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List the words you hate people use to describe kinky hair

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Dry.

I do NOT like it when I hear people call curly (yes I use curly in place of kinky,coily etc. because to me, curls are curls lol) hair dry.....I dunno why, but when I hear it, it's like nails on a chalk board *shrug*
 
@D. Lisha... I am not sure what you mean when you say if someone says "black people hair" that it is degrading and pathetic. Is this how you feel? Are you assuming that black people hair is a bad thing? In other words, if I were to say that you have "white people hair", would you think that it was pathetic and degrading? I think the comment that you are referring to depends on the thinking process of the person saying it. I am glad to have black people hair because that means that I have strong, versatile hair. I can wear it natural or relaxed, in an afro or cornrows... And I don't have to worry about lice... Yes, I have black people hair and I love it!!! Judging from your comment, I can tell that you love your hair as well... But I Just wanted to mention that the term black people hair is only pathetic and degrading if the person saying it is ignorant and trying to be a smart a**.
 
I hate the words knotty and kitchen... You never hear any other race call the nape of their necks kitchens....
 
Kinky4Agirl said:
I hate the words knotty and kitchen... You never hear any other race call the nape of their necks kitchens....
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Neither one of those terms ever bothered me. My fam is originally from alabama & Ive heard my 80 yr old grandma & all her sisters use those terms all my life but meaning the following:

Knotty can be any type of hair, it just means its tangled.

Kitchen is a southern term. In the south the kitchen was in the back of the house just like the nape is the back of someones head. Its no deeper than that.

Also they use "draw up" that means shrinkage:

"You know if you get that hair wet, its gonna draw up"

And they use "tight", that means tightly coiled.

"I spent all day combin that childs hair. She has some tight hair"

The opposite of "tight" hair is "loose" hair.

Ive Never in my life heard them use "good hair" "bad hair", "kinky".

I dont like hearing "good hair", "bad hair", kinky or nappy.

I always thought saying kinky was the same as saying nappy.
 
ManeStreet said:
Neither one of those terms ever bothered me. My fam is originally from alabama & Ive heard my 80 yr old grandma & all her sisters use those terms all my life but meaning the following:

Knotty can be any type of hair, it just means its tangled.

Kitchen is a southern term. In the south the kitchen was in the back of the house just like the nape is the back of someones head. Its no deeper than that.

Also they use "draw up" that means shrinkage:

"You know if you get that hair wet, its gonna draw up"

And they use "tight", that means tightly coiled.

"I spent all day combin that childs hair. She has some tight hair"

The opposite of "tight" hair is "loose" hair.

Ive Never in my life heard them use "good hair" "bad hair", "kinky".

I dont like hearing "good hair", "bad hair", kinky or nappy.

I always thought saying kinky was the same as saying nappy.
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Thanks for the walk down memory lane... I grew up in the South...
 
As a non native english speaker, I'm surprised people in a hair forum haven't embraced nappy and kinky as a more precise form to describe curly hair. I see it in YouTube all the time (people explaining it like Nonie did).

I agree with the poster who asked about the "proper" terms then, so people like me won't insult anyone. In my language there's a word that translates to "crimpy hair" and isn't insulting at all.
 
Anne26 said:
As a non native english speaker, I'm surprised people in a hair forum haven't embraced nappy and kinky as a more precise form to describe curly hair. I see it in YouTube all the time (people explaining it like Nonie did).

I agree with the poster who asked about the "proper" terms then, so people like me won't insult anyone. In my language there's a word that translates to "crimpy hair" and isn't insulting at all.
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Anne26 did you ever see the movie that was recently re-posted 400 Years Without a Comb? It might help to shed some light on this. Actually you might enjoy this discussion (the links to the movie are there).

I think most people are OK with "coily". But to be safe, just don't bother describing the pattern of their hair. Just use other adjectives that have nothing to do with the design of their hair. Use adjectives like long, beautiful, shiny, soft... But if you're OK with nappy and kinky--like I am--then feel free to describe your hair thus. In other words, don't talk about other people's hair unless you're going to give a compliment that isn't about their texture/type.

