Do Asians have longer hair?

[Countess_Rae]

Do they, or does it just seem like it?
Cause most of the pictures and my friends that have long hair are Asian. I've seen pictures of some Asian girls with really shinny hair down to the back of there knees and I automatically though "Oh my god that's beautiful I want hair like that" but I don't know if its in their genes or something they treated it with but I REALLY want hair that long and shiny mine seemed to stop growing after a certain point.

Anyone Asian or know how Asians get their hair that long and shiny PLEASE tell me cause I think it's beautiful and I want hair like that and please don't tell me I'm out of luck.:(

[cobblersmaid]

I think it has more to do with fashion, than race, but that's just my opinion.

[HairColoredHair]

I think many ladies (or gents) in photos you're looking at have a benefit of coarse textured hair that could put up with a lot of punishment before damage caused it to break off.

Medium or fine textured hair can grow to great lengths as well, if the proper genetics are there. They probably just have to be more carefully looked after.

[crystal_89]

Assuming that you mean straight black hair when you say Asian, maybe you just think that a lot of Asians have long hair because you can see all the length in their straight hair but you don't notice it as much in your own hair because its curly and the length appears to shrink?

However, from what I have seen amongst my group of friends (who are mostly Asian), a lot of us have BSL+ hair. Everyone has heavily layered hair. There are a few who had APL hair then got extensions. A couple of my friends chemically straightened their hair. The rest of my friends just iron their hair before they go out. Few of us, including the full Asians, not just the half Asians, have the perfect sleek black straight Asian hair that I think most people associate Asians with.

[crystal_89]

I think it has more to do with fashion, than race, but that's just my opinion.

Yes. That's definitely it for me and my group of friends.

[Chromis]

People with long hair have longer hair, no matter their race.

[Beatnik Guy]

People with long hair have longer hair, no matter their race.
Yes -- and, curiously, many of those with knee to floor length hair at LHC are not Asian. :rolleyes:

[Tap Dancer]

If the Asian people you see have long hair, it's because they let it grow long. I've seen Asian people with short hair.

[Countess_Rae]

I think it has more to do with fashion, than race, but that's just my opinion.

I suppose, t'just that when I asked one of my Asian friends she said it's cause she's Asian (though she laughed when she told me that, so I didn't know if she was kidding or not lol)




Yes -- and, curiously, many of those with knee to floor length hair at LHC are not Asian. :rolleyes:

Didn't mean to offend anyone, it's just most commonly Asians I've seen with hair that long.

[cobblersmaid]

I suppose, t'just that when I asked one of my Asian friends she said it's cause she's Asian (though she laughed when she told me that, so I didn't know if she was kidding or not lol)





Didn't mean to offend anyone, it's just most commonly Asians I've seen with hair that long.

Right, because that is the fashion. There is nothing stopping them from cutting if they want. I have noticed that it is a very popular fashion amoung those of asian decent at the moment. It also tends to be heavily layered.

I think she meant, "I am wearing a long style because I am asian and it is popular with us right now." Not that she had to have it long, because she is asian.

As other's have said, there are many of us on here with long hair that haven't got a drop of asian blood. :)

[Aisha25]

I suppose, t'just that when I asked one of my Asian friends she said it's cause she's Asian (though she laughed when she told me that, so I didn't know if she was kidding or not lol)





Didn't mean to offend anyone, it's just most commonly Asians I've seen with hair that long.
Yeah for me too before I came to LHC only Indians ever had long hairs around me.

[maunaloa]

I think many ladies (or gents) in photos you're looking at have a benefit of coarse textured hair that could put up with a lot of punishment before damage caused it to break off.

Medium or fine textured hair can grow to great lengths as well, if the proper genetics are there. They probably just have to be more carefully looked after.
Agreed. I am Asian and my hair can take a good lickin' and keep on tickin'.:rolleyes:

[Elphie]

I didn't think the question was offensive. People of Asian descent have straight hair; it is easier to have the appearance of longer hair if it's straight as opposed to having curly hair which takes longer to reach different milestones. At least that was my take on the question.

