The "Is your hair real?" Question

[Nicole.Amina]

Does anyone else get asked this question often?

Do you get offended that someone would even ask this? Or are you flattered that they think hair that nice must be a weave or extensions?

I was asked this a couple of weeks ago at work and I started wondering how many other people are asked the same question.

[Riot Crrl]

No, but I get asked whether the color is ALL THE TIME which I guess I can't really be too annoyed with.

[flapjack]

I think about 1/4 of the east asian female population on my campus has asked me how in the world I get my hair so straight at one point or another. Supposedly, a lot of them use straighteners and fry their hair, so they're unable to grow it as long. I tell them that I've never owned a straightener or even a blow dryer and then about my chinese grandpa but I also mention that he had wavy hair. At that point, they either stare at me in disbelief, laugh and tell me I'm lucky, or... walk away looking disgusted.


All in all, the situation is highly amusing, I must admit.

[Phalaenopsis]

No, I've never had this question, but sometimes you could almost think of some persons: is it real or not? , because it so thick or so dark of colour or something.

[crystal_89]

I get asked this often, not entirely due to the length but due to the way I wear my hair. I have a short bob-like bit which I wear down and wear the waist-length bit in two thin braids. I just laugh and tell them its real, I don't really get offended because I can see for myself that my real hair doesn't look real. If my hair was long, one length and natural looking, took me years to grow and put lots of time into and someone asked me if my hair was fake... then maybe I would be a bit offended.

[MermaidGirl]

Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:

[shrimp]

I don't get is it real often (nope, it's all a figment of your imagination :wink:) but I do get a lot of people who don't believe that the curl is natural. They get used to seeing me with straightened hair, then accuse me of having a perm and denying it :ponder:

They also refuse to believe that curly hair is my very lazy hair as it apparently looks like it takes more effort.

[AJoifulNoise]

A couple of months back my stepmom asked me if my braids were real. I had braided my hair into 30 tiny braids. She said it with such awe and wonder that I couldn't be mad.

[Moiraine]

I've never been asked this question in my adult life and while now my hair is the longest it's ever been in 10 years (and thicker) i keep it up all the time because I can't stand hair around my face. I am growing it because I want a long Indian braid. It doesn't bother me if when it is much longer someone doesn't tug on it. I draw the line at someone touching it anywhere near my head tho. That guy who put his hand up some one's head looking for extensions needs a knee in his family jewels,lol. I don't know what it is with some ppl wanting to know if a person's hair is fake. I see it this way: If I bought and paid for my hair that's my business. It's on my head and it's my own hair. Case closed:blossom:

[Stevy]

People ask me this all the time, but to be fair I went through a phase of wearing a lot of fake hair a few years ago so I figure they just haven't caught up with me going for the natural look yet.

MermaidGirl, I am so sorry that happened to you! What a jerk!

[lora410]

Well I can't say I have ever been ask this question.I would find it amusing though if someone did :lol:

[Siava]

Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:

What a pig!

[eresh]

How rude!!


I had people ask if my hair was real and tug at the braid or ponytail.
And the snakebun also seems to make people come up and ask if it is a clipon and where I bought it haha.
I'm not offended about those questions, makes me smile.
(except ofcourse when they add a tug...)

[Fencai]

Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:


if that had been me, I would have ahem... *grabbed HIM* (you know where) and said, oh i was just checking to see if it was real.What a butt!!!

I dont get the is it real about the length, but when I switched from Platinum blonde to being a henna head, I get that about my color almost every day. For the people who saw the blonde, they all said, oh you went back to your natural color! It looks much better! LOL.. (I havent seen my natural color in about 12 years- but last I saw it, it did have a lot of red in it), and some people ask if its my real color. I just let them all think it is, and go on my merry way!

[Schnee]

I don't really get question like "is it real" about my length, but I think that might be because my hair is so long that extentions isn't really an option. On the other hand, people (who hasn't seen my braids down) tend to just assume I have fake braids in my updos because they are so big. ;)

[Silver & Gold]

I had to laugh when I read this thread because although my hair is no where near long enough for my to be asked this question from the average person, I was asked by my sister-in-law just a couple of weeks ago.

While my hair has been growing out - since about September of last year - I've been wearing it up most of the time with a hairstick so that it would look halfway decent. With layers and bangs growing out from a fairly short haircut I look like a mangy mutt most of the time.

