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View Full Version : Is it damaging to constantly touch your hair?



Orchid_28
June 23rd, 2009, 01:46 PM
I have a habit of doing this. Whenever people imitate me they start off by touching their hair and flipping it lol. Sometimes I dont even know Im doing it. Im either combing it with my fingers or touching my scalp and massaging it. Could it be damaging to my hair?

bahannas
June 23rd, 2009, 01:49 PM
I think it depends on how you touch it. Pulling at it, twisting it, or rubbing it backwards can damage the cuticle and cause it to flake off. However, scalp massages and gentle smoothing isn't harmful in moderation. :)

RoseRedDead
June 23rd, 2009, 02:24 PM
I agree with the above poster.

So long as you're not being extremely rough, it probably isn't too bad... though it may not be a very good habit. :twocents:

Bianca
June 23rd, 2009, 02:40 PM
I touch my hair all the time too. Not good for my curls. I dont think it's damaging though, but it's probably better to leave it alone... :D

Krystyle
June 23rd, 2009, 02:41 PM
I said this to somebody else on here and I'll say it again to you. I think hair is like a plant. You can pet it and it'll flourish so long as it knows it's loved.

Armelle
June 23rd, 2009, 02:48 PM
I absent-mindedly twirl or finger comb my hair nearly constantly. The problem is that I can make my hair seem scraggly and oily from the oils on my hand that rub off from my face. :(

Orchid_28
June 23rd, 2009, 03:18 PM
Yeah...all the rubbing and combing gives me oily hair but I just cant help it! It feels good lol.

EvaSimone
June 23rd, 2009, 03:42 PM
I touch my hair... all the flipping time. People at work laugh at all of my different hairstyles and the fact that I change my hair about every hour. They also mimick me by petting their own hair. It helps to have a good sense of humor about it. :D

At least for the last two years I've touched my hair very frequently. It's grown nicely and I don't see any terrible damage that wasn't their from before. So from personal experience finger combing and gentle smoothing doesn't seem to damage hair.

I think twisting or rubbing would be damaging though. :twocents:

hennaphile
June 23rd, 2009, 04:09 PM
I touch it , and um... errr.... that justifies the pampering to offset the damage I inflict :)

ecologystudent
June 23rd, 2009, 05:07 PM
I'd be in trouble if it were damaging- now that it's all smooth I love petting my own hair. However, I do have a bad habit of twirling my hair, twisting it and making these weird little side of the head buns. I think that might be bad for it, but it's such a hard habit to break.

RavennaNight
June 23rd, 2009, 05:41 PM
Orchid 28:lol: you naughty hair tosser/ flipper, you. Welcome to the club. The only damage you are doing is to the egos of other girls around you while you do it. The boys love it. (DH said so, I have the same problem) Just don't whip anyone in the face with that hair!:evil:

demitasse
June 23rd, 2009, 06:14 PM
I try to keep my hands out of my hair just because it makes it dirty looking. I keep mini jaw clips on my desk while I'm working to pin it out of the way if it's loose. Otherwise I'll keep finger combing it or tucking it behind my ear. By the end of the day, it's Ick.

neon-dream
June 23rd, 2009, 06:16 PM
Haha i'm the same, constantly touching my hair!
I agree with the others, as long as you're not roughing it about it should be fine! :D

Fractalsofhair
June 23rd, 2009, 06:26 PM
I do this a bit too! The only thing I notice about it is on the VERY damaged sections of my hair, the hair breaks off. Other people playing with my hair(Oh 8th grade English, 2 years ago... That was the whole class pretty much.) caused it to break when I had some bright pink extensions in it. However, I suppose as long as you're fairly gentle and not yanking on it, it's not terribly harmful. In a thread that was a response to a video about back combing someone(forget who!) said that touching your hair lifts the cuticle and is dangerous, like back combing. However, I do backcomb my hair all wild upon occasion and haven't had ill results from it, the damage is from bleach and blow drying. I also do have naturally splitty hair that is still rather short, but I have a lot of it, so I'm fine in that respect with minor damage. Heck, my hair still looks somewhat thick in parts where 75% of it has broken off, and only looks shorter where so much of it has broken off it's lost a few inches. So I'm probably not the best person to ask about minor minor damage issues, though I can say my hair has been severely damaged by bleach and blow drying and cones, and that's the only things in my life that have damaged the hair itself enough for me to notice. My scalp does get mad easily, and when my hair is dry, it's definitely not that healthy. I'd suggest confining the hair playing to a few strands. Biting your hair is rather damaging, though, esp if you run the strands thru your teeth! (I used to do this all the time!) Perhaps only play with the front if you're REALLY worried about damage, but really, hair is rather strong. There are MANY things that will damage it, and I'd think that touching it is one of the least damaging things you can do compared to 3x+ daily flat ironing, bleaching every 3 weeks, etc. Isn't preening(Touching and brushing hair) a huge part of WO/SO routines?

chelssix
June 23rd, 2009, 06:45 PM
I touch mine too! I try not to do it as much because I think sometimes it gets it greasy faster, and I don't necessarily want the germs on my hands in my hair- near my mouth and nose.

redneckprincess
June 23rd, 2009, 07:37 PM
im constantly touching my hair so much in fact that I have to wear it up so that I dont and even then I take it down andhave to smooth, touch, pet my hair, I think it helps to distrubute the oils

Orchid_28
June 24th, 2009, 06:09 PM
Oh good...then Im actually doing my hair some good lovin' hehe. I just hate it when people imitate me in that way lol.

Nyghtingale
June 24th, 2009, 06:22 PM
Like my mom always says, "They're just jealous". lol

spidermom
June 24th, 2009, 06:31 PM
It's not a very clean habit. For instance, if you stay in the bathroom while the toilet is flushing, your hair gets covered in microscopic little toilet droplets. I'm sure you wash your hands afterwards, but if you then twirl your fingers through your hair and then use your fingers/hands to pick up food and put it into your mouth - ick! No telling what kind of bacteria or viruses you're ingesting. Best not do that - truly.