Why do we want "long" hair?

[metalkitty]

Personally, I want my hair long since it was long most of my life. When I was a kid it was almost waistlength and while in middle school and some of high school it was around bra strap length.
Things went downhill when I decided to relax then BLEACH and dye my hair.... It really needed a trim or at least a series of trims over a period of time, but this nearly bald chick straight up chopped my hair off to a little under shoulder length,
SO to sum it all up, I didn't appreciate my hair to much when I had tons of it so now I want it back since I find shorter hair unflattering on my squarish face! I'd be very happy with even collarbone length hair.

 

[CAPlush]

I want long hair because it is pretty. It is considered pretty across all races and cultures so I don't think wanting long hair has anything to do with non-Black beauty standards. The fact is, most Black women with short hair whose hair never seems to grow but are otherwise healthy abuse their hair and therefore cannot grow their hair as long as other races. I come here to seek information on how not to abuse my hair.

 

[deejoy]

I have a round face and it takes some of the roundness off.

 

[nelli711]

I want long hair because it is something I've never had before and I think I look good with longer hair.

 

[WomanlyCharm]

I look good with hair of any lenght, but I prefer myself with longer hair, it makes me look younger.
But if it were a choice between long and healthy, I'd definately choose healthy.

 

[Kayluv]

I want long hair because it is easier to style...braids, up do's, ponytails, twist etc.. I am currently sporting about 2 inches of hair and have been for about 8 years and I am tired of it, but I do dread the in between stages of growing it out.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

I really don't want long hair as much as I want to maintain healthy hair. Most people who know me don't think i look so great with hair all over the place and all down my back. I have also made the decision to go natural bc i don't like the effects of relaxers on my hair. I have always had dark and thick hair, and I have felt that everytime i get a relaxer ... it just takes away from it. My hair seems kinda flat and lifeless to me, henceforth me going natural. Honestly, I don't think I would let my hair get any longer than SL... after that, it would start to overpower my face. But who knows? Maybe I will go to the floor; People change their minds all the time and so do I.

 

[ShaniKeys]

Okay. First off let me say I'm not trying to start anything (no really!) -- also, I apologize if this has been discussed here before. But I was just curious -- why do we want "long" hair?

I have a relaxer. I've had one since I was 12 years old. And I've been trying to grow my hair for as long as I can remember. Every once in a while I confront myself and ask the question, "Why???" Certainly, as a child, the primary beauty standard that was presented to me was that of long, flowing (and usually blond) hair. (Just like Whoopi Goldberg in that famous comedy sketch, I, too, used to put a towel or shirt on my head to pretend I had long hair like the white girls in the commercials.) Now as an adult, I'm still chasing that dream. I have come to terms with the fact that this goal is a byproduct of the European beauty standard that was planted into my head as a child. More recently, I've begun to think, "Well, maybe my hair never will get beyond should length -- so what? Maybe I should learn to accept it and just do the best I can with what I have . . . ." So now I'm focusing mostly on having healthy hair (and hoping that, in the process of getting healthier, my hair will get longer, too).

I'm wondering about you guys. What are your reasons for wanting long hair? Is it because of this European beauty standard that has been shoved down all of our throats? Is it simply a personal taste? Or, are we just looking to make our hair as healthy as it can be?

Discuss!

I did that too when I was a little girl. I want long hair for different reasons: I want to change up my style, I want to proof that black hair DOES too grow,...etc. But I've always wanted longER hair, not necessarily waist length, just APL or brastrap. I come from a country where women are obsessed with taking care of their hair, that pretty much sums it up.

 

[isobell]

I don't think long hair is a european standard, long "straight" hair is, women all over the world have long hair and it is a universal element of feminine beauty. To ME long hair is another sign of health, like good skin and a toned body. My hair will never be flowy and silky, but I can have big full long hair which is just as beautiful.

p.s. I don't think that all women who want long straight hair are stuck in a european ideal, sometimes people just like what they like, it's people who really have a strong aversion to anything but freshly relaxed hair that worry me.

 

[Hidden_Angel]

I've seen myself in weaves/braids down my back and kornrows and i look GREAT with long hair..

I have a personal vandetta and i know this well help me!

