4 years.

 

[Gr8ness83]

Growth is not an issue for curly/coily/kinky/nappy hair. Retention is the problem. Someone with straight hair(that is not abused) doesn't have same problems with retention. I have seen some members do almost everything right and still struggle with retention. They can be on a hair journey and after four years still struggle to get past apl or bsl. I know people around here like to say hair is hair but I think straighter textures don't have the same struggle as someone with a kinkier texture. I am sure straight hair has its own set of issues but it is just different.

You are absolutely right, retention is a major problem for curlier/kinkier textures. I struggle with it myself. I am not sure what issues straighter textures have, I have curly hair, but I do not believe that it grows faster in general. Like you said, the ability to retain is greater because they are not dealing with the twists/turns and coils of curly/kinky hair or the pain in keeping it moisturized. I find that my hair grows fastest, or rather that I retain more when I protective style with single braids. Weaves are good and all, I love them for protective styles but I am not able to get to the ends of my hair nor my scalp as easily as I can when I have single braids in. Eventually, weaves thin my hair out in a way that braids never do. When I take out a couple of braids to redo them I trace down the braid that I took out and I look at the ends, if I have any split ends, I cut the split end on THAT strand, I do the same if I see/feel an SSK. Then I cleanse/moisturize/seal and re-braid. I have the maximum amount of retention when I do it this way and when I take all of my braids out, I have no SSK's or split ends. It takes a while to do sometimes but I do it when I am watching a program or I will carve out a couple of hours on a day off to devote to doing that. Of course I leave my braids in for a long time but when I have done this, my hair is awesome when I take out my braids.

Anyway... back to the video, her hair looked like it had thinning issues and it made a comeback after she trimmed it, I think it was around the 3rd year... It is encouraging to see other women of color obtaining the same (if not MORE) growth than she has in the same amount of time with curly/kinky hair textures and starting from a much shorter starting point (JeweJeweBee on YT for example) so it CAN be done with our hair....

 

[Gr8ness83]

Thanks for sharing OP.

I don't know if it is as simple as coily/curly/kinky hair vs straight hair. Is straight, fine hair less or more fragile than coily coarse hair? Can anyone answer that definitively? There are many women with coily/curly/kinky hair that get from full SL to WL way under 4 years.

Very, very good point. I have fine strands and when I put a relaxer (more of a texturizer) in my hair it was flat and it broke off in a strong wind...smh I always feel that the more coarse the texture, the stronger the hair is. Of course others may disagree with me, I do not have coarse hair so I am not speaking from experience, just from what I see and the super thick long hair 4a/b/c/z heads of hair. They seem to be able to withstand a hell of a lot more than their curly haired (3c on up). Maybe I am thinking that the grass is greener on the 4a/b/c/z side of the fence so I could be wrong.... IDK

 

[Amarilles]

Thanks for sharing OP.

I don't know if it is as simple as coily/curly/kinky hair vs straight hair. Is straight, fine hair less or more fragile than coily coarse hair? Can anyone answer that definitively? There are many women with coily/curly/kinky hair that get from full SL to WL way under 4 years.

Fine hair is always more fragile than coarse hair, whether straight or curly, in terms of strength.

The thing is that hair tends to snap not because of a lack of strength but often due to repeated force. So for example, my fiance has APL, fine-medium straight hair and it's technically weaker than my curly/coarse hair, but he can detangle his hair with one to three passess with his comb. ME on the other hand, it takes a lot more repetition of the same movement, and that's the kind of force that usually breaks hair. So in the end he sees less breakage than me, even if my separate strands are stronger than his.

I personally don't think straight hair has any obstacles to grow or retaining. I think where white people often go wrong is thinking they don't need to do the same things curly people do, so detangling from the bottom upward seems like an exaggeration, using a wide-toothed comb seems unnecessary, limiting high heat, etc. but IMO, those are things everyone should be doing if they care about the health and/or growth of hair...not just curly/kinky heads.

