What's Up With Our Hair???

Mother Nature's Best Work "African Hair!" A Scientific Discussion

Let's start with science. Mother nature did us a big favor in the hair department. She gave us the hair that best worked with the hot humid and sometimes arrid climate of Africa. The hair shaft is not straight but eliptical. A curved and spoonish hair strand. Caucasians have a variety of hair textures that vary from as curly as African hair to as straight as Asian hair. Typical Asian hair is straight even under a microscope and doesn't vary much in pigment.

Our hair texture was a source of protection.  Here's why....

  The "Afro" is like a big sponge on the head and given the opportunity to grow, or bush out, it holds in moisture against the skull and scalp.  Real important for someone residing in sub saharan Africa.  Not only does it hold moisture but it's my belief that it also holds in electrolytes.  Such as salt, and potassium, which is lost in perspiration.  That is why the hair shaft itself is not straight. Black hair is very fragile.  The very shape that is so well adapted to collect and store water and minerals causes it to be less strong if it is pulled on and twisted with a comb. Curly hair tangles in and upon itself and any little split becomes another little "catch" for hair to split on.  Combs were not for African hair unless the comb had very wide teeth.  Small combs pull and tear hair at fragile points.  It is true that all people of African descent do not have the same hair textures.  In fact I believe we have more variance than any other culture.  Due to racial mixing, and frankly just because the basic hair type is so unique on the planet. 

Some people of African descent do not grow hair well.  Their hair was designed to break or shed more quickly for some "specific" reason.  Call it an adaptation to environment.  I don't believe in evolution.  Other Africans can grow long hair if it is coated with other elements such as clay, mud, oil or some mixture of wax and something else.  Because the hair is fragile these additives give the shaft a brace for it to grow on. So there is no lack of ability for the hair to grow, it just "breaks off" very very little touching.

Science has never really studied why people of African descent have such a wonderful array of textures and colors.  We ourselves are not informed that our hair is unique and God designed to give us an advantage in surviving our environment.  Now if we could only learn to protect this very delicate hair and let it grow!

I was told by a white cosmetologist the worse thing you can do to hair is over shampoo it. I agree.  It just takes off oils and makes hair dull and brittle.  Perms are okay I think but the sin of Black hairdressers is they don't do the testing to determine what degree of straightening you need.  Again, ignoring the unique qualitites of black hair.  Some hair needs a full strength relax, others hardly any.  But go to some black salons and you get the same strength on all heads. Result; broken off, dull, limp hair and a bald woman with a wig or weave and people making fun of her? I digress people.

My two cents on hair and emotions.  Have you ever noticed that on certain days your hair won't lie down? Or worse yet, it just seems to be on fire? I mean like a big burly bush? Hair responds to the weather, and hormones and to abuse.  After I wash my hair and do the other bits I do I notice my hair acts like my dog used to act when he got a bath. He'd lie there and stare up at me like I just tortured him.  The next two days my hair is itself again, spry and soft.  My hair doesn't like water, and it doesn't like me touching it too much.  This I've learned the hard way.  Do an experiment watch your hair for a week or two, and see if it doesn't "act" different under different circumstances? 

Last opinion....Is hair a weather detector? Does the barometric pressure and humidity in the atmosphere affect our hair? Does negative energy and sickness affect the hair? Does a poor diet affect the hair? I think you will find that those lovely hairs sprouting from our noggins have uses far beyond being sun blockers.  I think African hair is an adaptation far beyond Asian hair or Caucasian hair.  Both those hair types are "primitive".  African hair is the newest adaptation on this planet...............ooooweeeeooooooooo

Comments

[nubian]

i am actually glad that science hasn't done any studies on our hair. i am quite sure, it would only be to our disadvantage

[satisfiedsistah]

To the contrary...we need "black scientist" to study everything about us so we are not at the mercy of a racially driven outcome, but one that profits us.
Always think positive and encourage the young to be scientist.

[Supa]

Wonderful post! (new to your blog) I've always taught my young'uns that our hair is not "nappy" or "bad", but "resilient" and "courageous" and "unique"! Yes, I said courageous!

Love it.

[ladydaynyc]

"Call it an adaptation to environment. I don't believe in evolution." Huuummmm, are you a fan of Intelligent Design? So our hair adapted but did not go through a process of evolution? God performed a miracle! Ahhh, yes, we should all encourage our people to study the sciences.

[satisfiedsistah]

Adaptation is intelligent design. Evolution, to me, at any rate is saying there is no God involved in anything that takes place on this planet, everything happens by "chance." Adaptation is not chance. It is a plastic or fluid movement of biology driven by the surroundings it occupies. Which in my opinion is God given. Imagine a world were things are stagnant and we can't adapt. Hummmm. God always performs miracles in my opinion and the fact that we exist is proof.

[ladydaynyc]

I understand where you are coming from really I do. Intelligent Design doesn't 'really' bother me theoretically and there is always room for God in theory. Got that part of the whole debate, but I personally am not clear on the whole usage of adaptation in one sentence and then I don't believe in evolution in the next. You can believe what ever you want, however you want but the fact is adaptation drives evolution, scientifically speaking. In laymen's terms small changes over a period of time lead to big changes :). Small changes = adaptation and big changes = evolution...simple. I think a better argument is who fuels the changes and I can accept the theory that God does without hesitation. I believe it a bastardization of many prolific scientist to say that evolution does not exist. Moreover, Intelligent Design can and does co-exist with the theory of evolution. I just thought it weird that there was all this scientific explanation about our hair and then this strange statement...This is just my two cents for the month....back to lurking :) Cheers!

[meli]

I think All Black People can protect our hair by Allowing our hair to GROW NATURALLY! LOVE OURSELVES AND THE CROWN WE POCESS FROM BIRTH! IT IS SCIENTICICALLY PROVEN FROM A BIOCHEMICAL STANDPOINT THAT PERMS DAMAGE OUR HAIR AND BRAIN CELLS. I LOOK AT MY AFRO AS AN ANTENNA TUNED IN (ON OR OFF)TO THE UNIVERSE. Hair is very sensitive and I think we are to treat it as such.

peace

[satisfiedsistah]

well ladydaynyc seems like we have fodder for a very intersting blog.........