by
Cassandre
A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to share a digital course (check it out here) I had labored over to a select few blog subscribers. There was one student in the course who stood out because she asked the most questions and always made her opinion known.
Our email interactions were interesting, but one email took the cake.
After a concern with a credit card charge that seemed to be a few cents more than advertised (which later was confirmed to be an exchange rate issue unrelated to what I charged) I was asked a question that shocked me.
The exact email:
Dear Cass,
Ok thank you. I’ll check with them. I’m very careful with my money. I only did it because I trusted u and ur work a lot. I still do, but I think ur hair yes is African, but I’m worried that u have European ancestry. I am sure there are other viewers thinking the same.
So may I pls ask you kindly to do a video maybe or tell me something that will clear that because if u have European ancestors, it means everything u say will only work for those with European ancestors like u.
Also, ur name is Italian. I know that African American people do not have African surnames, but I’d like to be sure u do not have Italian genes or Beccai genes …wherever the Beccai’s are from.
I hope u’ve understood my concern. If u have cleared this concern already, please kindly email me the link. I can see u are African looking. You could even fit in my family, really and I like u as a person. So even if u are Italian/Euro, I’ll watch ur videos.
You are very inspiring. And I wish u the best. Thank u.
Kind regards.
Seems innocent enough, right? Yes, except that I felt like taking her by her shoulders and shaking some knowledge into her! I want to educate her and the masses of black women who have also asked these questions of their hair idol. As inspired as she is by my hair journey, I believe she and many others will struggle a long time to realize the beauty in their hair and attain the hair results they’re looking for if they don’t understand these 3 things below:
1. We’re all different.
No two heads of kinky afro-textured hair are the exact same- whether or not those two heads share the same genetic make-up.
The social construct of race dictates that the biggest difference between European and African hair types is that the former is usually straight and the latter is usually kinky, but these differences vary and really can’t be set in stone. What is 100% factual, however, is that differences in hair type — such as density, diameter and porosity — exist in all races and ethnicities. Meaning two white women with the same ethnicity may in fact have stark differences in their hair types. The same goes for black women. Those are the differences that, in my opinion, contribute to the varying results we get from products and techniques.
So, whether or not another black woman has European ancestry really doesn’t tell the whole story as to whether their hair care practices will help your own hair.
2. Worry about yourself.
I am baffled by how worried my subscriber is about my hair and ancestry. Something about that “worrying” comes across as misplaced and I realize that particular worry may stem from a lack of understanding of her own hair needs.
It’s ok to look up to someone for ideas on how to take care of your hair, but if your whole hair regimen is patterned around someone else’s regimen and hair type, with no clue as to what your own hair needs (or what your hair type is, etc.), you definitely should be worried about yourself.
If your hair idol decides to change a few things in their regimen (the same regimen that you have also been implementing) and then you decide to integrate their changes into your own regimen, you could run into issues if you don’t understand your own hair.
Any failure that ensues from you adopting their hair care practices shouldn’t be blamed on the person, because each one of us has the responsibility to get to know our hair. Worrying about your hair will take you much farther than worrying about someone else’s hair.
3. Black women without a drop of European ancestry can and do grow their hair to amazing lengths.
I thought this was something all of *us* knew by now. Even though my subscriber’s email doesn’t explicitly share anything concerning hair length, I have to wonder if she has questions about it and doesn’t know this truth, especially since my overseas visit during the holidays took me out of my bubble of knowledge and exposed me to people who didn’t know that women who are 100% black can and do grow their hair long.
You don’t have to look too hard to find this truth. There are many black women who can attest to the fact their hair as a child was able to reach long lengths (I can share my theories on why this is another time). There are also many women who don’t have any immediate European ancestry, and after learning what their hair needs and how to care for it were able to achieve long lengths.
One important thing to note about the afro-textured hair type is that it is scientifically proven to have a lower tensile strength making it more prone to breakage and damage (Syed, A.N., Kuhajda, A., Ayoub, H., Ahmad, K., and Frank, E., “African American Hair: Its Physical Properties and Differences Relative to Caucasian Hair” (1995)). This doesn’t mean one can’t retain length, however. Sure, not everyone can (or wants to) make it to hip bone length, but I have a feeling that many of us can at the very least reach shoulder length if we are healthy and intentional about understanding the nature of our hair and implementing what our hair needs to flourish.
Let’s stop attributing beautiful, long afro-textured hair to a heritage when, in my opinion, there are other more valuable factors that produce this outcome. Start embracing the fact that black is beautiful with or without European blood.
P.S. For the record my husband gave me my last name. 🙂
How do you think we as black women can dispel the myths portrayed by society about our hair and beauty?
135 Responses
I gather there is this mistaken impression in Africa that all African-Americans were mixed with European blood at some point in slavery. It is simply not the case. The African-American was, for the most part, bred like cattle during slavery– not with Europeans (though that did happen, rapes, etc), but largely with other Africans. This is fact– easily discoverable with a quick trip on the internet. So the question really is why do Africans still think we’re so different? Just because my body is in the Americas doesn’t mean my DNA can’t be traced back to the Motherland. The point is the black people you see here in the US today are of African heritage mostly; and while there are exceptions, that does not mean that even those of us who have Caucasoid ancestry (who are African too btw–the human race was birthed on this continent), do not encounter difficulty growing our hair to long luxurious lengths. Half of my ancestors are middle eastern by way of the East African slave trade, but I have difficulty growing long hair and my hair is very kinky. My grandmother had very short hair but my great-grandmother (her mother) had very very long hair. My father is Jamaican–pure ebony; but my full blood sister has long hair and I do not. Being black does not curse you to a life of short hair, but improper hair care and product usage, poor nutrition, and environmental conditions can. Our hair is so delicate , that these things really do make a difference. I’ve had my hair braided at a few African shops in New York City for protective styling purposes and I must say that there is very little emphasis on how to properly handle the client’s hair to prevent breakage. I have had braiders whip at my hair and roots with fine toothed rat tail Combs, only to insist on blow drying it without a wash to get it straighter to “catch the braid right.” I lost some of my edges patronizing some of these places–tight braids, or large extensions installed on little sections on hair. So this really has nothing to do with not being African “enough”, but bad hair practices. African Americans clearly suffer with hair issues, but we built a multi billion dollar hair industry to address some of that. So whatever gains you see in the natural community stem from a foundation of self love–a love for our hair (be it kinky, curly or wavy), coupled with a gentle hand, and a sincere effort to make the necessary time and financial investment to reach our goals. Nothing more. Any woman in the diaspora can do the same, and countless already have.
NOT everyone will have hair down to their butt. WHY is does it matter? NOT all of us will have straight noses or light skin or thin lips BUT that is OK while it seems there is still a stigma to NOT having long hair.
Thank you ! people just dont like to hear the truth.
I wont lie i be wanting to know a persons genetic makeup before i take advice once i see that there hair is 3s or 4a than i know they have some sort of admixture. Reality is African hair is very delicate making it harder to grow vs curly or straight hair which hair type tends to be from European or Hispanic decent. People just don’t want to admit it,. That other hair types have an easier time growing sorry if that reality offends anyone but i still love my hair though
One question for everyone here bashing the girl who wrote the E-Mail: WHO OF YOU ACTUALLY HAS LONG 4B/C HAIR?!?!?
Probably not one of these women here being bitchy who only got their knowledge from pictures from this site of allegedly non-mixed women (most of whom every African would call “mixed” or “colored”).
I have 4b hair myself but I never saw a woman with LONG type 4b/c hair IN PERSON!
I saw just one person with long 4c hair. The rest wehre mixed in person
Secret87 is either a troll or someone who needs psychological counseling services. Either way please do not get caught up in arguing with a mentally unstable person.
