So My Co-Worker Left a Shedded Hair At My Desk...

[Miss*Tress]

oh oh! grandmamma warned us about people gettin' hold of our hair strands.......(I'm just saying tho...) whistling nervously.....lolool

LOL! Sounds like my family. Is your grandmother Caribbean?

 

[sweetwhispers]

Or African? JuJu!LOL!!!!!!!!

 

[vaqtea]

I hate to be the one to bring bad news ....

But the way I see it is that other races simply just have stronger hair than us. As much as I hate to think that way I know its true Its not her dandruff shampoo or any other product they use thats making their hair stronger. Their hairs are just stronger genetically. Just like their skin is thinner and more susceptible to UV rays and skin cancer. Its genetics!

 

[Qetesh]

i know what u mean by this, i have examined a few strands as well, and thier hair is over all smoother and stronger than ours, but i have also come across a hair or two of my own which cut my skin b4 it broke (i am always breaking my hair) but i will admit that in general a white persons hair because of the smoothness is harder to break then my hair. i feel it is pure genetics and this is one of the main reasons why its easier for them to grow thier hair long than us.

i do wonder if henna will help my hair now tho.

 

[natstar]

I agree.

I would love to say our natural hair can be this strong but it is proven that it is weaker.

ITA- my hair is natural-and it is still really fragile. no matter how much I take care of it, oh well..

 

[kweenameena]

great (and funny) thread!

 

[Artemis]

This is so true. There was some relaxer, I think maybe Phyto, that was trying to market to Asians to make their hair more "susceptible to styling, such as roller sets."

Their hair is stronger than ours, the structure is different. Their hair has a thin layer of cuticle, with some cortex and a hollow medulla in the middle. This makes their hair like a support beam of a building or a bridge. Our hair (not all of us, but you know what I mean) is a thick layer of cuticle with a little cortex in the middle.

ITA with the bolded. I think that our strands are "fine" because we lack the inner medulla core that is present in the more "coarse" hair strands of other ethnicities. But with the coil pattern our natural hair creates, along with the melanin content our hair has, perhaps our hair has some other benefit that others' do not that we can revel in...Genetics are wacky like that.

 

[locabouthair]

ITA with the bolded. I think that our strands are "fine" because we lack the inner medulla core that is present in the more "coarse" hair strands of other ethnicities. But with the coil pattern our natural hair creates, along with the melanin content our hair has, perhaps our hair has some other benefit that others' do not that we can revel in...Genetics are wacky like that.

so the idea here is that coarser hair is stronger? my hair is VERY coarse. like wire and im not even joking. and i dont really consider it to be strong even when i was natural.

 

[Artemis]

so the idea here is that coarser hair is stronger? my hair is VERY coarse. like wire and im not even joking. and i dont really consider it to be strong even when i was natural.

I would conceptually think so...Like with a rope. A thicker rope would withstand more tension than a thinner one. Of course the quality of the rope material would definitely play a part in this...So a "coarse" natural strand that is well-mantained and has properly balanced moisture/protein content would be stronger than a "fine" natural strand with the same balanced content. If you compare an unbalanced "coarse" natural strand with a well-balanced "coarse" relaxed strand, the significance of strength between the 2 strands may be reduced, but the natural strand may still be stronger; same w/the inverse situation (like with a white woman's color-treated hair and a AA woman's natural uncolored hair). And of course with natural "fine" hair and chemically treated "fine" hair, etc. (If you compare a coarse strand to a fine strand, I'd think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you're betting on the fine strand--apples and oranges, IMO.)

The simple existence of the inner medulla makes that hair strand more durable; of course if you go tampering with the integrity of the strand and not maintaining it properly (and I don't simply mean relaxers and coloring, but like w/environmental effects, accidental snagging, time, etc.) then statistical significance of strength of the hair strand is decreased.

