Black women DO have long hair

Well I've lived in Philly all of my life. A lot of the women I see wear wigs and weaves but I grew up with a lot of black girls with long, thick hair and where I live and work I see women with long hair nowadays. It's not a majority but we are here.
 
Locs were just the quickest example to prove how long natural hair can get that I came up with. Honestly, since most BW don't wear natural hair and type 4s are even less likely since that hair requires more patience to work with, there are very few women to use an example as of having natural waist length hair. Do you know how hard it is to maintain just 6 inches of natural 4b hair? Now consider 30 or more inches of that? LMAO

However, there are some 4b girls on here with either pressed waist length hair or relaxed hair. I was shocked myself, but it does happen and that has lots to do with their styling methods and genetics.

Is brastrap 4b length hair and even longer something achievable for most 4b girls, I think so if they want to baby their hair and not get a real haircut for a couple of years.

My main point is that we all have pretty much the same potential and growth rate, yet our challenges in retaining length are unique to our particular hair type and genetic makeup.
 
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MonaLisa said:
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Carlie said:
I live in NY and my hair growth has absolutely nothing to do with dominican salons...and I don't drink the water here either. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

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Carlie...ur superhairgrowin girl...some of us need help out here! LOL...and for the record...I don't drink the water neigher...thank gawd for Poland Spring... /images/graemlins/guiness.gif

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...yep, I'm a bottled-only kind of gal! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
K, I'm going to throw out a crazy idea, but when the initial comment was made regarding water, I thought that the person was referring to hard-water vs soft-water.

For instance, water in Cali has more minerals in it...it's harsher, than water in NY.

I didn't take the post to mean the drinking water, but I could be wrong.
 
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itismehmmkay said:
I'm in the South and for some reason ppl over-process hair down here. I'm thinking that everyone is so old-school down here and stuck on "good" hair and straight hair that "acts right". It's like, if your hair has more than a slight wave, then we need to do whatever to get it straight, even if that means over-processing for 30+ minutes. Now, if you have coarse strands and survive the process, then you're lucky. But some of us have med-fin strands and get the same time...and are just stuck out if we go to salons. /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif

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Exactly the same situation here. I rarely see any Black women with longer than shoulder-length hair. It is usually "fried, dyed..." The emphasis here in southern WV is on style versus health, so the hair suffers. /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif

Buns or other protective stlyes are scarce and it is almost a sin to have any kind of a wave or curl in your hair (your have naps - you need a perm!) unless you just happen to have "good hair" and wear it natural.

I also think access to quality products is another factor that has to be considered. When the closest BSS is in the next county, and local stores carry limited quantity hair products, you have to make do with what you have -- even if it is substandard.
 
ITA! I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and I had brastrap length hair. I didn't think twice about it because it didn't seem unusual because alot of women (like you and many others have mentioned) have long hair in NY. I agree, I think it's the water. I moved to the South and alot of the black women that I see with long hair have weaves. I don't get it. And when I lived in NYC, I used some of the cheapest products on the market. VO5 Shampoo/Con and LeKair Cholesterol (Orange color)were my staples and my hair was beautiful, and very healthy.

Also, I've noticed that women in the city were eager to share ideas about hair care and salons to visit. But, for some reason (maybe it's just the area that I'm in) no one wants to share any knowledge about hair. I would view anyone asking me for hair advice as a compliment! But, I've received really strange looks and basically "I don't remember" answers whenever I ask about hair salons, products, styles, etc. from locals. I am so thankful for this website!! /images/graemlins/clap.gif
 
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neijon said:
ITA! I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and I had brastrap length hair. I didn't think twice about it because it didn't seem unusual because alot of women (like you and many others have mentioned) have long hair in NY. I agree, I think it's the water.

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/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif I hear several of you ladies say it's the water in NY...maybe that water should be bottled and sold, you know?
 
Isis, I don't think that it's the consumption of the water, but I do believe that depending on geographic location, the water may be hard, having more chemicals in it. This, I think has an impact on the hair and skin.
 
When I was a girl, myself and many of my friends had very long, thick hair. As the years passed, we all experimented with cutting, chemicals and heat. From that point on, it's been an uphill battle for some of us. So, we had the hair. We just did a lot of unhealthy things to cause us to be in the situation we're in now, although I'm really progressing.
 
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dannie_19 said:
I saw a black girl w/ waist length hair at whole foods once. She was a 4a/b and she said she pressed and washed her hair once a month. It was super pretty.

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Here in North Carolina, I saw a soror of mine with waist-length hair that she tossed like nobody's business. I'm not hating because if I get there you'd better believe I will be tossing too. /images/graemlins/cool.gif I asked her whether she was relaxed and she told me that she was natural and got her hair "blown" out, no pressing even. I wish that I could do this but because my hair is really tightly curled it won't even hold a press. By the end of the day my hair is huge. That's why I am going back to relaxed hair. Well, one of the reasons anyway...I plan to grow my hair at least to bra-strap and if possible to waist length. /images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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Xerxes said:
LOL!!

