Why Is Straight Hair More Valued Than Other Hair Types?

[TheMaleRapunzel]

People that straighten their hair are much, much, much more common than people that curl it. Far more supermodels have straight hair than other hair types. Kinky hair is often described as "bad hair" in every day parlance. Products to straighten hair are a bilion-Dollar industry. Hair from Chinese women, which tends to be the straightest, is the most valued for making wigs.

I wonder why that is. I have my theory. It goes that the degree of "bending" of the hair is related to how perfectly the fillaments of keratin are superpositioned over each other. The more perfect the superpositioning of the filaments, the straighter the hair is. Now, this can be seen as "symmetry" of the hair. Just like symmetrical faces are perceived to be more attractive, straight hair can be seen as more "perfect" biologically. Explanations that revolve around European colonialism and that "white is beautiful" don't hold much water because Asian hair, which is even straighter than white peopl's hair, is even more valued.

I know a guy who used to work at my law firm years ago. Like most males, he had hair at 3"-6" his whole life. He then decided to grow it out. I saw him some months latter and his hair was longer. Then, suddenly, he showed up one day with a buzzed head. So I asked him why did he shave his head since he said that he was going to grow it out. This is what he said to me:

"I though I had straight hair, but then when my hair was close to my shoulder it started to wave. So I shaved the damn thing off."

So I asked him what is the big deal with having hair that waves, and he blurted out crassly:

"That's sh-t hair. Not worth growing it out."

[cat11]

This goes in and out with time. I think curls are starting to come back, actually. I see a lot of people lately who have clearly artifically curled their hair

Your guy freind is more opinionated than most

[EdG]

One thing one gets to appreciate hanging out with LHC'ers is that fantastic hair comes in all types: straight, wavy, curly, all different colors and textures. Seriously, I know a number of LHC'ers with fantastic curls. We're talking thudpile inducing hair. :thudpile:
Ed

[Seeshami]

I seriously blame our media focused society.

There is a beautiful love your curls videos from one of the major beauty companies like dove or something. It encourages curly haired parents to be positive and love curls and express it to try and break the ......I am going to call it abuse of curly hair, specifically young children.

And As a heavy straight hair I have never wanted my hair straight I have had to learn to accept it.

[Quasiquixotic]

So that's his sad opinion. I'm not sure there is a bias towards straight hair. I'm a straighty and I've had perms twice. I'm not sure model's hair is the best way to judge this, their hair, like their whole self, is molded into the desires of the designer. As for wigs, eh, it probably because of how they make the wig. They sell curly wigs. I guess what I mean is I adore curly hair. I think a lot of people do, weather they are represented in society or the slice of it you have interacted with todate is another story.

[Entangled]

Well, I do know that if you go back around a hundred years ago, curly hair was valuable. I think straight hair is seen as more desirable by mainstream culture (sometimes) because it's smooth. Curly or wavy hair is unpredictable, and can be frizzy or misbehaving. However, while hair straightening is a daily routine for many, curling hair is seen as a special occasion thing. I think that has to do with ease; it's a lot simpler to straighten than curl hair.

[divinedobbie]

As someone who has straight hair, I have always wanted more waves. I can only dream of curls. Grass is always greener on the other side.

That being said, I don't really agree that straight hair is more preferred. I honestly just think that it's a lot more work for straight haired people to curl their hair and that's why they don't. Two of my friends (straight haired) profess that their hair cannot keep a curl for the life of it. And all my other friends who have straight hair curl it any time we go out but on normal days, it's too much work. Well, one straight haired girl does curl her hair daily. On the other hand, my wavy friend never straightens her hair. And I have a friend with gorgeous long curly hair who's never straightened it.

I want to say a few more words because I actually feel really strongly about this. My mom really wanted curly hair (but doesn't) and she really wanted me to have curly hair and was thrilled when I had ringlets as a toddler and was very sad when they went away.

All my straight haired friends and I really envy my one curly haired friends hair. And any time we come across a picture or TV of a celebrity with curly hair like Lorde we all ooh and awe over it and exclaim how we wish our hair was curly.

In summary, I feel like there's actually a huge majority of people who long for and admire curly hair but perhaps straight hair is more common and/or it's easier to straighten hair than to curl it.

[Wildcat Diva]

I barely ever agree with "society" so once I was able to at least find the info to educate myself about my curly hair I am good to go. *sproings curls*

[cat11]

I barely ever agree with "society" so once I was able to at least find the info to educate myself about my curly hair I am good to go. *sproings curls*

Yeah, I hated my hair and just thought it was messy and horrible until i learned curly methods. Alot of curlies remember stuff like being told to brush their hair when they just did it, by people that didnt understand brushing curly hair makes it POOF.... this was like my whole childhood LOL

[Nadine <3]

I tend to think straight hair is more "desirable" because a lot of people with curly hair start off not knowing how to care for it and it can be more difficult to take care of. Many people try brushing curls and waves and it poofs out, making it look wild and out of control. Straight hair just looks smooth and you can brush it just fine, but curls or waves? Yeah not so much.

