Classifying Assessing Stranger's Hair

[DollyDagger]

In your day to day lives do you ever mentally classify or assess peoples hair type/potential/condition ?

lol..:pinktongue:

I find I'm doing this lately-

Like I'll see a lady and think in my head..mentally dialoguing.."""wow..she's got pretty amazing mid-back length hair...pretty great considering the colour and highlights and that she's jogging with it loose..how amazing it would be if she really babied it ..looks to be a solid iii M possibly 2a maybe 2b.....hmm"..and on and on"""

~not as a comparison to my own or measuring up but more of a detecting of untapped potential..like damm that person's hair is already so nice. It could be killer if they took better care.. !

Obsessed much me?

Do you do this with the hair of strangers, friends, or family...? Can you remember the latest mental dialogue you've had about someone elses hair?



T.I.A
Dolly :sun:

[truepeacenik]

Oh, the joys of being new.
Have you run across us being cranky and saying, "not here to decorate your world?"
I try to return the favor.

But I talk hair with a couple coworkers, they seem amused I speak natural hair, and we toss out the classification systems like candy at a parade.

What I do catch myself doing is posture and spinal/ hip/shoulder alignment assessments in my head.

[DaniJoy]

Yes, I love people watching so I do this also. Then I start wondering about their hair care and get tempted to ask! Haha. One of my coworkers has beautiful tight ringlets shoulder length hair and I admire it in my head every time I see her. It's so shiny and soft looking and just perfectly in place. I could go on and on. I work at a school so I am around a lot of people all day.

[DollyDagger]

lol..so its a "new" thing that passes..:) :P

I do the posture thing too. I appreciate a good postured individual.
Bad postures just ..you know bad..lol Especially with the youngins. I see young people with their heavy knapsacks theyve been carrying around for years and they look so kyphotic already..it's kind of sad actually.
(I nag my 20 year old too..:P

[truepeacenik]

It mostly passes. Honest.

[Frankenstein]

I've definitely found myself paying more attention to strangers' hair since joining this forum. I don't do it in a critical way; just look at it, wonder what their routine is, oftentimes feel envy :p

[DollyDagger]

truepeacenik I don't mind it really..its kind of fun :)



Yes, I love people watching so I do this also. Then I start wondering about their hair care and get tempted to ask! Haha. One of my coworkers has beautiful tight ringlets shoulder length hair and I admire it in my head every time I see her. It's so shiny and soft looking and just perfectly in place. I could go on and on. I work at a school so I am around a lot of people all day.
Lots of nice lids to admire :)


I've definitely found myself paying more attention to strangers' hair since joining this forum. I don't do it in a critical way; just look at it, wonder what their routine is, oftentimes feel envy :p
:) yeah...not really critically but just moreso curiously ..wondering if its naturally straight..if its been heat styled...coloured..etc...lol you know what I mean.

[Hurven]

Yes, I do that all the time! It kinda makes me feel like a creep... :p

[DollyDagger]

Yes, I do that all the time! It kinda makes me feel like a creep... :p
lol..no it's science..:eye::whistle: !

[school of fish]

Honestly, no I really don't. I only really take particular notice of a person's hair if there's something truly remarkable about it - an outstanding colour, unusual length, spectacular condition, that sort of thing.

Since this forum is purpose-built to discuss all things long hair it's of course the thing I talk about here, but out in the world it's actually not a thing I'm particularly looking for in other people, so a head of hair has to be pretty uncommon to get my attention out in the wild ;)

[Groovy Granny]

I tend to have 2 reactions...I either cringe at an apparent lack of care (no judgements not knowing circumstances)...or..... admiration of a beautiful head of hair (length/color/style).

[trolleypup]

Sure, but only past certain overall markers. Length, condition, color, thickness...any one alone has to be pretty exceptional, but someone displays several, well, I'll start thinking.

At least once today, a stranger on the bus.

[MsBubbles]

I do this, too, and I have been in this community since 2008! Hasn't passed yet. But I usually use this, uh, skill, to make myself feel better that my hair would NOT do that lovely style this lady has in front of me, so I can quit yearning for it! I have been on the look out for other cuts, styles and updos, however, that look like the owner of said hair has the same hairtype as me. I have yet to find a style that I haven't already tried, on other 1a/F/ii's.

On the whole, considering other people's hair types and whether I should try to beat myself up to achieve lovely hair styles other people wear, makes me feel a lot more at peace with the hair I do have.

I REALLY need help with my posture though. So any pointers would be appreciated!

[DollyDagger]

^ MsBubbles its nice you havent lost your enthusiasm
:) Yes its a skill...a scientific/assessing type of classifying hobby-ish skill-like passtime..hehe

[DollyDagger]

Sure, but only past certain overall markers. Length, condition, color, thickness...any one alone has to be pretty exceptional, but someone displays several, well, I'll start thinking.

At least once today, a stranger on the bus.

A good day for beautiful hair sightings. :)

[DollyDagger]

Honestly, no I really don't. I only really take particular notice of a person's hair if there's something truly remarkable about it - an outstanding colour, unusual length, spectacular condition, that sort of thing.


Since this forum is purpose-built to discuss all things long hair it's of course the thing I talk about here, but out in the world it's actually not a thing I'm particularly looking for in other people, so a head of hair has to be pretty uncommon to get my attention out in the wild ;)
Out in the wild is where the hair runs free..hehe...



I tend to have 2 reactions...I either cringe at an apparent lack of care (no judgements not knowing circumstances)...or..... admiration of a beautiful head of hair (length/color/style).
Lol..cringeworthy can be found on you tube styling vids :) ...step away from the teasing comb!!

