Hair and our Ancestry

**lovelylaura** · October 28th, 2009, 06:47 AM

I was just thinking about the broad spectrum of different hair types out there and I was wondering how our ancestry could effect how our hair reacts to different things. My father's family is Finnish and I display many more of his physical characteristics than I do of my mother. I am wondering if I spoke with other people of Finnish heritage and discussed their hair woes and sucesses, if maybe these kind of treatments would be more likely to work in my hair. Or if I used products made in Finland. Then potentially Finnish people were used to develop and test the product making it more likely to work on my hair?

What if a person's hair that looks similar to ours and maybe even is the same hair type is less likely to have similar hair and scalp reactions to certain treatment than a person who's hair physically looks different but is from the same family background?

My hair is not similar to anyone (living) in my family at this time except my father who has short hair which seems to be dry. But maybe as a whole if we considered our heritage in the way we treat our hair it could have positive effects. Thoughts?

**pinkbunny** · October 28th, 2009, 06:49 AM

Interesting theory - there may be something to it. Alas, I am a "mutt" so I must find my own way...

**Thinthondiel** · October 28th, 2009, 07:04 AM

I'm not sure about this theory... I think that at least when it comes to caucasians, there might be a lot of variety even within one country/area of the world... I live in Norway, and I and almost everyone I know here are completely Norwegian (i.e. we don't have any foreign ancestors that we know of), yet there are huge differences in hair thickness, coarseness, curliness etc.

Of course, there's the so-called "Scandinavian hair" or "Nordic hair", which is fine and blond, but there's really a lot of variety here.

**Katze** · October 28th, 2009, 07:11 AM

I am a mutt too and have my father's (Southern German, Northern English from WAAAY back) waves, and my mom's (Norwegian mother, 'mutt' father) fine 'Scandinavian' hair. I do find that some of the members from the Scandinavian countries tend to have similar hair problems to me, but not exclusively.

My biggest problem in terms of hair ancestry is reconciling my wavy, 'southern european' hair with my fine 'northern european' hair. It gets weighed down very easily.

Interestingly my partner has very similar hair to mine, though ethnically we are rather different. We were both bald, then blonde, as kids, and our daughter was born bald and now has white blonde peach fuzz that is slowly turning into hair.

**lovelylaura** · October 28th, 2009, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by Thinthondiel

I'm not sure about this theory... I think that at least when it comes to caucasians, there might be a lot of variety even within one country/area of the world... I live in Norway, and I and almost everyone I know here are completely Norwegian (i.e. we don't have any foreign ancestors that we know of), yet there are huge differences in hair thickness, coarseness, curliness etc.

Of course, there's the so-called "Scandinavian hair" or "Nordic hair", which is fine and blond, but there's really a lot of variety here.

I agree and I am wondering if the relationship between our ancestry and our reactions to treatments is stronger than the relationship between hair's physical appearance (curly, straight, dark, light, coarse, fine) and our reaction to treatments. I am wondering if our ancestry has a stronger tie than our hair's physical appearance.

In your case, do you find that advice from a Norwegian friend (regardless of hair type) is more beneficial than advice from someone who is not Norwegian and has the same hair type as you?

**lovelylaura** · October 28th, 2009, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Thinthondiel

I'm not sure about this theory... I think that at least when it comes to caucasians, there might be a lot of variety even within one country/area of the world... I live in Norway, and I and almost everyone I know here are completely Norwegian (i.e. we don't have any foreign ancestors that we know of), yet there are huge differences in hair thickness, coarseness, curliness etc.

Of course, there's the so-called "Scandinavian hair" or "Nordic hair", which is fine and blond, but there's really a lot of variety here.

Also, by no means did I mean to insinuate a hair stereotype on people from different cultures. I was actually supporting the fact that people from the same ancestry have different hair types. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

**Thinthondiel** · October 28th, 2009, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by lovelylaura

I agree and I am wondering if the relationship between our ancestry and our reactions to treatments is stronger than the relationship between hair's physical appearance (curly, straight, dark, light, coarse, fine) and our reaction to treatments. I am wondering if our ancestry has a stronger tie than our hair's physical appearance.

In your case, do you find that advice from a Norwegian friend (regardless of hair type) is more beneficial than advice from someone who is not Norwegian and has the same hair type as you?

Originally Posted by lovelylaura

Also, by no means did I mean to insinuate a hair stereotype on people from different cultures. I was actually supporting the fact that people from the same ancestry have different hair types. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

Don't worry, I wasn't offended at all!

I must admit that I don't think I've ever really received hair advice from any Norwegians, mostly because... well, people around me don't tend to think as much about hair as we LHC-ers do, I guess. So I really wouldn't know.

**Topaz** · October 28th, 2009, 08:55 AM

What an interesting idea! I am predominently Irish and German, with wavy blonde hair. I have heard that the ancient Irish used to wash their hair in lye soap to dry it out as much as possible, then pull it back in a severe pony tail where it frazzled out like pale dried-out Afros. Thank goodness those good Celts aren't here anymore to give me Irish hair care advice!!!

**Babyfine** · October 28th, 2009, 08:58 AM

Mom's side of the family is 100% Swedish. Most of the females in that family seem to have more hair than me,though- thicker , heavier.
Dad has ancestry all of the place(Northern, Eastern, southern europe)so I consider my self a "mutt." I was told once by a stylist that I have "Scandanavian-type hair". so that's the type of hair I identify with.

**JamieLeigh** · October 28th, 2009, 09:01 AM

I don't know a lot about the different characteristics of each of the nationalities in my background, so I don't know that I could really say for sure which genes I've picked up and which are passive in me or my kids.

My mom's grandparents on her mom's side came over from Ireland when my grandma was small, and her other grandparents were also both Irish but born here in the US. Most of the hair on that side of the family is very fine and either dark red or light brown. Only a few of them have grown very long, that I know of.

My dad's grandparents on his mom's side were Italian and Welsh, respectively, both born here and settled down here. And his dad's parents were Irish and German, the Irish father was born here but the German mother immigrated. (They lived in New York until my grandfather got married to my grandmother, who has lived all her life in Alabama.) The hair that seems to be predominant on that side is very coarse, thick, curly and dark. Almost none of my predecessors have photos with longer than shoulder-length hair.