 

[mzcris]

Good question...I like long hair because you can put it in many styles. I use to wear my hair short for many many years...which I still love short hair; but can't do too much with short hair.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

The same reason a person who has had long hair all her life will one day want to cut it shorter. Or why people born with bone straight hair want or curly perm. Brunette to blond, blond to red, red to black..etc. To have the option to change up your look and have something different. I've had shoulder length hair all my life, I'm BORED out of my mind with it. And I'm not gonna settle for the only way acheiving that to mean I will need factory made European, Asian or Yaki tracks flowing from my scalp. I want my own relaxed 4A textured hair to flow from my scalp.

Everything that motivates a black person to do something with herself, whether it be growing her hair longer or losing some weight doesn't mean it was influenced by european standards.

 

[Angelicus]

I have an apple-shaped hair and need long hair to frame my face.

 

[Candiss]

I've never had long hair so I want it. I think long hair is pretty and fun and I really want a lot of LONG, HEALTHY hair to play with roll up, swing in the sun, etc. I think the only thing that would make me think twice about wanting long hair, is if I was have a hard time achieving it, then maybe I would question it cause things aren't going so well.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

To add to all that, I do want to be a representive that debunks the black hair can't grow long myth that men and women across the board even our women and especially our men so strongly believe, even in this day and will attribute a black women with long hair being mixed with something, or not black at all. I WANT the is that a weave question so I can tell em it's real, or the bolder encounters where they just put their fingers in your hair to find tracks and all they feel is scalp, and I want the "are you all black" questions so I can say "HECK yeah, through and through" And see the dumb looks.

 

[Junonia]

I have a banana head and a long face so I need hair to frame my face. I also want to see the maximum length I can grow to. I just want longer hair.

 

[imstush]

I've always had long hair but I had the curse of doing my hair myself, relaxing, highlighting (read bleaching) my hair, so I want the healthy long hair that I had as a child.

 

[tsiporah]

Here is my response on the other post like this one:

Maybe you should do an internet search on Long hair forums. When I first started my journey, it was on the CAUCASIAN forums (which also has Asian and Hispanic members) on the journey for longer lengths.

Hair growth dear sister is natural, Our hair LOOKS short because of shrinkage. So we should cut it to not be self hating?? Does that make sense when hairs grow naturally?

Many AFRICAN women for thousands of years have had long hair/hairstyles but most people do not know about them. (and not all of them are wigs) European men during the slave trade have reported black women with waist length hair.

I think education is the key, then maybe simply wanting to grow long hair won't be seen as self hatred.

Tsipy

 

[naturallylovely]

European men during the slave trade have reported black women with waist length hair.

I didn't know that...very interesting

 

[tsiporah]

I ain't about being brainwashed, because even before the "media" was prevelant long hair was always seen as beautiful. Check out the bible and other historical literature. White people aren't the only ones that can have long hair, so why should they be the only ones with it?

Like HoneyDew said, I see long hair as beauty and as youth also.

I am in agreement with you. Plus Hair GRRROOOOOOWS. If is doesn't get beyond our shoulders, it is not because we are black, it could have something to do with our care (in modern times).


The question could be reverse in asking: "Are we brainwashed to think that black women SHOULD have short hair?"

BTW those women in the Scriptures were women with AFRICAN hair typing.

 

[tsiporah]

I think I should change the question since I have long hair.

Why do I want to keep "long hair"?

I think all hair lengths are nice. I have even had a Halle Berry cut at one time and looked fabulous! I am blessed to rock any length. I am no beauty queen but I am a cute hottie.

Yet, long hair for me is cultural. I am a Guyanese girl and I am use to seeing women with long hair. In fact, my uncle had waist length hair growing up and he was not locked. His hair just kept growing. No matter how many times my grandmother cut his hair it would grow long. In addition, the Guyanese men I have known (my father, uncles, friends, etc) love women with long hair.

I had a Guyanese guy who really liked me and he said he would not marry a woman with short hair. He wanted his daughter to have long hair and wanted to make sure that his wife had hair so he knew it was genetically possible. Grant it his sister had beautiful waistlength hair. My father also married my mother for her long hair. If he could see my mummy's short hair now..he would pass out!!

So it is not so much wanting long hair but keeping it for cultural reasons.

I have thought about giving my hair to locks for love when it is much longer but then my mummy said why would you want to do something like that. She said there are people praying and kicking bricks for long hair and you have it so appreciate your blessing.

