Why do Black Women want long hair???

Hello sutton and welcome to the board. As you stated we also love this board not because it addresses long hair but because it addresses healthy AA hair. I searched everywhere for information about healthy AA hair and believe me theres not much information out there. With health comes length if any woman chooses to. There is a myth that AA women can't have long hair unless it's a weave. Our hair grows just like anyone elses and it is a personal preference on how someone chooses to wear their hair. Why would that be considered a sell out? As far as why do AA women with long hair get asked if they are wearing a weave. It is ignorance that we can't achieve great lengths. It's funny before weaves became really popular, many people would approach me and say you have beautiful hair. Now that weaves are the rage, they ask if I'm wearing a weave. Don't forget many white women wear weaves and take vitamins too. There are plenty of sites addressed to their hair needs. We are blessed to have this site to address our hair needs..finally someone listens. I choose to grow my own healthy hair from my scalp, not get it out of a bag.
 
1 question..

Since when did having long healthy hair become associated with "whiteness"?
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Sutton, that sounds kinda racist, does'nt it?

Are you saying long hair is not for blacks, we meant to be short nappy headed ?

I don't know what you mean by Selling out. If a person has long hair all thier life, are they supposed to cut off, cuase we supposed to not have hair???

Think about what your saying
 
To put it simply.. I want it because:

1) I had it when I was young
2) I like the look of long hair

Long hair is only associated with whiteness if you personally associate it with whiteness. I have grown up around mostly white people and my friends do not have the easiest time growing their hair...heck..they complain more than I do. They to deal with splits, breakage, damage from heat, perming, straitghtening and the list goes on and on. I have friends with long hair who hold onto it even thought the last half of it is damaged. They have to put all kinds of gunk in it to make it look "not damaged". If I really think about it the girls who have the easiest time taking care or growing their hair long are the asian girls I know and the native americans...however, that is changing aswell because many of those girls are bleaching, dyeing and perming and it is wreaking havoc on their hair aswell.

As for the hair board itself...I LOVE IT. Furthermore, this is the internet..I am sure their is a board or listserve for every topic imaginable..why would a hairboard for sistahs growing out healthy long hair be so wrong or strange?
 
In my opinion, this board is an excellent way to help us to care for the hair that God has blessed us with and it's not about length so much. God's people are perishing for lack of knowledge. I know you may be thinking that it does not pertain to hair, but He said in His word In ALL our ways acknowledge him...that includes hair. I am grateful that there are so many women sharing ideas about what works for them. That's what it's all about. People helping one another... regardless of race. Why do we continue to harp on race? It's not about envying white women and wanting to be "white". It's about taking care of what God has blessed us with.
 
SIGH! Here we go again. It always makes me wonder about a newcomer who comes to a board for BLACK WOMEN GROWING THEIR HAIR LONG and then ask us why we are here. Why are you here if you don't share the same goal? What are YOUR reasons? Just curious huh? Hmm. Interesting. Anyway I agree with Key Largo:

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Sutton, you make it seem like black people are not supposed to have long hair....

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Hair length is not a matter or race. If we never cut our hair or comb it or shampoo it or do anything to it, regardless of what race we are, it will grow long. Just because white women SEEM to have it easier doesn't mean we shouldn't try or be able to for that matter. Anyway, I am already SUPER through with this topic! I won't share my personal reasons because they don't even matter. Nobody's going to sway my decision.
 
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Serei said:
Why are you here if you don't share the same goal? What are YOUR reasons? Just curious huh? Hmm. Interesting.

Good Question?


I have always had long hair growing up. Since visiting this board, I've learned tips on how to maintain my hair length and how to make it healthier..

I don't think all the ladies on this board want long hair, some just want healthier hair.

As far as the vitamins go, all the vitamins that are being taken are not for just hair. Most are taken for overall health as well.
 
