People playing with the tips of hair

[Euphony]

I've noticed a lot of people like to touch my hair when it's down. That doesn't really bother me, but I've been noticing that everyone plays with the tips. Is this normal?

What got me thinking was last night I had to go get a pair of glasses since I wasn't paying attention and my contact lens prescription expired. I figured I needed new glasses anyway since I broke the bridge of my old ones. So I go to pick up the glasses the girl wants to make sure they fit, I ask to wash my hands so I can take out my contacts. She showed me where I can wash up, I have my back to her she asks me about my hair color. She commented that she really liked it and wanted to know if it was natural. Oh I love that question, I get so many confused looks with my answer: "it's natural, it's just not mine". I explained it was henna, all the while she's fiddling with the tips of my hair.

That's when I realized that every time someone fiddles with my hair whether it's someone I know or have just met them, they fiddle with the tips.

I started looking at the tips and cannot figure out what is so fascinating.

Where do people fiddle?

[pariate]

I'm stumped! :lol: Useful, aren't I?

Maybe it's because they're so soft?

[Euphony]

I'm stumped! :lol: Useful, aren't I?

Maybe it's because they're so soft?
hahaha I was thinking that - but that's where they grab first, so it's something they must see. I just can't figure it out.

Do people do that to you?

[C_Bookworm]

my husband always plays with it right at the base of my neck. there are plenty of baby hairs along the fringe

[pariate]

hahaha I was thinking that - but that's where they grab first, so it's something they must see. I just can't figure it out.

Do people do that to you?

They don't, and I wouldn't like it if they did! :lol: I need my "personal space" and personally wouldn't be comfortable with that level of contact. On the other hand, I'll hug just about anyone. Go figure ;)

Maybe it's the daisies and ribbons you tied into the ends, you lil' attention seeker you. Yeah, I'm on to you...

:rolling:

[NurseMama]

I think that it is because (looking at your siggy pic) your wavy hair clumps up at the ends a bit into loose curls. It catches the eye and thus the fingers.

[pariate]

I think that it is because (looking at your siggy pic) your wavy hair clumps up at the ends a bit into loose curls. It catches the eye and thus the fingers.

Ahhhh... I have siggie pics disabled so that pages load quicker. I only see avatars and stats to the left. I looked at Euphony's hairtype because I wondered if maybe she had curls, but saw the 2a/b and thought it was fairly straight.

But that sounds like it's probably the answer! My boyf used to love playing with the little ringlets I got at the ends. People are fascinated by those :p

Well caught NurseMama!

[Euphony]

They don't, and I wouldn't like it if they did! :lol: I need my "personal space" and personally wouldn't be comfortable with that level of contact. On the other hand, I'll hug just about anyone. Go figure ;)

Maybe it's the daisies and ribbons you tied into the ends, you lil' attention seeker you. Yeah, I'm on to you...

:rolling:
No I swear those daisies attack me every morning with their ribbons in tow!

I think that it is because (looking at your siggy pic) your wavy hair clumps up at the ends a bit into loose curls. It catches the eye and thus the fingers.
That could be, and I've gained quite a bit of length since that pic - the clumping has gotten worse. But of course pulling my hair around to look at what's so fascinating at the ends thus mingles the clumps so I don't notice.

[Tapioca]

I agree with the clumps. I love the way the wavies towards the top become curlies at the end.

When people play with my hair, it's usually more of a petting from the crown area. Of course, my ends are rapidly approaching my rear, so maybe they're just afraid of grabbing the wrong thing?

[Euphony]

When people play with my hair, it's usually more of a petting from the crown area. Of course, my ends are rapidly approaching my rear, so maybe they're just afraid of grabbing the wrong thing?
See that's actually one thing that I find odd, I'm about 2" from tail bone. But it dawned on me too I have loads of 'junk in the trunk', I've been noticing my hair is flipping up really bad at the ends like it did when I was at shoulder length.

[Isilya]

Maybe it's because the tips are 'far away' from our head and they think it's less intimate to grab the tips.

Nobody tries to touch my hair, but I would mind more if someone grabbed my hair close to my neck (which is, after all, a vulnerable place. We still instinctively raise our shoulders if we hear a loud, strange noise, to protect our neck), than I would if they grabbed the ends.

Did this make any sense at all?

[rhysiana]

Maybe it's because the tips are 'far away' from our head and they think it's less intimate to grab the tips.

Isilya said what I was going to say. I'll also add that the only non-close-friend type people I've had touch/grab my hair at other than the ends were little kids at the daycare center where I worked one summer, and they tended to sort of pet my hair like they would a dog or cat. Kids usually have fewer inhibitions, so this fits with the above theory.

[DecafJane]

I agree - grabbing the tips is a bit less weird than playing with the length or near the roots. :)

[ZaBasDa]

People tend to go for the curls around my face. I wish the went for the tips instead.