My sister-in-law came over to watch our daughter while I went to rehearsal for a play I was in and she saw my hair down for the first time in months. It is finally long enough that I can wear it down and I wore it in 4 hairstyles for the show - halfup, peacock, fully up with a hairstick and fully down. So I had my hair down as I was leaving for the brush-up rehearsal and my sister-in-law was shocked to see so much length. She asked me if my hair was real because since it was a play she thought it could have been a wig I guess. I laughed and told her that, yes, it was my hair. Then she spent quite some time admiring the length, curls and condition of my hair.

Thank-you LHC. Without this community my hair would not look half as nice and I probably would have cut it due to frustration a long time ago. But good care and updos have saved my hair. I can't wait to see what it looks like at BSL, my hair has never been that long before - I know I'll feel like a different person to see myself with long hair.

[bunnii]

I've never been asked if its real but I told someone its not naturally black and really blonde i got called a liar. :shrug:

[DeeDee]

hihi, I once wore this http://www.network54.com/Forum/242462/message/1084029564/Tanja%27s++Bun+and+Braids+Combo++%28+quite+unusual +style%29+with+step+by+step+pics
updo to some club/bar thingy. I had the braids in front and some guy at the bar pointed at them and asked whether or not they were real.. The funny thing is, by pointing at the braids he was also pointing at my boobs.. I felt somewhere between confused (who would ask something like that??? it's not like they're huge or anything) and annoyed.. I was happy when he said he was talking about my braids :D:D

[Lady Godiva]

Oh, yeah, I've heard this question many times. Mostly it's at the moment(s) when they first catch sight of it, because usually when it's down, which is rare, I'm so careful with it, or I'm actually caring for it, that they can see that it's real. So the question usually happens very soon into an encounter.

[Darkhorse1]

That guy in the bar grabbing your hair--that's assault! At least in my area. My reflexes would have had me hit this guy...HARD. But, you handled yourself very, very well. What a JERK!

I've had a hairdresser as me if my hair was real. Can you imagine? I mean, you could tell if it was extensions, no?

I've also had people--well, kids in class when my hair was long enough to sit on, how did I wash my hair. I would answer 'with shampoo and water'. Upon seeing their confused faces, I did offer that I used the sink because it was easier to get to my scalp that way. I was 15, so I didn't mind. Somewhere in the world, I have photos of my hair at that length....somewhere....

[harley mama]

I have never been asked if my hair was fake. People always ask if it is permed though.

[Shell]

The only time I've been asked if it was real was when it was in a crown braid and I had wrapped the length around and pinned it. Apparently my MIL thought I had braided it, then added the fake braid. She was quite impressed that it was all my hair. I wasn't offended, mostly because she grew up in an era where it was common to use falls, hair pieces, and fake braids to enhance your own hair.

[rhubarbarin]

I've never had anyone ask me if it was real (it's not long yet), but people ask me at least twice a week if my highlights are natural or if I have a 'spiral perm' (I don't know what that is).

[Delenn]

I get it these days with my color which really doesn't surprise me to be honest. Mostly I get asked if I got a perm because when I hit like 30 my hair went nuts. Prior to that I was probably 2a then suddenly it went really spiral.

I was watching the DC news and they did a story about a salon that does workplace appointments at lunch, meaning they come to you. They were focusing on the fact that a person could get extensions done over their lunch break and they showed a girl who was getting them done. Of course this grabbed my attention so I was waiting to see the final effect. They got them all glued on and it looked to be just below shoulder level which made me think "wow, those are pretty short!" and then they gave her a haircut on top. I swear I couldn't see a difference between her before and after, the extensions were marginally longer than what she had!!! I.just.don't.get.it.

[flapjack]

Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:



Ewwww! Some people are so nasty. And assuming from your location that this happened in the LA area... I can't say I'm surprised. :rolleyes:

[<She>]

I had people ask me if my hair was real when it was waist length, because I had it in black with two red sections. One time, I went to a hairsalon because I was interested in purple extensions. So when I asked them to explain to me what method they use, the two girls-stylists said they thought I knew because it looked like the red sections were extensions.
Recently, I get asked by older ladies. When I'm outside my hair is in single braid, so it looks shiny and thick, but that's my way of braiding loose so it will seem that my hair is a bit thicker.
I don't mind those questions, neither annoying or amusing. They are just ordinary questions.