So beyond cultural, I am guess I am appreciating my blessings.

This was a good share. Cultural reasons.

Tsipy

 

[tsiporah]

I want long hair because it is pretty. It is considered pretty across all races and cultures so I don't think wanting long hair has anything to do with non-Black beauty standards. The fact is, most Black women with short hair whose hair never seems to grow but are otherwise healthy abuse their hair and therefore cannot grow their hair as long as other races. I come here to seek information on how not to abuse my hair.

I like what you said.

The short haired, can't grow hair thing is actually a modern "trait" if I may say that, because of abuse.

Then we turn around and say because we want to grow it out---healthily, we have self-hate. Doesn't make any sense to me. Makes me wonder who is really misinformed.

Tsipy

 

[tsiporah]

I don't think long hair is a european standard, long "straight" hair is, women all over the world have long hair and it is a universal element of feminine beauty. To ME long hair is another sign of health, like good skin and a toned body.((((Poster comment to the preceding statement:::::I want to say that in old times likes the 1800's if a black woman has short hair, it was because she might have had an illness--I remember this being said sometime back.)))) My hair will never be flowy and silky, but I can have big full long hair which is just as beautiful.

p.s. I don't think that all women who want long straight hair are stuck in a european ideal, sometimes people just like what they like, it's people who really have a strong aversion to anything but freshly relaxed hair that worry me.

Excellent! Excellent word acoti (my sister)

Tsipy

 

[glamazon386]

Honestly, because I look better with long hair. It takes some of the roundness away from my face. But I don't want superlong hair like some of the ladies on this board. APL would be good enough for me. Maybe BSL but that's pushing it a little bit. I might just let it grow to see how long it gets but once it get's there I'll probably cut it and start over. I can't imagine dealing with all that hair on a daily basis. I already don't like combing the little bit I do have.

 

[Ms_Delikate]

I want long hair because it looks good on me and because I want to tell the people who say that black women cant have long hair to shut the *** up!

 

[glamazon386]

I didn't know that...very interesting

Me either. Very interesting...

 

[sxyhairfetish]

I want long hair because I had ALOT of hair as a child. My afro puff used to be bigger than my head and I had a big head! That was up until 10 though. I was always known for having alot of hair.I started texlaxing at 11 and relaxing at 14. Big mistake. Breakage city after that. Then I had the nerve to color it. I cut it into a halle berry cut. That was fun for awhile but I missed my long hair.

No offense to anyone but I hate the fact that darkskinned and long hair is not as common as lightskinned with long hair. So I wanted to shut people up and tell them that darkskinned girls can have long hair too. I constantly get asked if I am mixed with something. I feel proud to tell them that I am 100% African American. What we can't have long hair too? I just wanted to break molds.

Plus I just love long hair anyway.

 

[glamazon386]

No offense to anyone but I hate the fact that darkskinned and long hair is not as common as lightskinned with long hair. So I wanted to shut people up and tell them that darkskinned girls can have long hair too. I constantly get asked if I am mixed with something. I feel proud to tell them that I am 100% African American. What we can't have long hair too? I just wanted to break molds.

Plus I just love long hair anyway.

I agree with this too. My hair isn't long yet but people are shocked when they see that my natural hair has a curl pattern. I always get the are you mixed questions but I get them more often with my natural hair out. Especially when it's slicked back. It's probably going to be pure madness when my hair gets long and I wear it out in a wash n go.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Honestly, because I look better with long hair. It takes some of the roundness away from my face. But I don't want superlong hair like some of the ladies on this board. APL would be good enough for me. Maybe BSL but that's pushing it a little bit. I might just let it grow to see how long it gets but once it get's there I'll probably cut it and start over. I can't imagine dealing with all that hair on a daily basis. I already don't like combing the little bit I do have.

Eye to eye!

 

[AllyMD]

I don't think long hair is a european standard, long "straight" hair is, women all over the world have long hair and it is a universal element of feminine beauty. To ME long hair is another sign of health, like good skin and a toned body. My hair will never be flowy and silky, but I can have big full long hair which is just as beautiful.

p.s. I don't think that all women who want long straight hair are stuck in a european ideal, sometimes people just like what they like, it's people who really have a strong aversion to anything but freshly relaxed hair that worry me.

You took the words right out of my mouth, especially the bolded part.