Naturals: Have you ever noticed your hair texture changing?

[Allandra]

My recent visit to Reniece was on September 10. She confirmed something that I thought I was noticing too. My hair texture is curlier / wavier than it once was.

Has anyone else noticed their hair texture changing?

I wonder why this happens.

 

[MaraWithLove]

Hmm, I noticed this recently-but it was my first time using water that was not hard (I have hard water so I used a bottle of smartwater to wash); my hair was surprisingly so much springier, clumped more and was curlier. I have heard that some people experience texture change as their hair grows out, but I have no clue! As far as random changes where my regimen hasn't changed but my hair texture looks different, I can only say that sometimes my hair in the front/top looks loose and wavy; other times it looks like tighter waves with medium curls. Haha, so I guess I'm not much help in this matter.

 

[greenandchic]

I have noticed that over the years and not sure why either. Certain products, hormones, health, or ever dietary changes? I wish I knew.

I initially thought it was heat damage, but when all of that grew out (and I haven't used direct heat in 9 years), I can't blame it on that anymore.

 

[MarcustheWu]

My texture changed when I mastered moisture, but my texture really changed when my hair became longer. When my hair became about waist length, that is when I noticed that the weight affecting my hair.

 

[cheryl26]

My hair stayed thin and wispy til I was about five or six, from there it became poofy straight, no curls no waves more like something off a golden retriever. Once puberty hit, bam, it went crazy curly. Now in my mid-late twenties it's wavy in some places, straight at the nape and moderately curly most everywhere else.

 

[LilMissSunshine5]

Question: But wouldn't your hair look straighter/less curly as it gains length & becomes heavier, not curlier? All this stuff confuses me bc I am 15 months post & have only been natural for 3 months...but the middle part of the front of my hair is just now finding it's way to any semblance of curly-ness...I have no idea when my hair will reach its final curl pattern And then when it gets longer, it will look less curly again?! I give up trying to understand curls The only thing I know for sure is that they have a mind of their own

 

[song_of_serenity]

It's getting longer and changing. The curls are elongating more. It's also less coarse but that could just be from the care of it.

 

[Ltown]

Yes, my texture was looser too maybe it just after not having a relaxer the scalp is converting to normal recovery phase. I just had a major reaction to dye and that change my texture even more during the recovery phase to straighter texture.

 

[discodumpling]

It seems to me that since i've been paying attn to my hair (5 yrs or so) that I experience a texture change every 6 months or so...sometimes for the better some times for the worse. I'm pretty sure the change is brought on my a change in my diet or exercise (or lack thereof!) routine, or even environment....but I haven't really tracked it...

 

[Transformer]

^^^ yep, the texture change isn't always for the best. I had a really rough year when my hair was like brillo and I just couldn't find the right mositure formula.

 

[Pharmgirl247]

My texture changed as well. I think it is from length because nothing else has changed. I dont use heat so I'm not sure the length of my hair. My hair is less curly and more wavy straight.

 

[Britt]

I'm not natural, but it's possible. I've seen plenty of naturals whose hair texture has changed a bit after they've stopped relaxing for some time. I've also seen people's texture's change from frequent relaxing and also from stretching out relaxers. I think it's the chemicals, not only the moisture. From all of the years I've been on this board, I've seen my hair texture inexplicably change drastically. No real illness, no change in hair care... idk what.

My hair was a very soft 3c and started to fall out 6 years ago, I think that was from stress... as the hair stopped falling out and growing back, the texture growing back was pretty much a tight 4a/b. B/c I wasn't use to dealing with this texture, I started getting a touch ups every 8 wks, as opposed to every 16 like I was used to for years. I also started using no lye relaxers mostly. Trust and believe when I say this is not in my head, anyone who knows me can vouch for the visible texture change . In any event, I recently relaxed on Sat after stretching for 16 wks (which I haven't done in 5 yrs) and the top part of my hair was turning back to my 'old' texture, it was much wavier and softer than the others parts of my hair which in some areas are a dense 4a/b. I don't have a thyroid issue, my regimen is pretty on point... don't know what to attribute these changes to.