[Robot Ninja]

It's because some of us remember the horrors of the '80s and nobody wants to go back to that. :D
I think it's also partly because a lot of people don't know how to care for curly hair, so curly=frizzy in a lot of people's minds. A certain type of curl is coming back into style (if it ever left; you still saw curls in formal styles even at the height of the flat-iron addiction), but of course it's big, perfectly smooth artificial curls.

[curlylocks85]

You described very good points.

My theory: Some straight hair can appear shinier than curly or wavy hair, and feel softer. This combination is coveted. Desired by many, most people try to attain this fashion. Hair types, opposite shiny silky hair, have been considered less appealing for many years now. These days, people wear hair pieces of a plethora variety making it difficult to tell real hair from natural hair - then deciding whether the hair is straight, wavy or curly. As fashion trends go, ideas get recycled and I am sure in the future, curly/wavy hair will be back in a new modern way.

[HintOfMint]

I wonder why that is. I have my theory. It goes that the degree of "bending" of the hair is related to how perfectly the fillaments of keratin are superpositioned over each other. The more perfect the superpositioning of the filaments, the straighter the hair is. Now, this can be seen as "symmetry" of the hair. Just like symmetrical faces are perceived to be more attractive, straight hair can be seen as more "perfect" biologically. Explanations that revolve around European colonialism and that "white is beautiful" don't hold much water because Asian hair, which is even straighter than white peopl's hair, is even more valued.



Looking to intrinsic qualities of a feature to determine attractiveness or value is usually barking up the wrong tree. I could point to the beauty of a double helix and its very structure in our DNA and say that curls are inherently more beautiful and life affirming than straight hair. See how stupid that sounds?

Intrinsic qualities of beauty are tied to fertility and health. Clear skin (lack of parasites/infections), symmetry (no birth defects), waist-to-hip ratio (fertility), good musculature (strength, adequate nutrition), youth (fertility), height (adequate nutrition, strength) all can be tied to reproductive advantages. The rest is just a matter of taste. Hair doesn't curl in the presence of parasites or poor nutrition. It simply falls out. In fact, I would say that your premise of straight hair being valued more is just a passing phase in human history.

As far as the current bias against curly/kinky/coily hair not having anything to do with race because Asians have "good hair," I disagree. Modern racism in the United States has less to to with being non-white, and more to do with anti-black sentiment. This isn't to say that non-black minorities, particularly Asians, do not face racism, they do. But there is the concept of the Model Minority, and to say that every non-white ethnicity is evenly situated with regards to esteem in relation to white people, is incorrect. This doesn't explain the entirety of the bias in favor of straight hair, but it is part of it.

[Alex Lou]

It's just fashion. People used to perm their hair, before that they used rollers.

[Quixii]

I think it's just the fashion of the time period. Not so long ago people were perming their hair like crazy. Now they're straightening. Probably in another few years we'll be back to perming. :rolleyes:

Personally, I've never cared that much about what society thinks is the most desirable for the moment. They'll change their minds in a hot second anyway.

[divinedobbie]

Looking to intrinsic qualities of a feature to determine attractiveness or value is usually barking up the wrong tree. I could point to the beauty of a double helix and its very structure in our DNA and say that curls are inherently more beautiful and life affirming than straight hair. See how stupid that sounds?

Intrinsic qualities of beauty are tied to fertility and health. Clear skin (lack of parasites/infections), symmetry (no birth defects), waist-to-hip ratio (fertility), good musculature (strength, adequate nutrition), youth (fertility), height (adequate nutrition, strength) all can be tied to reproductive advantages. The rest is just a matter of taste. Hair doesn't curl in the presence of parasites or poor nutrition. It simply falls out. In fact, I would say that your premise of straight hair being valued more is just a passing phase in human history.

As far as the current bias against curly/kinky/coily hair not having anything to do with race because Asians have "good hair," I disagree. Modern racism in the United States has less to to with being non-white, and more to do with anti-black sentiment. This isn't to say that non-black minorities, particularly Asians, do not face racism, they do. But there is the concept of the Model Minority, and to say that every non-white ethnicity is evenly situated with regards to esteem in relation to white people, is incorrect. This doesn't explain the entirety of the bias in favor of straight hair, but it is part of it.

I love this logic. I didn't even think of it this way, thanks for pointing this out!