[snowbird]

I get asked this quite a lot- perhaps nearly once a week or so. I also get asked if my hair is a wig...sometimes they dont believe me and ask to pull a curl.

I don't get offended (hey, I look at curly wigs in shop windows for styling ideas), but I did once have a guy say the following after being throughly convinced it was indeed my real hair:

'you must be some sort of super high maintenance person with hair like that'

???

[hurricane_gia]

I see it this way: If I bought and paid for my hair that's my business. It's on my head and it's my own hair. Case closed:blossom:

I think it was Dolly Parton who once said, "Of course it's all mine, I paid for it!"

No one has ever asked me if my hair is real, but I have been asked if the color is natural (the exact words were, "Do you have to do anything special to get all those colors in your hair or does it just do it by itself?'). I thought it was funny that someone admired my hair color, since I often feel frustrated by how undefinable it is.

[hurricane_gia]

Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:


Oh My Lord!! In what possible universe is it okay to grab a woman by the hair without her consent??? That man wasn't just rude, he was dumb!

[hurricane_gia]

'you must be some sort of super high maintenance person with hair like that'

???

The correct answer to that question is, "Yes, so buy me a drink, a diamond, and designer purse. Now." :rolleyes:

[flapjack]

^^ Maybe in the year 3500 BC? Hahahaha, apparently that's the era this guy was trapped in.

[Islandgrrl]

I get asked that about the color (yes, it's real), and then the follow up to that is "you don't look like a redhead..." (no freckles, not typical redhead skin color, green eyes).

[CopperWaves]

I have been asked if the curl is natural, usually by older people who are admiring my hair. (The older women ask me, and the older men ask my dad)

[ZaBasDa]

I've only been asked once or twice if my curls are real. I do get asked if the brightly colored bits of my hair are real. Evidently since my hair is so dark people just assume they are extensions.

[FrannyG]

I would definitely take the "is it real?" comment as a compliment. To me, it says that your hair looks so lovely as to seem almost unreal.

[Hairstorm]

Oh the rare occasion I wear it down, yes, I do get that question.

Once, a 3rd grade boy said, "I know that's fake." It wasn't a question, so I just smiled at him. :)

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I have been asked this allot. Not now because all of my friends and co-workers identify me as "the girl with the hair". But I am mixed and my hair is curly, I used to be asked by allot of my black friends whether or not I had a weave. I think I was asked even more so, back when I straightened my hair. Doesn't bother me though, I know they ask because they think it's pretty and that it would be easier to just get a weave to look like this.

[MsBubbles]

I would be pretty happy if somebody asked me if my hair were real. I'm inclined to think it looks real (i.e. ratty & horrible), so nobody asks!

[Poolsoflaughter]

I don't get asked if mine is real...(it's not very long yet) but with extensions being so popular right now, I guess it's hard to tell what's real and what's not.:shrug:

[Riot Crrl]

Oh yes I forgot about the perm one, I get that too. My straight roots are probably making them think I have several inches of regrowth. :?

[susiemw]

hihi, I once wore this http://www.network54.com/Forum/242462/message/1084029564/Tanja%27s++Bun+and+Braids+Combo++%28+quite+unusual +style%29+with+step+by+step+pics
updo to some club/bar thingy. :D:D


VERY VERY nice style. Creative and gorgeous!
I am experiencing a little hair envy here :)

Susan

[flapjack]

That is so cute! I am stealing that style, hahaha.

[missmanytoes]

... And the snakebun also seems to make people come up and ask if it is a clipon and where I bought it haha....

Snakebun?? Please, what is that? Are there instructions/pictures to be had because it sure sounds interesting!

Where I work there is one woman who has longer hair than I do and I've had several male customers come up to me and ask if her hair is real. She wears hers in a low ponytail or in a braid so her nearly knee length hair is evident. I wear mine up in a bun and when I've taken it down in the break room other employees have commented that it was hard to believe that all that length was trussed up in that bun.

[Speedbump]

I never get the general "is it real?" question, but I do get the "is it a perm?" question. Or I used to. It's so long now I think that people have stopped thinking about the curl formation so much. I never thought I would reach that length! :lol:

Perhaps one day I'll start getting the "is it real?" question. Maybe it's a natural progression depending on hair length? :confused:

[Riot Crrl]

I would like to know what the snake bun is too!