 

[mEmYSELFaNDj]

Question: But wouldn't your hair look straighter/less curly as it gains length & becomes heavier, not curlier? All this stuff confuses me bc I am 15 months post & have only been natural for 3 months...but the middle part of the front of my hair is just now finding it's way to any semblance of curly-ness...I have no idea when my hair will reach its final curl pattern And then when it gets longer, it will look less curly again?! I give up trying to understand curls The only thing I know for sure is that they have a mind of their own

That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[ms.blue]

Looking at some of my old pics recently, I noticed my textue has change. Its less rough feeling and my curls tend to be really defined. I always thought I was mostly 4b w/ 4a and some 3c but now I'm believe I'm mostly 4a w/ 4b and 3c patches. I believe its probably due to me focusing on moisture more, airdrying and my hair just getting longer.

 

[melissa-bee]

I think peoples hair does change within time but we probably notice it more as our hair is more textured.
I've got a magazine with Cassie talking about her hair and she concluded that her hair texture must change every 7 years because when she was younger it was really curly then it started growing in straighter and now it's curlier again, or vice versa.

 

[Arcadian]

Well, I will say that I think it may have something to do with age (probably hormones too)

My natural hair is WAY different than I remembered it in my 20's. I've got a lot of weird straight hairs too. Its mostly the grays that are coming in this way (yeah I know but whatever I'm getting older....

Care does play a part of overall health yes, but that can't change your texture per se.


-A

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

My hair is less curlier as it gets longer.

 

[Nonie]

Mine hasn't changed. Length doesn't affect my coils because I have fine strands that do not respect or respond to gravity's pull.

My hair when it was about 3 inches long:

My hair hair at SL:

My hair at APL:

You can see the stretched length here.

I do believe coarse (meaning thick) strands of curly hair can appear more open (thus wavy) as the hair grows longer due to having weight that makes a difference. I also believe better hair care can bring out the best in your hair and reveal characteristics you didn't know about it. wavezncurlz has gorgeous hair but even she recently saw what a difference a simple thing letting hair dry from being soaked in something with an acidic pH can make (Exhibit A).

 

[wavezncurlz]

Thanks Nonie
I also have found that the longer my hair grows, the less curly it is and more wavy. When it was short, it was a wavy curl. Now it's more wavy and less curly. It's definitely the weight.

Also, I'm sure I've had some heat damage, I've henna'd over the years (not in 2 years but I have some of that hair on my head I'm sure), I've done things like ACV, and I've gotten older (my hair is definitely thinner). I think my curls have definitely changed over this 15 year period.

Oh --
I just got my hair trimmed and I"m under the dryer now. She trimmed it wet. As she trimmed, I noticed my hair went "boingboing" with every snip. I am styling it straight today but I can't wait to see how my curls look with my first wash!

 

[Embyra]

nope no change in texture only my hair changes drastically with and without product due to me having spongy hair

 

[LadyRaider]

My hair is different. I can't put my finger on it though. It's really nice though. I love my hair. I think the difference is based on it being more thoroughly moisturized.

 

[JulietWhiskey]

Definitely. Once I begin to condition, condition, CONDITION my hair and seal it, my curls/coils/waves POPPED and my hair just looked moisturized. I used to think I had no curl pattern, but boy was I wrong!

It's amazing what the right products and consistency can do for my hair!

 

[Tiye]

Not mine. My non-scientific observation is that ppl report texture changes less if they have 4b or 4b+ hair (natural). Rationale - this texture doesn't appear different depending on the types of products used also it's never going to grow downwards on its own. It can feel softer or silkier when well conditioned and/or moisturized, but it looks exactly the same.