[Deborah]

I don't think any hair type is more "valued." Straight or curly are lasting qualities in an individual person's actual hair, but whether they are in style at the moment is a varied and passing thing. I decided many years ago that my hair is what it is, and I stopped trying to curl it. Sometimes that makes me in style. At other times I am not considered stylish. I simply do not care, so I never feel any more or any less "valued." I find freedom in that outlook.

[PalomaSincera]

This guy you speak off reminds me of a guy from my class last semester. Well, MANY guys in my area have long, long hair. But this guy in particular has subtle blonde waves.
I don't know why straight hair is preferred. Personally, I don't like straight hair. Not on other people and specially not on me. Everyone I've known has been blown away by my dark wavy/ slightly curly hair. Why in the world did I cut it? No clue. I'm crazy.

[jeanniet]

It's a stereotype that all Asians have straight hair, because quite a few of them don't. In any case, curly/straight hair trends come and go. Straight hair was popular in the 60s and early 70s, but curly hair was very popular in the late 70s and 80s. In any case I've had two women in the past week, both professionals, tell me how much they loved my hair and wished they could get their hair to curl.

[TheMaleRapunzel]

Looking to intrinsic qualities of a feature to determine attractiveness or value is usually barking up the wrong tree. I could point to the beauty of a double helix and its very structure in our DNA and say that curls are inherently more beautiful and life affirming than straight hair. See how stupid that sounds?Intrinsic qualities of beauty are tied to fertility and health. Clear skin (lack of parasites/infections), symmetry (no birth defects), waist-to-hip ratio (fertility), good musculature (strength, adequate nutrition), youth (fertility), height (adequate nutrition, strength) all can be tied to reproductive advantages. The rest is just a matter of taste. Hair doesn't curl in the presence of parasites or poor nutrition. It simply falls out. In fact, I would say that your premise of straight hair being valued more is just a passing phase in human history.

First, you are being rude. Secondly, your comparison does not hold because the curvature of rthe DNA's helix has no beqaring on assesing one's genetic value, and furthermore is not visible to the eye. Hair is on both counts. Your point is invalid. Straight hair may be a passing phase, but it is more valued in pretty much every human culture. Fashions do not tend to be universal across unrelated cultures. Whites, Asians, Arabs, black people, they all value straight hair.


As far as the current bias against curly/kinky/coily hair not having anything to do with race because Asians have "good hair," I disagree. Modern racism in the United States has less to to with being non-white, and more to do with anti-black sentiment. This isn't to say that non-black minorities, particularly Asians, do not face racism, they do. But there is the concept of the Model Minority, and to say that every non-white ethnicity is evenly situated with regards to esteem in relation to white people, is incorrect. This doesn't explain the entirety of the bias in favor of straight hair, but it is part of it.

The President of the Unites States is black. How much of an anti-black prejudice can there be?

[TheMaleRapunzel]

I love this logic. I didn't even think of it this way, thanks for pointing this out!

His/her logic is actually terrible. Apples and oranges.

[jeanniet]

The President of the Unites States is black. How much of an anti-black prejudice can there be?

Surely you're joking. If not, then the obvious answer is quite a lot.

[Alex Lou]

Surely you're joking. If not, then the obvious answer is quite a lot.

This. So much.

[TheMaleRapunzel]

Surely you're joking. If not, then the obvious answer is quite a lot.

How much prejudice can there be when the highest office in the land is being occupied by a black man?

[jeanniet]

Uh, because not anywhere near everyone in the country voted for him?

ETA: I'm going to assume you don't follow the news, because otherwise you'd be very aware that the US does, in fact, have significant race issues.

[Bonfires]

How much prejudice can there be when the highest office in the land is being occupied by a black man?

This is such a reductive argument that I hardly know where to begin deconstructing it. As jeanniet says, not everyone voted for Obama, and even a majority of people not being racist can still leave 40% of the population racist, a not insignificant proportion. Further, "being racist" isn't a simple switch that someone is or isn't. People are racist in different ways, to different degrees, both consciously and otherwise. So comparing the willingness to vote for a black man with the subconscious bias against black-associated features is ridiculous.

Beyond all that, I don’t see much point in engaging in a discussion about racism with someone who believes America is, in some way, “post-racism”.


Straight hair may be a passing phase, but it is more valued in pretty much every human culture. Fashions do not tend to be universal across unrelated cultures. Whites, Asians, Arabs, black people, they all value straight hair.

If it is a passing phase (which seems to be the consensus) then it can't be based on some universal biological imperative. As for its current widespread popularity I think it can be attributed to the current degree of globalisation, particularly Americanisation, much more easily than a universal understanding of its biological "perfection".