Sutton,

I hope this is one of the last responses to this thread. First off, since I realize that you are new, as I am, I wanted to welcome you our site!
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I've already responded to your original post, and as anticipated, so have my sisters at LHCF.
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I new this would be a hot topic, and while you probably didn't mean to offend anyone, you can probably tell that some of us are very defensive about our site and our hair! Especially with us just coming off of 3 days of total withdrawal from our site being down! (LADIES, CAN I GET A WITNESS UP IN HERE?)
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Anyways, on to my point. Many people have certain things about themselves that they want to maximize or improve, such as their body, their skin, the way they dress, and even their makeup, and thanks to the miracle of mordern technology, we now have websites where they can come together to dicuss issues and share info. Here at LHCF we have a passion for healthy, and many of us long, (yes, LONG) hair. We love it, we love to discuss it, we love to share routines, our progress, and our set backs with one another.
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This is a family here, and we all share a passion that we are in no way ashamed of.
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No one should really have defend that, so I won't. If you continue to surf our boards, and you like what you see, I say welcome to LHCF, and I hope you are able to receive some advice that helps you in your hair journey, wherever that may be at the moment.
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And if you don't find yourself at home, like anything else, you are free to move on to another place where you feel more comfortable. I searched many other places, some where I didn't feel that I fit in, before joining LHCF. Here I found an environment that accepts everyone, whether short, long, permed, natural, dreaded, wavy, straight, etc. Needless to say, I no longer go to those other sites because I did not share those ladies' views. But I won't knock them for their perspectives, because that's a freedom that we should all enjoy. The fact that you found this site obviously means that you were searching for something when you found us. Don't allow society's views of black women and our hair box you in and make you feel like a sellout, and don't let guilt over wanting to achieve long healthy hair keep you from attempting to do so if it is truly what you desire. We can give you some fierce advice on how to maximize your hair's potential if that's what you want.
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But if it's not, feel free to move on.
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With that said, if you choose to stay, again welcome, and as always, I hope this helps!!!
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This message board here is about hair so of COURSE u are going to read on and on about hair. You dont go on a hair site talkin about shoes or skincare. lol. So yes day in and day out and night in and night out u going to read alot about hair, hair, hair. If this was a shoe forum then it would be all about shoes shoes shoes. I've had shoulder lenght hair b4 and i want that and when i get that i want to go beyong. Plus im thinking of gettin in2 the hair business a bit and so im learning stuff here that i can use and i love being versatile w/my hair and i can do more w/longer hair.
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The reason that the majority of women want longer hair is because in this society long hair is seen as a sign of beauty. Women with curlier hair like ours usually have a harder time getting it to be healthy. My boyfriend has straight hair, and he cares about it too, he even makes me go buy nexxus products for him, but if I did what he does to his hair, my hair would look like crap. People with the curliest hair types must take care of their hair in a completely different way. In most cases, it's not an obsession, it's taking care of yourself the best you can, so you can look and feel as beautiful as you want to be.
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First, I am going to state that I do want long hair, I always have wanted long hair, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that, because I believe in trying to get what I want. I hate when even my boyfriend says why am I trying to be white by trying to grow long hair, this is coming from a man whose Black ex-girlfriend had waist length hair. I believe that if you want it and it is meant for you that you can get it, and long is how you define it, it does not have to be waist length or even bra-strap length, the term can be used loosely Long hair is not a white thing, my great-grandmother could sit on her hair and so can some of my aunts.

Second there are plenty of sites for white people that promote long hair, more than half the products on the shelf about hair growth have them for target audiences. Just search for long hair or hair growth and you'll see plenty of things geared toward white folks. Asians also have herbal products for hair growth and long hair, so what you are saying about that is not true, you have to do some research on it.
 
To want long hair is natural! It's a sign of health and beauty. To tell you the truth, black women look BEAUTIFUL with long hair! To achieve great length for us is a wonderful acheivement. We are all meant to have long hair, we just have to treat our hair like silk. I'm in the military and I am exposed to many different cultures and I can definately tell you that everyone has some kind of struggle with their hair, and a lot of women are working on keeping their hair looking nice. Just look around you! If other races weren't obsessed with their hair, then why are there so many different brands of products for the hair?
 
Thanks ayanapooh, your post summed up all of my thoughts so I have nothing else to add. Sutton, I hope this info has enlightened you and again welcome.

Mish
 
I don't think it's an obsession with length it's just a personal choice(to grow or not to grow)
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. Not all black women crave long hair. Some may go thru phases short and long (I know I have). After having scalp length hair
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(eve's previous length)for 4 years I chose to let my hair grow back to my bra strap and after 1 year i'm a few inches from my goal. Then I may cut it back off!!! I just think its whatever mood your in at a certain time. My coworker hipped me to the site and I think its fun and great. If I can learn something from it thats cool too. I haven't tried any of the things that's suggested because my hair does grow, but if it didn't grow fast enough I would definitely try the things the girls speak about on this board.
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sutton989 said:
I really want to get this out because since i'v been coming to this site for about 3 week this subject has been bothering me. Now before I state how I feel, let me just say that I love this site. It’s good to see so many black women have a bond on one board. My problem is what is the obsession with black women and long hair?? When I first started coming to this site it made me think a lot about why I was coming here. You never see White, Hispanic, or Asian women making a website about having long hair. It kind of made me feel like I was a sell out. Because long hair has long been associated with whiteness. Why can't we be happy with healthy hair? Why does it have to be long?? It kind of bugs me when I see all these post about outrageous combination and different vitamins to take on how to get long hair. It just feels like some kind unconscious self hatred. I don't know if I clearly expressed how i feel. Does anyone else feel this way?
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this post by no means was meant to offend anyone. I just wanted to voice my feelings.

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First of all, you're wrong. White people DO have sites dedicated to long hair and how to achieve and maintain it.

So let me correct you, first off.

