How many AA women you know are MBL or WL

[Lita]

Well in my family when I was growing up..Most of the women had MBL and longer,
So long hair was the norm but,know every-one has cut there hair (only a few did not)

Outside my family maybe 5 people with MBL and longer.....



Happy Hair Growing!

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Do you guys think that if AA women take proper care of there hair, that anyone could reach MBL or WL?? I am very curious.

Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs.

You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.

 

[Xavier]

This thread is very interesting but I can honestly say that the white women who I know don't have WL or BSL hair either.

I think the difference is WW usually choose to not wear their hair that long, whereas most AA women don't even think that their hair can grow past APL.

 

[locabouthair]

Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs.

You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.

I'm not doubting black women can grow hair but the reason locs can get so long is because all the shedded hair and broken strands are "stuck" in the loc. Locs are basically an accumulation of shedded and broken strands.

 

[CurlyMoo]

I'm not doubting black women can grow hair but the reason locs can get so long is because all the shedded hair and broken strands are "stuck" in the loc. Locs are basically an accumulation of shedded and broken strands.

But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.

 

[ladysaraii]

Just one. She's natural WL and everytime I see her, her hair is in a bun.

 

[CoilyFields]

I've only known two in my life (and they were kid cousins). Their moms philosophy was, hair is like a plant, you gotta water it for it to grow. And theirs was WL...that is until they got grown and into constantly pressing and relaxing and now its APL and SL.

 

[Anew]

Not speaking of your friends in particular but I wonder if many AA women who that say they don't want MBL/WL hair are saying it because they don't believe it could happen even if they wanted to... sort of a like a self-fulfilling prophesy. "AA women can't grow hair that long anyway so why try."

That's why I put that "say they don't want it" in there, lol..

I believe this could very well be a reason

 

[Wynndie]

3 My aunt, my sister, and a cousin!

 

[panamoni]

I know two.

 

[Taleah2009]

Most definitely! I've seen many people with hair that they say won't grow. Then they get locs, and it magically grows all down their backs.

You hair is always growing. It's the things that you do to it that determine how long it gets.

Interesting. I used to be one of those people who said, my hair just doesnt grow! But duh! its always growing. if it didnt grow, i wouldnt have needed a touchup! but since finding LHCF, (about 2 weeks ago), I am determined to practice pretty hair care. I cant wait to see how long my hair can get!

 

[KhandiB]

I know of 5 .. all full AA

 

[BlkOnyx488]

I know 3 women and all there where their natural, two of them have sister locks.
And I new two teenage twin girls who Mother refused to get them relaxers. their hair was think and pretty and down their backs

 

[beans4reezy]

None! That is so sad!! What does the abbreviation "IRL" stand for? I'm going to get the answer and say "duuhhh" to myself

 

[Harina]

None! That is so sad!! What does the abbreviation "IRL" stand for? I'm going to get the answer and say "duuhhh" to myself

In real life. I don't know any.

 

[fletches]

I can't think of any, but I've seen some black women with what I thought were weaves. It could've been their hair though.

And the women I know are still talking about greasing their scalp. Granted I don't think I'm a hair expert, but most black women don't even have the basics down.

 

[melodies815]

I know 3 in real life with mid-back-length to waist-length hair:

DD's school administrator, DH's cousin, and lady in my church.

cj

 

[yardgirl]

I don't know many AA women. I know one Afro-Jamaican woman who is MBL; she's my coworker.

 

[locabouthair]

But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.

This what I got from Sistaslick's article about terminal length.

The Dreadlocks Question
In discussions about length potential, you often hear folks bring up the fact that dreadlocks grow so long that they must be a testament to the great lengths that we can achieve. I believe in the potential of every black woman to grow their hair to amazing lengths, but dreadlocks are not a good example in this case. While it is true that dreadlocks can and do reach great lengths, there is also a catch. Dreadlocks are unique in that they do not represent true "root to ends" length. They are the accumulation of shed, broken, and growing hairs matted together. Imagine if all of the shed or broken hair you ever had in the span of a year or in a lifetime were woven together! You too would have hair well down your back. This is the science behind loc'ing. Those hairs that are dropped are "locked" into your locs.