[maborosi]

I agree with Bonfires and HintOfMint. Both of you guys put it better than I could. :)

[Ilenora]

I'm not sure that straight hair is all that more popular than wavy. In the celebrity business, LOTS of women have those perfect celebrity waves - the ones they wear over their shoulders with the gentle curled ends. Just look at all the actresses and singers at a red carpet event.

I like the look of curly and wavy hair - mine's wavy. I personally would love to have sleek, straight hair though without all the fluffiness and little bits that stick out. So to me, straight hair is appealing. But I think curly hair looks beautiful on others.

[Rosetta]

Who has ever implicated that straight hair would be more valued than curly? :eek: I'm just totally baffled by this... Growing up, the idea of curly hair being way more valued (beautiful) than straight was so deeply instilled in me (by my mother) that it's taken long for me to accept my hair as it is. :? (Granted, I'm in Europe, not US.)

[Bonfires]

On the topic of whether straight hair is more valued than curly I do think it varies quite a bit, but the current trends do lean towards straight, at least here in Australia (and in the US, as far as I can tell). Ilenora mentions "celebrity waves", and I definitely agree that wavy hair/gentle curls are also considered beautiful. But *really* curly hair, tight ringlets, I do think are considered to be less beautiful by many (not that I ascribe to that view). And, whatever other factors may be at work, I think anti-black racism has to be high up there on the list of causes. Even more so if, as Rosetta says, there is less of a distinction made between straight/curly in Europe (where, to my understanding, anti-black racism isn't as strong).

[Upside Down]

Well, we don't have race issues, since the only rave here is white.

I think what most people refer to as desireable curly hair is really curlung iron curls. Real "wild" curLs and waves hardly ever look so perfectly even.

I always get compliments on my curly hair, but when I streighten or do waves, people compliment my hair AND my whole look.

It seemS that the look 'I've just spent hours at the saLon' is whAt people respond tO best.


SOrry about random caps, my touch screen is going wild. :hatchet:

[Avital88]

As someone who has straight hair, I have always wanted more waves. I can only dream of curls. Grass is always greener on the other side.

That being said, I don't really agree that straight hair is more preferred. I honestly just think that it's a lot more work for straight haired people to curl their hair and that's why they don't. Two of my friends (straight haired) profess that their hair cannot keep a curl for the life of it. And all my other friends who have straight hair curl it any time we go out but on normal days, it's too much work. Well, one straight haired girl does curl her hair daily. On the other hand, my wavy friend never straightens her hair. And I have a friend with gorgeous long curly hair who's never straightened it.

I want to say a few more words because I actually feel really strongly about this. My mom really wanted curly hair (but doesn't) and she really wanted me to have curly hair and was thrilled when I had ringlets as a toddler and was very sad when they went away.

All my straight haired friends and I really envy my one curly haired friends hair. And any time we come across a picture or TV of a celebrity with curly hair like Lorde we all ooh and awe over it and exclaim how we wish our hair was curly.

In summary, I feel like there's actually a huge majority of people who long for and admire curly hair but perhaps straight hair is more common and/or it's easier to straighten hair than to curl it.

I totally agree w this. I always wanted my hair to be more curly as well. It curls perfectly when I bleach it but yea then it's also kinda dead. My daughter on the other hand is 7 y.o with 3b curls just dreams about having straight hair. I don't think straight hair is really in fashion though. What I see is wavy being in fashion. But maybe this depends on where you live

[Marika]

Who has ever implicated that straight hair would be more valued than curly? :eek: I'm just totally baffled by this... Growing up, the idea of curly hair being way more valued (beautiful) than straight was so deeply instilled in me (by my mother) that it's taken long for me to accept my hair as it is. :? (Granted, I'm in Europe, not US.)

Exactly this. I don't think I've ever even met anyone who straightens their hair:confused: But most people I know, try to (or have tried to in the past) curl it with a curling iron/perm/braid waves etc. Heaven knows I've tried but even a perm doesn't make my hair curly! :D

[Rapunzel_to_be]

It might also have to do with the fact that a lot of curly or wavy haired people do not know how to take care of their hair, and because of this they do not like their hair because they think its too fluffy or frizzy or not defined etc. It may have started from childhood, their parents not knowing or not bothered to help their children bring out the best of their hair type or how to care for it, so they always believed it is something negative to have curly/wavy hair, and when they got their hands on a flat iron and saw how smooth and manageable that was they of course appreciated that more than their own frizzy undefined fluffy hair.

Yeah I basically just told you the my hair story :p But I think this goes for a lot of people actually ... because once you know how to care for your hair type, there is no difference in the beauty of it compared to any other, all hair types are beautiful, you just have to know how to care for it correctly, and this is a big reason to why people have this misconception about curly/wavy hair. At least thats what I think :)

[sarahthegemini]

Who knows. Personally I prefer wavey hair. I love curly hair too (when it's properly taken care of)

[oddelabop]

I have poker straight hair... I'd kill for cuRly hair! So I just crimp mine every now and again instead!

