Roll up. Roll up, I’m about to put you through a short lesson all about one thing us black people hold close: our hair.
Disclaimer: there is a scale when judging on the curliness of hair, this article is focusing on 3b-4c.
3b and 3c hair refers to full bodied humidity prone with a lowercase ‘s’ type curl.
4a, 4b and 4c hair is tightly coiled, fine and fragile. Proper care needs to go into maintaining it and the curls resemble a zigzag shaped pattern.
Frequently when my afro is out and about, I get various questions from how I maintain it to how often I wash it. This at times can truly be tiring but I honestly don’t mind genuine questions that anyone might have. However, just in case there might be anything about our hair that is leaving you bewildered, I have compiled 5 answers to questions you may have about black hair.
How often do you wash your hair?
This one is probably the one I’ve gotten the most and the answer does shock most of my friends. In most cases, afro hair is braided from three-six weeks and in some cases, people keeps weaves in for up to eight weeks. In this time the hair isn’t actually washed in the traditional way of shampoo and conditioner. Unlike other hair types, the natural oils produced by the hair and scalp that most people worry about making their hair appear greasy is good for our hair as it is notorious for getting dry quickly.
Can I touch your hair?
This question I find is most popular in 4b and 4c hair types. When dry the hair resembles a ‘candy floss cloud’ (an actual comment I’ve received from a friend) and for some reason this makes people want to reach out a grab. I personally don’t have a problem with people touching my hair; at times I even find it amusing that people are so fascinated by something as simple as hair. But please before you do reach out and touch, make sure to ask as not everyone is as comfortable with such contact and it is their hair and their decision at the end of the day.
How did your hair grow so fast?
If I come into college with a short bob one day and long braids the next, chances are that some sort of extension was involved. There are various types of extension for black hair and not all of them actually involve the hair getting longer. Two of the most popular types are weaves and braid; weave involves sewing a weft of hair or the individual’s pre plaited hair and braids involved braiding it with the person’s natural hair, both of them can be taken out and another put back in at a different or the same length.
Why do you put extra oils on your hair?
As I said before, our hair thrives on the natural oils produced when it is not being washed. And I meant it because sometimes this is not enough to keep our hair in the nourished, voluminous condition it’s supposed to be in. Therefore, you might see one of us using hair cream in order to nourish or scalps every once in a while. This isn’t strange at all and is in fact incredibly vital for the growth and healthiness of hair.
Why does it take you so long to do your hair?
This one goes for all types of hair extensions and natural hair: it takes a while.
You might think I’m exaggerating here but I promise you I’m not. Normal braids take roughly 4-5 hours to put in and roughly 2-3 to take out. Which is why when I say I can’t come out on Saturday because I’m doing my hair, I actually mean it. There is a whole process involved with the detangling and washing of hair that is honestly too complex to go into that you must take my word for. A whole weekend can be used simply with the excuse I’m taking out/doing my hair and yes it is that serious. Even natural hair can be a nightmare to deal with in the morning and honestly getting your style right the first time is a blessing.
I hope I set out to do what I planned and you feel a little more educated in the troubles us loaded with melanin have to deal with.
