Does hair have memory?

[Armelle]

I'm not sure if everyone's hair does this, so I thought I'd ask.

If you twirl your hair into a coil/spiral, does it stay that way?

My hair can't hold a curl (from a curling iron or rollers) to save it's life...but if I twirl my hair into a spiral, it will stay that way until I brush it out (and it argues with me when I do). I'm not sure if it's because my hair is coarse or because it has a strong wave thing going on or what. My hair separated into several coils after I took it out of a normal cinnabun recently and I thought it looked cool, so I rope braided my hair that night. Today I have 8 spirals of hair that everyone at work has remarked "looks cool." (I'll see if I can get a photo later.) I've also had my hair stay in one large spiral after I took down a bun. Am I damaging my hair?

[maaria]

Hmm, tuff question, I want to know the answer too :)

[embee]

Damage? I don't think so. No heat, no gels, no blowfry... what's to do damage? ;)

My hair just collapses, slips right down if I let go of it. Only braid waves I get is if I braid it damp and let it dry a few days. They will straighten themselves out fairly rapidly unless the day is exceptionally dry. It does, however, makes "strings" quite easily. :(

My mom would have loved working with your hair, mine defeated her.

[spidermom]

Mine will do the same thing, kind of. I can encourage curl by twirling strands around my fingers while it dries, or I can make it straighter by combing. On the other hand, it kind of has a "mind of its own". I can't count on it doing anything I want. It likes to fluff out all over the place mostly.

[Quixii]

If I just twist it it won't do anything, but my hair will hold rope braid curls for days. =)
I think part of that's your natural waviness, though I could be wrong.

[GlassEyes]

Yeah, it's waviness/curliness.

I can get my hair to stay in a sausage curl for hours when it's wet, or bunned--and I get these odd tendrils from cinnamon buns instead of true waves. xD

[sally_neuf]

my hair has amnesia!

If a do a simple knot, it WILL fall out. twist it, even braids are difficult to hold. I have slept with rollers, and the curls will fade after 3 hours top :(

[JamieLeigh]

Mine is the opposite of the OP's....it holds a curl very well (heat-free curlers, of course!), but braid waves and finger twists slip out within the hour. The braid wave photo in my album was taken immediately after I took the braids out - otherwise it would have looked as it normally does.

[Armelle]

My mom would have loved working with your hair, mine defeated her.

*laughs* My mom hated my hair and kept it boy-short until I was a teenager. :D

[Tinose]

Mine will too. It seems to work best when it's properly oiled and moist, actually, so I can't imagine it's hurting it.

[ericthegreat]

Yes, my hair does have "texture memory". But in my case its toward staying stubbornly pin straight. I have set my hair in rollers before and unless I keep them in my hair for at least +4 hours, my hair will take the shape of the curl of the rollers for a little while but within say 10 minutes it uncurls and becomes pin straight all on its own.

Strangely enough, if I use a hot curling iron and make sure I hold it for say 10 seconds over each section I have curled, the curls will stay in my hair for over 2 days, they might even stay in my hair for 3 to 4 days but since my scalp is oily I never leave my hair unrinsed for over 2 days. Also if I braid my hair damp overnight, when my hair dries sometime next morning and I take out the braids the waves will stay in my hair throughout the rest of the day and night.

[Rivanariko]

Mine does the same thing. Heat styling falls out in minutes unless I use a TON of product (not that I ever heat-style anymore! Didn't very often pre-LHC either) but braid waves will last for days. I haven't tried rag curls yet, but they're on my to-do list, I just need an occasion to wear them for! My hair is naturally pretty straight, but I can coax it into some soft waves as it dries without too much trouble.

[ericthegreat]

I re-read this thread and realized I misunderstood. No, my hair doesn't have the same kind of "curl memory" as Armelle does, rather its just the opposite. My hair will not hold a curl if I just twist my hair or twirl it around my fingers.

Actually since I'm practically a 1a, I guess my hair has "straight memory". It will straighten out all on its own!

[Stephichan]

My hair holds pretty well - until I sleep on it. If I curl it, it'll usually keep said curls until after I've slept on my hair. If I get braid waves, they'll stay in until I wash my hair again (they'll stretch out, but they'll still be there). I haven't done rope braids... I wonder how my hair would react to those.

[Amara]

my hair has amnesia!

LOL!


Mine will too. It seems to work best when it's properly oiled and moist, actually, so I can't imagine it's hurting it.

Mine does this pretty well if it's oiled and/or misted lightly.
I don't think it's damaging either, as long as you're doing it gently!

[Armelle]

Okay, I took a photo once I got home from work. It is a bit fuzzy but it's been coiled like this for more than a day.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3364&pictureid=52647

[Nevermore]

My hair does that too. I often wonder if I've completely changed my texture, I wear my hair in a cinnabun at least eight hours a day, nearly everyday. My spiral curls go in the direction I've always twisted my bun. Coincidence?

[MAO]

My hair is also good at staying when I twist it. I have a habit of twirling my hair around my face and since its kinda short it sticks out a little so I always wind up pulling it apart. It is NOT good at holding heat powered styles though. It does however, like velcro rollers left in overnight on damp hair :)

[clairenewcastle]

Okay, I took a photo once I got home from work. It is a bit fuzzy but it's been coiled like this for more than a day.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3364&pictureid=52647


Your hair is a gorgeous colour!

[katydid317]

I guess my hair has "straight memory". It will straighten out all on its own!

Mine is pretty much like that. Sure it has a couple little flips near the bottom, but curling, braiding etc. anything like that will straighten itself out fairly quickly.

[aprilmay]

When I put my hair in a bun when it is wet, it will be wavy when I take it out. When I braid my dry hair, it is also wavy when I release it. The wave relaxes with time, but I think it stays some.

[embee]

Okay, I took a photo once I got home from work. It is a bit fuzzy but it's been coiled like this for more than a day.

Oh. My. Goodness...! :) My mom would indeed have had a conniption She spent hours trying to make ringlets with my stick straight hair.... My hair does *nothing* like that.

[friskybiznus]

Mine will do the same thing, kind of. I can encourage curl by twirling strands around my fingers while it dries, or I can make it straighter by combing. On the other hand, it kind of has a "mind of its own". I can't count on it doing anything I want. It likes to fluff out all over the place mostly.


My hair is exactly like this! If I want it to stay any kind of tame with this humidity I live in, I have to use a blowdryer (but I try to use it kindly....) :D

[friskybiznus]

Okay, I took a photo once I got home from work. It is a bit fuzzy but it's been coiled like this for more than a day.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3364&pictureid=52647

That looks cool, kinda dreadlock-ish...!

[Armelle]

Your hair is a gorgeous colour!

Haha! Thanks! What color IS it? I can't figure out if it's blonde or brown or what!

[Armelle]

Oh. My. Goodness...! :) My mom would indeed have had a conniption She spent hours trying to make ringlets with my stick straight hair.... My hair does *nothing* like that.

*laughs* You know who it reminded me of once I thought about it?

http://i34.tinypic.com/sxc2l2.jpg