ETA I think a lot of people always want something different to what they already have!

[lapushka]

Yeah, where do you get your "facts" anyway that straight hair is more valued. Let's face it. It's just your opinion. :shrug:

[Mimha]

People that straighten their hair are much, much, much more common than people that curl it. Far more supermodels have straight hair than other hair types. Kinky hair is often described as "bad hair" in every day parlance. Products to straighten hair are a bilion-Dollar industry. Hair from Chinese women, which tends to be the straightest, is the most valued for making wigs.

I wonder why that is. I have my theory. It goes that the degree of "bending" of the hair is related to how perfectly the fillaments of keratin are superpositioned over each other. The more perfect the superpositioning of the filaments, the straighter the hair is. Now, this can be seen as "symmetry" of the hair. Just like symmetrical faces are perceived to be more attractive, straight hair can be seen as more "perfect" biologically. Explanations that revolve around European colonialism and that "white is beautiful" don't hold much water because Asian hair, which is even straighter than white peopl's hair, is even more valued.

I know a guy who used to work at my law firm years ago. Like most males, he had hair at 3"-6" his whole life. He then decided to grow it out. I saw him some months latter and his hair was longer. Then, suddenly, he showed up one day with a buzzed head. So I asked him why did he shave his head since he said that he was going to grow it out. This is what he said to me:

"I though I had straight hair, but then when my hair was close to my shoulder it started to wave. So I shaved the damn thing off."

So I asked him what is the big deal with having hair that waves, and he blurted out crassly:

"That's sh-t hair. Not worth growing it out."


Hello MaleRapunzel.

Your story made me laugh so much ! :D This poor guy had dreamed all his life he was somebody else, or what ? Ha ha ha ha ! People are so formatted by fashion (or by what they have heard all their life in their family) !... I bet that in the next decade another fashion will show up, and sooner or later his hair will turn out to be the most desired thing on earth. It's just a matter of time^^... And like Ed says : long hair is timeless ! :cool:

All this is just a matter of society. What is desired by the majority is what the "admired people" of their time have. Some centuries ago, no wig manufacture in Europe would have given a penny for Asian hair (like Chinese, as you say), just because it's usually coarse, dark and "unbendable". The price of hair was based on its lightness and fineness, and wigs would be curly. And today, people are rushing on Asian extensions to look trendy ! Lol.

So the best thing to do is not to care about trends and go for our own hair, whatever the color/texture, etc. Natural hair is for me always the best choice, because it's what is naturally meant to fit the best with us. Dreaming about something different just leads to envy and frustration. And when I admire the amazing diversity of colors, textures, and lengths in here, I think it's a unique richness to have "my own private one, different from all other ones".

[Hairkay]

I know for a fact that in British colonial times straight hair has been valued more than curly hair. Those who are slightly older than my mother got their secondary school place mostly determined on their looks. There'd be the extremely exceptional student that would get selected for the exam for secondary school but the rest were dependant on their teachers' biases. They'd get picked if they had lighter skin tones and or straight/wavy hair. Part of the dress code for the elite schools was to have all hair straight. If you were unfortunate to be born without then you were required to straighten your hair to be allowed to attend those schools. Without a secondary school education then you'd only be able to do menial/low paying jobs. Things changed in my mother's school time. Since that transitional generation's children now have children themselves you can sometimes identify some of the elite schools' children by their skin tone, straight or straightened hair and by their accent. Their parents due to their jobs had more funds to send them to private school. Mostly they'd go private for primary school, sit the national exam that determines a place in secondary school. The elite schools get the top 90+%, then other schools get the rest streamed accordingly. I'd say my niece and nephew's generation have more variety than my generation.

[Amapola]

Straight hair is preferred over curly? I never knew... I spent most of my life trying to curl mine. DH was actually surprised when I started growing out my hair... I'd kept it permed so much he thought it was naturally like that. But no, it's stick-straight and curling it is hopeless without applying damaging chemical treatments. So, I embrace my straight hair, and just admire the beauty of curls from afar. And let me tell you, I do admire them. I think they are awesome and have always thought this.

In the meantime, my mother spent her life trying to make her hair curly too. She does not mind the damage and opts for chemical treatments every so often. She used to wear wigs when I was a kid; every one of them was curly.

And I'll also point out that the US is only a small portion of the whole world. Perhaps in say, Ghana, the idea about straight hair is different. I don't actually know. HairKay's reply above mine is quite interesting in how the UK views curly hair.