Black American People,because of their history.
You know that coastal nigerian tribes historically mixed with the British emperors in contrary to coastal ghanaian tribes for example? Therefore many nigerians DO have mixed ancestry (You Even find many with Freckles and light skin),as have northern ghanaians who are mixed with arabs (auch as Fusion of cultures).
So do your homework!
Full blooded african women DO have 4c hair!
That’s ridiculous you know there are actually Hamtic ethnic groups who are from the Nile region specifically down to Uganda. African Americans those who got to the Americas through the trans Atlantic slave trade are not Hamtic most of the people brought over as slaves came from the region of W. Africa, C.Africa and today’s Angola. Seriously when you say African Americans are Hamtic you are erasing real Hamtic people. African Americans are not Hamtic, stop just stop. It’s obvious you don’t know much about Africa or it’s very many people’s whatever obsession you have with your Hebrew Israelite rubbish is appropriation, you are appropriating Jewish culture, spreading nonsense there are no two kinds of Africans there is Africa and all its indigenous people regardless of physical appreance are Africans and there is the African diaspora, people with African ancestry not living in Africa or from Africa directly. Just stop appropriating and erasing people and there cultures. African American are part of the African diaspora, only those who have Hamtic ethnicity/ancestry can say they are Hamtic. Seriously how do you people come up with this nonsense
that last line tho… BOOM!
Black women can and do grow hair to extreme lengths, we just have to get rid of the chemicals to do it. It is far easier to do naturally. Also, it is a myth that ALL white people have straight hair, believe me people, it is a myth!!!!! Many, many white women and men use perms to straighten their hair and the rest use flat irons and blow dryers to straighten their hair. Look at pictures from back when there were no blow dryers or flat irons or curling irons. They used to iron their hair on ironing boards!!! I kid you not!!!!! And what is mixed hair. Someone told me I have mixed hair, but I am NOT, NOT mixed!!!!!! So therefore it is not mixed hair!!!!!
I actually don’t blame this subscriber too much. I mean my own mother who has lived through doing my massive head of hair till I was 14 until I first relaxed it. Then it broke off since I didnt know how to take care of it on my own, then I learnt how to, then I stopped and it broke off again. At this point my mother was convinced that my hair will NEVER grow inspite of the fact that she has seen it grow and break time and time again in its natural state. So two years ago I decided I’m doing it right and of course there she was laughing and discouraging, and here I am at APL. Now she says there’s no way my kinky 4C hair un-stretched can go passed shoulder length.
SO you see, I love my mother to death and she does love me but it’s just something that us as Africans are preconditioned with. My mother is a highly educated woman WITH natural hair, however she still has these crazy insecurities which still translate to me… I love my kinky hair but when you hear such snide remarks from your parents even at the age of 27, you can’t help but wonder whatever happened to empowering mind, body and soul.
All my Nigerian clients have really thick long and strong hair. And I am mixed….their hair makes my hair look like fuzz on a baby bird booty. #dropsmic
Looks very nice!!! My favorite is also http://therighthairstyles.com/category/hair-type/natural-hairstyles/
and http://ebonypeoples.com/2012/07/inspiration-for-natural-hair-brides/
I’m 59. I now have waist-length beautiful locs that I now wear semi-freeform. I started my hair journey at the age of 45 with pretty and short 2-strand twists. With much care, research, patience, prayer, and hard work, I possess a crown of glory today! My 80-year old mom has been so amazed, as she often told me that I had short hair and associated me with short hair (and that I had my paternal grandma’s “short hair), and, at one point, asked my husband and I at separate times, if I was wearing extensions! lol. I grew sick of ruined hair, broken hair, no hair, chemically damaged hair, etc. So, I QUIT AND JUST WENT WITH GOD GAVE ME! And, I never looked back! I LOVE my hair. Even I have been astounded. Yes, Black women CAN and DO grow long hair. Embrace who you truly and fully are as God has made you, and you will be blessed!
Believe me when I say many black women still believe that it’s impossible for black women to have long hair . Especially in Africa. I live in South Africa and when I told my friends that I wanted to grow my hair to waist length they said that would be impossible unless I’ve always had long hair which I haven’t .
I’ve now started growing my hair and even if I manage to get to waist length, their explanation for it growing is because I’m from West Africa. So because I’m not from South Africa it makes sense that I can grow long hair even though all my life I’ve lived in SA and have had short hair .So the issue here really isn’t about whether you’re mixed with European blood or not . The issue is simply heritage .
Here in SA we believe that African Americans can have long hair simply because they’re American and Africans can’t have long hair because they are African . If you have long hair and are African American and have zero European blood and are just as African as us it makes sense that you have long hair. It’s because you are American and not African .Whilst many African American women believe that they cannot have long hair because they do not have European blood .
So race isn’t the issue even though it is a big part of it . It’s your heritage and heritage and race are interlinked .
I agree, we’ll said!
The young subscriber sadly has bought into the idea that kinky/coily hair doesn’t grow to certain lengths without the ‘genetic assist’ of European genes. Frankly, I did too for a long time (I pined for hair like the women in Jhirmack commercials and my mom always told me that black hair wouldn’t grow but so long so I should manage my expeciations). My hair never grew past BSL when I was relaxed. Thankfully so many naturals document their journey on youtube! Watching videos completely disabused me of that FALSE notion. I cut my teeth on Kimmaytube and Shimahair vids and others and was blown away. Now, I’m almost 3 years natural and on BSL again. I never thought type 4 hair could grow that long. Now I know that growing WL or longer is just a matter of caring for type 4 hair. I hope the subscriber does more research until she learns better.
Everyone is getting real upset. Your comment was the most understanding. Wish I could give you a thousand thumbs up.
Damn. The girl is obviously not educated and doesn’t know much about hair in general. But some of these comments are just… mean.
Would it have killed her to spell ‘you…’
Why is this still an issue?!?! Good lord are we still ignorant and have these stigmas about black hair? What on earth is it going to take for people to realize that your name has nothing to with your hair/ color. I have a French last name, it does not mean I have french in me. My mom is black, my dad is black, I am black end of the story.
And yet you have to know there are women who troll YouTube insisting to vloggers they are biracial, and no matter what the vlogger says they still believe it solely based on hear length.
Also, the type of water you have in your area could cause hair issues. I used to live in a State that had decent water and my hair had no problems. Now, I live in an area where the water is hard and my hair has been suffering because of it. I have to change up my hair regimen to factor in the hard water issue. I had to do extra things to get the mineral deposits out of my hair, before it ruins all my hard work.
There are so many environmental and health issues that can affect your ability to retain length. If someone is hair growth issues, they should consider their haircare practices, environmental factors, general health, lifestyle, and diet.
Well said.
Asking an African American to tell you about her/his racial background is almost fruitless, since many of us have lost our family history to slavery. Many things were undocumented and family members told lies about our ancestry to cover up the shame of rape. So, if you want to know their full racial background, good luck with that! Why don’t you find a so called, “pure African” and follow their haircare practices.
Otherwise, stop complaining and accept your own hair type. There is nothing wrong with your hair! If you take care of it, it should be healthy. I met plenty of women with 4b/4c hair that grows like weed. But, those women were Afr. Amer., so I guess that explains it all! LOL!
Thank you.
I had to read this 3 times because my brain was neither ready nor willing to process all of the buffoonery that was contained within that email.
My first and last name are both Irish, but I’m as black and as American as they come, as are the last several generations of my family. My hair is a healthy, fast-growing mass of both kink and curl, but never have I had someone question my background or…I just don’t even know what to make of this.
