Why Does Our Hair Not Produce Moisture?

[LDebagoria]

Like White people's? My boyfriend is White and I was explaining to him the many things that we have to do with our hair that are different from what Whites have to do with theirs (of course, he's been learning new things every day since day one! )
But one morning I was telling him about something I'd read on this forum while putting Wonder 8 Oil in my braids, when suddenly, I wondered aloud why does Black People's hair not produce oil like Whites? Does anyone know the scientific reason? We were puzzled!
Some Whites will end up having very dry hair but they don't think to put moisturizer in it, but I've never seen a Black person having naturally greasy hair. Yes, we do have different textures and types of hair, that's understandable, but why should that affect the amount of oil produced by our scalps and theirs? What do y'all think?

 

[sillygurl18]

I don't think that we have different amounts of sebum, it just travels down the hair at a different rate. White people have straighter hair than we do so it doesn't take much time for the oil to travel down the strands. Also our hair is drier so when the sebum does travel it isn't as noticable. Also the hair practices that many of us grew up with and still do affect how dry our hair is.

 

[SweetNic_JA]

It's not that our hair does not produce oils. According to what I've read, we lack excessive oils because our natural oils have more difficulty travelling along our curly hair shaft.

 

[bajanplums1]

* your boyfriend likely has hair that is not dyed, relaxed, abused by heat etc, so it is in great condition, don't compare your hair to his.

* if your hair is straight the oil will shoot down root to tip. when hair is curly, wavy, kinky it is more difficult to for oil to travel.

* white women who dye their hair,have moisture issues, listen to any commercial for a product for colored hair.

*white women also suffer damage from heat, so need moisture there too. I have a friend (White) who gets her hair Japanese thermal straightened--even though her hair is white girl straight. nevertheless, her hair is so dry from 1 year of this heat service, i had to recommend a conditioner for her.

*even on eyewitness news last night at 5pm there was a segment by a white reporter on how to spring your hair back to live after the dryness and cold of winter, the hairdresser gave the white reporter Paul Mitchell SuperCharged Protein treatment followed by a moisturizing treatment.

 

[Poohbear]

It's not that our hair does not produce oils. According to what I've read, we lack excessive oils because our natural oils have more difficulty travelling along our curly hair shaft.

exactly!

 

[senimoni]

In addition our hair is more porous so the moisture that we do have doesn't last.

 

[soulchild]

To answer about the oilness I think it might have something to do with them washing so frequently. Constantly stripping their scalp so that the scalp has to overproduce oil to compensate.

 

[kizzylonghair]

To answer about the oilness I think it might have something to do with them washing so frequently. Constantly stripping their scalp so that the scalp has to overproduce oil to compensate.

Soulchild,

I dont really think its the constant washes, more like WHAT THEY WASH IT WITH !!! Ladies on this board are thriving on frequent washes.
They just need educating to products when and what to use

Kizzy

 

[LDebagoria]

It's not that our hair does not produce oils. According to what I've read, we lack excessive oils because our natural oils have more difficulty travelling along our curly hair shaft.

Thanx Nic. Although I figured we do produce some oils in our hair, we just wondered why not in excess like whites. Now I know. Thanx!

 

[soulchild]

Soulchild,

I dont really think its the constant washes, more like WHAT THEY WASH IT WITH !!! Ladies on this board are thriving on frequent washes.
They just need educating to products when and what to use

Kizzy

That's exactly what I meant. My point was just that oiliness may follow when the scalp is stripped. I'm a frequent washer myself.

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

Like White people's? My boyfriend is White and I was explaining to him the many things that we have to do with our hair that are different from what Whites have to do with theirs (of course, he's been learning new things every day since day one! )
But one morning I was telling him about something I'd read on this forum while putting Wonder 8 Oil in my braids, when suddenly, I wondered aloud why does Black People's hair not produce oil like Whites? Does anyone know the scientific reason? We were puzzled!
Some Whites will end up having very dry hair but they don't think to put moisturizer in it, but I've never seen a Black person having naturally greasy hair. Yes, we do have different textures and types of hair, that's understandable, but why should that affect the amount of oil produced by our scalps and theirs? What do y'all think?

Honestly I wouldn't say that. Everyone's hair produces oil, some more than others. And you also have to take into consideration that each person's hair structure is shaped differently. Remember the curlier the hair, the longer it takes the oil to reach the ends.

 

[Ashee]

Like White people's? My boyfriend is White and I was explaining to him the many things that we have to do with our hair that are different from what Whites have to do with theirs (of course, he's been learning new things every day since day one! )
But one morning I was telling him about something I'd read on this forum while putting Wonder 8 Oil in my braids, when suddenly, I wondered aloud why does Black People's hair not produce oil like Whites? Does anyone know the scientific reason? We were puzzled!
Some Whites will end up having very dry hair but they don't think to put moisturizer in it, but I've never seen a Black person having naturally greasy hair. Yes, we do have different textures and types of hair, that's understandable, but why should that affect the amount of oil produced by our scalps and theirs? What do y'all think?