[RedRose]

Your hair does look curiously touchable - the tips look so soft and the way it separates into waves make you want to pick up a strand and wind it around your finger hehe. Congratulations on having such touchable hair! :toast:

[Chromis]

People don't touch my hair in general, probably because I shoot daggers when they try touching me period. Small children are allowed though and thankfully always ask first or I can catch them at the wide-eyed stage when I can tell they are thinking about touching and ask them "Would you like to pet my hair?" and make sure their hands aren't too grubby/sticky. Littluns always pet me midway down the head or on my back just like a kitty.

[dolfin2426]

I've had a few people do that to, but not necessarily when it is down. They touch the ends when I have it in braids too, either a pony tail braid or pig tail braids.

[HalcyonDays]

I'd say it was more a "personal space" thing too - we're much more comfortable with people touching our backs than our heads, so it's probably people subconsciously respecting your personal space - whether that's respecting it enough is another matter :rolleyes:

[dor3girl]

I am not sure about the ends of hair thing, either. . .odd. I usually touch people's hair near the scalp (mostly to check out the thickness of their hair)--I was really surprised to find that my sister has thicker hair than I do. Hers looks really wispy & fine (maybe because of splits, taper & breakage) but near the scalp she has a ton of hair! I try not to touch people's hair anymore--a few years back I got a odd surprise when I touched a friend's hair & felt what I thought were bugs--but they were really glue-in extensions! I was embarrassed & I am sure she was too!

[Teacherbear]

I figure it is because it is further away from your head so it must seem safer to touch it. It is not so much a part of you (in their minds, that is).

I thought this was about people playing with the ends of their OWN hair! hahaha I realized this week that I play with my braid tassle a lot.

[Airmide]

I agree it is probably about personal space. Also I think it's just a natural area to grab because I think it would equal someone reaching straight out or maybe straight out and slightly down. That seems more natural/easy than reaching up or down very much.

People don't actually touch my hair that much. They do stop and ask me about it a lot (since it hit about knee length, people didn't comment very often before that). When people do touch it I think they usualy grab about waist/tailbone level. Also I've had people look to see if there are split ends, so they'd usually go to the tips for that.

A couple months ago I ran into someone with a long braid. I told her about LHC and we discussed hair for a couple minutes. My hair was up at first and then I took it down. It was kinda funny cause she said "Oh can I touch it!? I always think people are crazy cause they always ask me that, and now I want to touch yours!" Of course I said sure, and held it out to her. She touched and petted the middle of it, but probably because that's what I offered.

I actually like it when people touch my hair. As long as it's in a non-creepy way. But then people probaby don't ever THINK they're being creepy, so how would anyone know? lol. When I was little kids used to sit behind me in class and play with my hair. That was heaven! Anyone reading this has permission to ask to play with my hair, and then probably continue for about 3 year. And if I deny permission, you can assume you're one of the creepy people :p

[Katahdin]

Hmmm, I think I'm a minority here. I really like it when people touch my hair, as long as they do it respectfully. I just love the way it feels on my scalp when people play with my hair. I always always let my friends little sister do my hair, even tho her home-made styles are... well, not exactly something I'd wear out in public, to put it nicely :blushing:

For me, people seem to go for anything below APL-ish, probably because most people are sensitive about their necks being touched. Or the tassel if my hair's braided.

[eadwine]

Ohhh they better not do that with me :lol:

Ask first, then I probably won't mind, but don't touch me without an invitation please, I rather like my personal space.

[Little_Bird]

Hmmm... I don't really know but in my opninion it might have to do with aproximation. Ends are also more likely to be farther from you, so even if people play with your ends they might feel they are not invading your "personal space", if you know what I mean.
I think it's more likely to get someone angry if you touch the hair from ears up than simply touching the ends a little. But that's just my impression, for each one can have an isolated reason or your ends can be really fascinating :p

Your hair is beautyfull, from root to tip, anyways! :flowers:

[Euphony]

Your hair is beautyfull, from root to tip, anyways! :flowers:
Why thank you Little_Bird! I was going to say something similar to you. I see you have a new siggy - what great progress. My son is torn right now, he cut off his 'bsl' when straight hair last summer, it's now getting to apl when pulled straight (he's about a 3a/3b). His senior year is starting next week, he doesn't know if he wants to cut it or let it grow, after he cut it off last year he realized he really likes it long. But it's in what my husband so fondly calls 'the dork stage', my son giggles and then goes back to what do I do with it!?!

My hair care regime has become contagious with him! I keep a bottle of camellia oil in my purse, he begged me for some so we're going to get it for him this weekend.

I'm with a lot of people here, I don't mind it being touched. What has started to weird me out is my hair has gotten so long I don't immediately feel it and every now and then I realize someone's been petting the ends for a while and I didn't know. They'll have picked up a tendril and it's all the way up to their face before I feel it.

I'm starting to figure it's probably a space issue and the ends flip/curl so it's easy to grab. How funny people are, and they don't even realize it.

[Tapioca]

I'm another one who loves having the hair touched, as long as it's not in a creepy way or pulling. I'm trying to teach DH how to braid (really, it's so he can do DD's hair if I'm not there ((don't ask how I did it when I broke my arm last summer)) so maybe I can get him to play with it.

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Fortunately or unfortunately, long hair, epseically looooong hair begs to be touched??