What's wrong with playing in your hair ?

[ChristmasCarol]

Hey ladies!

I always hear members saying that they need to stop touching/playing w/their hair - Why? What can happen if you stroke, twist and fondle your hair all the time? I'm not talking about manhandling it, just gentle caresses.

I have my hands in my hair all day, every day - never noticed anything untoward. I've been a hair molester my whole life. If I couldn't touch my hair, I probably wouldn't even have the desire to grow it long.

Anyone else?

 

[Seraphina]

For me, it's a problem for two reasons:

1. I tend to separate my curls when I play in my hair. No way to preserve a twist-out.
2. I always find a bunch of single-strand knots when I'm touching my hair and the feel of them bothers me so much that I often end up cutting them off.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Yeah, I can understand about messing up a style! Don't you want to find the knots and cut them off? I search and destroy several times per month.

 

[Lola Laughs]

I have a habit of playing with and twirling the hair on the left side of my head, near the nape. It's no coincidence that this is where I mainly get SSKs.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I have a habit of playing with and twirling the hair on the left side of my head, near the nape. It's no coincidence that this is where I mainly get SSKs.

Oh, I see. Sometimes the playing can cause knots?

I haven't noticed any, but I keep my hair flatironed or in a bun. Also, I'm transitioning (50 weeks today) so the straight ends don't curl up at all.

If those are the only reasons, I guess I can go back to touching!

 

[Nonie]

OP, you mean besides the fact that you look crazy and like any minute now you'll start rocking back and forth and mumbling incoherent things then amusing yourself with them before suddenly getting all serious and angry looking? :crazy:

I dunno. I think it adds to the manipulation that we all try to cut back on for the sake of our cuticles. And if you have rough hands, cracked nails, peeled polish, you could cause tears in your strands. And if you have greasy hair, you then pass on that mess to everything you touch. And if you had a nice hairstyle you mess it up. And it just isn't very becoming to be fondling your hair in public. You wouldn't do it at an interview so why not keep up that good impression you give total strangers you hope will admire and hire you...at all times, eh?

Now if you're home, behind closed doors watching TV...and you have a good excuse like me ("I am looking for any loose braids that need redoing in order to keep my style fresh...plus I want to make sure no braids are about to fall out ") nails all well groomed and smooth, then you can "play in your hair", ahem, I mean...you can handle your hair gently as part of your regimen. It is so written.

 

[charmtreese]

I love fondling my new growth, it's one of my favorite past-times. I rarely mess with the length of my hair, but my new growth always gets it. OP I honestly don't see the harm either, if anything it's beneficial due to scalp stimulation.

 

[glamazon386]

It could cause breakage...

 

[BostonMaria]

My 11 yr old DD likes to touch her hair all day too. The sides, front and back where she plays in her hair is about 2 inches long. The rest of her hair is about 20 inches long. THAT'S what's wrong with playing in your hair all day LOL

My left side is shorter than my right. I am convinced that its because I pull/play with the left side all day.

 

[melissa-bee]

I always play with the left side of my nape, so it's never more than an inch long. I pull hair out and it breaks.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

OP, you mean besides the fact that you look crazy and like any minute now you'll start rocking back and forth and mumbling incoherent things then amusing yourself with them before suddenly getting all serious and angry looking? :crazy:

I dunno. I think it adds to the manipulation that we all try to cut back on for the sake of our cuticles. And if you have rough hands, cracked nails, peeled polish, you could cause tears in your strands. And if you have greasy hair, you then pass on that mess to everything you touch. And if you had a nice hairstyle you mess it up. And it just isn't very becoming to be fondling your hair in public. You wouldn't do it at an interview so why not keep up that good impression you give total strangers you hope will admire and hire you...at all times, eh?

Now if you're home, behind closed doors watching TV...and you have a good excuse like me ("I am looking for any loose braids that need redoing in order to keep my style fresh...plus I want to make sure no braids are about to fall out ") nails all well groomed and smooth, then you can "play in your hair", ahem, I mean...you can handle your hair gently as part of your regimen. It is so written.

Too funny Nonie! I'm a SAHM, and no, I don't play with my hair in public or any other inappropriate place.

I love fondling my new growth, it's one of my favorite past-times. I rarely mess with the length of my hair, but my new growth always gets it. OP I honestly don't see the harm either, if anything it's beneficial due to scalp stimulation.

Yeah, that's right, I'm stimulating my scalp.

It could cause breakage...

Haven't noticed any breakage and I've retained at least 4 inches in the past 6 months.