[Oberon88]

We also can't forget how popular hair extensions are.

[Diamondbell]

Yes -- and, curiously, many of those with knee to floor length hair at LHC are not Asian. :rolleyes:

I have noticed this too and wondered! :surprise:

[DaveDecker]

I can't be sure what the OP really meant to ask.

I would guess that their curiosity was not, "Do they have longer hair?" to which the answer would depend on the individuals in question.

I might guess that the intended question was "Do they have the ability to grow hair longer than those who are Asian?" Asian not meaning "residing in" or "culturally ingrained," but of genetic descent.

Perhaps the OP could clarify their question?

[Mely]

I think many ladies (or gents) in photos you're looking at have a benefit of coarse textured hair that could put up with a lot of punishment before damage caused it to break off.

Medium or fine textured hair can grow to great lengths as well, if the proper genetics are there. They probably just have to be more carefully looked after.

This makes sense to me. I don't think
there was anything offensive in the question.

[Juneii]

nah, I was lucky with my hair, but for the rest of my family they have thin and fine hair that doesn't grow very long or fast. it mainly depends on the person, I have a Caucasian friend with blonde hair that's really long. it just depends on your genes, every race has potential to have long hair.

[spidermom]

I didn't think that fine blonde hair could grow really long until I found LHC. Before hanging out here, I thought only people with brown or black hair could grow it really long. I would define "really long" as about my length now and longer.

Have fun finding out how long your hair will grow.

[sapphire-o]

I'm Asian and nobody in my family has ever managed more than classic length, and that's in their teens and 20s. I don't think I have any hope of going beyond classic length at my age. It mostly depend on your genes.

We do have hair that's shiny and easy to manage. That probably helps with growing as it's not too much work. Just don't cut it and it would grow long.

[Leabhar]

I don't think Asians have a terminal length that's longer than non-Asians, if that's what the OP meant.

That said, how do you define Asians? Kazakhs are Asians, Ugyars are Asians, and so on. Do you mean East Asians (Han Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc) or South/Southeastern Asians (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Philippines/India, etc)?

There's a wide variety of hairtypes even within a rather homogenous population; not all East Asians (the stereotypical "Asian hair" the OP is referring to, I'm guessing) have straight or even coarse hair. There is a massive variation of size and curl/straightness occuring naturally, and a lot of social pressure to conform or follow the fashion trends, so what you might see is something that is popular rather than "natural".

As for one example of Asian hair that is against stereotype, I've seen Laotian hair that would rival untreated wool!

My informal anthropologist's mind says that the fashion for stick-straight hair is one that better shows off shine and length than slightly-wavy hair, say. Long, shiny (and presumably healthy) hair equals better signalling of reproductive health than less shiny hair, and thus confers better "sexiness" and attractiveness; it also differentiates more from "unsexy" hair that is short, dull, or ill-kempt (from sickness, malnutrition, disease, etc).

[Delilah]

I think it may be easier for them to grow their hair out longer as it is often a coarser and stronger texture than european hair.
As far as terminal length and such, who knows.

[Kuchen]

"Asian" = a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge area of the globe and a vast number of people, all of whom are surprisingly diverse, some of whom choose to wear their hair long, others of whom cut it short :shrug:

[Delilah]

By the way, what I meant was that it is easier for humans with thick or coarse hair to grow longer than people with fine and fragile hair, I was not trying to make any sort of racial generalization.

[Nat242]

<snip> People of Asian descent have straight hair <snip>

That's far from universally true, Elphie. ;)

[Elphie]

That's far from universally true, Elphie. ;)

Very few things are universally true, I agree! In the confines of this discussion, I think that's what the OP meant. No problem with being wrong, though. Wouldn't be the first time!

[Ranee]

Well, from what I can tell being half asian (indian) very long hair used to be in style in india. However, western hairstyles start to really catch up. I'm seeing more and more young women with APL or shorter hair. So it's just fashion I guess.

