Jimmy Just Wants To Know:
I just wanted to ask if using hair care products made for black people could damage your hair. I heard that they might alter your scalp or something. Also, are natural boar bristle brushes really good and are they just a gimmick?
The Right Brain Replies:
Jimmy, hair is different between different ethnic groups and so are the products they use. African (negroid) hair is biologically different from Caucasion hair, primarily because African hair is very irregular shaped, almost like a kidney bean, while Caucasion hair tends to be more oval.
For this reason, African hair tends to be have a lot of bends, or kinks, along the hair shaft. These bend points are hard to comb through and make the hair break more easily.
Because of this difference, African hair requires extra conditioning to reduce breakage. So, shampoos and conditioners formulated for kinky hair tend to be much heavier and greasier than products for Caucasion hair. If you were to use these products they certainly will not damage your hair or scalp, but you might find them a bit too greasy for your tastes depending on your hair type.
Another difference is that many people with this hair type use a chemical known as a relaxer to get rid of the kinks. While this kind of processing does straighten the hair it also causes chemical damage that weakens it. Relaxer can also damage your scalp by giving it a chemical burn if you leave it on too long. So yes, if you were to use this kind of product, it could cause damage.
And as far as boar bristles are concerned, yes, they do make a good hair brush. Are they better than nylon or other bristle material? Hmmm, we might just have to look into that for a future post!
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“For this reason, African hair tends to be have a lot of bends, or kinks, along the hair shaft. These bend points are hard to comb through and make the hair break more easily.”
When my hair was natural my hair did NOT break easily it’s while relaxed that my hair BROKE easily. My natural hair is strong.
I also dont like the word NEGROID either there is no need for the use of this, the african word/term will suffice.
I concur with Janet’s comment: the term “Negroid” is redundant at best and potentially offensive, at worst.
I think it is also important to note that people of color (i.e. “Black” people in the United States) have all different types of hair – from bone straight to slightly wavy, corkscrew curls to kinks, we have hair textures that span a broad spectrum. Therefore, to designate “Afro” hair as hair that is always “kinky” and super-fragile is a misnomer. Hair products that are marketed toward people of color have a tendency to be more oily, true; however, I would think that ANY person with coarse, dry hair would love them. I have fine, curly hair, and products “for Black people” are a nightmare for me. I venture to say that it’s because the products are very heavy and rich, and they weigh my hair down. I use Tigi Bed Head products and my natural hair loves them. Conversely, I know white females, Latinas and Asians who use “Black people” products and love them for their dry, damaged, coarse or frizzy hair.
I have visited this site frequently for the past few years because I thought that you, as the authors and admins, were knowledgeable and unbiased in your responses. While this may be true to an extent, I have noticed that lately, you have answered questions in such a way that would suggest that your knowledge base is much more narrow than I had once assumed. As such, I will no longer visit this site, nor will I suggest that my friends visit … but just until (or if) you guys educate yourselves about ALL types of hair and ALL types of hair products. I realize that it is your prerogative to write about whatever you choose and in the manner you choose. Just please understand that, as a consequence, your readers may find some of your responses to be distasteful and completely unfounded. It may suit you to take a diverse audience into perspective when you create posts if your ultimate goal is to educate People as a whole.
The use of the word “tends” to me says that they are making GENERALIZATIONS about Black hair that they know are not always true. Those of us who are women of colour know that our hair varies person to person by texture, shape and length etc. However, my impression is that this post was intended for someone who has little-to-no experience with African American hair care and is just looking for a broad, general answer rather than pages and pages of complex and overwhelming research. In that case I think the brains gave a satisfying answer. A lot of people do not know these basic things. As for Mackenzie, Black hair is more susceptible to breakage than other hair types. and the fact that it broke less when you were natural means that you were taking care of it better, thereby confirming what the Brains say and what all Black girls know about relaxers: they are damaging and unhealthy. I wasn’t offended by this post in the least, even if you did use the word “negroid” in an attempt to sound more scientific. However I would like to see more expertise on Black hair care here since there are a lot of questions and myths floating around about the proper way to care for our unique and delicate hair and a well rounded brain is beautiful!
negroid is simply a scientific word used to describe this group of people who have similar physical characteristics. its mostly used by anthropologist and scientist (clearly). it is one of the “great races” used to classify humans….just like caucasoid and mongoloid. don’t be so sensitive…im black by the way