No one's hair "produces moisture", but everyone does produce sebum! The main difference with Curls is the natural oils produced cannot make it down the hair shaft because they run into the curved part of the shaft. Don't look at it as Black people=no oil & White people=oil.... Instead keep in mind that curly haired people, no matter race, all go through this problem. That's why when you add products to your curls yo have to work them down the length of your hair. When hair is straight the natural oils & products eventually make it to the ends of the hair. Also, if yor hair deals with a lot of wind or friction during the day, that helps to rob you of the natural oils trying to get to your ends...

-HTH

 

[LDebagoria]

Gracias ladies!

 

[Ayeshia]

Honestly I wouldn't say that. Everyone's hair produces oil, some more than others. And you also have to take into consideration that each person's hair structure is shaped differently. Remember the curlier the hair, the longer it takes the oil to reach the ends.

Yeah my hair is a prime example of this...its soo freaking dry!!!! argh

 

[ThickHair]

I just think men have less problems with their hair then women because they have a very simple regime. So a black woman can not compare her hair to a white mans not a black mans. I found out then I cut down my regime to wash twist or braid and leave alone with no spritzing and fussing my hair grew just like the little boys and men that I know. A lot of black woman over do on the hair regime.

Also hair does not produce moisture.

 

[Dolapo]

My bf is also white and has shoulder length hair. All he does is wash it every day and blow dry. And im like, how the f*** is your hair is such in a good shape. Sometimes i have dreams that i cut his hair while he's asleep Really, white people have the same hair problems as we do......

 

[BAILEYSCREAM]

I don't think that we have different amounts of sebum, it just travels down the hair at a different rate. White people have straighter hair than we do so it doesn't take much time for the oil to travel down the strands. Also our hair is drier so when the sebum does travel it isn't as noticable. Also the hair practices that many of us grew up with and still do affect how dry our hair is.

This true and this is what I would have said.

In addition because of the coil in our hair, it's harder for the oil to travel round the coils as opposed to it travelling down white people's hair, which in some cases is straight. So, the straighter or less kinky the hair, the easier it is for sebum to travel from the roots/scalp to the rest of the hair.

ETA: So I just went back and read some of the posts and most of my points have been summed up throughout the thread.......oil (sebum), not moisture (water).

Also because the natural sebum is protecting the hair, it retains moisture naturally (like when you wash the hair).

 

[Cinnabuns]

I don't think that we have different amounts of sebum, it just travels down the hair at a different rate. White people have straighter hair than we do so it doesn't take much time for the oil to travel down the strands. Also our hair is drier so when the sebum does travel it isn't as noticable. Also the hair practices that many of us grew up with and still do affect how dry our hair is.

Very well put sillygurl18!

 

[Lisa23]

No one's hair "produces moisture", but everyone does produce sebum! The main difference with Curls is the natural oils produced cannot make it down the hair shaft because they run into the curved part of the shaft. Don't look at it as Black people=no oil & White people=oil.... Instead keep in mind that curly haired people, no matter race, all go through this problem. That's why when you add products to your curls yo have to work them down the length of your hair. When hair is straight the natural oils & products eventually make it to the ends of the hair. Also, if yor hair deals with a lot of wind or friction during the day, that helps to rob you of the natural oils trying to get to your ends...

-HTH

I agree. Look at how long it took Keri Russell (from the show Felicity) to grow her curly hair long again.

 

[PretteePlease]

i'm sorry i cant buy into this who we all basically produce the same amount of sebum but its the curl pattern that makes the hair dry routine

how come black people with relaxers dont have oily hair like white people that needs
to be washed daily or every few days i know the relaxer counts for some of the dryness but that should be remedied by the sebum just sliding down the relaxer straight shaft. i just think they produce more somebody convince me otherwise

 

[Porsche19]

Oil alone isn't going to fix damaged hair.

That and the fact that kinky hair is usually drier and more fragile... then relaxing it and a lot of the times mistreating it, of course sebum isn't going to do anything.

Also, new growth does grow in and I would say that by the time there is .5 of an inch, the oils aren't getting to the ends.

 

[BAILEYSCREAM]

i'm sorry i cant buy into this who we all basically produce the same amount of sebum but its the curl pattern that makes the hair dry routine

how come black people with relaxers dont have oily hair like white people that needs
to be washed daily or every few days i know the relaxer counts for some of the dryness but that should be remedied by the sebum just sliding down the relaxer straight shaft. i just think they produce more somebody convince me otherwise

I think this is due to the fact that our natural hair is curly no matter what you do to it. The hair follicles under the scalp remain curly even if you straighten the hair, after all relaxing is a temporary change.

Basically the hair follicles were designed to cater for curly hair and not straight hair in most blacks.