True facts: I just tried googling it and the only relevant hit was a furry roleplaying journal. The userinfo stated that the character usually wears its hair in a snake bun. Unfortunately none of the userpics appeared to depict this.

[Masara]

My hairs's too short for that sort of question and anyway I always wear it up. Even when it was waist length, no-one ever asked, maybe because in France long hair isn't all that uncommon, maybe because, at the time, extensions weren't really available.

Then last week I was staying overnight at my in-law's, they haven't seen my hair down in just over a year, since it wasn't quite shoulder length. In the morning I appeared for breakfast with my hair down. The mother-in-law, stops dead and says "but you've got long hair!". I decided against the discussion that APL isn't actually long as such and tried to find out why she was so surprised. It turns out that she had assumed that my buns were all clip-ons. She had been really convinced of this, she kept asking other members of the family if they had known that my hair was long.

As far as I remember, a snake bun is a bun made from a herringbone braid.

[nicolezoie]

On the rare occasions I wear my hair down, people stop, stare, and I can see the "Is it real" question on their lips, then they look at my roots and think it can't possibly be extensions, then they shake their heads and go about their business. I guess I must have that Yes it is real look on my face or something... :confused:

The best "encounter" was when I was doing the hair modeling for Disney when one of the observers asked the hair stylist "what was going to happen with the hair when we were done" and the stylist explained that it was my REAL hair. :D

[Riot Crrl]

On the rare occasions I wear my hair down, people stop, stare, and I can see the "Is it real" question on their lips, then they look at my roots and think it can't possibly be extensions, then they shake their heads and go about their business. I guess I must have that Yes it is real look on my face or something... :confused:

The best "encounter" was when I was doing the hair modeling for Disney when one of the observers asked the hair stylist "what was going to happen with the hair when we were done" and the stylist explained that it was my REAL hair. :D

LOL!

61"... I don't know if human hair extensions exist, and if they did they would cost upwards of some new cars. Even if they were synthetic, they might also be so heavy that depending on the attachment method, they could verge on the physically impossible without just ripping out on their own weight. In a modeling context it might be a more reasonable assumption, since it would be more feasible to slap just about anything on one's head for the duration of one photo session.

[Angellen]

Snake bun sounds amazing.

I've gotten this question several times before. My hip-length hair makes a cinnamon bun about 4.5 inches in diameter, so it's not that unreasonable--I do have quite a bit of hair.

I did a show in spring where I had a beehive done, and of the six of us that needed them, I had the largest 'mini-hive' and with no extensions or teasing. It was kind of neat. Everyone kept asking if it was real.

[Nicole.Amina]

They also refuse to believe that curly hair is my very lazy hair as it apparently looks like it takes more effort.
That's another question I am frequently asked. They're shocked when I respond, "About 2 minutes...?"


Back when I had waist-length hair, some guy in a nightclub was flirting with me and my hair brushed against his arm when he playfully put it around my waist. He said "Wow, that's some long hair you have" and then he suddenly ran his hand up under the length and grabbed the back of my head with his fingers. Naturally, I pulled away and said "What are you DOING?!" and he said "Oh, I thought for sure those were extensions and I was just checking!" WTF? I'm pretty sure I called him a freak and told him not to ever touch me again before grabbing my drink and walking away. I was wearing a low-cut dress and can only imagine what he would have done if he'd have wanted to check if those were real! :mad:
And why he didn't get a smack to the face....?!


The funny thing is, by pointing at the braids he was also pointing at my boobs.. I felt somewhere between confused (who would ask something like that??? it's not like they're huge or anything) and annoyed.. I was happy when he said he was talking about my braids :D:D
:rollin:


I would definitely take the "is it real?" comment as a compliment. To me, it says that your hair looks so lovely as to seem almost unreal.
I tend to see it the same way. That the only possible way for my hair to look the way it does is for it to be store bought.(The only problem is that my hair is almost always frizzy lol)

[Nicole.Amina]

I was asked again at work today!!!!!

A mother and daughter were in my lane today and the daughter asks me, "Is your hair naturally like that?" I nodded yes and then she said, "Oh okay. Because my mother wanted to know where you got your hair done." Then she turns to her mother, "See! I told you!"