 

[DarkJoy]

Growth is not an issue for curly/coily/kinky/nappy hair. Retention is the problem. Someone with straight hair(that is not abused) doesn't have same problems with retention. I have seen some members do almost everything right and still struggle with retention. They can be on a hair journey and after four years still struggle to get past apl or bsl. I know people around here like to say hair is hair but I think straighter textures don't have the same struggle as someone with a kinkier texture. I am sure straight hair has its own set of issues but it is just different.

BSL would be a dream for some of us. How about 2 years and CBL aint nowhere in sight ? 4c Fine/coily hair = good luck on retention no matter how great your hair practices are.

Straight Type 1s and 2s tends to thin more with abuse, instead of breaking off like our hair. My WW friend with a barely wavy Type 2 preferred SL bobs and needed to trim every 6 weeks to maintain. Well she decided to color red ... and flat iron weekly. Within 6 months her hair was SEE THROUGH! but guess what? she still had to trim to maintain the cut. Same thing with my Mexican friend with her Type 1/2.

My DD is a Type 2-3. It can take massive abuse, even dunking in cholorine pools once a week for over a year (I'd be bald headed, no lie). Her ends dont break, but they will end up looking like chewed up broom bristles--but they just hang on. Took her maybe 1.5 years to reach TBL from APL.

And my Fine Type4c? All the right practices in the world and my nape finally hit CBL after 1.5 years post BC--but had to trim back cuz the rest was EL-SL! WTF

 

[koolkittychick]

Thanks for sharing OP.

I don't know if it is as simple as coily/curly/kinky hair vs straight hair. Is straight, fine hair less or more fragile than coily coarse hair? Can anyone answer that definitively? There are many women with coily/curly/kinky hair that get from full SL to WL way under 4 years.

To give you the Cliff's notes version of the story, the structure of curly/kinky hair is different than straighter hair, mainly because of the shape of the hair follicle each type of hair grows out of. Our hair grows with built-in weak spots (areas lacking structure, namely, the inner medulla core of the hair), which cause the bends in our hair, and those areas are very prone to breakage. Type 1 hair maintains the cuticle, cortex and medulla hair structure throughout the length of the strand, which provides the strength in part that helps in its retention.

 

[Saludable84]

To give you the Cliff's notes version of the story, the structure of curly/kinky hair is different than straighter hair, mainly because of the shape of the hair follicle each type of hair grows out of. Our hair grows with built-in weak spots (areas lacking structure, namely, the inner medulla core of the hair), which cause the bends in our hair, and those areas are very prone to breakage. Type 1 hair maintains the cuticle, cortex and medulla hair structure throughout the length of the strand, which provides the strength in part that helps in its retention.

This has a lot to do with it. Our hair is also drier than other races and that becomes an issue too. With the fact that out hair has more kinks and curls and our hair is drier, it's like a double negative against us. Some of us deal with not having a medulla. I have thick strands and my hair can take much heat and manipulation, but I would never subject someone to the things I can do with my hair because it's not good and would kill the normal AA women's head of hair.

When hair is straighter, it is able to retain more moisture because there are less turns to miss product. I've also read that heat to hair can improve growth because it closes the cuticles and smooths the hair, thereby leaving the hair less prone to breakage due to being uneven down the shaft. There are a lot of things that can help, but each person if different.

When I air dry my hair for more than 2 weeks in a row, regardless how much I moisturize, I get thicker hair, but more split ends. So in the end, air drying is a luxury for me, but indirect heat is a must because I get minimal splits and better retention. Everyone has to find their niche and when they find it stick to the script. Even if it's not the one you want.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[Lucie]

Her hair is nice but the music makes me want to dance like a fairy.

ETA: My co-worker is mad the song ended. LOL! I had tell her it was a hair progress video.

