Some beautiful Ethiopian hair sightings!

[Mahalialee4]

I was at a multicultural event and I saw some natural, thick and in some cases very long healthy looking hair. One little girl about 6 had hair to her bottom, in about 5 ponytails, (each ponytail would have done one head nicely!!!). The interesting thing is that I did not see any of them wearing "protective styling" nor did any of their hair look oily. The up styles were ponytails or large puffs. I really wanted to ask...you know I did...and I was itching to do it....but I didn't. I think that some of them must have used henna to loosen the curl though and most seemed to be 4bs and a few 3cs. They were quite dark skinned and not fine featured for the most part but I wish I knew what their routines were. I must make a point of asking someone on a regular day when I am out walking. They are not the most approachable receptive people and most act like they do not understand English...just very clannish. I also would not like to offend anyone. Does anyone on this board ever have access to their hair secrets?...like how often they wash their hair...do they deep condition etc. Bonjour

 

[Tene]

bump

 

[JenniferMD]

One of my bestfriends is half Ethiopian and so naturally her father's side of female relatives are Ethiopian. My friend has goregous hair down her back....so does her sister. They don't have any secrets, they have the same issues basically. My friend and I do very similar things with our hair as far as protective styles (she wears a pony a lot), wrapping hair up at night with a silk scarf, washing her hair once a week and getting touch ups maybe twice a year. I'll try to find a picture of my friend and her sister.

 

[JenniferMD]

Ok, these should do: http://public.fotki.com/JenniferMD/2004/friends_hair/
password: sisters

 

[Ipanema]

Yes, I remember quite a while ago there was a similar topic, and an Ethiopian girl posted, saying that they had no special secrets for growing nice hair. She said something about it was in the genes, and they do wet-sets & stuff.

 

[FrizzMizz]

I think it's in the genes too.

 

[ATLwavylocks]

[ QUOTE ]
JenniferMD said:
Ok, these should do: http://public.fotki.com/JenniferMD/2004/friends_hair/
password: sisters

[/ QUOTE ]

Very pretty friends!

 

[SherryLove]

[ QUOTE ]
FrizzMizz said:

I think it's in the genes too.

[/ QUOTE ]

i would agree. there seems to be an east indian/arabic fusion going on there........

 

[TBird]

What exactly is henna treated hair?

 

[Lovelylocs]

[ QUOTE ]
TBird said:
What exactly is henna treated hair?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea... what she asked.

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
TBird said:
What exactly is henna treated hair?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's when you use henna to color or condition your hair.

As for the answer of regular dyes and using henna:
It cannot be said too many times...always perform a harvest hair test prior to using any henna product on your hair. This can keep you from screaming later. There are too many products on the market with additives undisclosed for you to assume that you know what is in the products you have used on your hair in the past. Only the harvest hair test will allow you to know if henna powder is compatible with whatever you have used on your hair in the past...if you still have residue of those products in your hair...And will let you know if your henna'd hair is compatible with something you want to use in the future.
When you choose to use henna or herbal/henna on your hair, do so knowing that you are making a long term commitment to the use of henna as your hair colorant and conditioner. This means that you will want to carefully select the other products you use with your henna choice. If you have been using protein conditioners in the past, know that you will no longer have to or want to use them with your henna. Henna will provide all of the strength your hair needs. You will probably need to include a good deep moisturizing treatment to your hair regimen using a good moisturizing oil.

ETA: Sorry I posted the henna and other chemical dye info in the wrong thread...oops!

 

[Healthb4Length]

Ditto!

 

[TBird]

Thanks!

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
SherryLove said:
[ QUOTE ]
FrizzMizz said:

I think it's in the genes too.

[/ QUOTE ]

i would agree. there seems to be an east indian/arabic fusion going on there........

[/ QUOTE ]

I know a lot of people saying that, but the east indian/arabian genes are usu. not from immediate or even extended family, but from many, many years ago. So, I don't really like that argument because there are a lot of blacks in the US that have a very mixed background (even closer than an Ethiopians Arab background) yet the hair in length or texture is not typically as long in black americans.

I say all that to say: I think a lot of it has to do with hair care

I see very little Ethiopian/Eritrian women with relaxers, they have a lot of "homegrown" care maintenance philosophies that most Amer. black women just don't have.

 

[JenniferMD]

I would side with both hair care and genes. My friend's hair grows really fast (genes) but she also takes very good care of her hair. Now that I'm thinking of it I dont' know what products she uses...I'll be asking her tonight.

 

[SoAnxious12]

my grandma was half labanese(i think thats what it is) and her hair grew really fast and she had 4a type hair. My mom's hair grows really fast and she doesn't do much except wash it when it smells and occasionally deep condition. Her hair was bra strap length but she cut it to her shoulders. It might be the genes but i don't it.

 

[SoAnxious12]

my grandma was half labanese(i think thats what it is) and her hair grew really fast and she had 4a type hair. My mom's hair grows really fast and she doesn't do much except wash it when it smells and occasionally deep condition. Her hair was bra strap length but she cut it to her shoulders. It might be the genes but i doubt it.

 

[FlowerHair]

[ QUOTE ]
ms_kenesha said:
[ QUOTE ]
SherryLove said:
[ QUOTE ]
FrizzMizz said:

I think it's in the genes too.

[/ QUOTE ]

i would agree. there seems to be an east indian/arabic fusion going on there........