 

[star]

Black people hair comes in dry from the roots. That's just the way God made it. Our oil is mostly on our faces that's why we look young so much longer. Whites hair comes in oily and they have less oil on their skin. It is a genetic makeup. God never gives no body everything this keeps us humble.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

To answer about the oilness I think it might have something to do with them washing so frequently. Constantly stripping their scalp so that the scalp has to overproduce oil to compensate.

Hmmm...somehow I always thought that white people generally wash thier hair every day/every other day because they DO have straighter hair and their sebum travels down faster thus making thier hair appear oily, greasy, and limp if they DON'T! haha. You can always tell when a white person needs to wash their hair. Thier hair will appear greasy and dull. I think over washing would contribute to dryer hair...not oily hair. Right?

 

[Koffie]

Hmmm...somehow I always thought that white people generally wash thier hair every day/every other day because they DO have straighter hair and their sebum travels down faster thus making thier hair appear oily, greasy, and limp if they DON'T! haha. You can always tell when a white person needs to wash their hair. Thier hair will appear greasy and dull. I think over washing would contribute to dryer hair...not oily hair. Right?

This is what I believe

 

[TigerLily]

i'm sorry i cant buy into this who we all basically produce the same amount of sebum but its the curl pattern that makes the hair dry routine

how come black people with relaxers dont have oily hair like white people that needs
to be washed daily or every few days i know the relaxer counts for some of the dryness but that should be remedied by the sebum just sliding down the relaxer straight shaft. i just think they produce more somebody convince me otherwise

I"m with you there, msp. That's what I was thinking!

 

[senimoni]

i'm sorry i cant buy into this who we all basically produce the same amount of sebum but its the curl pattern that makes the hair dry routine

how come black people with relaxers dont have oily hair like white people that needs
to be washed daily or every few days i know the relaxer counts for some of the dryness but that should be remedied by the sebum just sliding down the relaxer straight shaft. i just think they produce more somebody convince me otherwise

B/c when you relax you damage the cuticle(leaving it porous among other things) and the chemical process itself is drying.


I will try to find a web site with pics and explanations....it explained it very well imho.

 

[SandySea]

I think that the chemicals that we put in our hair when relaxed as well as the curliness of ours strands when natural affect the distribution of the oils that we produce. When my hair is well conditioned, I can go a week without adding extra oils. Also, I have seen plenty of caucasians with dry hair if they have color or use excessive heat. I think that these factors come into play in why other races appear to have less dry hair.

 

[songbyrd517]

I have learned that the basic reason why our hair is not as "moist" as white peoples' lies in several factors. Our sebaceous glands produce just as much sebum, and our hair has the same chemical makeup. But a few things vary.

First, there is a muscle called the erector pili muscle when is contained in the Pilosebaceous Unit(which is composed of the hair shaft, the follicle, the sebaceous gland, and the erector pili muscle). This muscule controls whether your hair lies flat against your scalp, or stands away from it. The more relaxed it is, the more the hairs lies. The more tense or contracted it is, the more it stands away from the scalp. The positioning of this muscle is genetically determined and cannot be altered. The reason our hair does not lie like straighter hair is because of this muscle, and since our ancestors originated in hotter climates, this serves the purpose of keeping our head and neck cool (air can get to the nack and scalp. People who originate in cooler climates have a more relaxed muscle to keep their head and neck warm (hair lies against it). God provides what we need.

The next factor is the curl pattern and sebaceous gland. Since our hair already stands off of the scalp, it is harder for the natural sebum to travel downward along the hair shaft. The tight curl pattern further complicates this.

The third factor is the thickness of our hairs' cuticle. It tends to be thicker than that of other peoples', which make it harder for the sebum to penetrate down into the hair's cortex.

All of these factors combined leave us with drier hair. And, the reason why our hair is "still not like white peoples'" with a relaxer is because a relaxer breaks down the hair and reshapes it. Therefore, a culticle layer is torn down when you do this, and the cuticle is what protects the cortex. So, though moisture can enter the hair a little better, the chemical has also made it more pourous and dried it out even more, so the moisture escapes from the hair shaft just like it enters it. In a person without chemically altered hair, moisture/sebum does not easily escape. This is why white peoples' hair looks the way it does. The moisture penetrates, but does not escape, leaving the hair with more elasticity and a silkier feel.

Hope this helps.

 

[RushGirl]

Hmmm...somehow I always thought that white people generally wash thier hair every day/every other day because they DO have straighter hair and their sebum travels down faster thus making thier hair appear oily, greasy, and limp if they DON'T! haha. You can always tell when a white person needs to wash their hair. Thier hair will appear greasy and dull. I think over washing would contribute to dryer hair...not oily hair. Right?

Actually, that is not true for those that have oily hair.. my friend's daughter just naturally has oily hair and oily skin..she washes her hair every night before she goes to bed..and by noon the next day..it looks oily like it was never washed.. some people just naturally have oily hair..