 

[cravoecanela]

If you go to hair care forums used predominately by white women (like the long hair community) their hair care practices are not too wildly different from ours. A lot of them use coconut and olive oil, refrain from heat, bun like crazy, don't use brushes etc. The first website that I used when I decided to start my hhj was longlocks. The guide (written by a white woman) pretty much echos a lot of the info you'll find here:

http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

 

[koolkittychick]

If you go to hair care forums used predominately by white women (like the long hair community) their hair care practices are not too wildly different from ours. A lot of them use coconut and olive oil, refrain from heat, bun like crazy, don't use brushes etc. The first website that I used when I decided to start my hhj was longlocks. The guide (written by a white woman) pretty much echos a lot of the info you'll find here:

http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

That makes perfect sense. Regardless of texture, human hair is human hair, and will respond to the same things, for good or bad. The only difference is that our hair takes more effort to retain, because it was pretty much designed to break off at shorter lengths than type 1-3 hair, in order to keep our heads cool in the sub-Saharan heat of our original homeland. Theirs was not (to keep them warm in their colder northern climates), and so will reap more of a benefit from the practices we use to retain and maintain our hair in good condition.

 

[ckisland]

Not to knock this ladies progress, or anything like that, regular ole white people hair is highly, highly overrated . If I want to stalk some non-black hair journey, Asian, Latina, and Middle Eastern is where it's at . Got countries full of ladies with long, shiny, thick from root to tip hair Though Italian ladies also tend to have really thick full hair too.

One thing my sister noticed was that women with really really dark hair seem to have longer hair and it can withstand less breakage. I used to think that black women had really dark hair until I started being around ladies in those three groups. I notice that blondes and black women with browner/sandier hair (my sister is one of these) seem to have retention issues. Just putting another hypothesis out there.

 

[Gr8ness83]

Not to knock this ladies progress, or anything like that, regular ole white people hair is highly, highly overrated . If I want to stalk some non-black hair journey, Asian, Latina, and Middle Eastern is where it's at . Got countries full of ladies with long, shiny, thick from root to tip hair Though Italian ladies also tend to have really thick full hair too.

One thing my sister noticed was that women with really really dark hair seem to have longer hair and it can withstand less breakage. I used to think that black women had really dark hair until I started being around ladies in those three groups. I notice that blondes and black women with browner/sandier hair (my sister is one of these) seem to have retention issues. Just putting another hypothesis out there.

I agree, I normally don't even look twice at white woman's hair. The thing that caught my attention was the fact that she had picture documentation for every month for 4 years. That's what really impressed me, not so much the growth.

 

[Ogoma]

To give you the Cliff's notes version of the story, the structure of curly/kinky hair is different than straighter hair, mainly because of the shape of the hair follicle each type of hair grows out of. Our hair grows with built-in weak spots (areas lacking structure, namely, the inner medulla core of the hair), which cause the bends in our hair, and those areas are very prone to breakage. Type 1 hair maintains the cuticle, cortex and medulla hair structure throughout the length of the strand, which provides the strength in part that helps in its retention.

I know this. Still doesn't prove size of curl is more of factor than size of strand when determining hair strength.

But, I know we like to be struggliest of them all when it comes to our hair so I will bow out of the thread now.

 

[Meritamen]

I need to start doing the same thing. I wish I could retain that much. I have been on this journey for a little over 3 years now and have just made it pass full APL. I would to reach tailbone length one day too but that is looking more and more like fantasy these days.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

Awesome progress. I seriously need to start doing this. Monthly pics can definitely help me out of my "My hair Snell slow" phase.

 

[ckisland]

Thanks for sharing OP.

I don't know if it is as simple as coily/curly/kinky hair vs straight hair. Is straight, fine hair less or more fragile than coily coarse hair? Can anyone answer that definitively? There are many women with coily/curly/kinky hair that get from full SL to WL way under 4 years.

