Coarse, Fine or What?

[SmilingElephant]

Since we've started putting our hair stats on our little profile thingies...i notice a lot of people have fine hair.

I thought it would be cool to do a poll on coarseness...my hair isn't fine...it's medium and in some areas like the front is coarse. The strands are either the thickness or a regular piece of thread or slightly thicker.

What about you?

 

[NappyNelle]

My hair is very, very, very fine. When straightened, it can give the "webby" appearance.

Fine Strand, Coarse Strand, and a Strand of Thread.

One half of a piece of sewing thread is about the thickness of a medium strand size of human hair. If you hair strand appears larger than this, then your strand size is thick. If you hair is smaller than the split thread, then your hair strand is fine. If you want to compare your hair strand to a split piece of thread, it can be done by moving the thread back and forth between your thumb and forefinger holding the free end taut.

• Fine strands tend to need more protein based products and conditioners to strengthen and protect the hair.
• Medium strands can alternate protein and moisturizing products and conditioners.
• Thick strands tend to need more moisture based products and conditioners to add flexibility and protection to the hair.

Coarse is more of a texture than a strand size in my opinion.

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

My hair is fine and individual strands are not thick they are skinny

 

[ms.blue]

My hair is meduim density w/ a mix of medium fine to medium coarse strands.

 

[Duff]

I'm a fine gal too

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

Sheesh I missed the message about putting your hair stats on your profile. Which thread was this in?

 

[greenandchic]

Medium to fine. Like my curl pattern, the thickness of my hair varies.

 

[Seraphina]

I said medium fine. My strands aren't nearly as strong as I'd like. But people often assume it's coarser than it is because I have so much of it.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I have tightly coily texture, a high density of strands and VERY coarse individual strands, if I dont condition it to the max and keep it stretched, it will feel wiry to the touch, its very annoying to deal with in terms of detangling and styling but the upside is I can put it through the ringer in terms of heat and my hair will still keep on truckin, maintain its coil pattern and for the most part, retain.

 

[IMFOCSD]

Medium strand gal checkin in

 

[30something]

Coarse, its pretty resistance to heat and damage by heat. You guys do not want to know how many passes I use to straighten my hair.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

Fine weak strands but henna seems to be helping.

 

[virtuenow]

I have thick/coarse strands, like thread. I thought all black people had thick strands until I came here.

 

[virtuenow]

My hair is very, very, very fine. When straightened, it can give the "webby" appearance.

Fine Strand, Coarse Strand, and a Strand of Thread.

One half of a piece of sewing thread is about the thickness of a medium strand size of human hair. If you hair strand appears larger than this, then your strand size is thick. If you hair is smaller than the split thread, then your hair strand is fine. If you want to compare your hair strand to a split piece of thread, it can be done by moving the thread back and forth between your thumb and forefinger holding the free end taut.

• Fine strands tend to need more protein based products and conditioners to strengthen and protect the hair.
• Medium strands can alternate protein and moisturizing products and conditioners.
• Thick strands tend to need more moisture based products and conditioners to add flexibility and protection to the hair.

Coarse is more of a texture than a strand size in my opinion.

What do you mean by the bolded. Are those just instructions on how to split a thread in half? Also, coarse refers to the size and texture of hair. I looked it up a long time ago b/c I thought it only referred to texture. Anyway, the thickest hairs on my head feel like wires. The hair can appear webby when straight also.

 

[virtuenow]

Sheesh I missed the message about putting your hair stats on your profile. Which thread was this in?

pre_medicalrulz http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=620811

 

[nzeee]

I have thick/coarse strands, like thread. I thought all black people had thick strands until I came here.

true. most people think 'typical' black hair is coarse and strong as all hell.

when our hair is the most fragile on the planet and many people appear to be fine stranded as well. just a faulty stereotype that everyone's internalized i guess.
​

i have mostly coarse some medium strands.

BlackMasterPiece i've always wanted to ask this but didn't know who to ask or where to ask it but since you're coarse too (and super hair knowledgeable) i'll ask it here: does your hair sometimes feel sharp? it's hard to explain, but like if you rub it the wrong way (rubbing up instead of down) you could get cut? like a paper cut? because i often feel this w/ my thickest strands and it's a little disturbing frankly. is it something i'm doing to my hair or is this a characteristic of thick/coarse hair?

/endthreadhijack

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

I have fine strands in the front, medium in the middle, and coarse in back and in the temple area. The sides and back clump, while the front and middle are frizzy and poofy. *sigh*

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

BlackMasterPiece i've always wanted to ask this but didn't know who to ask or where to ask it but since you're coarse too (and super hair knowledgeable) i'll ask it here: does your hair sometimes feel sharp? it's hard to explain, but like if you rub it the wrong way (rubbing up instead of down) you could get cut? like a paper cut? because i often feel this w/ my thickest strands and it's a little disturbing frankly. is it something i'm doing to my hair or is this a characteristic of thick/coarse hair?