I wish I had a feasible recommendation for eradicating such nonsense. But, I’m afraid that, just as it has taken us a few decades to begin embracing our natural hair again, it’s going to take a few decades still to erase the mind-blowingly stupid ideas that people still have about our beautiful manes.
Wow my grandma is fully black no European blood had long hair since she as in her 20’s . Her natural hair is mid back length when she keeps it stretched straightened . Also I am proud to have african blood European blood is an disgrace to me especially after our past with them . By the way I love your hair oh and my cousin is black and part Dominican not white and she had long hair all her life too. All my black and mixed woman have long hair except for me and my mom I cut my hair off to go natural now growing it long my mom did the same .
Besides that, what are you doing when you retouch your hair? You’re touching up new growth – so there’s proof right there how much and how fast your hair is growing. But every time you get a touchup your hairdresser says ‘blah, blah, blah’ about damage a lops off two inches.
There’s you’re problem.
In other words….. you enjoy torturing yourself with fairytales?
Suddenly, I’m inundated with visions of a Black woman with short hair, crying and eating a tub of ice cream in front of her laptop late at night in the dark while browsing this site.
She’s screaming, “WHY CAN’T IT BE ME!!!! SCREW ALL YOU WOMEN WITH YOUR LONG HAIR AND YOUR NOT PURE BLACKNESS! OH DEAR LORD JESUS WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN MEEEEEE??????”
Lol.
But seriously. The millions of Black women you speak of are women who don’t know how to take care of their hair. They were never taught and/or unwilling to put in the effort it takes to retain length. So they hide behind the excuse of being ‘too Black’ just like you do. Because that’s the easy way out.
I’m 99% sure that if I met you in person, I would immediately be able to ascertain what you are doing wrong in your regimen. I’ve met quite a few Black women who believed in the same ‘Blacks can’t grow long hair’ bs until they learned to understand their hair and defied the stereotypes.
But you keep being bitter. Keep being defiant and unyielding to the notion that the problem is most likely you.That has done such wonders for you and your hair up until now, right? Oh, wait….
i just cant! I cant. If secret87 hairs is “pop &
crack” when she tends to it then thats called FRAGILE! There are
“pure” african women bloggers who have/had fragile hair and they
learned how to TLC their hair. Some ppl have longer hair than others bc they
retain the length. If it was all about ancestry than even if several bloggers
admitted to mixed ancestry, tell me why dont they all have tailbone hair like
some? why do some have midback and others have shoulder length? If its all about that “miracle DNA” you are so obessed with then tell me HOW the possible “magic DNA” didnt produce a nation of tailbone length, hair swingin black women (all infected with the reverse “one drop rule” DNA)??
ALL HAIR GROWS and not all at the same rate. For SOME ppl, how you care for your hair will determine if you RETAIN that growth.Some ppl just have the “i woke up like this & NO I dont do anything special” long hair.
My hair grows not bc i have some “magic DNA”. I retain my growth bc I spent 4 years learning what my hair loves and hates..And guess what? My hair is FRAGILE as hell! Can I run my hands through my curls willy nilly? Yes, if i want to hear “snap, crackle & pop”. Can I pull a Denman Brush through my soaking wet conditioner soaked hair? Absolutely! If I want to see a brush full of my curls!
My Story is this
*Born with THICK crazy thick BUSHY
hair. As a kid, I had mid back length..My mom said she hated wash day took
hours bc it required 2 people (my dad or one of my aunts) bc her arm got tired
washing and blow drying my hair. I used to have TWO ppl working on my hair.
This was the norm till my teens when..
* My mom snuck a perm in my hair bc she said she just couldnt deal with my hair anymore *Boy was my dad PISSED!! But since he rarely helped on wash day he kindly took several seats!
*Teen Years: Hair broke off over time til it was shoulder length. I jumped on board with perms and kept it “fried,dyed and layed to the side” .Yet Always
wondering WHY my hair wouldnt return to the length of my youth…hmm..
*”Think I know Everything” Adult Me: Not only permed it every 6 weeks like clock work BUT I hot curled it EVERY day (sometimes more than once) and used alcohol based sprays, and “oiled” my hair wth petroleum & mineral oil laden based products..Why isnt Lustersilk Pink Oil & Indian Hemp Hair dressing making my hair grow? Its got HERBS in it! I can SEE the herbs!!
Me 5 years ago: THATS IT! IM GOING NATURAL!! I stopped perming my hair and grew out my hair without a big chop.Yet continued to flat iron & blow dry my hair everyday..I never detangled and RIPPED through my hair on wash day bc i wanted to be finished FASTER. I had not the time for this nonsense! AND then I decided to give myself auburn highlights.! Go me!!
Here is what I noticed 1 year after those highlights: The red color was further down my hair shaft and I just thought the color was rinsing out. Turns out it was simply HAIR GROWTH from the root . My hair had CLEARLY grown about 6 inches.I should be mid-back by now with 6 inched of growth!! Where was my damn length? In the trash, in my hair brush, on the bathroom floor, in the vaccum… WHY? Curse you Hair Gods!!!
It only took 2 1/2 years of research, trial & error, 4-5 hr wash days, many
tears at my hair knotted hair & tired arms, hours on line debunking myths about hair & hundreds of dollars for my hair to finally say “THANK YOU”.
I did NOT say “DAMN YOU DADDY FOR BEING “MORE ON THE BLACK SIDE” ! YOU’RE THE REASON MY HAIR WONT GROW! MOMMY GAVE ME THE MAGIC DNA AND YOU F’ED IT UP! ”
But i still had one quesion: WHY do I have to work so damn hard to retain my length?? BECAUSE ITS MY HAIR. THERE IS NO OTHER HEAD OF HAIR LIKE MINE. NO ONE CAN RECREATE THIS HEAD OF HAIR. IT IS MINE & MINE ALONE.
I say this to say this: Anyone looking for another “pure” natural air blogger or website is doomed for failure. They cant give you the miracle answer you are convinced will validate your frustrations over your hair.There is no ONE ANSWER. The only answer is the one that works for YOU and if that means incorporating regimes from 18 different bloggers who range from type1-type 4 who all have various ancestry stories from “pure” to mixed up as hell.. YOU DO THAT BC ITS WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR HAIR .
Stop isolating bloggers who simply want to share their knowledge from their persepctive by suggesting their experiences and insight are invalid bc
they MIGHT not be as “pure” as your ancestry.You’re only limiting
your potential to find the answers that MAY work for you.
My hair use to be at my shoulders, but was forced to get a perm, it takes more care and effort to grow our hair vs other races who don’t have tight curls thats the honest truth. I want to give fake hair a break, but not going outside with a short fro like Florida Evens. A big fro yes, long fro yes.
Man these comments, including my own….it’s as if this lady with her email and secret87 called into question Black women’s womanhood or something and then I realized for some Black women maybe they did……I mean so what if some black women can’t grow long hair, due to genetics or other reasons, natural
or otherwise…does this mean black women aren’t women or even human?….so what?…what is wrong with short natural hair? Some women prefer it. Now I know Black women are under various pressures..and there is this notion for some of competition for Black male affection with white , and various other non black women and it’s all shit. Whether colorism or hairism Black women do not have to compete with anyone for anything…Black women don’t have to reason with, beg, or plead for love, affection, or tolerance from anyone. All you have to do is get away from anyone, mother, father, lover, friend who discriminate against you for whatever reason.No anger, explanations, or tears needed..Get educated and GO!…especially for something you cannot change.