[Finoriel]

It´s not exactly the "is it real" question. It´s more the "where on earth can you buy such long extensions" as most people in my area here seem to be completely clueless about the fact that hair actually can get this long, naturally. They just think it has be fake because hair does not grow that long. :shrug: I´m not really bothered by this and just tell them that my hair grows fast and I´m too lazy to go to the hairdresser every 4 weeks to trim the 1,8cm new growth to keep up a hair-cut :eyebrows:. That´s usually the point where they put me in the hairgrowingsupergenes-mutant and nerd drawer :lol:
Sometimes I get the question if I have ever trimmed my hair? "Oh well, yes I do. Every other month. :gabigrin: Why?" Or the question about which hair-straightener I use... This are the most frequent ones, I think.
I do not mind this much, it´s just that people have very little idea about long-hair in general and are surprised to hear that North-European hair can reach this length.

[DeeDee]

VERY VERY nice style. Creative and gorgeous!
I am experiencing a little hair envy here Just to make clear: That's not me on those photos and I'm not the one who made up that style.. but I agree, the style and her hair is great!

[DeeDee]

um... that should probably say "are great"

[MemSahib]

I have never been asked if my hair is real (I don't think they make babyfine extensions anyway) but I have been asked if I had a reverse frost. By a hairdresser, no less. Uhmmm, no, this is MY hair. I also get a shock of surprise if I let it down in front of the unsuspecting because babyfine hair compacts to quite small. People are astonished at the length that wraps up into my smallish buns or twists.

[eresh]

Snakebun?? Please, what is that? Are there instructions/pictures to be had because it sure sounds interesting!

I have a picture in my updo album :)
Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6111) and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)

It's basically a bunned herringbonebraid, it looks as if a snake has wrapped itself around the stick so I call it a snake bun :)

[hurricane_gia]

It´s not exactly the "is it real" question. It´s more the "where on earth can you buy such long extensions" as most people in my area here seem to be completely clueless about the fact that hair actually can get this long, naturally.

Where do they think extensions come from in the first place? A hair-growth tree?



I do not mind this much, it´s just that people have very little idea about long-hair in general and are surprised to hear that North-European hair can reach this length.

I guess they've never seen a history book with pictures of those 'Viking' wives with braids down to their knees.

[Johanna]

It's hard to convince someone your hair is real when they just won't believe that hair can actually be that long. Plus you dont really want to let random strangers touch your hair to keep proving its real.
My just-past-elbow length hair was up in a bun and a saleslady tried selling me hair extentions, I then let my bun loose and showed her the length, I've never seen someone looked so stunned lol.

[angelthadiva]

Snakebun?? Please, what is that? Are there instructions/pictures to be had because it sure sounds interesting!<snip> Great minds think alike!! I just asked her this personally :doh:


I have a picture in my updo album :)
Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6111) and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)

It's basically a bunned herringbonebraid, it looks as if a snake has wrapped itself around the stick so I call it a snake bun :) Thank you for linking your pictures, I guess I should have read the whole thread first...Sorry! :flowers:

I've been asked if my hair was real or not...BY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME!!! There is one style I do, when my hair is wet, and I leave it up to air dry...I try not to mess w/any of my curls, so they end up staying intact pretty well...I get asked often if it's one of those clips with hair on it! :rolleyes: People are so used to seeing my hair pulled back in an secure updo, so they think or assume my hair is straight...If I go out in the rain or the humidity is high...My baby hairs get rebellious--People think I've done something to it to get it to do that...Uh, no.

The kicker, was a co-worker of DH...I've known her for years, she came up to me last summer, at the company BBQ, leaned in and whispered,

Her: Where do YOU buy your hair? It's so long and pretty!
Me: Are you kidding?
Her: No. Where'd you get it?
Me: It's mine.
Her: I know it's yours, you paid for it.
Me: No, it's mine, I grew it.
Her: (disbelief) For real?
Me: Yes, I'm for real.

She's lucky I like her; I would have been totally offended by that exchange if I didn't know her that well...I told DH about it and he cracked up...He couldn't believe that she actually asked me that!

[Finoriel]

hurricane_gia :lol: no, I guess they think hair extensions are all synthetic... so they have to grow on the crude-oil-tree :wink:
About those Viking legends, hm I´m actually not sure if anyone is interested in the Viking era here, I guess not... and the history lessons at school do not tend to teach anything about hair. Either way, I live in the so called "hair-back-woods" and people have very little idea of longer hair than BSL which is rare and already freakish-long :p. Oh well.