I only just watched the video, but she made it to like TBL in less than 4 years because she was there before her cut. Yeah, there's only a handful of ladies on here who've made it to or past HL in 4 years. . . or at all . Dang, I'm hoping relaxing will help me get that kind of retention .

I think when it comes to curls/coils being a disadvantage to length retention, shrinkage plays a major factor. If Lady A has type 2a hair, can comb easily from root to tip on damp or dry hair, doesn't need to remember to moisturize, and can just let her hair hang loose and airdry, she's going to have an advantage on Lady B who's 4a, who has to spend 30 mins fingercombing on oiled stretched hair before she can get a comb through hair that must be coated in conditioner and wet and twisted up immediately after she goes through each section. She also has to twist and untwist her hair to wash it, needs to moisturize and seal twice daily, and has to braid or twist her hair up because it can't dry loose. We go through 10x the manipulation of other people just to get through basic maintenance, and then we style. That's why I had so much retention doing wash n'gos. All the pulling and wrapping and twisting does have an effect on the hair , which leads to ladies having to stay in the same style for weeks at a time.

 

[Ogoma]

^^^ I am 4a/b and I don't need to go through all that

/shrugs

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

BSL would be a dream for some of us. How about 2 years and CBL aint nowhere in sight ? 4c Fine/coily hair = good luck on retention no matter how great your hair practices are.

Straight Type 1s and 2s tends to thin more with abuse, instead of breaking off like our hair. My WW friend with a barely wavy Type 2 preferred SL bobs and needed to trim every 6 weeks to maintain. Well she decided to color red ... and flat iron weekly. Within 6 months her hair was SEE THROUGH! but guess what? she still had to trim to maintain the cut. Same thing with my Mexican friend with her Type 1/2.

My DD is a Type 2-3. It can take massive abuse, even dunking in cholorine pools once a week for over a year (I'd be bald headed, no lie). Her ends dont break, but they will end up looking like chewed up broom bristles--but they just hang on. Took her maybe 1.5 years to reach TBL from APL.

And my Fine Type4c? All the right practices in the world and my nape finally hit CBL after 1.5 years post BC--but had to trim back cuz the rest was EL-SL! WTF

Awww girl I SO feel your pain!!!!

Fine-haired ladies unite! . I really think how thick or fine textured your hair is makes a huge difference as well. I have fine hair which is more fragile and prone to tangles, breakage, and everything else under the sun.

My hair grows pretty well,but I SO know that my hair would prob be apl by now if my hair were thicker....

I only just watched the video, but she made it to like TBL in less than 4 years because she was there before her cut. Yeah, there's only a handful of ladies on here who've made it to or past HL in 4 years. . . or at all . Dang, I'm hoping relaxing will help me get that kind of retention .

I think when it comes to curls/coils being a disadvantage to length retention, shrinkage plays a major factor. If Lady A has type 2a hair, can comb easily from root to tip on damp or dry hair, doesn't need to remember to moisturize, and can just let her hair hang loose and airdry, she's going to have an advantage on Lady B who's 4a, who has to spend 30 mins fingercombing on oiled stretched hair before she can get a comb through hair that must be coated in conditioner and wet and twisted up immediately after she goes through each section. She also has to twist and untwist her hair to wash it, needs to moisturize and seal twice daily, and has to braid or twist her hair up because it can't dry loose. We go through 10x the manipulation of other people just to get through basic maintenance, and then we style. That's why I had so much retention doing wash n'gos. All the pulling and wrapping and twisting does have an effect on the hair , which leads to ladies having to stay in the same style for weeks at a time.

I SO get your point, but you know what....I'm not 100% sure if all of this manipulation and rituals are even necessary for type 4a/b hair lol!!!!

Idk.....I mean, maybe some ladies have found success with it, but as a natural myself it's just too much. I don't have the time for all of these long, drawn out rituals of caring for the hair. It's just SO much work! I find that my hair does a little better when I keep my routine simple.