In my book, a short natural is the classical hairstyle for Black women. That style to me makes Black women look so sweet and innocent and lovely. My hair is now long but the short natural was one of my favorite and easiest styles….and if I can find someone to really cut it, the way I want, I might return to it. I saw this Black Latina with a short natural and the way it was cut was so soft and feminine…it was shaped to her head and hairline and the front and back had little wisps of hair framing her face and the back of her head. I think it’s called a wave cut.on a natural….saw something similar in an old essence mag and it was beautiful….All this to say…secret87 and the lady on the email and any other black women ROCK the h***l out of your SHORT NATURAL! It wont stop you from success, happiness or love….There is nothing haters of Black women hate more than a happy confident loved Black woman….your short hair doesn’t prevent any Black woman from having that.
I perfer long hair. Not for a man or blk men.
Ok. I hear and feel you…but if it doesn’t happen all I’m saying is short natural hair won’t stop you from success, happiness, love, or beauty. Good luck to you babes.
Check out sera2544 on youtube. Before cutting her hair she shared her entire hair journey from bald to beyond waist length on her fotki album. Also check out DuchessBabrielle who is also on youtube. She recently big chopped a second time to embark on another hair journey with her younger sibling who just decided to go natural. There are a few other youtubers like Jostylin, Lolascurls but I cannot remember all of their names.
Do thorough research, ask questions and learn your hair. Also, be open to trying out different healthy hair care practices and don’t give up. Keep in mind too that there are some women who were natural all of their lives but are just learning how to care for their hair. Many of them also had the mind set that it was impossible for them to grow their hair healthy and or long because know one in their family had healthy natural hair. How could anyone know the true potential of their hair if they never applied healthy hair care practices? It just takes one person to go out, research and apply that new found knowledge to see a difference. It’s a process, it takes time. Work with what you have, stay consistent, be patient and apply the common sense approach instead of being so full of doubt.
You can also take photos of your hair and start a hair journal, this way you can keep track of everything that is done to your hair. Maybe then you will be able to figure out what you may have been lacking.
Thank you…..
not a fan of the big chop to be honest.
You are very welcome 🙂 It’s alright, you don’t have to like the big chop, it’s not for everyone.
I really hope you figure things out so that you can unlock the true potential of your natural hair! As long as you have a healthy mind and body, it can be done!! Keep us updated!
Oh and check out Geri GeraldinetheGreat on youtube as well. Very inspirational.
Maybe it was answered already ( just can’t read through 40-something comments) but is this person in the email even Black? Is this person playing with a full deck of cards? Maybe English isn’t the 1st language, but that’s still no excuse. I’m just at a lost for words that someone still thinks Black women cannot grow hair unless they’re of mixed race. It actually caused me to have a headache that people like this exist. Even if you’re from some area where the majority of Black women (%100 Black- depending of course how you classify that) have short hair, this person has access to email….which means access to the internet and access to see other Black women who can grow their hair.
Sigh, my head really hurts now 🙁
this site has been infiltrated by trolls but yall continue to engage with them. k
I’m at a lost at the content in the email. May as well asked for your SSN so she could do a full on background check! When the focus is so centered on another, obsession sets in. Although the intentions may have been innocent, the end result felt anything but. It’s one thing to ask questions that lead to knowledge & a better understanding of hair in general, helping to maintain your hair but this did not strike me as that. As with finger prints, every mane is different & will flourish as such. The main focus should be learning your hair & life would be much easier!
I think the letter writer fell into the “hair crush” trap — If I do what she did I’ll get what she got. Unfortunately if you don’t know why your hair crush puts mayo in her hair (ie hair crush’s hair likes protein and your hair hates protein) you’ll have no idea why her regime doesn’t work for you. Therefore, crush must be hiding that “good hair”.
Point is, people need to learn that your hair’s not supposed to be dry, brittle and breaking off when you touch it. Take care of that and you’re on your way.
That was the stupidest email I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t help but cringe every time she used ‘u’, instead of you. What annoyed me most was her lack of knowledge. There are only three reasons as to why the
miscomisconception that black people can not gow long hair.
1.They choose to keep it short.
2.That is the longest their hair can grow, due to genetics.
And 3.They do not take care of their hair and are unable to retain length.
These 3 things apply to everyone, regardless of your ethnicity and because many black people use relaxers and other harmful susubstances, they are unable to ‘grow’ long hair.
Let that person know, there are two sets of Black People, the descendants of HAM, who are called Africans, and the descendants of SHEM, who are the Hebrew Israelites, who the world calls African American, and if you stood us together, side by side you could not tell the difference.
I thought that email was some kind of joke! In my mind I’m thinking, (like the guy from the cartoon series Futurama!) ‘not sure if that is a complement or an insult,’ insert side eye here! I wanted so bad to correct the grammar of that email (librarian and a nerd here, don’t judge). I think we have a long way to go to get over the hurdles of self/hair loathing in our communities…
In a nutshell one cannot be fully black and be attractive, intelligent, living comfortably, posses long hair, straight teeth and fully functional organs. These attributes must be attributed to the magical caucasian leprechaun that all of us have in our distant ancestry.
#IDontArgueWithStupid
Lol. Funny. Curious why mention whites? Other races exist too.
Omg, I caaaaaaaaan’t!!!!!!!
As a few others have posted, Black folks CAN have long hair if they find out which products work for them. Also eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and using lots of raw products helps me.
If I haven’t found out about BGLH, I would not know much of anything about natural hair.
The only advice that I have for the lady who sent the email is this: Love your hair and it will love you back!
I think a lot of people misunderstood her email. I think coming from and living in Nigeria which has a ton of women with natural and relaxed hair, it would be easy to fall into a pattern of thinking that the longest your hair could possibly grow is shoulder length. Before I started taking care of my hair, the farthest It went was neck and length and everyone believed it was genes that was the culprit. When you look around and everyone you see has short hair except the people you are mixed race, it doesn’t take long for you to queaction whether or not youre capable of growing your hair out. So her question was ignorance, plain and simple.
Her email just shows her ignorance about Black hair. With widening of internet access, and the proliferation of websites like this you expect not to get these type of emails and posts any more.
I agree with you. I’m Kenyan and despite all the evidence to the contrary, I still know a few people who don’t think ‘African’ hair can grow, pointing out that Black Americans don’t count because they’re ancestry is most likely mixed with other races. I am making it my personal mission to prove them.wrong! Also, I just want long hair 🙂
I completely agree with you. I too am Nigerian, born and raised in the states and it wasn’t until I stumbled across you tube and blogs that I realized that it’s possible for every person to retain length. To this day my mother still does not believe that. I’m trying to grow my hair long and retain length not only for my own personal gain but to also be an example to the rest of my Nigerian friends and relatives. I mean, it’s crazy. I’m fully Nigerian and I have other Nigerians telling me that my hair is “different”. It’s not different it’s just moisturized and I use gel to hold it down!
I hope she knows you posted her full email online. Without her point of view and her knowing all this you posted us it seems like a rant. Yes people are ignorant but it didn’t seem it was something meant in a bad way. Her point seem more of “are you mixed, because if you are I don’t think what you say will work for me?” but in a more ignorant way and that’s it. Not much of if people of black ancestry can grow long hair or not. She wants someone she can relate to and for her someone who doesn’t have Euro-African heritage is someone she feels will be a better inspiration to her. It seems from what she says even so she likes you and will enjoy watching your videos whatever heritage you are. I don’t know why some people get so caught up in a question such as this. All that can be solved with “no I am not euro-african” but when you make a huge post like this it is as if you are of mixed heritage but don’t like it to be attributed to it. You might not be but that is how it comes off to me at least.