ETA: I didn't intend to take this to a statistical level; I have school on the brain, so forgive me if this sounds pompously logical

 

[Artemis]

An old gf of mine borrowed one of my combs and when she left the bathroom, I snuck in and found one of her strands...And I was so ticked off b/c she curly perms her hair, dyes it, blowdries it with reckless abandon, and works out in the sun/heat and cold weather for at least 50 hours/wk, and when I pulled on her hair it took some real strength to get that sucker to snap. It almost hurt my fingers I deep condition 2x/week and obsess over proteins and moisture, etc., and she can do all the wrong things, and she has all that hair on her head *SMH* Oh well, indeed!

She's Thai, btw.

 

[locabouthair]

I would conceptually think so...Like with a rope. A thicker rope would withstand more tension than a thinner one. Of course the quality of the rope material would definitely play a part in this...So a "coarse" natural strand that is well-mantained and has properly balanced moisture/protein content would be stronger than a "fine" natural strand with the same balanced content. If you compare an unbalanced "coarse" natural strand with a well-balanced "coarse" relaxed strand, the significance of strength between the 2 strands may be reduced, but the natural strand may still be stronger; same w/the inverse situation (like with a white woman's color-treated hair and a AA woman's natural uncolored hair). And of course with natural "fine" hair and chemically treated "fine" hair, etc. (If you compare a coarse strand to a fine strand, I'd think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you're betting on the fine strand--apples and oranges, IMO.)

The simple existence of the inner medulla makes that hair strand more durable; of course if you go tampering with the integrity of the strand and not maintaining it properly (and I don't simply mean relaxers and coloring, but like w/environmental effects, accidental snagging, time, etc.) then statistical significance of strength of the hair strand is decreased.

ETA: I didn't intend to take this to a statistical level; I have school on the brain, so forgive me if this sounds pompously logical

its ok. it makes sense. its just that my hair is really coarse but doesnt seem very strong. i dunno this whole hair thing confuses me sometimes. lol

 

[Artemis]

its ok. it makes sense. its just that my hair is really coarse but doesnt seem very strong. i dunno this whole hair thing confuses me sometimes. lol

Yeah, but compared to my hair?? LMAO! You could probably rock climb with yours before you could with mine ...When I was in high school I had my hair braided and this mean boy pulled on my hair and the braid fell out...with MY hair still attached inside the braid . I was so traumatized with my little bald spot. That's how I learned to braid...I now know how to braid tight but without tension to the roots...

 

[Mahalialee4]

LOL! Sounds like my family. Is your grandmother Caribbean?

My great great grandmother was Caribbean. But all my Southern ancestors and relatives still tell you watch that mess!!! " Put your hair away so no body messes with it....and they do not mean combing it" you know the drill!!! lololol bonjour

 

[FlowerHair]

The less you process your hair, the stronger it will be.

Is this woman's hair processed at all?

This is the right question to ask her
My natural hair is verrrrry strong. It will break if I stretch it, but it stretches a long way. I have zero chemicals in my hair (except for shampoo & conditioner of course).

 

[FlowerHair]

I never heard that black people's hair doesn't have a medulla? In all the hair books I have in my little hair library it doesn't say anything like that.
If black hair breaks more easily it's because it's shaped thick-thin-thick-thin etc being thinner in each bend.

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

OMG yuck, yuck, yuck. Your a good one to examine someone else's hair. When I see a coworkers hair on my desk, I use tissue to get it off and disinfect the area. I have always wanted to examine it but the inner neat freak in me wouldn't let me touch it. I feel like Monk somedays. erplexed I'm glad you posted this thread, it makes me want to try henna and some of my hubby's dandruff shampoo to see if it will strengthen my hair.

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

oh oh! grandmamma warned us about people gettin' hold of our hair strands.......(I'm just saying tho...) whistling nervously.....lolool

I'm tryin to tell you someone gon put Da Roots on you man. NOT!

 

[gn1g]

jujst reading thru this thread I am reminded of two shampoo bars, does anyone remember getting their hair washed with the Grandpa's Pine tar shampoo bar or the castile hard?? shampoo bar. I really liked the castile it lather real well.