They need a "Busy Girl's Guide to Caring For Natural Hair" book lol.

 

[ckisland]

^^^ I am 4a/b and I don't need to go through all that

/shrugs

I SO get your point, but you know what....I'm not 100% sure if all of this manipulation and rituals are even necessary for type 4a/b hair lol!!!!

Idk.....I mean, maybe some ladies have found success with it, but as a natural myself it's just too much. I don't have the time for all of these long, drawn out rituals of caring for the hair. It's just SO much work! I find that my hair does a little better when I keep my routine simple.

They need a "Busy Girl's Guide to Caring For Natural Hair" book lol.

Shoot!! When I was natural I refused to do all that too, but I could not get past MBL. Not all type 4s do this, but most of the WL+ one's do. A lot of the ladies with that on point retention tend to either do all of that (keep hair perma-stretched), or they hide their hair under wigs or weaves which is not comparable to actually having to deal with your hair on the regular. I couldn't do it, but I sympathize with those that have to, or their hair shrinks up and they spend hours detangling .
And I'm not saying this to be all like whoa is black hair. I'm just to saying the comparison to straight/wavy textures to type 3c-4 hair is like comparing apples to pineapples. Pineapples take a lot more work to make it edible, but once you overcome the technical difficulties, they are infinitely more delicious .

Still, what she did was a great idea!!! I would love to have that kind of record to show the step by step progress of my hair .

 

[greenandchic]

Fine hair is always more fragile than coarse hair, whether straight or curly, in terms of strength.

The thing is that hair tends to snap not because of a lack of strength but often due to repeated force. So for example, my fiance has APL, fine-medium straight hair and it's technically weaker than my curly/coarse hair, but he can detangle his hair with one to three passess with his comb. ME on the other hand, it takes a lot more repetition of the same movement, and that's the kind of force that usually breaks hair. So in the end he sees less breakage than me, even if my separate strands are stronger than his.

I personally don't think straight hair has any obstacles to grow or retaining. I think where white people often go wrong is thinking they don't need to do the same things curly people do, so detangling from the bottom upward seems like an exaggeration, using a wide-toothed comb seems unnecessary, limiting high heat, etc. but IMO, those are things everyone should be doing if they care about the health and/or growth of hair...not just curly/kinky heads.

I agree with the bolded. You add bleaching to the mix (which many WW do) and you can have a dried up mess. Others, I swear they've been reading LHCF and NC.com because I've noticed a lot of cowashing and the use of rinse out conditioners as a leave in - especially on 2/3 types at the gym.

 

[wavezncurlz]

Unpopular opinion-'her hair looked best at the beginning. It was full and thick and very healthy looking. The longer it got, the less attractive it looked to me.

I co- sign on the poster who mentioned black colored straight thick long hair as more attractive.

 

[Gr8ness83]

Unpopular opinion-'her hair looked best at the beginning. It was full and thick and very healthy looking. The longer it got, the less attractive it looked to me.

I co- sign on the poster who mentioned black colored straight thick long hair as more attractive.

I completely agree. That is a problem that many woman, White, Black, Asian, occasionally East Indian have. The longer the hair gets, the thinner the ends get making the hair appear less lush. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about East Indian hair care and methods they use for growing their hair.

 

[Gr8ness83]

I just wanted to remind everyone (in the friendliest of manners) that I was really trying to focus on the fact that she documented the journey every month for FOUR years. I don't know if I could be that dedicated on top of the fact that my hair is usually is some sort of protective style and I would only be able to take pics of small sections monthly at best. I definitely see where some of you are coming from as far as her hair appearance, it is nothing to fawn over and quite frankly, the progress is nothing compared to oh let's say.... NJoy... SL/APL to MBL in ONE year.... Yeah, that's impressive

 

[rawsilk]