There is no wrong with being mix or not. Yes some people are ignorant. Since she was your student as you said, students sometimes are very ignorant in some things and that is why she joined your program I guess, because she want to learn. The argument with the hidden cost is non relevant here. It just makes her look bad for nothing while she might also have no clue about that the same way as you didn’t. Everyone is not rich to be giving away money without knowing why. She might just be like one of us who thought long ago that only mixed – Asian or Caucasian people can grow hair. If indeed Beccai is Italian name as well as she said, her question makes sense even though it might sound rude in a way. At least she didn’t make a huge post about. Those reading BGLH know a good amount about hair and we know people can grow long hair whatever the heritage is.
I think this post is sad because it is clear the person was ignorant and we all were ignorant at some point. I don’t believe it helps making such post and exposing someone when we don’t know their intention. It could be written as “Yes non mixed people of African ancestry can grow hair” and then you note all this, instead of the way this post was written.
I don’t mean this in a bad way but I am sure all of us know how it is to be new in the knowledge of healthy hair care and how many misconceptions we had. I wouldn’t be happy if I asked such question out of ignorance with the will to learn just to have it posted somewhere like this. We can promote the truth but in a way that is welcoming.
Yes she asked you about your hair because you are her teacher/hair coach, and she joined your course. It is as simple as that.
As the other post featured in the homepage today says
“Cut newbies and those around you some slack.
After you’ve been natural for x amount of years and have heard it all when it comes to hair care, it may be annoying when every other person in the hair forum is asking what their curl pattern is. But it’s important to remember that you’ve been there and rather than lecture people, it’s more valuable if you educate them while still answering their question. Everyone isn’t at the same place in their journeys and it’s important to remember that we all have different goals and have started at different places within our journey.”
I always hear west african girls in Europe telling me that they can’t grow their hair. Some of them even tell me that I can grow hair because I’m East African, that means I’m somehow mixed. And I swear, sometimes when I’m at their house I never once see them put oil on their hair or combing it. It’s so ridiculous.. How the fuck is your hair supposed to grow when you never put oil on it and always relaxing it.
Aww.. don’t be too hard on her..Sometimes the pressures on Black women make some loopty.
I can understand what the letter writer was asking about, even if it was worded badly. I can’t speak for every girl in the 3 range, but in general we don’t have to “grow” our hair. I was really confused about the whole length emphasis in the natural movement. My hair is long because it’s long. I’ve never sealed my ends, wrapped my hair, slept on a satin pillow case or protective styled. I love an elaborate hair routine as much as the next girl, but my hair more or less looks the same no matter what I do. It’s been waist length my entire life except for one really bad haircut.
I think she just wanted to know if you had the type of hair that breaks if you don’t take special care of it. If she didn’t think that a fully black woman could grow long hair, she wouldn’t be trying to. If my hair were fragile and broke easily, I wouldn’t want to be following someone who didn’t have a routine that made those concerns a top priority. I have to say I don’t like the implication that because someone doesn’t have long hair, they aren’t trying hard enough or are doing something wrong. I didn’t do ANYTHING to get waist length hair, and I don’t think MOST people who have it did either. It is NOT an accomplishment or a sign of a healthy hair routine.
I think it’s a valid question. I don’t have any direct white ancestors, but my 3c hair is an obvious result of mixing, the same way that many black americans have a range of colors in their family. Genes are genes, and they alsodetermine hair length and texture. The majority of people in my family have hair similar to mine, because it’s in our DNA. You don’t need a white parent or grandparent to carry the gene for long hair.
Millions of bw agree with me. I will continue lurking and use this site as make believe. I go outside and see natural short haired bw or long haired bw with extensions. Once I met one with long hair, but she was creole. Im done trying to be honest. Drops the mic.
No the truth.
Your comment reminds me of when I was being stared at by a “Black fella” who wasn’t of African descend. I then met a few more who each had different types of hair.
Not just me, but many black women. Lets be honest about things. I knew a dark skinned girl with natural green eyes. Are we now going to act like thats the norm for us too? I took all these tips from this site and I just braided and moistured my short hair. I finger combed it in very cold shower water I never use heat. Yet I heard crack, pop, creeeeeep, snap of my thick short pro African hair. I do it all and don’t get me started on the oil treatments. This site almost cost me and a friend into depression looking at pics of women who look blk, got black hair texture, but out growing non blk women.
The only thing standing in your way is your attitude.
Here is an African style icon with long hair that was featured on this website. Dark skin, kinky hair. Straight from the continent itself, so it is unlikely that she has any mix in her. She has long hair. Her name is Akosua:https://bglh-marketplace.com/2014/04/akosua-4c-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is another African named Zeba: https://bglh-marketplace.com/2014/05/zeba-4bc-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is another African named Chelsea:https://bglh-marketplace.com/2013/08/chelsea-4bc-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is a Black Jamaican woman named Tori:https://bglh-marketplace.com/2013/06/tori-4bc-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is another African woman named Felicia: https://bglh-marketplace.com/2013/06/felicia-4c-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is another young woman named Jennifer, who actually has hip length hair:https://bglh-marketplace.com/2012/11/jennifer-4a3c-natural-hair-style-icon/
Here is another African woman named Geri:https://bglh-marketplace.com/2012/06/geri-multi-texture-style-icon/
I would use myself as an example. However, even though I have dark skin and 4c hair, my mother is creole and I guess that means I’m ‘mixed’.
And then you can check out lots of Black women on Youtube. A famous one is The African Export, who recently big chopped, but had mid back length natural hair before cutting it. In fact, following her second journey might help you, who knows?
All these women are African. all of them have either 4b or 4c hair. All of them have been able to grow their hair to great lengths.
I don’t know what you’re doing wrong. You might be doing something wrong in your regimen. You might be doing something that does not work for your porosity hair (that was a barrier for me for years). You may even have something medically wrong with you.
But dismissing it with “I’m too black to have long hair’ is ignorant. You are not helping yourself. You are not doing yourself any favours when every time you see a dark skinned black woman with long hair you think, “I wonder how much Indian/European/Chinese she got in her”. You are your own worst enemy.
You need to let go of the good hair/bad hair ideology. you need to find out what you’re doing wrong. And you need to change it. But whining about how you’re ‘too pure’ is ridiculous.
I’ll burst your bubble here. My coworker is from Kenya. She has a long and explored family history. They have knowledge of at least 6 generations of family members. All Kenyan. Her hair is hip length. She has 2 sisters, both with minimum BSL hair. No Europeans in the mix. Long hair. Imagine that. Now go see a trichologist about your fine strands.
You and your friend should probably seek help, and stop trying to do what works for others. I know for a fact my mum is what you pathetically call “pure black” as she is camerooneese as are all her ancestors, and she is growing her very coily hair naturally very well, because she took (and still takes) the time to experiment and learn how to care for HER hair and what works for it. You can carrying on with your pointless questions, but if you don’t take responsibilities for your own shortcomings and mistakes, the only hair journey you’ll hinder is yours. Tips from a hair website aren’t gospel, they’re just that: tips. If it works, keep it, if it doesn’t move on. But don’t blame others or their DNA.
You don’t need a hair site. You need a history book and a mental health professional (preferably of color). Stop obsessing about length, focus on hair health, and please stop buying into those slavery-era notions about blackness. Most of all, be proud of who YOU are. I’m someone who had short “pro-African” hair that does the things you say yours does. I rarely use heat (but I wouldn’t use very cold shower water to finger comb my hair, BTW, lukewarm is fine). I rarely straighten or flatiron. It’ is now shoulder length.. Stop obsessing about length, get regular trims, and please please please do something about that mindset. You could grow your hair to your ankles, but if you retain that mindset, it won’t matter. You will never be happy.