 

[MaraWithLove]

Not mine. My non-scientific observation is that ppl report texture changes less if they have 4b or 4b+ hair (natural). Rationale - this texture doesn't appear different depending on the types of products used also it's never going to grow downwards on its own. It can feel softer or silkier when well conditioned and/or moisturized, but it looks exactly the same.

Hmm? But my hair is 4b-I think and grows down on the sides and the back. It also looks different when moisturized, and yep definitely a mix of silk and cotton-just depends on how dry my hair is. Grr hair typing is so tricky lol

Sent from my M860 using M860

 

[MaraWithLove]

Definitely. Once I begin to condition, condition, CONDITION my hair and seal it, my curls/coils/waves POPPED and my hair just looked moisturized. I used to think I had no curl pattern, but boy was I wrong!

It's amazing what the right products and consistency can do for my hair!

Sent from my M860 using M860

 

[adf23]

Yep, my hair has changed alot since my BC. Its alot more wavy (stringy!) vs curls/kinks

The weight of my hair has contributed alot. my straight hair is bsl, and I've trimmed to keep it this length, but I've thought of cutting shorter to gain my curls back.

 

[Nonie]

Not mine. My non-scientific observation is that ppl report texture changes less if they have 4b or 4b+ hair (natural). Rationale - this texture doesn't appear different depending on the types of products used also it's never going to grow downwards on its own. It can feel softer or silkier when well conditioned and/or moisturized, but it looks exactly the same.

Hmm? But my hair is 4b-I think and grows down on the sides and the back. It also looks different when moisturized, and yep definitely a mix of silk and cotton-just depends on how dry my hair is. Grr hair typing is so tricky lol

Sent from my M860 using M860

I think Tiye and MaraWithLove are both talking about two different things. Of course if you weigh hair down with products like one does when shingling, then the hair will hang. And if you have thick strands, then they will respond even more to product weight on them.

My hair when wet hangs gives the illusion of hair that can hang...but it doesn't hang when bare and dry. Not the way type 3 and above can anyway.

 

[Embyra]

I thought all hair hangs learn something new everyday

 

[Nonie]

I thought all hair hangs learn something new everyday

If you manipulate it (like let it clump when wet and let it the weight of the water and/or product stretch it out and somehow get it to dry in a stretched state and don't mess with it), even fine hair can be made to hang. But people who's hair is affected by length can towel dry their hair and it'd still flop lazily. I think the automatic clumping helps with this. (Smaller kinks don't cup each other easily so this would no happen so easily--unless hair is coarse where the fact that it's long may make the ends bend downward).

This is what my hair does if bare and not made to hang but just allowed to do its thang:

This is what my hair does (again still bare) if stretched out by twists, then worn in a twist-out. The stretching and clumping of the strands makes it appear to flop because of the increased weight (strength in numbers) of each section. I even wet the hair--hence the absence of twist-out waves--and let it dry untouched, which is similar to what many do when they want their hair to hang

This is my hair again when stretched out with water after conditioner has just been rinsed out:

Then my hair stretched out with a comb as it dries and something that doesn't allow shrinkage combed through it (I used conditioner so it'd act like a butter might) so that it dries in a stretched state:

Both these ^^cases do not indicate hair the flops on its own. And I could claim that the hair along my perimeter flops but that's not really true.

If I understand correctly, Allandra's hair is behaving somewhat like this Jaden's hair where its weight makes it flop when longer. So that it went from this:

To this:

 

[MaraWithLove]

Thanks for the clarity Nonie I learn something new every day! Your description and pictures suited my hair perfectly in terms of what my hair looks like when dry (frolicious; coils/curls here and there) vs manipulated (hanging on the sides-the top and middle never hang wet or not lol). If only it was uniform though! My hair in the back DOES hang regardless of dryness or not *le sigh* but it's also looser back there. I'll be so glad when my hair grows at least to shoulder length because the back of my head-except the very bottom where it gets loose-shrinks crazily so that my hair looks like a dented fro and I think the unity between textures will be a little easier.

ETA: Your hair is muy beautiful!