 

[e$h]

if u henna your hair im sure it well be as strong as her hair..

My sentiments exactly. I was playing around with one of my strands after I had henna'd (a day or two before) and that strand sounded like the strand you examined.
So I'm sure we can achieve it

 

[e$h]

I know a few of us henna heads have had similar experiences. I was shocked when I pulled on a strand and it wouldn't break. It took a whole lot of tugging before it finally broke and when it did it made a loud popping sound.

YES! My strand made the same sound.

 

[Ms Lala]

I never heard that black people's hair doesn't have a medulla? In all the hair books I have in my little hair library it doesn't say anything like that.
If black hair breaks more easily it's because it's shaped thick-thin-thick-thin etc being thinner in each bend.

Everything I have read supports this. I haven't found anything that says that black hair lacks a medulla. Here is some info from the web.

Some “ethnic” differences in hair shape are also apparent under low-power microscopic examination:
On cross-section, Asian hair is seen to circular in shape and is larger in diameter than the other ethnic types, African hair is more elliptical (oval) with a wide degree of variation in shape, and Caucasian hair tends to be intermediate in cross-section between Asian and African hair.
In longitudinal (lengthwise) shape, African hair shows irregular curling and twisting, Asian hair is straight with no irregularities, and Caucasian hair is generally straight with few irregularities in shape. The irregularities in longitudinal shape of African hair contributes to its tendency to break more easily than Asian or Caucasian hair. Irregularities in longitudinal shape of African hair also can have both “good and bad” implications for transplantation: because hair may emerge at a variety of angles from the scalp the harvesting of donor hair may be more difficult, but the curliness of African hair allows coverage of scalp areas with fewer number of follicles to achieve “full” coverage and thus can reduce the number of follicles needed for transplantation.

 

[tsiporah]

Wow, that's pretty creepy.

My cousin's relaxed hair breaks and snaps, but her new growth doesn't break no matter how much stress you put on it. My natural hair is the same way, it takes a lot of stress to break and snap it. I'm inclined to think that natural hair would be stronger.

I am inclined to think this way to a certain extent. As it was stated our hair structure is different. If examined closely the strand is thinner or flatter at the twist. This is why even when straight it is not as shiny as Asian hair. When the hair is processed over time and the relaxer when rinsed runs down the hair shaft, then strands get thinner and more likely to snap. Natural is unprocessed and with adequate nutrition and care will be very strong. The hair is much thicker too.

Tsipy

 

[tsiporah]

Everything I have read supports this. I haven't found anything that says that black hair lacks a medulla. Here is some info from the web.

Some “ethnic” differences in hair shape are also apparent under low-power microscopic examination:
On cross-section, Asian hair is seen to circular in shape and is larger in diameter than the other ethnic types, African hair is more elliptical (oval) with a wide degree of variation in shape, and Caucasian hair tends to be intermediate in cross-section between Asian and African hair.
In longitudinal (lengthwise) shape, African hair shows irregular curling and twisting, Asian hair is straight with no irregularities, and Caucasian hair is generally straight with few irregularities in shape. The irregularities in longitudinal shape of African hair contributes to its tendency to break more easily than Asian or Caucasian hair. Irregularities in longitudinal shape of African hair also can have both “good and bad” implications for transplantation: because hair may emerge at a variety of angles from the scalp the harvesting of donor hair may be more difficult, but the curliness of African hair allows coverage of scalp areas with fewer number of follicles to achieve “full” coverage and thus can reduce the number of follicles needed for transplantation.

Ok Ditto.

 

[ravenmerlita]

I never heard that black people's hair doesn't have a medulla? In all the hair books I have in my little hair library it doesn't say anything like that.
If black hair breaks more easily it's because it's shaped thick-thin-thick-thin etc being thinner in each bend.

I've never heard that black people's hair doesn't have a medulla either (except for one hairdresser but that's another story...).