:)

[noelgirl]

What I wonder is whether long hair is considered more conventional for Asians. For example, when I was younger, kids at school would give me negative comments on how long my hair was, but an Asian girl with even longer hair never got that. Therefore, if that subset of the population doesn't get the cutting pressure that the rest of us get, they're less likely to cave to it.

[Akiko]

I am not an anthropologist. But I just feel currently there are many more Asian cultures where long hair is valued and adored than the West. Historically it seems almost all cultures around the world went through a period when women wore hair very long and often put up in a fancy way with accessories.

I noticed quite a few posts about getting negative comments on long hair on this board. Personally, no one has ever suggested I cut my hair shorter. People seem to like my hair this way. Maybe my hair is not so long. Maybe, I fit stereotypical Asian hair type, black, straight and long. So people are OK with it.

If many people told me to cut hair short, then I might start feeling uncomfortable with my hair longer than BSL. If I were younger and not sure of myself, then I might have caved into such pressure.

[Aisha25]

I am not an anthropologist. But I just feel currently there are many more Asian cultures where long hair is valued and adored than the West. Historically it seems almost all cultures around the world went through a period when women wore hair very long and often put up in a fancy way with accessories.

I noticed quite a few posts about getting negative comments on long hair on this board. Personally, no one has ever suggested I cut my hair shorter. People seem to like my hair this way. Maybe my hair is not so long. Maybe, I fit stereotypical Asian hair type, black, straight and long. So people are OK with it.

If many people told me to cut hair short, then I might start feeling uncomfortable with my hair longer than BSL. If I were younger and not sure of myself, then I might have caved into such pressure.
Very very true I couldnt agree more in my culture no one has every said to cut my hair it would be like a sin to suggest to a family member to cut there hairs:lol:

[Akiko]

Very very true I couldnt agree more in my culture no one has every said to cut my hair it would be like a sin to suggest to a family member to cut there hairs:lol:

:) I see lots of Indian ladies with a looooong braid in gorgeous saree in my local area. I don't want to be rude. But my head just turns to take a careful look since it's so beautiful. It's truly attractive. I can see how they value their hair. It's precious.

[Aisha25]

:) I see lots of Indian ladies with a looooong braid in gorgeous saree in my local area. I don't want to be rude. But my head just turns to take a careful look since it's so beautiful. It's truly attractive.
Oh yes the hairs is truly beautiful, its not rude at all :) People ask me how do you indians grow such long hairs:D I say even you can grow just stop cutting them:laugh:

[Moiraine]

I come from Bermuda and if you are able to grow long hair, it is very much prized and no one would even think of telling a long-haired person to cut their hair. All my aunts on my father's side had long curly hair much like mine. One of my aunts wore hers out all the time and her long hair and long fingernails were her trademark.

She and my uncle made their living fishing so she wasn't exactly a lady of leisure, lol. Another aunt had long black hair that she wore in a braid, I remember when she walked the end of it would sway back and forth. I want to be like Aunt Mary and grow my braid just like she did. These ladies were in their 50's and 60's, Aunt Mary was in her 70's when she wore that long black braid.

I also, having curly (frizzy hair in the heat and humidity) remember wanting long straight Chinese hair along with others I went to school with and I don't think that is is a racial comment, it's just wishing for something one can't have, kind of like long blond hair for example, if you are dark haired and the only way you can get fair hair is to bleach all the life out of it and waste time and lots of money keeping ahead of your roots.

But there's one hair style for straight black hair that is "swingy" and without any curl whatsoever. It's that hair cut that starts at the nape and goes longer at the front with bangs. When a person with this kind of hair, and haircut leans forward, the hair swings "all in one piece" and when they stand up straight, the hair falls back into place just as perfect as perfect can be,

If I had this kind of hair I would keep it in this style.

