This is simply not true for all hair. Shine is a function of how straight and how dark your hair is. For straight (and even natural straightened hair), having shine is a good indicator that the strands are relatively undamaged and can reflect light well. Some naturals refer to sheen instead of shine but for some hair, this would mean looking at an individual strand rather than the whole head. Having highly textured hair reduces the reflection of light and therefore shine is not really a measure of hair health for those with this hair.
Many people yearn for hair which has a set behaviour when wet or dry but curly hair is not in this category. It is more likely to change depending on humidity and hair products especially the quantity of oils and humectants (including honey, glycerin and aloe vera).
There is some predictability with natural hair, for example if you wet it, it will shrink/curl up or if you attempt to comb it dry, it will be less flexible than if you sprayed some water or applied a conditioner or oil. However unless you are lucky enough to be in a place with constant humidity, it remains that natural hair especially when left open will change. This does not mean your hair is damaged, just that it is responding to its environments and the products applied to it.
Many people equate hair growth with healthy hair and the more rapid the growth, the better the care given to the hair. However, while healthy hair should gain length, this does not necessarily have to be fast. If your hair is finer, kinkier and more prone to split ends, taking care to actively trim your hair will slow down the time it takes to reach a certain mark (shoulder, armpit, mid back etc). This does not mean your hair is less healthy or growing slowly, all it indicates is that your hair ends require more maintenance. The concern should arise if your hair is stagnant for a long period and you are not cutting or trimming it to that length.
Ladies, how do you define healthy hair?
6 Responses
I am thankful for this article!!! I have truly been blessed by stumbling across this blog!!! Thank you BGLH!!! Much love, and Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!!!
I agree on number 5. Healthy hair depends on the texture, density and porosity of your hair. My hair is highly porous, fine, therefore prone to tangles and knots. That’s why I keep my hair stretched 100% of the time. But I still find knots and split ends.
I disagree about shine only being a function of how straight and dark a person’s hair is. I think well-moisturized hair often has more shine than straightened hair which has been blown dry AND flat ironed. I’ve seen many a natural head whose hair has been straightened and it usually looks much healthier/shinier/more moisturized pre-straightening.
Maybe it was not clear in the article but I was referring to natural shine/sheen. Usually when you moisturise you will add a shine inducing product such as oil or a leave in which contains oil. If you compare this to dry hair which has just been freshly washed and conditioned, it may not have as much shine. Some people incorrectly think that just because their hair looks dull after washing and conditioning, that it is somehow damaged or that the products they used were not good when in fact it is just the case that in order to achieve that shine, they need to add a leave in with oil or oil.
Great article. I wish I could say for surety that my hair is completely healthy….once I can be advised on how to turn my frazzy, coarse (not tangles) 4dd hair ENDS to something more managebale then maybe I may be on the road to having a healthier head of hair.
Healthy hair for me, is hair that is well taken care of, little to no damage i.e split ends etc
… also hair that is adequately moisturized (not overly greasy) and has the right protein balance *shrug*
Healthy hair = Good hair, no matter the type, texture or race that goes along with it 🙂