Anyway, what I have heard is that fine hair usually doesn't have a medulla which may make it more fragile.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Info from the web "Topic 2: The Layers of the Hair[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Medulla -- [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hair is composed of three principal layers, each with its specific purpose. If you were to examine a cross section of a hair shaft under a microscope, you would see the innermost or center portion of the hair shaft, the medulla. The medulla is also called the pith or marrow of the hair. It is composed of round cells, two to five rows across. Thick or coarse hair usually contains a medulla. Fine hair for the most part lacks a medulla, as does naturally blonde hair. The purpose of the medulla has not yet been determined."[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]

 

[Artemis]

ITA with the bolded. I think that our strands are "fine" because we lack the inner medulla core that is present in the more "coarse" hair strands of other ethnicities. But with the coil pattern our natural hair creates, along with the melanin content our hair has, perhaps our hair has some other benefit that others' do not that we can revel in...Genetics are wacky like that.

I've never heard that black people's hair doesn't have a medulla either (except for one hairdresser but that's another story...).

Anyway, what I have heard is that fine hair usually doesn't have a medulla which may make it more fragile.

Thanks, ravenmerlita. I needed to clarify what I wrote, as I am just coming back to this thread after having posted. The bolded is what I meant when I said what's in purple. Personally, I have fine hair, which is generally thought to lack a medulla. You can scratch off the "other ethnicities" part, b/c I was not trying to imply that only black people lack medullas. The first time I ever heard of the term "medulla" was from reading "No Lye" by Tulani Kinard. She (from what I remember reading yrs ago) didn't plan on discussing the medulla because "we" didn't have one. That could be understood as blacks not having a medulla, but I took it as most of 'us' have fine, fragile hair. But many ladies on this board have exhibited otherwise, so I dunno anymore .

Edited for clarity.

 

[tsturnbu]

I did that several times in college. I lived with 3 girls---2 were white and one was asian. After they took showers, they would leave all this hair in the tub. When i picke them up to remove the hair, i would notice how strong the hair was. it did not break until i had to literally yank it apart. i guess its the texture of the hair, because after i got out the shower, i grabbed one of my hairs out the tub, and sure enough, it broke with ease when i pulled on it. Personally, it gives me a sense of personal triumph to know that my hair probably 4x as difficult to maintain length and my hair is just as long as theirs.


My hair is currently 2 inches past bra strap and i am 5'8

 

[caribeandiva]

i doubt you can get your hair to be that strong. black hair is genetically the weakest of all the other races' hair. you can get your hair to be stronger by doing protein treatments and moisturizing like a maniac but i doubt you'll ever get it as strong as her hair.

 

[DivaRox]

I did that several times in college. I lived with 3 girls---2 were white and one was asian. After they took showers, they would leave all this hair in the tub. When i picke them up to remove the hair, i would notice how strong the hair was. it did not break until i had to literally yank it apart. i guess its the texture of the hair, because after i got out the shower, i grabbed one of my hairs out the tub, and sure enough, it broke with ease when i pulled on it. Personally, it gives me a sense of personal triumph to know that my hair probably 4x as difficult to maintain length and my hair is just as long as theirs.


My hair is currently 2 inches past bra strap and i am 5'8

Intrigued at bolded comment -Very positive way to look at this rather than be defeated on the premise of being genetically predisposed to weaker hair.

 

[gn1g]

OK, get this she uses a supermarket brand dandruff shampoo. We are in the south and I don't know if you lady have a Publix's near by but that is what she uses.

And...she does not use condish! She White so she can get away with this so don't even dare!!!!!

This is me running to Publix's --> :bouncegre

MonaRae

did you try the poo?if so how'd it work?

 

[esoterica]

I hate to be the one to bring bad news ....

But the way I see it is that other races simply just have stronger hair than us. As much as I hate to think that way I know its true Its not her dandruff shampoo or any other product they use thats making their hair stronger. Their hairs are just stronger genetically. Just like their skin is thinner and more susceptible to UV rays and skin cancer. Its genetics!

pretty much. products, diet, mantainence, chemicals makes no difference to some people's hair. it just stays strong.