"Memory" feature of my hair

[dolcevita]

Just wondering if anyone else notices this, I'll try my best to explain it!

I have wavy hair, not sure if it's correctly typed or not, and it's fine/thin-ish. But my hair has a memory feature in which it will hang according to how it recently was even after being washed, and I can train it to temporarily look a certain way. An example or two will help..

I used to straighten my hair a lot a few years ago and after a while, even when I didn't straighten, my hair hung better (no crazy waves) and looked straighter and neater even when air dryed and left alone.

Also, since I've joined LHC I've been wearing my hair in buns a lot. If I do that, for a week or some afterwards, whenever my hair is down it has crazy kinks and curls in it that are unattractive because of how my fine/thin hair looks when it's bunned. Braids will give a similar effect.

So it's pretty annoying because I prefer buns to braids on a daily basis but if I want to wear my hair down, it looks horrendous if it was just in buns for the past few weeks.... Washing doesn't "reset" my hair. I find it's best if I change up my styles so then it reflects my natural hair the best the next time it is airdried. Does anyone else notice this with their hair?? :o:o:o

[Aer]

Yes, I get this too. I just try to brainwash my hair's memory into what I want it to remember.

[Arriens]

Isn't this normal for hair?

[Little_Bird]

:lol:

This perception of your hair is very funny. I think it can be common tough... I guess hair can be molded to some extent? I always wear my hair the same way so I can't compare :p

[No excuses]

Wow.. my hair never seemed to have any memory and washing is always like pressing some RESET button :p
Your hair may be an interesting subject of research for the contemporary science :hmm:

[kwaniesiam]

Time for the scientific explanation :)

Your hair has 3 different kinds of major bonds that it is made up of, hydrogen bonds, salt bonds, and disulfide bonds. Hydrogen bonds are easily broken down by water or heat and while the bonds themselves are weak, they make up about 1/3 of the strength of your hair. This is why wet setting and heat styling can temporarily alter the texture of your hair. The bonds reform when your hair is dry in the new position your hair was set, and when it gets wet, they are broken down again and your hair goes back to its natural state.

Your hair might be less porous than others, so less water is getting in and breaking the bonds back down from where they were previously arranged. I hope that made sense, it's early for me to be awake on a saturday :p

[rhubarbarin]

Isn't this normal for hair?

Not for mine. Add water and it is 'reset'. And unless I put it up wet/damp, bunning and braiding do very little to my hair once it is released - no waves or kinks.

[dolcevita]

Time for the scientific explanation :)

Your hair has 3 different kinds of major bonds that it is made up of, hydrogen bonds, salt bonds, and disulfide bonds. Hydrogen bonds are easily broken down by water or heat and while the bonds themselves are weak, they make up about 1/3 of the strength of your hair. This is why wet setting and heat styling can temporarily alter the texture of your hair. The bonds reform when your hair is dry in the new position your hair was set, and when it gets wet, they are broken down again and your hair goes back to its natural state.

Your hair might be less porous than others, so less water is getting in and breaking the bonds back down from where they were previously arranged. I hope that made sense, it's early for me to be awake on a saturday :p

Thank-you so much for your explanation, kwaniesiam!! That makes a lot of sense and now I suppose my hair is less porous than others. This might help me with knowing which oils to use and what not.

Strange how my sister's (related by blood) hair is the exact opposite!:confused:

[alys]

Maybe more moisture would also help? I could be wrong of course. When my hair is lacking moisture it seems to remain on cue much more so than when it's healthy (meaning moisturised), if that makes any sense.

[JamieLeigh]

My hair's memory isn't so good, lol. I can have a "hump" near the back of my neck for awhile, after I wear a ponytail, but it disappears after about an hour or so. When I try for braidwaves, if I don't gel or spray it, the waves fall out very quickly. But somehow, it mysteriously holds a curl pretty well. :p

[JCFantasy23]

My hair has amazing memory, but my mind doesnt!

It didn't used to have "memory" but learned it over the years. Even now with bangs I can brush my hair back and have no bangs if I choose.