There was a lady I know who took offense to being called black, and she is of African descent like me. She preferred to be called brown because she didn't look like darkness. I didn't scoff at her for feeling that way because I don't know her history or why she preferred the correct color of her skin (brown) to the one used for her race.

So if you try to please everyone, you'll end up going mad. Just know that certain words hurt and avoid using them when referring to anyone else's hair. And since you're doing this, those who don't like the words should also make an effort to understand where the words are coming from and to realize that not everyone means to hurt them and that for those whom the words are neutral, it's easy for them to flow out unhampered but that letting someone know how you feel instead of reacting with anger can help both people come to learn to communicate. Yanno?
 
Quote from earlier: I don't like when people say "kinky hair" what is kinky hair- kinky is used to describe a type of sex so I don't know how it came to be referred to a type of hair.

lol I meant my statement as a rhetorical question. I personally just hate the term.
 
I didnt read thru the whole thread but has anyone every heard the term peppercorns? Apparently its used by south african whites to describe "ethnic" hair.

Think of what a peppercorn looks like. When it hit me it was like a slap in the face. I was VERY offended and tried not to take it out on the person that "shared" this info with me.
 
blackindia07 said:
I didnt read thru the whole thread but has anyone every heard the term peppercorns? Apparently its used by south african whites to describe "ethnic" hair.

Think of what a peppercorn looks like. When it hit me it was like a slap in the face. I was VERY offended and tried not to take it out on the person that "shared" this info with me.
Click to expand...

Never heard of that
 
blackindia07 said:
I didnt read thru the whole thread but has anyone every heard the term peppercorns? Apparently its used by south african whites to describe "ethnic" hair.

Think of what a peppercorn looks like. When it hit me it was like a slap in the face. I was VERY offended and tried not to take it out on the person that "shared" this info with me.
Click to expand...


I bet the person wasn't black right?
 
Kinky4Agirl and blackindia07, I came across "peppercorns" w/r/t coiled up hair on this forum. I didn't take offense because I love picturesque speak and I knew what the person was referring to. I will even confess I have used the term to refer to my own "kitchen" when it's coiled up to look like peppercorns. Coz honestly, descriptive words are just that. When people say an afro looks like cotton or like a cloud, I can see the similarities so again I'm not offended.

Question to both of you: Do you take offense too if I use the word to describe on my own hair? I don't think I've ever used it to describe another's hair.
 
Nonie said:
Kinky4Agirl and blackindia07, I came across "peppercorns" w/r/t coiled up hair on this forum. I didn't take offense because I love picturesque speak and I knew what the person was referring to. I will even confess I have used the term to refer to my own "kitchen" when it's coiled up to look like peppercorns. Coz honestly, descriptive words are just that. When people say an afro looks like cotton or like a cloud, I can see the similarities so again I'm not offended.

Question to both of you: Do you take offense too if I use the word to describe on my own hair? I don't think I've ever used it to describe another's hair.
Click to expand...

Nonie I think it's just one of those things that if used to describe yourself or someone similar to yourself it's not as bad. For instance a heavy person calling themselves or someone else fat does not seem as bad as it would coming from a thin person. Maybe if the person that introduced me to the term peppercorn hair had had 'peppercorn' hair I wouldn't have been offended...but his hair was straight and blond....if you get my drift.
 
I don't mind the terms kinky, nappy, African, or Black being used to describe my hair...but I do not like negative terms such as bad, ugly, awful, unattractive, or unprofessional.

I also don't mind when people compare our hair to pubic hair (which hasn't happened to me personally)...the hair that grows out my scalp is actually nappier than my pubic hair... :look:

Sent via Android LHCF App
 
D.Lisha said:
I hate when people say "black people hair"....like wtf is "black people hair?"!
Do they not realize how pathetic and degrading that term is? Smh...

Sent from my iPod touch using LHCF
Click to expand...
D.Lisha, I sort of understand what you mean. For anyone pondering, it has NOTHING to do with being ashamed of your hair or being oversensitive. I've had FRIENDS use this term in a derogatory way. They would say the term followed by something negative. Or they'd act like our hair is so alien then proceed to make a big deal which can make some feel slightly uncomfortable. In reality, it's just a different texture, just like we all have different skin tones - no big deal in all honesty.
 
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