But having accepted my hair as it is now 3a/b I know what it can do and can't. I have to work with the texture I have been given. Only thing is, I haven't reconciled myself to having grey hair. Even Aunt Mary kept her long braid black as night in her 70's :D

[Akiko]

I have never been to Bermuda. I would love to visit! Great that long hair is much prized!!! I wish I had long haired relatives. They all have rather a short hair cut. But my mother likes my long hair and updos. I kind of wish she let it grow and put it in an elegant bun. Hmmm. I would like to be a 70-year old with nice long silvers.:)

[RancheroTheBee]

I think it seems like they have an easier time growing out their hair because generally, the cuticle is very round (giving it the straight look) and they tend to have very thick hair.

More importantly though, have you noticed a large volume of people of Asian descent have awesome fingernails? :eek:

[zift]

Yes -- and, curiously, many of those with knee to floor length hair at LHC are not Asian. :rolleyes:

Asian people probably doesn't post that much on American long hair boards.
Long hair is traditionally more common in Asia and most of the world's population live in Asia so I guess there are more long haired Asian people in the world.And I'm one of them:D

ETA:I remember an Indian man held the longest hair record?

[florenonite]

My take on it is that, until the 1920s, long hair was conventional in most of the world for women. In the 1920s, the Western World underwent the "flapper" era in women's fashion, in which women cut their hair to rebel. Again, in the Second World War, there were women who cut their hair and wore trousers because they were performing jobs that were traditionally men's jobs. Both of these events occurred primarily, if not exclusively, in the West (North America and Europe), and therefore in Asia women would have continued to have long hair, and it is more recently that they would be exposed to the Western fashions of shorter hair.

As for Asian women in North America and Europe with long hair, it's possible that they feel less pressure to cut (or, indeed, more pressure to wear their hair long) than women of European descent. This, of course, is assuming that the Asian women are only first- or second-generation immigrants, and not descendants of, for instance, the Chinese workers who came to Canada at the start of the 20th century.

[elbow chic]

Dunno. Most of the East Asians I've known (Korean wives of American soldiers, and Japanese ladies) tend to be pretty Westernized. Razored bob with orange highlights, or permed, or layers with liberal curling iron usage. :p

As a child, we had a Korean lady living next door with an unforgettable tailbone-length braid, but she was certainly a lot more "traditional" than most of the Korean-Americans I meet nowadays.

[florenonite]

Dunno. Most of the East Asians I've known (Korean wives of American soldiers, and Japanese ladies) tend to be pretty Westernized. Razored bob with orange highlights, or permed, or layers with liberal curling iron usage. :p

As a child, we had a Korean lady living next door with an unforgettable tailbone-length braid, but she was certainly a lot more "traditional" than most of the Korean-Americans I meet nowadays.

Me too, actually. I was just speculating as to why the OP might know more Asians with long, healthy hair than Europeans. :shrug:

[elbow chic]

Me too, actually. I was just speculating as to why the OP might know more Asians with long, healthy hair than Europeans. :shrug:

Maybe she knows lots of Filipinas?

I still see a lot of long-haired young Filipinas around. And some of them really have utterly fabulous hair-- I remember coveting a friend's hair in a serious way back in middle school. LOL.

[Angellen]

I thought the OP was referencing genetics, of which I cannot speak from experience. No one I know of on my father's side ever grew their hair longer than waist length, so I really can't compare. I'm half Asian, and I do think the tendency towards coarser strands makes it easier to grow longer because coarse hair tends to stand up to damage better than fine, more delicate hair. I'm fifth generation in the US, and while I don't think I was pressured to grow my hair out, I certainly wasn't encouraged to cut it. My mother and grandmother would brush and braid it almost everyday for me, I have fond memories of sitting patiently on a stool while they combed out my classic-length hair.

[mira-chan]

Culture plays a big part. Russia is also part of Asia, though I'm from the European part. There is more longer hair as you go further east or outside the major European Russia cities. In Russia long hair is encouraged on the young, though many do cut in their teens, as hair is usually grown from childhood and they get bored with it, quite a few keep it. Not sure how it is now but there isn't really pressure to cut so there are more people with long hair. Usually the longer hair is on the teens and younger and then on the elderly who have their hair in buns.