[burns_erin]

I used to get that alot when my hair was much longer and I did dye it many strange colors. I usually just gave them a quizzical look and asked "I don't know, have you been taking your meds, do I need to find the nice people in the white coats with those really comfy jackets."

[Robbi Dehlinger]

I bet Diane Witt was asked that question alot? (Assuming she ever wore it down when out and about?)

[missmanytoes]

I have a picture in my updo album :)
Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6111) and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)

It's basically a bunned herringbonebraid, it looks as if a snake has wrapped itself around the stick so I call it a snake bun :)

Sweeeet! I may have to break my one fastener rule and try that one out! Thanks for the info!

[hurricane_gia]

I bet Diane Witt was asked that question alot? (Assuming she ever wore it down when out and about?)

Can you believe, I had never heard of Diane Witt until you mentioned her? So I looked her up and . . . WOW!

Now I'm dying to find out what updos she wore . . .

[Igor]

Yep, being surrounded by fine Scandinavian hair my hair attracts attention for both the length and its thick structure
I guess I take it as a compliment that people see my hair as something so amazing it cant be naturally grown :shrug:

It´s not exactly the "is it real" question. It´s more the "where on earth can you buy such long extensions" as most people in my area here seem to be completely clueless about the fact that hair actually can get this long, naturally. They just think it has be fake because hair does not grow that long. :shrug: I´m not really bothered by this and just tell them that my hair grows fast and I´m too lazy to go to the hairdresser every 4 weeks to trim the 1,8cm new growth to keep up a hair-cut :eyebrows:. That´s usually the point where they put me in the hairgrowingsupergenes-mutant and nerd drawer :lol:
Sometimes I get the question if I have ever trimmed my hair? "Oh well, yes I do. Every other month. :gabigrin: Why?" Or the question about which hair-straightener I use... This are the most frequent ones, I think.
I do not mind this much, it´s just that people have very little idea about long-hair in general and are surprised to hear that North-European hair can reach this length.

[socks]

I actually get that question once in a while. Sometimes, it gets annoying, but most of the time it's pretty amusing. What really annoys me, however, is when people just automatically assume my hair is fake.

[vindo]

Only happened a few times so far.

My aunt asked me once if it was real and when I said that it is she grabbed my roots to doublecheck.
People tend to think I have extensions since the bottom 20cm are much thinner than the rest (Taper, layers)

More often I get asked if my hair is really that straight..people think I straighten it..

[squiggyflop]

hihi, I once wore this http://www.network54.com/Forum/242462/message/1084029564/Tanja%27s++Bun+and+Braids+Combo++%28+quite+unusual +style%29+with+step+by+step+pics
updo to some club/bar thingy. I had the braids in front and some guy at the bar pointed at them and asked whether or not they were real.. The funny thing is, by pointing at the braids he was also pointing at my boobs.. I felt somewhere between confused (who would ask something like that??? it's not like they're huge or anything) and annoyed.. I was happy when he said he was talking about my braids :D:D
ive worn that style many many times.. even before i came to lhc.. i thought it was a normal style because alot of the people who used to come into my old job (taco bell) would wear it.. i never saw anything unusual about it..

i have gotten questions on whether of not my mickey mouse updo was real.. i also have alot of people ask me how much product i have to put in my hair to make it stick straight out of my head like that.. the buns stick out at least 3.5 inches on either side.. thay always get confused when i tell them that i didnt need product to get them to stick out.. just a skilled hand, 2-4 elastics and a couple of bobby pins (or flower pins)
here is a picture of the buns on my styling head and a pic of my hair after a long day.. the buns on my head got a little messed up from me touching them everytime someone said something about them.. which was just about everyone who saw me.. and on that day they were smaller than usual too
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_mickeymouseapril3rd2008.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/mickeymouseapril3rd2008.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_closupfanhairsmall.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/closupfanhairsmall.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_mickeymousehairsmall.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/mickeymousehairsmall.jpg)

you can imagine all the weird looks i get for this hairstyle.. alot of people think the buns are fake because of the unnatural way they can stick out without being floppy.. ive had people ask me if there was a wire form under the buns on days when i can get them to look like fans sticking out the side of my head.. and i get asked what anime character im trying to look like.. i made up the style out of lazyness not to look like an anime character.. i just got lazy one day and decided that instead of fumbling to get pigtail buns to look right i would just make 2 loops of hair and use an elastic to hold them up (it was really hot out and i didnt want my hair on my neck) then as my hair got longer i started wrapping the extra hair around the elastic to hide it.. no photos of anime were consulted and no there are no wire or cardboard forms under the hair.. some people just refuse to believe that my hair can do it without product wire cardboard or fake hair..

i cant wait to see how this style morphs when my hair gets longer

[Gwaihiril]

I've only been asked once if it's real, and that was by a little boy - maybe 6 or 7 years old? - so I wasn't too upset. I do get the amazed looks when people see my hair come down from a bun, and I have had classmates ask if I've gotten a haircut because the bun seems so small to them.

[thankyousir74]

ya know i'm not exactly shore how to tell if a gal has extentsions or not i just assume everyone does the occasional dye job if the hair color's anything radical

[sapphire-o]

I never got asked such question. I guess it looks too scraggly to be extensions. I don't know if they make any taper to nothing fairytale style extensions. :)

[Speedbump]

I have a picture in my updo album :)
Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6111) and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)

It's basically a bunned herringbonebraid, it looks as if a snake has wrapped itself around the stick so I call it a snake bun :)
I have never, ever, EVER regretted being so updotarded as I do right now. WANT! :inlove:

[Gladtobemom]

It almost always catches me off guard, I usually answer with something witty like, "Well, yes, last time I checked."

I can never think of anything clever.

[freznow]

I've gotten that a few times. The last went something like "Is that your real hair? I had no idea you had so much, it doesn't look like that much when it's up!" I don't mind the 'real' question, what I do mind is how the second part of that makes me feel like my hair is too thin :(

[Angellen]

Oh, wow. The snake bun is just...wow. That's so amazing. I'm going to go try it, now. :inlove:

[Molster]

If I ever wear my hair loose (like I did for an evening out recently) I can almost guarantee getting the "Is it real?" or "Is that extensions?" questions. Is it me or do people not think it through before they open their mouths? Or is it just something to say because they just want to comment?

Other hot favourite questions seem to be:

"How long did it take you to grow it that long?"
"How long does it take you to wash/dry it?"
"It is hard to look after?"
"Don't you get bored with it?"

And then there's the "Oh I can't grow my hair long" or "I'm too old for long hair" remarks, but it's lovely the amount of older ladies who say "I used to have hair I could sit on when I was a girl."

[MemSahib]

I've gotten that a few times. The last went something like "Is that your real hair? I had no idea you had so much, it doesn't look like that much when it's up!" I don't mind the 'real' question, what I do mind is how the second part of that makes me feel like my hair is too thin :(Yours is not necessarily thin, but fine hair compresses down to quite small by comparison to medium or coarse hair. I've had the same comment, freznow — how can I get all this hair into that relatively small bun or twist? Shrugs. It's the nature of the beast.

[wonderlywroughte]

I get asked this one a lot, too. It doesn't really bother me, I always just assume that people want to ask about your hair but can't really work out what to say about it. So, they opt for that one. Why, I don't even know. It doesn't bother me, as it's easily answered with "Yes, it is real!"

In one instance, a teacher at college (that I had never had before) said "Nice wig" to me, and while I was trying to work out whether or not he was joking, another teacher (That I HAD had before) jumped in and went "That's not a wig, it's REAL!" :o

I think the first teacher was joking. At least, I'm pretty sure. I laughed about it and agreed that it was real, but yeah. Just a little awkward!

[Alun]

"How long did it take you to grow it that long?"


I get that one all the time. It's hard to answer. I usually just say it takes years.

[akka naeda]

No-one ever actually asked me if my hair was real when it was shorter (BSL+), they just commented on it to themselves - "She has extensions, you can tell" kind of thing. That amused me.

Now no-one says that, partly because I don't wear it loose that much, and partly because as someone told me "At that length it has to be real. No-one gets extensions beyond waist length". I hear the occasional comment implying that my plaited updos are fake "bought on E-Bay, you can buy everything there", but again no-one actually says anything to me.

When people say anything about it it's
"How long have you been growing it?"
"Isn't it difficult to look after?"
"Doesn't it take ages to wash/dry/brush?"
"I'd love hair like that, but mine doesn't grow"

And the fact that I can keep the whole lot neatly contained on the back of my head amazes them too
"Isn't it amazing how it all compacts when it's up? I never knew hair could do that!"