[spidermom]

Used to but now don't pay attention unless someone's hair is unusual in some way.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I used to but don't really now. Though I do a fair bit of hair studying in church... some very pretty hair there.

[DollyDagger]

I used to but don't really now. Though I do a fair bit of hair studying in church... some very pretty hair there.
yeah that's a great place for observing it :)

[DollyDagger]

Used to but now don't pay attention unless someone's hair is unusual in some way.
I bet people take notice of yours though :)

[Colochita]

I do this all the time, especially with black women (I'm now at a predominantly black university).

I look and say: 'Oh, those locs are beautiful.', or 'I can't quite tell if her hair is real or not....', and 'Her hair is very long but also very damaged.'

Just hair observations and admiration I guess.

[Groovy Granny]

Out in the wild is where the hair runs free..hehe...



Lol..cringeworthy can be found on you tube styling vids :) ...step away from the teasing comb!!

For sure...and I do...and turn it off :p

[turtlelover]

I used to but don't really now. Though I do a fair bit of hair studying in church... some very pretty hair there.

LOL! That was one of my first experiences as a true long hair fan. As a kid in the 80s, when EVERYONE had BAD hair, and I had my very owned permed poodle pixie cut (thanks mom! *sigh*), there was a super nice lady at my church with the most AMAZING tailbone length hair, and I'd sit behind her in church just to observe her hair! HAHA!!! It would sometimes fall behind the pew, and I'd want soooo badly to play with it, but I was afraid to ask, even though she probably would have let me!

[tigress86]

I do it in public transportation, because I'm bored during the ride and when people are sitting in front of me, I only see their heads. I'm obsessed with color so I notice pretty hair colors. Sometimes I wonder if it's dye or virgin and if it's dye, how is it achieved. I do feel kind of creepy, but in the end, it's only observations.

[lapushka]

Other than classify my parents hair, because it was a thread on "genes", I doubt I ever did that. I just... don't go there, I guess. I'm not interested in other people's hair to that point, I guess. :lol:

[KittyBird]

I did it in the beginning, but not anymore. I guess I just don't care that much about other peoples' hair when I'm out and about. :)

[Hairkay]

I've sometimes looked at hair when commuting. I wouldn't call it classifying though since I don't know their hair type or what they've done to it besides what I see of their style.

[Lolino]

I do it in public transportation, because I'm bored during the ride and when people are sitting in front of me, I only see their heads. I'm obsessed with color so I notice pretty hair colors. Sometimes I wonder if it's dye or virgin and if it's dye, how is it achieved. I do feel kind of creepy, but in the end, it's only observations.

I do this too, when I'm on the train to school :D Been doing it for yeaaars, long before I joined here. Looking at others hair and generally going "ooh it's so pretty, wish mine was like that" or "wow, that hair is so shiny!" to myself. Just something to keep my thoughts a little occupied if I finish my book unexpectedly or if it's a shorter trip. Sometimes it might be a bit more critical, such as "wow, those ends look fried" but that usually means I'm being cranky at everyone and everything that day, so it's not something I single out.

[cat11]

lol I totally do this. I have this freind I occasionally see who has tailbone hair which is terminal because she doesn't take care of it. She's got thick hair but she ALWAYS wears it down- and she's lazy about combing it and stuff, lets it get stuck behind her in chairs and the car, shoves it all up into hats in the winter.. she told me she hasn't cut it for years but it hasn't grown at all. It also looks really frizzy from all the mechanical damage.

I know if she did take good care of it, it would be amazing. That's what inspired me to grow it out long- I was like, if I already like the length of her hair and think that alone makes it look good, how much more amazing could my hair be if I grew it long and took care of it? (is that vain? I feel like I've said something embarrasing but oh well Im being honest.)

[DollyDagger]

lol..:p well Im glad I'm not the only one. But I also see how it could lose it's appeal.
However, I think I've been doing it long before joining here too..it's just now that I know alot more about hair I'm more aware of the whys/if and buts about it.
Imagine you're on the bus or train and you're looking at someones hair and that person is sitting there looking right back at yours lol..and their a member and you actually know them from here..:P think about that next time..eheh:disco:

[Hairkay]

I'll never forget being out in a market shopping with a friend. She spotted some hip length locked hair and said, "nice dreads". Apparently she said it too loud. Next thing the guy turns around and says, "why thank you!". I was so embarrassed for myself and my friend.

[DollyDagger]

lol.. he mustve got a kick out of it..:)

[yahirwaO.o]

Oh yes, whenever I see nice hair that looks super shiny, bouncy or poker straight. I sometimes get to see young girls (older ladies seem to mess a little bit with their hair versus younger gals) with beautiful thick braids and-or awesome hem, I try not to stare too much because it can be super creepy :stirpot: and I respect personal space a lot.

[Jennah]

What annoys me here where I live, is that girls with really beautiful hair seem to be quite self-conscious of their hair and know that they have beautiful hair. I´m talking about thick/shiny/healthy/bouncy/hip length/virgin hair.

Those are very rare, since it´s common to see thin damaged ends waist length hair... So when I see someone with stunning hair, the moment you look at them they go smug. :rolleyes: Every-single-time. It´s almost as if they are expecting to impress people with their hair and have people stare at them, so they are very aware of that and if you look at them for one second, or in the corner of the eye, or just passing by they still notice it and get this grin. I know, I have beautiful hair, yeah...:queen: