Hair Growth/Various Textures...your opinion...

[loverofnaps71]

Greeting lovely ladies!!

I've been noticing something interesting going on with my hair being natural just under two years. I have many different textures, ranging from 3B-3C in the front and 4A-4B on the sides to 3C-4A in the back. I notice that in the front my hair grows the fastest and the longest, while my hair on the sides and on the crown where the type is more 4A-4B, it grows the slowest, even when I straighten it to measure, there's still a major difference in the rate of growth.

So my question is: Has anyone else observed this variation? If so, do you think that various rates of growth have to do with the variation in textures?

I'm just curious. I love my hair and it's never been healthier, but I would like to see it grow more.

Thanks and God bless,

LON71

 

[Armyqt]

I might get blasted for this, but I definitely think that 3 category hair grows faster than the 4s. I see little girls white and black with hair down to their waist. Little mixed girls with long hair, while the little girls withn 4 category hair are around shoulder to midback WHen stretched). And no one can tell me that it's because of the care that is given to the hair because I care for my daughter's hair very well. That's just the way it is.

I've also observed this same thing on adults as well, btw.

 

[ThickHair]

You just have multitextured hair as I do and you just have to live with it. Nothing is wrong that is just the way it is.

 

[SherryLove]

very interesting,Armyqt....Another thing could be maybe it seems as if 3ish hair grows faster because it is straighter and you can see the length more, whereas 4ish hair may grow at the same rate, but because it is more curly, you may not see the length until it is straightened. just a little something to think about....

 

[Armyqt]

I'd have to disagreee Sherrylove. I'm talking about stretched out hair here. My daughter has 4a hair and I really take great care of it. And when strecthed it's about to where her bra-strap would if she had one

. Her friend (3 hair) on the other hand has hair down to her butt and her mother does hardly anything to it. I see this ALL the time. It's rare that I see a child or adult for that matter with 4 hair that is super long. Now I'm not saying it's not possible, but I do think the 3 texture grows faster.

 

[cutebajangirl]

I don't know if I agree with this. I have type 2 sections 4a sections and 4b sections. My 4a grows the most, followed by 4b and bringing up the rear is the type 2 sections. The type 2 sections grows at most 1/2 of what the 4a sections grow.

 

[Armyqt]

[ QUOTE ]
cutebajangirl said:
I don't know if I agree with this. I have type 2 sections 4a sections and 4b sections. My 4a grows the most, followed by 4b and bringing up the rear is the type 2 sections. The type 2 sections grows at most 1/2 of what the 4a sections grow.

[/ QUOTE ]

True, I completely understand this. The back of my hair is like in the 3s and it grows slower than the 4 sections. I never said this theory is SET IN STONE for every case. But generally speaking, this has been my observations. And to add, this is in no way implying that one hair type is better than the other. Just my observation

 

[deeplyrooted]

From what I've noticed, the sections in the front of my hair - the tightest napps - grow in slowest. The back of my hair - loosest part of my hair - grows like wild fire. It'll be interested to compare the difference in about 3 years from now when I'll be natural for 5 years.

 

[Britt]

LON im glad u posted this. Iv'e noticed this for years. My hair is mostly 3c with 4a on the sides by my ears and a bit in my crown. The front sides are soooo soft and silky and fine, like 3b. The softer parts of my hair grow at a much faster rate than the coarser parts and this is not because the coarser part is breaking or unhealthy. My cousins' who have 3b/c hair texture grow hair very very fast and they treat thier hair like crap w/o any effort they can grow some hair! Before I knew about hair typing I've always noticed this.

 

[dannie]

????? Actually my hair varies in textures in the crown and the back. 3b in front and about a 4a/4b in the back. I honestly dont know which grows faster, but the back of my hair is always longer than my front.

I think people with 3ish type hair might have longer growth cycles. But I've also noticed that when my hair starts to grow after a retouch. The front always shows new growth first. Then it's the crown and back area, and finally my sides and edges grow in (both front and back).

But my friends who is hispanic claimed her hair grew so fast. She dyed her hair light brown last April, and never did her roots (I know, I know) and it only grew about 3 inches by the end of the year. I was thinking to myself, "my hair grew faster than yours did this year".

 

[sengschick]

[ QUOTE ]
Armyqt said:
I might get blasted for this, but I definitely think that 3 category hair grows faster than the 4s. I see little girls white and black with hair down to their waist. Little mixed girls with long hair, while the little girls withn 4 category hair are around shoulder to midback WHen stretched). And no one can tell me that it's because of the care that is given to the hair because I care for my daughter's hair very well. That's just the way it is.

I've also observed this same thing on adults as well, btw.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tend to agree, I think it has something to do w/the level of inherent moisture in the hair and 3's seem to have more. But I think the inherent dryness of catergory 4 hair does cause it to be more prone to breakage and that's the difference we see.

I have different hair textures, but I think it all grows @ the same rate. Most of my length actually comes from my crown, where my hair is 3c, but I think it's just stronger and easier to manage, so it breaks less than my sides for example which are more 4a.

 

[sweetiepie]

I think that type 3 hair probably grows faster because it is natural and most times chemical free. I notice that women and girls with long type 4 hair get their hair pressed.

 

[Purtygurly]

I have 3c and 4a... the 4a definitely looks as if it's shorter (more tightly coiled) and breaks off easier, but I wouldn't say that it grows any slower.

My mom has 3b hair and my hair grows faster than hers... my brother has 4b hair and his grows faster than mine, but mine is longer because his breaks off.

I don't think that there is any hair type which grows faster than others, I think that the differences in the amount of growth depends on the individual, not hairtype.

Now the amount of breakage and splits is another thing...

 

[GoingBack]

[ QUOTE ]
Armyqt said:
I'd have to disagreee Sherrylove. I'm talking about stretched out hair here. My daughter has 4a hair and I really take great care of it. And when strecthed it's about to where her bra-strap would if she had one

. Her friend (3 hair) on the other hand has hair down to her butt and her mother does hardly anything to it. I see this ALL the time. It's rare that I see a child or adult for that matter with 4 hair that is super long. Now I'm not saying it's not possible, but I do think the 3 texture grows faster.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to have to agree with you on this on Army. I've thought the same thing for some time now.

 

[Irresistible]

[ QUOTE ]
Armyqt said:
I'd have to disagreee Sherrylove. I'm talking about stretched out hair here. My daughter has 4a hair and I really take great care of it. And when strecthed it's about to where her bra-strap would if she had one

. Her friend (3 hair) on the other hand has hair down to her butt and her mother does hardly anything to it. I see this ALL the time. It's rare that I see a child or adult for that matter with 4 hair that is super long. Now I'm not saying it's not possible, but I do think the 3 texture grows faster.

[/ QUOTE ] she is still young too, my daughters hair seemed to stay one legnth for the longest...the other day i just stretched it out , and i think its longer than mine now *suddenly*

I was in the grocery store yesterday and saw a little girl with 4 textured hair , she couldnt of been more than 8 or 9, her hair looked bone dry , but it was in two braids and longer than my hair or my daughters hair has ever been and fuller....i dont think its texture, i think its genetics or somethin.....cause i have seen quite a few children with 4 textured hair with a gang of thick hair on their heads to their waist.

btw my whole crown wouldnt grow to the rest of the legnth of my hair for years...then somehow it just caught up.

 

[pookeylou]

Yep..I have seen this from the beginning. I dont know what the differnt groups of texture are (4a's 3c's L's O's etc) I just know I have faster rates of growth in differnt areas and coiier areas and looser curls.

 

[aqualung]

[ QUOTE ]
deeplyrooted said:
From what I've noticed, the sections in the front of my hair - the tightest napps - grow in slowest. The back of my hair - loosest part of my hair - grows like wild fire.

[/ QUOTE ]

My growth and texture patterns are the same! The back section will reach bra strap way sooner than the front and sides because of the looser curls and faster growth in the back. There's always much more new growth in the back at touch up time.

 

[DahomeyAhosi]

I have definitely noticed that my coarse 4b hair grows slower than the 4a hair. It's so consistent that I always have to trim the 4a hair so that I don't look funny.

 

[phynestone]

People with 4a/b textured hair just have a harder time retaining length, as opposed to 1s, 2s, and 3s. Our hair strands don't have as many layers to protect from air, heat and harsh products, so it has a tendency to break off quickly. It may be true that 4s don't grow hair as easier as the other hair textures but everyone's hair grows at almost the same rate.

 

[Healthb4Length]

True that people with type 3s tend to retain moisture more than type 4s, but regardless of texture it's all about your heredity. For example, all the women in my family have thick type 4 hair and all of them have long natural waist lenght hair (with or without chemicals). The other side of my family with type 3 hair with no chems I have never seen them with hair longer than shoulder lenght, maybe it's the chemicals and rough handling of hair who knows? But I think that heredity plays a really important role in lenght.

 

[Healthb4Length]

BTW, I know that others have posted this before but I taught I might post this again, did y'all see the woman on this site? www.hairobicsallnatural.com. I think she is a 4.

 

[caralexis2005]

we can see from what others have said that some people's 4 type hair grows faster than their 3 type hair.
For some people its the opposite.
For me, i think it has to do with "hot spots" on individual heads.
My 4a at the back of my head grows much faster than my 3c on the crown of my head. i think its just because of the warmth or heat patterns on my individual head.
Heat (ex. the increased growth in the summer) or natural warmth increases growth. That's why some people who wear hats or scarves all the time experience a faster growth rate (provided they are not using wooly textured hats/scarves).

Also, we had a discussion a while back about different parts of the head growing faster or slower. Some people traced it back to what side they sleep on. For instance, i know that my left side grows faster because i sleep on that side and its warm all night long.

Just some things to factor in.

 

[carrie]

I can only speak from my experience, but I have noticed my 4a/b hair does indeed grow slow. I had highlights added in Sept of 2003, permanent color. I have (straightened out) ALMOST 2" of roots. That is .25" a month as compared to some other ladies with a faster growth rate.

 

[L80sbabygirl]

I don't really think there's a real difference in general at the rates different hair types grow. I don't think it's so much about the length/growth you acquire as much as how much you actually keep. I think type 4 hair is more likely to break and not grow as long b/c it's so fragile, but that doesn't mean it grows at a slower rate.

 

[honeycomb719]

here's a interesting link about hair type's http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1997/makeface/bookhair.html
I think genetics are the key determining factor.

 

[Purtygurly]

I take this post as proof...

Some of us say that our 4a/b hair grows at a slower pace:
loverofnaps71
Britt
megonw
DahomeyAhosi
carrie

Some say that their 4a/b grows fastest:
cutebajangirl
Armyqt
deeplyrooted
aralexis2005

And only little ole me said that they grow the same rate on my head....

To me, this proves how much it depends on the PERSON... not the hair type.

 

[Donda]

Armyqt,

I think I will agree with you, my hair is 3C/4a and I can see a difference.

In the very top and crown of my hair is 3C and it grows 3/4 to an inch a month. Where my very front, sides and back (4a) grows about 1/2 an inch a month. Acctualy the majority of my hair length comes from the top and crown of my hair(it is just at my shoulders when blown straight).

Don't get me wrong I love my 4a hair, it gave me the Bomb afro when it was natural. Where it was my 3c hair that would cause me trouble trying to maintain that style, it would always want to leen to the side LOL.

Why my 4 hair is slower I'm not sure, it could be everything from it being more fragil, to the very gene that causes it to be that tight also results in a slower growth rate. One of my niece's has 3b/3c hair and the other has 3c/4a hair like myself. The 3b/3c niece hair hits her back at 6 years old. Where my 3c/4a niece 3c parts are just about as long as my other niece's 3c parts, however her over all hair length is just at her shoulders at the same age(she has 4a hair in the back like me). Both of them have very healthy hair (I work that stuff child

) It's simply is what it is, when they say everyone grows about an "average" of 1/2 inch a month it is to say some grow slower or faster then that.

However 4 ladies (I'm including myself) don't get down about your hair. If you don't feel good about your self on the inside it won't matter what your hair looks like. Work what you have and make sure you take care of it. If you do that it will all come together.

 

[Valerie]

All of my hair is 4b, what I have noticed that if I rinse my hair every single day, my hair grows very fast, but if I don't my hair length remains the same. I think 4b needs moisture and a lot of it.

 

[NubianAngel]

I agree purtygurly.

 

[Armyqt]

[ QUOTE ]
Valerie said:
All of my hair is 4b, what I have noticed that if I rinse my hair every single day, my hair grows very fast, but if I don't my hair length remains the same. I think 4b needs moisture and a lot of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

ITA