/endthreadhijack

Hey nzeee My hair can feel very rough and wiry if I leave it in an overly dry state, or leave it shrunken too long. I have to keep it stretched and moisturized in order to feel some softness when I touch it so thats what I'd advise you to do.

 

[nzeee]

BlackMasterPiece WOW! such quick hair rescue service! i'm gonna have to call on you more often ;o)

thanks for the tip. i thought i moisturized just enough but i guess i'm still lacking (frankly deep down i know i don't do it often, only a couple times a week after a cowash, but i thought i could get by, you know? clearly my hair disagrees tho)

 

[SmilingElephant]

true. most people think 'typical' black hair is coarse and strong as all hell.

when our hair is the most fragile on the planet and many people appear to be fine stranded as well. just a faulty stereotype that everyone's internalized i guess.
​

i have mostly coarse some medium strands.

BlackMasterPiece i've always wanted to ask this but didn't know who to ask or where to ask it but since you're coarse too (and super hair knowledgeable) i'll ask it here: does your hair sometimes feel sharp? it's hard to explain, but like if you rub it the wrong way (rubbing up instead of down) you could get cut? like a paper cut? because i often feel this w/ my thickest strands and it's a little disturbing frankly. is it something i'm doing to my hair or is this a characteristic of thick/coarse hair?

/endthreadhijack

I know you were asking BMP but my hair is like this! When its straightened especially...it feels like it's sticking me in my neck and shoulders. I think Shadiyah told me her hair was like this too.

I've never been cut by it but i have nearly gotten blisters on my fingers trying to braid(cornrow) it

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Medium over here

 

[SmilingElephant]

So now...i wish i could redo the thread poll bc it would be interesting to know what the longest length everybody's hair has ever been. I honestly believe retention has a lot to do with the coarseness of the hair strands bc like a previous poster said....i can do almost anything to my hair and it still thrives....but i choose not to

It seems to grow fast...but i think i'm just retaining pretty much all of my growth just bc my strands are strong. I believe i get the average growth per month. This is interesting to me.

 

[NappyNelle]

^ I completely agree with this. Anecdotally, Asian descended people have the thickest individual strands, and it seems as if their hair can grow longer, faster, without much damage.

 

[RainyDaze]

I have medium and fine strands.

 

[SmilingElephant]

^ I completely agree with this. Anecdotally, Asian descended people have the thickest individual strands, and it seems as if their hair can grow longer, faster, without much damage.

Same thing i was thinking Now...i will say the worse thing i ever did to my hair was triple process it with bleach/color/relaxer and only the nape fell out....yet...it didn't take long for my nape to grow back. Other than that i rarely have a huge setback and i believe it's because of my medium-coarse strands.

 

[Embyra]

Medium-coarse my hair only feels wire like if i have had a bad run in with protein treatments

I also think the thickness of your hair will also relate to how you retain elle (denimpixie) is a perfect example of this

 

[KiWiStyle]

I have very fine hair. I have to try this henna stuff I keep reading about, many of you use it to thicken your strands.

 

[nzeee]

I know you were asking BMP but my hair is like this! When its straightened especially...it feels like it's sticking me in my neck and shoulders. I think Shadiyah told me her hair was like this too.

I've never been cut by it but i have nearly gotten blisters on my fingers trying to braid(cornrow) it

SmilingElephant what a relief to find more people who experience this!! it's so weird to me that strands could be so lethal. LOL @ your cornrow blisters when detangling after a DC, which is when i handle my hair the most, i always have to doge potential hair-wire cuts. bizarre, right?

and also i read what you said about asian hair (IMO east asian specifically) having the coarsest hair on average and that it likely contributes to their rapid hair growth. ITA, but also think the straightness is the biggest part of that. kinky and curly folk are more likely to experience breakage. the curlier/kinkier the more break potential. this is why for our hair to thrive (coarse or fine) we have to use low manipulation and/or protective styles where as many asians can just breathe and and have hair in the butt cracks

ETA: i meant 'down to' their butt cracks not 'in' their butt cracks

 

[ATLcutey20]

I have medium coarse hair.

 

[SmilingElephant]

SmilingElephant what a relief to find more people who experience this!! it's so weird to me that strands could be so lethal. LOL @ your cornrow blisters when detangling after a DC, which is when i handle my hair the most, i always have to doge potential hair-wire cuts. bizarre, right?

and also i read what you said about asian hair (IMO east asian specifically) having the coarsest hair on average and that it likely contributes to their rapid hair growth. ITA, but also think the straightness is the biggest part of that. kinky and curly folk are more likely to experience breakage. the curlier/kinkier the more break potential. this is why for our hair to thrive (coarse or fine) we have to use low manipulation and/or protective styles where as many asians can just breathe and and have hair in the butt cracks

ETA: i meant 'down to' their butt cracks not 'in' their butt cracks

You know what...you have a point there!

And LMAO at them growing hair IN their butt cracks!!! lawd!

But even with curly hair....okay or instance...i don't experience breakage when i use my shower comb (in the shower of course)....but i read that a lot of curlies do experience breakage with a shower comb and so they resort to simply fingercombing. So its still very different even with curly/kinky hair.