“Crack, pop, creeeeeep, snap”—Are you pulling your fingers willy-nilly through your hair, or are you actually stopping to deal with tangles first? How, exactly, are you doing this? Replacing a hard, seamed comb with improper handling with your fingers is no less destructive to your hair just because you do it under running water. If your strands are “creeeeeeeeep”ing, that’s an indication to stop and see what is on the end of those strands. If there’s a knot there, either unravel it or cut it out before you stretch the strand to the point of “snap”.
I know it’s frustrating! My strands are fine, and I wrecked quite a number of them learning how to properly detangle and finger comb. I eventually learned that when I slide my fingers through my hair, and they catch on my hair, I need to stop right there, find what I’m caught on, and untangle that. Then I can try again. Now my hair is less noisy than it used to be.
Ma’am, to me it sounds like your technique is all off. As someone else mentioned, if you’re still hearing your hair breaking, it is because you are breaking it. Rather than focus on length, you need to ask yourself if your hair is healthy. Length comes with health. Not the other way around. All hair and scalps need to be clean, moisturized, and relatively free of tangles. You need to examine those three areas and focus on what techniques, not products, you use to achieve all three. Technique trumps product every single time. You can have the best comb in the world and still cause your hair to break off if you are rough with it.
We can use simple mathematics to gauge just how possible it is for your hair to gain a certain amount of length. The average head of hair grows in length by 1/4-1/2 inch every month. The average anagen (active growth) phase is anywhere from 4-7 years. Obviously all INDIVIDUALS, not ethnic groups, are different so some will have more and some will have less. Even if you were to personally fall on the low end of that spectrum, you could reasonably expect to grow 12 (12×0.25×4) inches of hair, which is well beyond shoulder length from anyone’s nape area. If you were more average, with 1/2 or .5 inches of growth every month and have a 5 year anagen phase, you could expect to grow 30 (12×0.5×5) inches of hair, which is probably somewhere around or past waist length depending on your height.
You need to take more responsibility not only for what you do to your hair, but also the mentality and (lack of) knowledge you approach it with. Try reading Curly Like Me by Teri LaFlesh or The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy before you chalk your hair’s condition up to inferior genetics.
Maybe you should have a look at your diet, exercise and general lifestyle. Seriously if you are short of vitamins and minerals – and it’s not the ones you expect and they aren’t generally in those hair vitamins- then your hair will not grow long. If you don’t exercise regularly then you will have poor circulation and will also be prone to eat badly. If you don’t sleep enough then your body including your hair will be under stress.
your regimen is the problem…
The problem is not that you can’t grow your hair. The problem you have is retaining the hair that you grow. Therefore, something in your haircare practice is off! You need to keep trying different things, until you find a regimen that works well for your hair type. The fact that it is breaking off so easily tells me that you may have fine, fragile hair, not thick hair. This means that you have to be extra careful with it or it will break off. Many women suffer from this issue and not all of them have super kinky hair. Kinky does not necessarily means your hair is thick. There is a difference!
It’s one thing to feel insecure, but to be willing to drag everyone else down because of it? Ok. You’ve had trouble keeping your length. That’s a personal insecurity. If you just comfort yourself with lies trying to act like all the black women on this site are secretly biracial, you’re never going to have the right attitude to fix your problem. I wish people would stop stomping on their own people as an excuse to avoid getting their crap together.
I really loved this. ”Are you mixed?” Isn’t the question behind everything. The email is almost sorta self hating or attacking. Black women can be beautiful without being ”exotic”
I know! She kept pushing how sure she was that she had to be mixed and how you can only grow long hair if you’re mixed.
Regarding point #1—and maybe even #2: Any Urban Bushbabe followers around? I was looking at some of Elle’s old vlog posts from 2011 when I saw one by Cipriana linked to the end of one of Elle’s. I remembered Cipriana’s side bun that was larger than the head it grew out of, and I checked to see if she was still posting. I found some vlog posts of her and a twin I didn’t know she had. So I started watching.
The post I saw was Cipriana interviewing her twin. In it, Cipriana informed her intended audience that, although she and her twin are “identical” (the correct term is monozygotic, and they do look it for the most part), their hair is different in strand thickness: Cipriana’s is fine, whereas her sister’s is coarse.
If not even monozygotic siblings can be depended upon to have the exact same hair type, then there is zero reason for the e-mailer, or anyone else, to even think of depending on someone else’s DNA to be an indication of how her own hair is going to potentially be. And any geneticist worth her salt will tell you that, in most any situation where both predisposition and behavior are factors together, behavior tends to trump predisposition. In other words, any hair that is optimally nurtured will thrive. But it is up to the hair’s owner to discover how best to do that. And you can do that without knowing squat about someone else’s DNA.
Very well said.
Your second point made me think of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A6Bu96ALOw
That is hilarious! I had to watch it a few times :-). Wonder who she heard say that . . . .
I wondered the same thing too. She is so spirited and determined to get it done all by herself. It always amazes me when young children exhibit strong character traits.
This has got to be one of the most adorable things ever in LIFE! 😀
To the subject: Frankly I’ve lost patience with folks who are still holding on to these antiquated and ignorant ideas. People really think my wash day lasts a whole day and when I tell them I can go from 0 to 100 in under 90 minutes they act like I’m crazy. And nobody would ever look at me and say I have “European ancestry” even though it’s been demonstrated that the vast majority of AAs who are descended from enslaved Africans have some European ancestry. So if it was all about having the “right” (ahem, “white”) genes then why don’t more AA women have longer hair? Can we say “improper hair care”? I knew we could…
At this point there’s only so much educating I’m willing to do. Y’all go ‘head on though…
Well, all I can say to this person is that, no matter what you are, you have the ability to grow your hair longer than you expect. You just have to have patience, be open minded and continue to explore different techniques and products until you figure it out. It may not be mid back or waist length hair due to one’s genetic make up and or terminal length(if you believe in that) but as long as you are healthy and apply both gentle and healthy hair care practices, you can maintain a head full of beautiful healthy hair no matter the length or density. Long lengths does not equate beauty or having a successful hair journey, it is just a preference. Healthy hair is beautiful hair. Being able to attain and maintain healthy hair no matter the length is what makes it your success.
In the beginning we all came from Africa, evolution has played a major part in how whites, Asians, Africans and everyone in between came to be what they are today. Technically we’re all African and all related we all share 99.9% of the same DNA that 1% makes you, you. Color was made up a long time ago to keep us against each other. Wish more people would open there eyes to this. Some peoples hair grows faster or slower than others, it has nothing to do with color of skin.
I wish I could give you a thousand likes! I take umbridge that she mentioned that it is scientifically proven that afro-textured hair is more prone to breakage. Who did they study? What origins did they have? How is that possible when the original DNA is the dominate DNA? Can DNA replicate to make itself stronger????
That is just dumb. My family name is Spanish. Ok waaaaaaay down many generations I’m Spanish, but I’m also a mixture of other ethnic backgrounds, but my hair is thick mostly 4a, so why the heck is your background such an issue? I am so embarrassed for her. Girl just do your hair. If you like her technique and it works for you then use it; it doesn’t make you any less black. “Please send me a picture so I know your African”… Are you serious?! Crying shame. I have picked up some haircare regimens and products from non Africans so what does it matter? Some of it works better then what some people maybe demonstrating. If it works for my hair then I use it.
Family surname and your genes can have nothing to do with each other thanks to colonisation and slavery.
I been a lurker on this site forever. Also notice she didn’t say yes or no about her white dna. I believe even if you do lean more to African dna your hair may not, but only in looks. Thats why you have some who are dark skinned with long flowing afro textured hair. I been trying to get my own hair to at least my shoulders for how many years? All I get is endless amount of what combs are best, best products, or trim your hair then stop trimming so much, breakage this and that when other races even with damaged hair its still grows. I thini her email was honest and not being rude or mean. I wonder the same thing. I wish they post a pure raced blk woman whose hair reaches hip length then maybe I’ll try again. This site is like hair porn for non blacks.