I agree. That is exactly why I am always looking for products, supplements, regimes that make NG come in smoother/straighter. It's not a cultural (e.g., "I want 'good hair'" issue) -- it's just a matter of physics. Flatter hair follicles (like someone said above) yields coarser/kinkier hair which has so many breaking points. (Might be the reason why relaxed heads tend to accumulate growth faster -- hair strand is much more uniform, etc. So if you can handle the chemicals and they don't take the life out of your hair, not a bad way to retain length.) It's not just a matter of breaking ends either -- even maintaining hairline/nape is more of an issue when you have to deal with texture. (You rarely see people from other races with a jacked-up hairline or nape unless she is dealing with major underlying health issues, Alopecia, etc. Conversely, sparse hairlines are a common challenge for a lot of Black women -- even when the balance of their hair is doing well. Why? Because taking care of texture is like taking care of a baby - requires a lot of attention, care, nutrition, etc.) Just want to add: this is the whole thing about (a) ceremides like Wheat Germ oil and (b) avoiding sulfates -- both will work to fill in the "weak" points that are inherent in flat follicles and coarse/kinky/curly hair.

I appreciate this thread though and think its always inspiring to see anyone achieve their goals.

Growth is not an issue for curly/coily/kinky/nappy hair. Retention is the problem. Someone with straight hair(that is not abused) doesn't have same problems with retention. I have seen some members do almost everything right and still struggle with retention. They can be on a hair journey and after four years still struggle to get past apl or bsl. I know people around here like to say hair is hair but I think straighter textures don't have the same struggle as someone with a kinkier texture. I am sure straight hair has its own set of issues but it is just different.

 

[Gr8ness83]

I agree. That is exactly why I am always looking for products, supplements, regimes that make NG come in smoother/straighter. It's not a cultural (e.g., "I want 'good hair'" issue) -- it's just a matter of physics. Flatter hair follicles (like someone said above) yields coarser/kinkier hair which has so many breaking points. (Might be the reason why relaxed heads tend to accumulate growth faster -- hair strand is much more uniform, etc. So if you can handle the chemicals and they don't take the life out of your hair, not a bad way to retain length.) It's not just a matter of breaking ends either -- even maintaining hairline/nape is more of an issue when you have to deal with texture. (You rarely see people from other races with a jacked-up hairline or nape unless she is dealing with major underlying health issues, Alopecia, etc. Conversely, sparse hairlines are a common challenge for a lot of Black women -- even when the balance of their hair is doing well. Why? Because taking care of texture is like taking care of a baby - requires a lot of attention, care, nutrition, etc.) Just want to add: this is the whole thing about (a) ceremides like Wheat Germ oil and (b) avoiding sulfates -- both will work to fill in the "weak" points that are inherent in flat follicles and coarse/kinky/curly hair.

I appreciate this thread though and think its always inspiring to see anyone achieve their goals.

Well said.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

I just wanted to remind everyone (in the friendliest of manners) that I was really trying to focus on the fact that she documented the journey every month for FOUR years. I don't know if I could be that dedicated on top of the fact that my hair is usually is some sort of protective style and I would only be able to take pics of small sections monthly at best. I definitely see where some of you are coming from as far as her hair appearance, it is nothing to fawn over and quite frankly, the progress is nothing compared to oh let's say.... NJoy... SL/APL to MBL in ONE year.... Yeah, that's impressive

Gr8ness83
You know what,I appreciate your thread OP . Thanks for sharing. I'm ALL for people trying to grow out their hair to the best of their ability no matter what race or color (black, white, or Indian) they may be. We're ALL on this hair journey together, and if the woman in the video has been doing her hair journey faithfully for years, then more power to her!!

Just because she's white doesn't make her hair any less attractive, and neither does it make her hair journey any less "credible". We don't have to put others down in order to feel good about ourselves. For all we know, this woman may have battled cancer or some other illness at one point, and constantly has to deal with thinness or breakage, so for her, this may be great progress! We don't know people's back story...

Just my