[Dixie_Amazon]

I love how curly hair and straight hair looks. I am stuck in between.

I bet if the people that market Pantene got involved there would be a huge upsurge in curly hair.

[spidermom]

Don't worry - curly hair popularity will come around again. In my 61 years, I've seen at least two cycles where curly hair was so desirable that mothers were perming their toddlers' hair. Hopefully I'll never see that again! In the 60s, straight hair long and parted in the middle was so popular that I was ironing mine on the ironing board. I destroyed it! In the 80s, everybody was getting a perm.

[MandyBeth]

Part of the dislike towards wavy/curly hair is it's not seen as easy to manage. If you abuse curly hair, it fluffy up like a mad cat, breaks, and in general pitches a fit. And you abuse curly hair by treating it like straight hair. Versus being reasonably careful with curly hair, it can grow out and be fairly easy to handle - it handles like the length it actually is when pulled straight. My daughter with nearly ankle length hair when pulled straight has a lot of hair and the ends can be easily damaged. My daughter with hip length hair pulled straight is generally easier to handle simply because her hair isn't into the extremely long lengths yet. If you give curls the moisture they demand, don't break up the curl pattern and accept that you need to let your hair do it's thing - it's not hard to work with. But that's a huge shift to someone who is used to shampoo twice, little conditioner, blow dry, brush out, etc.....

I probably have wurly hair. I just cut it before it curls. I'm not any better than mass society.

As for the how racist is the US - I am not going there with a 10 foot pole.

[j88]

People that straighten their hair are much, much, much more common than people that curl it. Far more supermodels have straight hair than other hair types. Kinky hair is often described as "bad hair" in every day parlance. Products to straighten hair are a bilion-Dollar industry. Hair from Chinese women, which tends to be the straightest, is the most valued for making wigs.

I wonder why that is. I have my theory. It goes that the degree of "bending" of the hair is related to how perfectly the fillaments of keratin are superpositioned over each other. The more perfect the superpositioning of the filaments, the straighter the hair is. Now, this can be seen as "symmetry" of the hair. Just like symmetrical faces are perceived to be more attractive, straight hair can be seen as more "perfect" biologically. Explanations that revolve around European colonialism and that "white is beautiful" don't hold much water because Asian hair, which is even straighter than white peopl's hair, is even more valued.

I know a guy who used to work at my law firm years ago. Like most males, he had hair at 3"-6" his whole life. He then decided to grow it out. I saw him some months latter and his hair was longer. Then, suddenly, he showed up one day with a buzzed head. So I asked him why did he shave his head since he said that he was going to grow it out. This is what he said to me:

"I though I had straight hair, but then when my hair was close to my shoulder it started to wave. So I shaved the damn thing off."

So I asked him what is the big deal with having hair that waves, and he blurted out crassly:

"That's sh-t hair. Not worth growing it out."

I second that theory! Actuallt thought about it a few weeks ago.

[j88]

But.. I'm not saying that's what it is. One thing I think of is that straight hair makes oils travel down the hair shaft, making it less dry and more shiney (usually), and also straight hair look longer. Long hair is considered attractive since you can see what's been going on with nutrition over the years through the hair condition. And if the hair is straight it might indicate less damage. But it depends on the type of straight hair. I thing that shiny and healthy-looking hair will be considered attractive no matter what shape the hair strands have. But the dryer hair, the more curly can your hair be. Curly hair tends to be dryer (and that can indicate nutrition problems, though it usually doesnæt, but instinctivly. I mean).

[BrunetteMermaid]

I agree with many of the posters above. Straight hair is seen as being easier to take care of while curly or wavy hair tends to be frowned on. I have several friends who take care of their curls and don't have a hassle. Abused curls and waves are going to be more difficult!

[Sharysa]

Yep, everyone's nailed their answers. Lack of knowledge to care for curly hair, wanting to look like they just got to the salon, and a heavy dose of underlying racism in the US.

I should note that while many black Americans straighten their hair to try and fit in with Caucasian ideals (but the view is changing), Asian-Americans tend to straighten their hair because straight hair is already a beauty ideal in much of Asia and they probably inherited some form of "straight hair is beautiful, curly hair isn't" viewpoints from their families. My mother (Filipino immigrant) says that my natural waves look messy.

[Hairkay]

Straight hair is preferred over curly? I never knew... I spent most of my life trying to curl mine. DH was actually surprised when I started growing out my hair... I'd kept it permed so much he thought it was naturally like that. But no, it's stick-straight and curling it is hopeless without applying damaging chemical treatments. So, I embrace my straight hair, and just admire the beauty of curls from afar. And let me tell you, I do admire them. I think they are awesome and have always thought this.