Woman, you need to stop. Black women grow long hair. YOU don’t know how to grow YOUR hair. Stop making these silly comments like: “I believe even if you do lean more to African dna your hair may not, but
only in looks. Thats why you have some who are dark skinned with long
flowing afro textured hair.”
So just because people get frustrated because they cant grow their hair long fast enough, every black women who has long hair must have white ancestors now??? Come on, we all get frustrated at times, but just assuming black women with long hair have all white ancestors is a bit of a stretch.
Yea there is this thing called slavery that many of us can’t really do too much about at this point. Could she have some white/other dna. Possibly, but in all fairness so could you! That doesn’t really matter. I know for a fact that I do but I too use to suffer with hair that kept breaking off and wouldn’t budge. But you know what I did? Instead of looking into someone’s DNA I actually started to implement those combs, best products, trims and anti breakage practices onto my nappy/kinky hair and low and behold it grew! Buying into the myth is the reason some people are stuck. They have an oh well moment and continue bad hair care practices because obviously black people can’t grow their hair out so why try. Instead of questioning her racial purity ask her what her wash day is like, or how did she stop breakage?
Right, but my hair dna leans more black vs hers. My hair is about to bring me to tears its pointless. It is her dna. And its not always slavery mix races existed before and after and present. Everyone needs to do a dna test and post the results. Those who have 50 percent Asian dna should be giving advice to those.
If you are trolling for laughs I’m afraid the jokes on you. You don’t even make any sense. If all of us were mixed with some special sauce that grew tons of hair weave companies would not be cashing many checks lol. Alot of us so called “mixed” women struggle the same as you. I did for a short bit but I eventually got it together. But if you are serious you should join a hair forum, not a blog and find yourself a hair care regimen that works. Talk to other naturals and ask VERY detailed questions. Forget their DNA. You mentioned detangling under water( why cold ???) in the shower below and that alone can cause some breakage for some. You just need a better plan.
Did you just say “everyone needs to do a DNA test and post the result” you dey crase or were you being sarcastic?
How do you know that? Genes express themselves in different ways.
I’m so sorry you’re having hair issues. I’m sure we’ve all been there, but don’t you think calling for ppl to post their DNA results is taking things a bit too seriously? That wouldn’t matter anyway, because two ppl with the SAME EXACT GENETIC MAKEUP can have two TOTALLY different heads of hair, as well as different skin tone! My sis and I have the same mom and dad, but she’s lighter than I am with more of a “3b/c” curl pattern, while I have hair that is much kinkier. She wishes her hair were more like mine so she can have more of a variety of hair styling options, but I wish mine were just as manageable as hers. Love the hair that God blessed you with. He made you exactly how he wanted you 🙂
If you truly believe all of this, then why are you arguing with us! If you believe your hair cannot grow, you’re right! End of discussion! Accept it and move on with your life! Stop complaining about how no one else is as pure Black as you! Be proud of your “pureness” and keep it moving! Stop complaining!
Some Black people actually have White ancestors due to colonial officers/administrators taking “local” wives as well as having a wife back at “home”.
Hair porn for non-Blacks? Are you kidding me? Whoever sent her this e-mail is obviously someone who has bought into the stereotypes and made up assumptions about Black women’s hair. Have you ever heard of the word ‘experiment?’ Perhaps you need to look that up, because that is a word that is frequently mentioned on a lot of Black hair care websites, vlogs, and blogs. You have to find a regimen that will work for you. Since you didn’t mention what you’re currently doing to your hair, I can only tell you that it doesn’t appear to be working, and you need to take a look at what you’re doing and take it from there. This means not only trying various products, but also by paying attention to how your hair responds to whatever you use and how you choose to handle it. Once you do, then you will begin to see some results, but don’t expect it to happen overnight. I’ve been natural since 1999, when youtube, Curly Nikki, BGLH, and others weren’t around to offer advice. It wasn’t until 2011 that I FINALLY found a hair care regimen (thanks to the aforementioned) that I hit my stride, and I have FINALLY been able to go past my collar bone to bra strap length, the longest my hair has EVER been. When you get the chance, go onto youtube and look up Fusion of Cultures. This vlog features a young lady who’s Ghanaian, and she has beautiful NATURAL hair.
Right I did the experiments and almost became broke where I couldn’t afford a taco bell meal one day. Ok what are you doing? It seems many are in denial about dna and hair. I took your advice and went on YouTube. Not all Africans are pure racially blk. Like ethopian people will have long unkinky hair, and their features are different too. They look
Like a black and a india person got together. Ghana people I have to look into their background.
No offense but “Fusion of cultures” aka Layla may be from Ghana but that doesnt mean that she necessarily is full-blooded black African. Northern ghanains, who are Muslims, are mixed with arabs, thus the often looser hair texture, different facial features etc. Her Muslim name lets me conclude that her roots are probably in northern ghana.
I know this cause im half south ghanaian and have the kinkiest hair. My half sister on the contrary is half nothern/Muslim Ghanaian (thus mixed with arab) and has soft type 3 hair.
Btw: i also Support the view that Full blooded africans from the negroid race always have 4c hair (ethopeans,eritreans etc do not count cause they are mixed with arabs as well as Italians due to
former colonization).
African americans on the contrary, as dark as some may be, are mixed with europeans and native americans.
Educate yourself!
The only ethnic groups that are “pure” are the uncontacted tribes that you find in South America. Every ethnic group from Africa has mixed, and some of that mixing started long before slavery and colonisation.
whoa…
LOL.
@Christina OMG! Lol thats so weird how northern Ghanians are muslims cause its the same in Nigeria! Northern Nigerians tend to be mixed too (some with arabs, but some with people from Chad, Niger, Mali etc). And yeah they tend to have a looser curl pattern as well – type 3 kind of hair. If you put a bunch of Nigerians together you could definitely spot a northern girl. Lol wow I didn’t know it was the same in Ghana.
Although I would say in the case of Nigeria, most northerners tend to be of fulani ethnicity. And fulani’s tend to move around a lot (you find them in many African countries) but I think they originated in N.Africa/ the middle east. I might be wrong though… That would explain the ethnicity of Northern Nigerians/Ghanians
I get what you mean about the 4c thing, but its difficult to explain to people who aren’t from these places. Like I can always tell if someone is from East Africa (Ethiopia, Eriteria), West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria), or Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana), just by looking at them. Theres a difference in skin texture and, like you pointed out, hair type too. Northern and East african girls tend to have looser hair textures. I guess its something to do with geography,I dunno. Ive never seen a Nigerian girl from the south/east with anything but type 4 hair for instance (unless they are mixed).
I also sort of get where the lady in the email is coming from (although I dont agree with her). It must be frustrating for some, but I was once like her (thinking you had to be mixed with something to have long, healthy hair) so I wont judge.
And just for the record, I think all hair types are beautiful!!!! I am type 4c and proud of it. And I also know people with this type of hair to have the most envious locks ever. But please guys don’t be too harsh… I don’t think she meant any harm.
Yes,its funny How it is the Same in Nigeria.
I also find it funny how african americans who have Never been to african and dont know Anything about it Point at “Full-blooded” african women with long hair who are actually mixed themselves.
Every african knows the difference between Full blooded africans (with 4c hair) and Those with a history of Mixing.
Dont get me wrong,i love my hair too,but im also beeing realistic and accurate when its coming to historical facts (in contrast to Most americans ;)).
