Does hair have memory?

**Armelle** · October 14th, 2009, 08:00 AM

I'm not sure if everyone's hair does this, so I thought I'd ask.

If you twirl your hair into a coil/spiral, does it stay that way?

My hair can't hold a curl (from a curling iron or rollers) to save it's life...but if I twirl my hair into a spiral, it will stay that way until I brush it out (and it argues with me when I do). I'm not sure if it's because my hair is coarse or because it has a strong wave thing going on or what. My hair separated into several coils after I took it out of a normal cinnabun recently and I thought it looked cool, so I rope braided my hair that night. Today I have 8 spirals of hair that everyone at work has remarked "looks cool." (I'll see if I can get a photo later.) I've also had my hair stay in one large spiral after I took down a bun. Am I damaging my hair?

**maaria** · October 14th, 2009, 08:17 AM

Hmm, tuff question, I want to know the answer too

**embee** · October 14th, 2009, 08:17 AM

Damage? I don't think so. No heat, no gels, no blowfry... what's to do damage?

My hair just collapses, slips right down if I let go of it. Only braid waves I get is if I braid it damp and let it dry a few days. They will straighten themselves out fairly rapidly unless the day is exceptionally dry. It does, however, makes "strings" quite easily.

My mom would have loved working with your hair, mine defeated her.

**spidermom** · October 14th, 2009, 08:20 AM

Mine will do the same thing, kind of. I can encourage curl by twirling strands around my fingers while it dries, or I can make it straighter by combing. On the other hand, it kind of has a "mind of its own". I can't count on it doing anything I want. It likes to fluff out all over the place mostly.

**Quixii** · October 14th, 2009, 08:23 AM

If I just twist it it won't do anything, but my hair will hold rope braid curls for days. =)
I think part of that's your natural waviness, though I could be wrong.

**GlassEyes** · October 14th, 2009, 08:26 AM

Yeah, it's waviness/curliness.

I can get my hair to stay in a sausage curl for hours when it's wet, or bunned--and I get these odd tendrils from cinnamon buns instead of true waves. xD

**sally_neuf** · October 14th, 2009, 08:34 AM

my hair has amnesia!

If a do a simple knot, it WILL fall out. twist it, even braids are difficult to hold. I have slept with rollers, and the curls will fade after 3 hours top

**JamieLeigh** · October 14th, 2009, 09:12 AM

Mine is the opposite of the OP's....it holds a curl very well (heat-free curlers, of course!), but braid waves and finger twists slip out within the hour. The braid wave photo in my album was taken immediately after I took the braids out - otherwise it would have looked as it normally does.