Well, it's about time! /images/graemlins/clap.gif Now I'm wondering if my old relaxed hair turned any heads! And how come I never went to a Dominican salon? LMAO /images/graemlins/grin.gif

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I mean, can I just get a Dominican salon in Charlotte, NC?!?! /images/graemlins/wallbash.gif
 
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Premierepearl08 said:
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dannie_19 said:
I saw a black girl w/ waist length hair at whole foods once. She was a 4a/b and she said she pressed and washed her hair once a month. It was super pretty.

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I know what you mean. I had a friend in NJ who washed her hair 1x/2 months (yes every 2 months!), and pressed it only after it was washed. It was past brastrap length, jet black, super thick probably 5b! And it was beautfiul! /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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webby said:
Isis, I don't think that it's the consumption of the water, but I do believe that depending on geographic location, the water may be hard, having more chemicals in it. This, I think has an impact on the hair and skin.

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Thank you Webby. Then the solution is easier (don't know how much it costs though). It means installing a water softener shower head to get the same results. /images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif
 
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webby said:
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MonaLisa said:
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Shinka said:
Most NYC women know the key to growing hair is to get a rollerset weekly by domicans.

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LOL...Another affirmation of the weekly Dominican rollerset!
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I am living proof that you can learn to do it yourself. For the first time in my life, I'm no longer a hostage of the Dominican Salons /images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Hey Webby!!! I don't wanna be a hostage no more!!!
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I can't roll my hair properly with those clips.... wrong placement maybe? Then my hair can't fit under either of my hairdryers.
 
Maybe I need to try a dominican salon. I notice a lot of black women with beautiful, long hair. Since I sported a lot of weaves in my life, I am a pretty good detector. All in all in the Washingon D.C. area you have a combo of weaves and long hair females.

This weekend I was looking at the women in my family both sides. They had nice healthy hair but mostly relaxed. My cousin and I are growing our perms out.
 
Long healthy hair is not uncommon among women of color. My hair is long and layered. The front comes to my chest the back about 2 inches above my waist AND I live in Philly. LOL

I think hair length depends on so many factors; genetics, diet, health, stress, chemical damage, products, medications (esp. contraceptives)but I think a decent length is achievable for anyone.

I know I noticed my hair grew the most when I stopped the chemical treatments and took multi-vitamins, calcium and folic acid each day.
 
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WhenDovesCry said:
Long healthy hair is not uncommon among women of color. My hair is long and layered. The front comes to my chest the back about 2 inches above my waist AND I live in Philly. LOL

I think hair length depends on so many factors; genetics, diet, health, stress, chemical damage, products, medications (esp. contraceptives)but I think a decent length is achievable for anyone.

I know I noticed my hair grew the most when I stopped the chemical treatments and took multi-vitamins, calcium and folic acid each day.

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Doves cry- I am hoping my hair will have the same result. I think the perming really has thinned my hair and slowed the growth.
 
Sbaker, it's fascinating that some ppl can get a relaxer and their hair takes off, while others suffer from chemical damage.

My mother and I are perfect examples of that phenom. I can grow my hair out nicely with a relaxer, and consistent heat (rollerset/blowdry). My mother on the other hand, can get a mild relaxer, no heat...just air dry her rollerset and she will still get thinning.
 
glad to see that someone in philly has long hair. its still and ooohhh and ahhh affect when i see someone here with long hair /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif
 
Honeydrop215:

Keep in mind Philly was famous for adopting the Toni Braxton pixie and Halle Berry's super short bob for about 5 years strong. Now many of them regret it and are now buying boku hair in droves since the "in" thing is length and body. Weaves and braids are the major hair damaging culprits. Braids fostering the misconception that they make hair grow. That's like with color your just watching your hair grow from a single starting point instead of guess-timating.
 
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WhenDovesCry said:
Honeydrop215:

Keep in mind Philly was famous for adopting the Toni Braxton pixie and Halle Berry's super short bob for about 5 years strong. Now many of them regret it and are now buying boku hair in droves since the "in" thing is length and body. Weaves and braids are the major hair damaging culprits. Braids fostering the misconception that they make hair grow. That's like with color your just watching your hair grow from a single starting point instead of guess-timating.

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definitely didnt know that /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif most of the women/girls i see have weaves or ponytails and this hasnt changed since i went away and came back /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif
 
i agree that it can be done, but it's still not that common. if it was, people wouldn't be questioning whether someone's hair was a weave or not. i see that here too. if it's so common place, that question wouldn't be asked so much...
 
adrienne0914:

Adrienne I see your point and agree completely. Only most weave questions come because of a lack of common sense...on both parts. My sistahs will buy oriental Yaki silky thinking they are fooling someone. Their eyebrows & side burns are course and they go from 3" to 8" overnight. If a weave is done correctly it wouldn't be questioned, it would be assumed it was their hair.
 
i agree that some people don't get realistic weaves. so then there are questions, but i'm talking more about the threads here on the boards about whether so-and-so has a weave. i don't know how many i've seen on jada alone. so i'm saying if we're all here to grow our hair because we believe we can, why can't we get past that question? s'all i'm sayin... /images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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