I haven't had pressure to cut, just the elderly ladies reminicing on when they had thick long braids as young women. :)

Usually if you have the hair that grows thick and evenly (even thick braid) then people encourage you to grow. Thinner haired people, or those who have taper are given suggestions on how to achieve that ideal braid, a lot. :rolleyes:

Many of the people I've known there who have long hair are light (blonde, light brown) and fine haired as that is the most common hairtype. :shrug: Tailbone length hair is pretty common, classic is not too unusual. Longer is a bit more rare to see because it's usually worn up or under coats so weirdos don't cut it to sell.

[flapjack]

^ This.


I also agree with crystal89 and akiko. It's really only about fashion.


As far as genetics? No, there is no difference. First of all, as many people correctly said... all Asians, and east Asians, too... all have different hairtypes, just like other races. This is normal. I have central and east Asian relatives and friends who have curly hair, fine hair, medium hair, coarse hair, wavy hair, etc. Straight and thick is not the default, even though that's the stereotype.

And no, coarse hair and fine and medium hair grow at the same rate and with the proper care, they all grow just the same. There is literally no difference at all.


I'm eurasian and I get the straightness and the (sorta kinda) thickness from the European side. My Asian grandpa had curly hair.


There are plenty of groups and subcultures in the US/West where long hair is encouraged. Plus, we all live under the overarching "do whatever you want" ideal, anyway, no matter what any naysayers have to say.

[Lady Jo]

Asians I think likes wearing longer hair than short hair but I don't think they have longer hair just a lot of them prefer wearing long hair...

[Unicorn]

I think it may be easier for them to grow their hair out longer as it is often a coarser and stronger texture than european hair.
As far as terminal length and such, who knows.

As far as I'm aware, the ratio of Asians with the coarser hair/longer growth cycle combination is higher than it is in most racial groups. There is also a strong culture of caring for the hair well, which maximises on any natural attributes.

Growing up in a town with many Indian and Pakistani families where the women/girls didn't cut their hair, I had a lot of opportunity to see the hair at terminal length. On average non asians with terminal length hair had hair shorter than the average asian with terminal length hair. I had one asian friend who always felt short changed because her terminal length was just about waist length. There was another girl whos used to cut her hair once every couple of years. Once it grew below her knees she cut it to classic length! Even below her knees it hadn't started tapering. She had really beautiful hair. Oh she was asian (sorry I forgot the thread subject for a moment, reminising on that curtain of hair :) )

Unicorn


ETA: Apart from my own fasination with hair, I had a friend who could talk for england about different hair types, when she was training to be a hairdresser.

[Bene]

i think it's a cultural thing.




I am not an anthropologist. But I just feel currently there are many more Asian cultures where long hair is valued and adored than the West. Historically it seems almost all cultures around the world went through a period when women wore hair very long and often put up in a fancy way with accessories.

I noticed quite a few posts about getting negative comments on long hair on this board. Personally, no one has ever suggested I cut my hair shorter. People seem to like my hair this way. Maybe my hair is not so long. Maybe, I fit stereotypical Asian hair type, black, straight and long. So people are OK with it.

If many people told me to cut hair short, then I might start feeling uncomfortable with my hair longer than BSL. If I were younger and not sure of myself, then I might have caved into such pressure.


i totally agree with this. i've never really felt pressure to cut my hair (except from a jealous sister, but that's a whole other story). i see plenty of long haired women (waist length or longer) in my area, but a lot of them are more concerned with length rather than quality, so it looks pretty bad. i mean, bad bleach jobs, stiff with gel, split ends, etc.


culturally speaking, a lot of ppl in my neighborhood, have seen long hair as something beautiful. our mothers and grandmothers have had long hair until they reach their 40's and chop it off, and our memories of our moms looking their best was when they had long hair.


oh, and i'm not speaking about asians. there are almost no asians in the south bronx :p

[kali_shey]

I'm half Indo-Persian and I can vouch for the coarse-hair thing (although my hair is not sleek and shiny; it's evil and gets up to things when I'm not looking) but I've no idea how long my hair can/would get ..I am letting it run riot right now but I've never grown it out superlong before (and I'm not superlong right now XD) and I can definitely say that the last five inches or so should be breaking off like mad because I abused it horribly when it was short (I bleached it, I dyed it black, I bleached it and dyed it pink, purple, blonde, red, purple-like-a-sweater, purple-like-burgundy, auburn etc. etc. etc.) and I don't have split ends, or none that I can see, anyway.