*gives this comment the side eye*
“Pure raced”??? U sound like the Aryan Nation…As dangerous as their purifucation & separtist theories are, hearing this from another black woman to another blk woman is sad to say the least. i feel sorry for you.
Im not pro pure race in that way. I’m being honest about why its hard for me and many other black women to grow our hair. I met a stranger at the beauty store and she mentioned why she don’t come to this site is because she tried. We all tried. And hair pretty much the same years later.
Another factor preventing your hair from thriving could be underlying health conditions (see your doctor) or lifestyle choices (unhealthy diet, lack of water intake etc.). If you take care of the inside it will show on the outside.
I don’t see why she didn’t just answer the question. The woman doesn’t need to be lectured about the fact that non-mixed black women can grow long hair. Why would she be looking for advice about how to grow her hair at all if she didn’t think it was possible? She was asking the author if SHE was one of those women, or if her hair is long because that’s what runs in her family.
Nappilynigeriangirl.blogspot.com Natural Nigerian. Lushstrands. Google them. I dont know how much more ‘black’ you want to get, but they are it and they have all have long, healthy hair.
*le sigh* this conversation is getting boring as hell.
“Pure” Africans bloggers with LONG hair
JoStylin – Nigerian
BeautiFroHair – Nigerian
FusionofCultures – Ghanaian (and Egyptian I think)
Geraldine the Great – Nigerian
Girlslovecurls – Ghanaian
Cookie’s Real Hair Care – Nigerian
AuCurls Naturelle – South African (but I think she is half Ghanaian and something else)
Latifatumi – Nigerian
Chinwe – Nigerian
Please feel free to add to this list.
How many years HAVE you been trying?My hair grows slower than average but even then it didn’t take more than 3 years to get to shoulder length. You might think about seeing a dermatologist and getting a checkup. More often than not the problem is internal and health related.
Step 1.) Learn your hair.
Step 2.) Understand your texture and type. It doesn’t have to be exact.
Step 3.) Figure out what’s best for YOUR hair. Everyone’s hair is different.
Step 4.) Experiment. If it works keep doing if it doesn’t? Stop and try something else until it works.
Step 5.) Make a regimen that works for YOU!! Once again this is about you, not about anyone else. Worry about your hair and only your hair!!
Step 6.) Learn to love and accept your hair type for what it is and learn to work with it. Don’t force your hair to do something it doesn’t want to do.
P.S. If any of that doesn’t work figure out if it’s your lifestyle that needs to be fixed. More water, more exercise, maybe and underlying health issue.
i thought sera2544 is from sierra leone? and geraldine the great from nigeria? and fusion of cultures also from the west side of the continent? and au curls naturelle is from the continent as well? these are youtubers i speak of. and there’s a good number of others, too. i have type 3 hair but if i don’t take meticulous care of my hair, it won’t get past BSL without lookin raggedy and me having to cut it back to shoulder length.
c’mon now homegirl….
S.I.G.H. …UGH!
Cassandre that course sounds pretty good! If I were newly natural and lost I would sign up for that.
I think we can dispel these myths by taking better care of our hair and stop whining about what it can’t do and start focusing on what it can do. Our hair can grow long if we are willing to put in the basics of healthy hair care that is suitable for afro textured hair. We have got to stop being lazy and looking for quick fixes. And I have no idea why black eople think other races don’t struggle with their hair. I have heard some things and believe me the grass is not greener on the other side.
I also hate that many are equating long hair with beauty. Kinky nappy 4b/4c hair doesn’t grow down it grows up and out. As a person who doesn’t straighten my hair or wear it stretched 24/7 I would be discouraged if I went around believing my hair was not making progress because look the typical “long”. That myth alone is one that can throw some black women if they are not use to their natural hair yet.
Black is strong. Black is smart. Black is proud. Black is beautiful.
My brother and I have conversations about this topic very often. Black Americans often hold themselves back by subscribing to the negative stereotypes that the media or dominant culture have labeled us with. If you’re an educated black person who talks properly, you’re “white”. If you’re black and gorgeous, you’re mixed or “exotic”. If you’re a middle-class black person, you don’t know “the struggle”. Black Americans need to shed these negative stereotypes and images. As individuals, we are the thoughts in our own minds. If you think negatively about yourself and your own people, you become this image. Think positively. Take your cup filled with poison and place it underneath a stream of spring water. Fill your cup with positivity.
Amen.
“If you think negatively about yourself and your own people, you become this image”
Try following your own advice.
As a “Black American” I speak ONLY FOR MYSELF! You and your brother should stop generalizing a large and diverse group of people with a diagnosis and treatment based on your own myopic experiences.
Lol I don’t know where your hostility comes from. One best not make any statements ever about groups on the **aggregate**, lest they be accused of ignoring a few exceptions. /sarcasm. Stop acting ignorant of the current state of black Americans.
I just…. can’t. Okay throw out all the history and science books ever written because there may be one exception. By your logic, don’t dare say that whites enslaved blacks in America (USA) because it was actually only a handful of super wealthy whites in the south. Yomen farmers didn’t even have slaves and were enslaved themselves according to the class structure…….You know exactly what I mean by what I originally posted. I can’t write a dissertation about the internalized racism among black Americans. This is a blog post, woman, not my PhD research essay.
Among the MANY individuals, like the one who posted the letter in question, good traits in a black person are not even black traits They are white traits, even. If a black person is smart, they are more like a white person or an Asian. Because the stereotype for blackness isn’t to be smart. Why this would even be a stereotype that some BLACK AMERICANS to this day perpetuate to OTHER BLACK AMERICANS is evidence of internalized racism. The reason why I qualified blacks by saying black AMERICANS is because black Americans don’t have ties to a history that doesn’t relate directly to white enslavement. Black Nigerians, Black Ghanians, Black Egyptians, Black Zimbabweans can draw from their own histories that emphasize the strength, positivity, and cultural achievements of their people. Black Americans have a history tied heavily into their relationship with whites. Obviously that relationship is not a good one in America even to this day.
True that!!
The thing is it would have maDe her feel better about herself if you were mixed she wou?d have felt better about her hair
yes, as if She needs to be able to say it’s not her “fault” her hair didn’t grow as expected bc the person she idolized is a fake..that lurking in her DNA must be caucasian ancestry so THAT why she’s falling short of her hair goals& why her hair doesn’t behave as Cass does….so sad
I laughed at the “I want to make sure u don’t have … Beccai genes” bit. 😀
But I know a few people who personally believe that all hair products in the “European section” won’t work for afro textured hair.
I’ve even been asked to take back a hair dye I bought for my mom because there was a Hispanic woman on it (and it worked pretty well, turns out).
OMG, the grammar! The spelling!
And yes, Cassandre, great points!
I felt second-hand embarrassment, but pity, too. The poor thing is clearly lacking exposure to some pretty well-known truths. Yes, black people can be beautifully-shaded in hues from the lightest lights to the darkest darks. We can have all sorts of textures — I’ve got several… on one head! Black people can and DO grow long hair lengths, and we can do it whether or not there’s another ethnicity involved.
(Also, it would have been really easy to clown her mercilessly, but you addressed her “worries” in a very clear and non-judgmental way. I am new to your blog and had not followed you before I read this, but I will now. Love your posts!)
LOL! The back of my head is like Mariah Carey’s and the top is like Florida Evans, so I know EXACTLY what you mean! My sis and I have the same mom and dad and her hair is like that of a biracial person while mine is more kinky 🙂 That’s just how it is with Black ppl.
Wow. That is crazy! People who are trying to return natural do have a tendency to compare their hair to others, trying to see how they got their hair the way it is. Very good comeback!
https://realdominoj.wordpress.com/
I am mortified.
Fantastically well stated!
I got second hand embarrassment from this.