My 11 yr old DD likes to touch her hair all day too. The sides, front and back where she plays in her hair is about 2 inches long. The rest of her hair is about 20 inches long. THAT'S what's wrong with playing in your hair all day LOL

My left side is shorter than my right. I am convinced that its because I pull/play with the left side all day.

Exact opposite with me, Maria. I play with my longest hair and it grows like a weed! I'm not pulling it, more like stroking it.

Maybe I am stimulating my scalp and that's why it's longer? Hmmm...

 

[FroFab]

Since I'm a serial shedder that almost never straightens I tend to start looks for sheds which tend to wrap around other hairs and cause breakage or knots.

 

[LushLox]

I think like most things some of us can get away with doing certain things to our hair while others as seen above cannot. If you find you don't have any problems or noticeable breakage in touching your hair I wouldn't worry about it. I love playing in my NG too, it doesn't really cause me any trouble...

 

[OrangeMoon]

Well for me I have a habit of pulling my hair out at the root. I'm serious I'll start playing with my hair and then have the urge to yank at a hair. Sooooooooooo I just wear my hair up in a bun and hide it from myself. Seriously at one point it got so bad in middle school that it caused a bald spot on the side of my head from pulling my hair out in a section and I pulled them all at one time over a period of time.

 

[Aireen]

I've been a hair molester my whole life.

*Ahem* Well. I know I touch my hair a bit and when I'm around family members they all give me the cut eye and call me vain. erplexed When in all honesty I just caress my hair to see how soft it is, plus it's a good way to find split ends.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Well for me I have a habit of pulling my hair out at the root. I'm serious I'll start playing with my hair and then have the urge to yank at a hair. Sooooooooooo I just wear my hair up in a bun and hide it from myself. Seriously at one point it got so bad in middle school that it caused a bald spot on the side of my head from pulling my hair out in a section and I pulled them all at one time over a period of time.

Ooh, that sounds painful. I've heard of this condition, but I can't remember the name. I can see why you wouldn't want to play in your hair. Is it OK now?

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I think like most things some of us can get away with doing certain things to our hair while others as seen above cannot. If you find you don't have any problems or noticeable breakage in touching your hair I wouldn't worry about it. I love playing in my NG too, it doesn't really cause me any trouble...

Good to know I'm not alone. I wasn't really worried, I just wondered why I saw warnings against it.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

*Ahem* Well. I know I touch my hair a bit and when I'm around family members they all give me the cut eye and call me vain. erplexed When in all honesty I just caress my hair to see how soft it is, plus it's a good way to find split ends.

If you touch your hair, you're vain. I touch my hair the most when it's lookin' jacked-up (undone, uncombed, etc.), so I know I'm not looking good at the time.

You sure you ain't flipping your hair? Now, THAT'S vain.

 

[OrangeMoon]

Ooh, that sounds painful. I've heard of this condition, but I can't remember the name. I can see why you wouldn't want to play in your hair. Is it OK now?

What's funny or twisted about the whole situation is when you pull your hair out it doesn't hurt to me it felt like relief. I had to look it up the condition is called Trichotillomania. It's okay now, never went to the doctor or anything for treatment I just stopped playing in my hair. I think it was caused teenage stress or something. I do remember just nursing the area with sulfur 8 and moisturizer. It's ok now I don't get the urge to pull now I just get the urge to look for splint ends/knots and dust.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

What's funny or twisted about the whole situation is when you pull your hair out it doesn't hurt to me it felt like relief. I had to look it up the condition is called Trichotillomania. It's okay now, never went to the doctor or anything for treatment I just stopped playing in my hair. I think it was caused teenage stress or something. I do remember just nursing the area with sulfur 8 and moisturizer. It's ok now I don't get the urge to pull now I just get the urge to look for splint ends/knots and dust.

Yes, that's the name I was thinking of. Yes, it can be a reaction to stress, kinda like when people bite their nails down to the quick and bleed.

I'm happy you were able to overcome it yourself. I can only imagine the meds a doctor would try to put you on.

 

[lilsparkle825]

I just get my hair snagged in my rings, so if I remember to take my rings off, I'm good. I can't keep my hands out of it, especially on a day like today where it smells good. I'm a hot mess when it's straightened, gathering it up like I'm about to put it in a ponytail or bun and just dropping it....flinging it....twirling it around my finger....ugh!

 

[Aireen]

You sure you ain't flipping your hair? Now, THAT'S vain.

The only time I will be hair flipping is when I'm MBL, then EVERYONE can call me vain and I won't deny either.