I also have no idea how to manage my hair. Hairstylists cut it college-girl style and whip out the flat-iron so I used to cut it myself and then I got too lazy and I've given up and that's how I ended up with longish hair.

Anyway, I think it's mainly a cultural thing. When I've lived in diverse areas I've seen a lot of long-haired women but when I've lived in homogenous areas, like where I was born and am now, you see most women with layered bobs.

[Nevermore]

The longest hair I've seen irl has been on people of European descent. I think this is a regional thing-if you live in a place where most people are of Asian descent, then you have a higher probability of seeing an Asian person with long hair. If, for instance, the occurance of classic+ length hair in X group is 1 in 50 and you have 10 people from X group in your area, then your chances of seeing classic+ length on X group are pretty slim. In my area, most people are of European descent or are African American, so seeing a long haired Asian person is unlikely due to the lack of Asian people in my area.

[Tangles]

Ironically, I haven't seen a whole lot of East Asian women with very long hair. Indian women yes, Caucasians yes... not the East Asians. Most seem to wear it around APL-BSL, maybe waist. I'm sure they could grow longer, they just don't seem to, in the areas I've lived.

[hairymonster]

Yes -- and, curiously, many of those with knee to floor length hair at LHC are not Asian. :rolleyes:

Perhaps it's because many at LHC are not Asian? ;)

Where I live, it is very rare for Chinese girls to wear their hair beyond tailbone, or even BSL. I keep being asked why I grow my hair so long. On the other hand, Malay and Indian girls can grow their hair to terminal and nobody questions them. Based on my experience I would say it's very much a cultural thing =)

[oldgregg]

It grows faster like Elle and hairstorms beautiful hair which inspires me to keep growing

Asians also have very straight hair

I am half Asian but my hair grows slow

Interesting question

[Jessaka]

Not all Asians have straight hair, or long hair. I am Filipino/Japanese and my hair has slight waves to it when left to dry naturally. The only way I can get totally straight hair is if I blow dry or flat iron it.

Where I live, ASIANS (mostly meaning Filipinos in my case) are the MAJORITY...or it SERIOUSLY seems like it. I have only seen a few Asians with super long hair. I do believe it is more about preference, but currently here most of the Asian girls have maybe BSL hair, not even to the waist. I know I have never let my hair grow beyond my waist. I also have a hard time getting it near there because of trimming a couple times a year and stupid decisions to layer, make bangs, etc.

So yeah, I think anyone can have any length of hair it's what they want. Not necessarily anything to do with ethnicity.

I think maybe what she was just asking is does it seem like alot of Asians have long hair? I would say yes it seems like alot of Asians have long hair.

[ratgirldjh]

my asian friends all cut their hair short! and they laugh at me trying to grow my hair long! - go figure - LOL

[flapjack]

It grows faster like Elle and hairstorms beautiful hair which inspires me to keep growing

Asians also have very straight hair

I am half Asian but my hair grows slow

Interesting question


I can assure you that your hair growing slowly has absolutely nothing to do with your ethnicity in any way, shape or form. There is no correlation between ethnic background and hair growth rate and there never has been. And as other people (a lot of us have been either full Asian or mixed Asian) said, the straight and long stereotype is just plain false.


I wonder why people still have this "geisha"-esque image of Asian people in their heads. It makes no sense to me at all and to be frank with you guys, I find it extremely annoying.

As far as demographics, I don't know any Asian girls with hair below bsl, myself. The girls on campus and around LA who I see with longer hair are Caucasian and Hispanic.