[/ QUOTE ]

I know a lot of people saying that, but the east indian/arabian genes are usu. not from immediate or even extended family, but from many, many years ago. So, I don't really like that argument because there are a lot of blacks in the US that have a very mixed background (even closer than an Ethiopians Arab background) yet the hair in length or texture is not typically as long in black americans.

I say all that to say: I think a lot of it has to do with hair care

I see very little Ethiopian/Eritrian women with relaxers, they have a lot of "homegrown" care maintenance philosophies that most Amer. black women just don't have.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I think too. We have a lot of Ethiopians, Somalians and Eritreans in Sweden. The family I know personally have two daughters (about 2 years and 7 years old). Both of them have natural, glossy 3c hair to their butts. The older girl was teased about it in school, so the mother had to cut her hair a bit

But the mother has frizzy, broken, relaxed and color treated hair about chin length. She is a mother of 4 and works full time so I don't think she has enough time to take care of her self as well as she cares for those children. But sometimes I wonder why she doesn't let her own hair grow long too. I have to ask her if she does anything special with her girls hair. They usually just wear two fat braids with NO band on the bottom or the top of the braid to secure them. They seem to stay that way all day because of the length of the hair I guess. I have to try that with my own hair.

Another Ethiopian lady I know with waist length hair relaxes her hair...ONCE A YEAR. She does roller sets once a week under a hood dryer and mostly wears her hair up. Funny, I never thought about it before, but they do seem to know a bit or two about hair care.

 

[Lovelylocs]

I was reading on another thread that someone went to an Ethiopian hair salon, but they used too much heat. Has anyone else had an experience with them?

 

[Sridevi]

I often wonder how supermodel Liya Kebede maitains such beautiful hair with all the rough treatment and constant styling she must undergo at fashion shows and photoshoots.

 

[ubavka123]

[ QUOTE ]
Sridevi said:
I often wonder how supermodel Liya Kebede maitains such beautiful hair with all the rough treatment and constant styling she must undergo at fashion shows and photoshoots.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was wondering that, too, but I think she is natural from the looks of her hair. It looks like it is just blown straight. I think her natural hair is curly (maybe type 2 or 3?). As far as the hair of Ethiopians, it must be part genes, part hair care, as it is with us all. I went to school with an Ethiopian girl, who, at the beginning of the school year, had a full, gorgeous head of hair (brastrap), but, who by the end of school had shoulder-length hair. She stopped rollersetting (her rollersets were to die for) and started getting more blowouts and abusing heat, which led to her hair being damaged. Plus, when you are studying, who has time to sit under a hooded dryer...Anyway, even if you have genes on your side, you still have to back it up with proper care.

 

[webby]

JenniferMD, your friends are very beautiful

 

[bunita]

If someone use henna on their hair, can they relax their also or it won't take? Just wondering....

 

[JenniferMD]

Thanks ATLwavylocks and Webby on the compliments of my friends! Beautiful girls inside and out!

 

[Mahalialee4]

I think that so many of us are mixed. e. Spanish and North American Indian or Caucasian. So you all know the potential there. I believe we have the same length potential. (if we are factoring in heritage.) I am absolutley certain that they do have certain specific treatments that they use on their children and continue this year after year and never subject their hair generally to any kind of "potential damage or neglect"> i.e. over processing, alchohol products, chemical dyes etc. soplease check out what ever you can and I am going to target a potential advisor. Bonjour

 

[PretteePlease]

one of my best friends is Eretrian and i think its the genes. her family all had pretty healthy looking hair. her hair grew super fast and she had a perm, but just to be like everyone else. when she grew it out she was like a type 3 her moms hair always looked like a blowout not sure if she had a perm. her dad was bald but her brothers had curly tops that looked really silky. in her case i think her seemingly fast growing hair was due to her moisture level of her hair. it had that slick look if you know what i mean. this i'm sure led to more retained length. never saw her with long hair though she was always chopping it off.

 

[Mahalialee4]

Ms. Portugal: an interesting thing about genes: For example my mother has straight hair and very fine (black woman)It is about a 2c. Mine is a 3b. My grandfather was half spanish and my mom's grandparents were each (grandma and grandpa on mother's side half native american. Before that greatgrandfather's mother was native. et etc etc. Probably so many on this board could relate to that. Now why am I not sitting on my hair but at one time my sister could? Do the genes get split up lol? My mom's sister also has long silver hair down her back but it is a 2b. Well I tell you neither my mom or my aunt or my sister do anything at all for their hair except chop it off from time to time and here is me.....I must stress it off or something. Bonjour

 

[Mahalialee4]

Oh yes, my hair is supersilky and can be brushed flat against my scalp with a brush but it has waves. And it gets major shrinkage that's how I know it is a b.Some say it is spanish looking hair. I have hard time getting this gene thing when many have 4b hair superlong without all the gene stuff going on. Somebody needs to talk to my genes! There must be some unknown factors. We must go to the Ethiopians. They have the answer!

Bonjour.

 

[uptowngirl]

Hmmm....

My best friend is Ethiopian. He initially kept his hair fairly short but long enough for you to be able to identify its texture. It was very curly and soft. I'd say about a 2b/3a I guess (I'll have to review that chart).

Anyhow, he decided to grow it out and would you believe it only took him a couple of months to hit shoulder length. At that point he kept them in braids or in a huge afro when he was feeling wild. He says the only thing he did was - nothing!

He simply washed it, didnt even condition and also used absolutely NO hair oil/grease - he was adamant about that part (really anti grease for some reason).