In the meantime, my mother spent her life trying to make her hair curly too. She does not mind the damage and opts for chemical treatments every so often. She used to wear wigs when I was a kid; every one of them was curly.

And I'll also point out that the US is only a small portion of the whole world. Perhaps in say, Ghana, the idea about straight hair is different. I don't actually know. HairKay's reply above mine is quite interesting in how the UK views curly hair.

Not the UK as we know it today but Colonial Britain's overseas territories. I've heard of some schools in some places in Ghana and a few other African countries where the school dress code policy is that kinky curly hair must be shave off. That's why it's prevalent to see many African school girls with just a mm or so of hair on their heads. The schools have made special provision for the minority with straight hair. They get to keep their hair as it is and grow it out.

Here's someone mentioning the school shaven head thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNJMnh8xbcc

[LongCurlyTress]

I am a very curly 3b girl and I love my curls! And I honestly think curls are much, much sexier than straight hair! If in doubt, go check out this facebook page, "Beautiful Girls,With Curly Hair". Just sayin'!!! :cool: Hugs to all us curly girlies! ;)

And Wavy Girlies too of course!!!! :toast: Right on Lapushka! Hugs!! :cheer::cheer:

[lapushka]

Hugs to all us curly girlies! ;)

And wavy girls! ;) :D

[cocoahair]

All I have to say is that this is just another matter of preference. And thankfully everyone has different preferences and celebrate our differences. yes there have been curlies in the past who have told me they wished their hair was as straight as mine but for everyone of them there have been straight haired girls who lament their inability to produce a curl. I just focus on loving my own hair type and try and keep the eyes from wanting that which I don't have :crush:

[Hurven]

When I was little my hair was literally stick straight. Not even the slightest hint of volume or even the slightest wave. Very typical 1A-hair. No one commented on my hair type ever. But when I hit puberty my hair gradually started turning more wavy, and now I have 2A-hair and depending on weather conditions and such, it can be 2B or 2C. occasionally I get comments that my hair looks wild and messy, and some people have asked if my waves are real and how I make my hair stay wavy. :confused: I think it's because here in Scandinavia the most common hair type is fine 1A-hair, so they assume that if a person doesn't have straight hair it's because they style it.

I guess what's seen as valued hair depends on where you live and personal preferences. I personally love my waves and I'm so happy that my hair got wavy with age. But I know some people who hate their curly or wavy hair and wishes for stick straight hair. I think it's because they don't know how to take care of it. one person I know literally rips through her tangles when her hair is wet and brushes it every day. Her hair is always all poofy and in very, very poor condition and she blames it on her curls. She has the most beautiful curl pattern when she treats her hair better, so I don't understand why she abuses it. :confused:

[Lauraes]

I have straight hair and I definitely don't value it over anyone else's, in fact I find myself envious of a lot of people who have gorgeous natural waves and curls. I always think to myself "man, I can't even get my hair to stay that curly with a curling iron". :shrug: But I'm happy with my hair, and I don't think I would change my hair type if I had the chance to, because well, it's mine, and I think everyone should feel that way.

I've only been on this forum for 3 months and I've seen similar topics like this come up several times now. I think everyone should worry about their own hair and not whether or not it's "valuable".

[lapushka]

I've only been on this forum for 3 months and I've seen similar topics like this come up several times now. I think everyone should worry about their own hair and not whether or not it's "valuable".

Well said! :)

[lillithnight]

I have to disagree with a lot of people here. Growing up Black/Mixed in the US and also being half-Jewish, straight hair or a certain type of curl we would classify as 2c/3A is deffinitly preferred. I noticed growing up, whether at temple or the Black AME church my mom also took us to, that both groups are likely to artificially straighten their hair or if it was tightly curled/Kinky loosen it to an acceptable level. All depending on which look they preferred. I also noticed that it was a certain type of hair that would be praised or considered "good hair" by both groups. Hair that wasn't straight or that certain kind of curl was considered nappy hair or too Hebraic looking.

I've got no other way to describe this than internalized racism that comes about from being a minority group. Both hairtypes look distinctly non-White to alot of people, and that's a bad thing when historically passing as White meant you could have a better life. Case in point, I've had a lot of Black people be dismayed that I'm a nice and light "redbone" complection but have "nappy hair." And I've also had a lot of European Jews that don't care if my dad is Black be perfectly fine with my skintone, because they know it is fairly common among the Mizrahi, Sephardim, and Yemenite Jews. In short, it's fairly common outside that particular Jewish group. But my hair? Oh boy, my hair. When I was young it would deffinitly be called too Hebraic. It was pure 3C, and both me and the European Jewish girls who had that hairtype got our hair straightened either with heat or chemicals.