And secondly, long hair is not a "white" thing! Anyone with hair follicles has the ability to grow long hair. I have seen black women who aren't mixed with ANYTHING with long, silky hair, and believe me or not, I've also seen a couple of nappy, short haired white women as well!

You seem to be stuck in the stereotype that black women can't grow long hair, and I invite you to stick around, because a lot of the ladies here do have long hair.

Why does ANY woman want long hair!? It's very simple. Men LOVE long hair, and whatever MEN like, we want to give it to them.

Long hair means desirability, femininity and sexiness. All 3 of these attributes are highly sought after by men.

And for my last and final point, Asian women and Latino women... are they trying to be WHITE too!? And what about my cousins who have had hair down to their waist (no chemicals). What should they do? Purposely cut their hair off, simply to satisfy some black militant mentality?

I THINK NOT!

If we want to have long hair, let us have it! What's it to do with you! Now go check out some WHITE long hair sites! THEY DO EXIST!
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Later...
 
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katie said:
Just to correct you..I know of a board with white women trying to grow long hair.It is called longhairlovers I think.
This Black woman wants long hair simply because I have never had it before and I find it looks very feminine and pretty.

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Yep! That's just one of many where whites and other races CONGREGATE to discuss growing their hair long!

Some people are so in the dark!
 
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sutton989 said:
"Thinness" is not whiteness. long hair has always been associated with whiteness. Why do you black women with long hair get asked if there hair is weave?? I also understand that this site is just not about having long, but healthy hair. But then why is this site called long hair??? I just feel why can't we be happy with what we have?

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And what if you naturally have long hair and you're black!? Then what, madam?
 
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dontspeakdefeat said:
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Serei said:
Sigh. I knew this was coming. It's about to get ugly in here.

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Yep!

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It is ridiculous we have to explain our reasons for wanting long hair.Why cant the reason be "just because" .And the poster who says we need to get a life...why do you say that?
Does something seem pathetic to you about this thread?
 
I don't want long hair because of a white woman. I want long hair because I look better with long hair. I want to show the world that long hair on a black girl does not have to come in a weft or pack!!!!!!
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YOU GO, GIRL! WHOO HOO!

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ayanapooh said:
I know this subject is going to get lit up w/ replies, but let me see if I can take a whack at it.
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First off, I think the emphasis on long hair in adult black women comes from the perception in society that we can't grow long hair. People both black, white, and otherwise automatically assume that a black women w/ long hair has to have a weave, because you don't see us with long hair that often. So I think that it's a source of pride to many of us.
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That said, the second thing that I've noticed is that in our society, there isn't a wealth of information on how to grow and maintain healthy black hair.
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This is evidenced by the overwhelming lack of quality hair products on the market geared toward our hair. Many of us end up damaging and overprocessing our hair because we've never really been taught how to care for it properly.
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I know I for one had hair well past the middle of my back when I was a kid, but it got increasingly shorter, more damaged, and more unhealthy as I got older and started perming, using color, curling irons, blow dryers, etc. Then I began to long for the days that I had hair down my back, and wanted to know what I could do to get it back that way, because I refused to believe that black hair "doesn't grow long," like many people would have you to believe, which goes back to my first point. I appreciate the women on the forum who have achieve the length that they desire, and are willing to share their routines and success stories with the rest of us. This is just my 2 cents, I'm sure others will have different opinions, but I hope this helps!
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Okay! You had long hair as a child, so why COULDN'T you have it as an adult!

I swear, the sh** we tell ourselves, and most of us believe it! Sad!
 
Don't you think "sellout" is a better epithet to describe one who accepts a faulty stereotype and never moves beyond it? ...at the end of the day, if a person never pursues certain goals due to convictions that skin color/ethnicity is a limitation, who is truly the one who got sold out?

George Michael salons are a chain of salons dedicated to growing Caucasian hair long, with their own brand of hair products. A number of women from www.longhairlovers.com frequent them. If you go to that website, you'll see any number of non-Black women posting for advice on how to grow out hair and some of them are quite desperate (their adjective, not mine
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Many of the "outrageous combination and different vitamins" to grow long hair that you see on this board are variations of what is known as the Bargello routine ~ Bargello is a *Caucasian* person who created a long, involved list of supplements that *she* took to grow and maintain long, healthy hair.

I want long, healthy, lustrous hair for any number of reasons. Those who understand, great; for those who don't, I have nothing to defend.
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A_Christian said:
I agree with mly3e in terms of the product use. I think a lot of black women want long hair becasue years of using the wrong products and hair styling methods that broke our hair off had most/many black women thinking we were not able to grow long hair. Now that we've got superior products on the market and are aware of healthy haircare practices (and have become aware that we really are capable of growing our hair to great lengths) we want to grow it as long as it can get. I know I can't speak for everyone but I know many people who feel this way.
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And I don't think it's so much the products either! I think the real reason black women's hair is short, is because of these silly, scissor happy stylists!
 
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