Interestingly, there is a process by which locs can successfully be undone or unloc'd, preserving quite a bit of the natural length. But much of the hair is still lost to the process at the end of the day, and waist length or floor length locs simply do not translate into waist length of floor length loose hair.

Here's the link to the article. http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...ngth_and_the_role_of_genetics_pg5.html?cat=69

 

[prospurr4]

Unfortunately, I am the only AA woman I know IRL who has hair longer than BSL....so sad...I feel so blessed to know what I know.

 

[wannabelong]

I am sad to say that I don't know of any.

 

[that_1_grrrl]

This is true. There was a thread a while back about a woman who was thinking about using locs as a protective style. In that post, someone linked to a woman who had... hm... I think classic length locs that she finally decided to take down. Once she did, her hair was about MBL or WL.

I don't think locs are the best method for retaining length though.

But isn't the shedded hair connected to unshed hair and unshed is connected to the scalp? It's all growing or moving together shed and unshed. I think if someone grew their hair in locs to their knees the unshed hair is at least thigh length or at knee length. Because there is very little manipulation so little breakage.

 

[anon123]

My cousin is a natural type 4 with at least hip length hair. I haven't seen her in a long time, but her hair was past bsl the last time I saw her and my mother now reports "down to her booty" hair. She wears it straight 100% of the time.

I know a long hair black girl who is of the 3b type. I don't know how long because she never straightens it. She just cut it to a couple inches below shoulder but it used to be apl-bsl curly.

OP, I know you and you're MBL.

My mother's cousin has long locs.

That's all I can think of for now. That's a lot, considering I don't know many people period. Come to think of it, there are not that many people I know period with hair that long. A couple of Indian girls. One white woman that I can think of off the top of my head. one of my Asian friends was close, and another girl I knew in Korea was probably about bsl-mbl, too. Waist length hair is uncommon in the general population. Most people keep it bsl or shorter.

 

[Desarae]

Only 1 IRL.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

just one. she is the first lady of my church and she is wl. i haven't seen any other black women with hair that long unless they wre loced.​

 

[SherylsTresses]

Hmmmmm:

1. Lynnette, coworker -- MBL
2. My niece Renita (on my fotki), -- MBL (but grows to WL)
3. Shantell, former coworker -- WL
4. Stylist from former salon -- MBL
5. Former employee at Macy's can't remember her name -- MBL
6. Young lady that attends my new salon -- MBL very thick

ETA: What is mixed now days? We all have a little something in us....?

Lynnette and Lady at my curent salon -- maybe interracial but is more AA
Renita -- has Indian mixed in her family (my in-laws all have naturally 3s hair type)
Shantell -- definitely biracial with AA and Caucasian
Former Macy's empl & Lady at previous salon -- black to US standards????

 

[nucienuce1]

Do you know any without locks? They don't count IMO, their hair grows long because they never get rid of the shedded hair.

Yes, I know at least 6 people in my immediate family (cousins) with MBL or Tailbone.

 

[tatiana]

I wouldn't say its the water...Its proper hair care techniques being passed down from generation to generation...

True...I would also add that women I know that have long hair versus those that do not have the tendency to be patience with their hair, are not trendy, be DIYers, they are not looking for a quick fix/magic pill or product, and they have a positive "can-do" attitude towards their hair.

 

[gmw]

I know 8 personally, and I used to take my daughter to shop here in philly, that is no longer there, but at least half of her clientele was MBL or longer.

Make that 10 personally. Add 2 more! At 12 now...

 

[spacetygrss]

I have personally known 1 black (non-mixed) person with WL hair. I've known one who was pushing MBL. That's it. Everyone else was shoulder length or APL if you counted a few stray strands.