[gwenalyn]

In the 90s, early 2000s, dead straight hair was verrrry popular. I think wavy/beachy waves and big bouncy curls are coming back, though--think Kim Kardashian.

There is also the whole racism thing, "good hair", and the association of "whiteness" with being pretty/high class in large parts of the world, especially the colonialized ones (e.g. large parts of South America, Africa). I think this manifested in hair and skin tone among Hispanic and black populations. In Asia, however, this manifested more in eye shape (cosmetic eye surgery is *huge* in Asia). Asian cultures had already been valuing pale skin for a long time. Plenty of Asians do have wavy hair--the stereotype of straight Asian hair is not as true as it seems.

As for wigs, straight Asian hair is valued in wigs partly because the trend for the past two decades was for straight hair *and* because it is far easier to make wigs when the hairs are straight and uniform. There is not as much color variation among Asians, and when the hair is straight you don't have to worry about curl patterns and so on, so it's easier to make wigs by combining multiple people's hair. Most wigs are made with more than one person's hair, as a single donation usually doesn't contain enough hair. There was some paper somewhere that found that Asian hair tended to have a tighter/thicker cuticle pattern, which may also make the hair more healthy and sturdy, and thus more suitable for high quality wig making. Also, the black population (at least in America) is a huge consumer of wigs compared to any other ethnicity, and many black women would want black haired wigs (to look more natural) and straight haired wigs (because of cultural and professionalism pressures, which ties back to the whole racism thing ...).

Disclaimer: All of the above is all my speculation and random thoughts and should not be taken for fact! I may be 100% wrong.


I totally agree w this. I always wanted my hair to be more curly as well. It curls perfectly when I bleach it but yea then it's also kinda dead.

I feel your pain!


I have to disagree with a lot of people here. Growing up Black/Mixed in the US and also being half-Jewish, straight hair or a certain type of curl we would classify as 2c/3A is deffinitly preferred. I noticed growing up, whether at temple or the Black AME church my mom also took us to, that both groups are likely to artificially straighten their hair or if it was tightly curled/Kinky loosen it to an acceptable level. All depending on which look they preferred. I also noticed that it was a certain type of hair that would be praised or considered "good hair" by both groups. Hair that wasn't straight or that certain kind of curl was considered nappy hair or too Hebraic looking.

I've got no other way to describe this than internalized racism that comes about from being a minority group. Both hairtypes look distinctly non-White to alot of people, and that's a bad thing when historically passing as White meant you could have a better life. Case in point, I've had a lot of Black people be dismayed that I'm a nice and light "redbone" complection but have "nappy hair." And I've also had a lot of European Jews that don't care if my dad is Black be perfectly fine with my skintone, because they know it is fairly common among the Mizrahi, Sephardim, and Yemenite Jews. In short, it's fairly common outside that particular Jewish group. But my hair? Oh boy, my hair. When I was young it would deffinitly be called too Hebraic. It was pure 3C, and both me and the European Jewish girls who had that hairtype got our hair straightened either with heat or chemicals.

Fascinating! I grew up Jewish, too, in the 90s and early 2000s, and this *never* came up! Our congregations were pretty multicultural though, esp. given that we were in flyover-America. There weren't any black (mixed or otherwise) people that I can remember, but (mixed) East Asian and Indian children were well represented. We went to reform temples, did you? It's also possible I just didn't notice this kind of thing, as the Jewish side of my family had stick-straight hair just like the Asian side.

When I was in middle school (ages 11-13) I ran with an anti-fashion sort of crowd and they would always say how they didn't understand why all the popular girls straightened their hair, straight hair wasn't even pretty ... and then see my expression and say, oh, except for you, your hair is pretty. Hah. I wish I'd appreciated my accidental trendiness back then, but everyone wants what they don't have.

[lillithnight]

Fascinating! I grew up Jewish, too, in the 90s and early 2000s, and this *never* came up! Our congregations were pretty multicultural though, esp. given that we were in flyover-America. There weren't any black (mixed or otherwise) people that I can remember, but (mixed) East Asian and Indian children were well represented. We went to reform temples, did you? It's also possible I just didn't notice this kind of thing, as the Jewish side of my family had stick-straight hair just like the Asian side.

When I was in middle school (ages 11-13) I ran with an anti-fashion sort of crowd and they would always say how they didn't understand why all the popular girls straightened their hair, straight hair wasn't even pretty ... and then see my expression and say, oh, except for you, your hair is pretty. Hah. I wish I'd appreciated my accidental trendiness back then, but everyone wants what they don't have.

I don't really remember what the temple we went to was, I think it was conservative.

I do think it is something people see less of depending on the area you live in though, so it was probably a mix of ideal hair and where you lived. Where I grew up though, it was more of a thing and also that I was in two communities in which hair was considered important.