[WritingPrincess]

That snake bun is so cool! I'l have to try that today, because I'm already wearing a herringbone braid.

[flaming bunny]

I'm always getting asked this recently! It's getting to the point where I'm thinking of saying, "No, it's a wig". I wonder what the reaction would be?! Hahah :eyebrows:

[EdG]

Years ago when my hair was hip to classic length, I was asked the "is it real" question a few times. Recently, I am no longer asked this question because my hair is way too long and tapered to be anything other than real! :)
Ed

[truepeacenik]

I'm at classic (and starting to feel like I'm leaving it), plus I have red hair.
oh, yes do I get is that real.
But I never know which they mean, so I say "yes, to all."

when I'm asked how long to grow, I say "all my life, but I got serious about in in 1997, had a few silly episodes. No length has been cut in (what ever it is...seven years?)"

[julya]

I've never been asked if my hair is real. Maybe it's because I just keep it up nearly all the time? But to me it sees like it would be sort of flattering, the person must be impressed by you hair.

[hurricane_gia]

And the fact that I can keep the whole lot neatly contained on the back of my head amazes them too
"Isn't it amazing how it all compacts when it's up? I never knew hair could do that!"

Oh yeah, I get that a lot! It's pretty funny. One evening after a dance class I decided to take my hair down, and one of my classmates actually jumped as if a monster had fallen out of my bun, and yelped, "Whoa!" then she said, "Who knew all that was in there!" :D I wanted to say, Wait till you see it next year!

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Ed!

You hair is LOVELY!

[EdG]

You hair is LOVELY!Thanks Robbi! :cool:
Ed

[Dianyla]

I almost always get the variation of this question that is worded more like "Is all of that yours?" I usually just shrug and mention that it's not possible to get extensions much longer than about 3 feet of hair, so I suppose it must be all mine. :shrug:

[Starr]

I get this question alot. . .mainly because there is the common misconception that people of my ethnic background just CAN'T grow hair past their shoulders.

Some people are genuinely interested and others are just rude.

I've had more than one occasion where a stranger put their hands in my hair and pulled.

And sometimes I don't even get a question, just an overly loud comment like "Look at that weave." Followed by a look.

Needless to say, I don't wear my hair down very often.

[Saranne772]

ohh yes!! I do take it as a compliment mostly. But it does annoy me to a great extent (no pun intended) because extentions look so fake and horrible mostly!!

[liseling]

I've gotten questions about whether my curls are real more times than I can possibly remember. On one memorable occasion I spent at least 10 minutes trying to convince a new friend that all I needed to do was air-dry and that I had NEVER had a perm. Finally he said "ok... It's just that they're so perfect...". That made me feel good all week. Because of that, I think that most people who make such comments are not trying to be rude, but are just impressed. Still, I really don't like it when people feel they can just grab a curl and start boinging without even asking!

[noelgirl]

Because my hair's texture varies so much based on weather conditions and where I am in the wash cycle, it can take on appearances varying anywhere from 1c to 3a (all things being neutral, I'm really a 2b), without even heat-styling! So yeah, my hair provides a good amount of entertainment.

"Did you straighten your hair?" "No, it was in a bun."
"Is that a perm?" "No, this is my natural texture."
*person is about to say something about the Humidity Halo of Doom, but thinks better of it* "Yeah, it's the humidity."

[honeybunch]

I get something like that. I just take it as a compliment since they mean my hair is so healthy.

MermaidGirl, I'm sorry that happened to you. I hate when people do that, it is rude and entirely uncalled for.

[DarkChocolate]

I think about 1/4 of the east asian female population on my campus has asked me how in the world I get my hair so straight at one point or another. Supposedly, a lot of them use straighteners and fry their hair, so they're unable to grow it as long. I tell them that I've never owned a straightener or even a blow dryer and then about my chinese grandpa but I also mention that he had wavy hair. At that point, they either stare at me in disbelief, laugh and tell me I'm lucky, or... walk away looking disgusted.


All in all, the situation is highly amusing, I must admit.

Hi flapjack, My friends used to tell me to get a straight perm and I would look at them in disbelief because my hair is straight enough. I would never flat iron my hair either. Actually when I studied in Japan, I stayed with a family and the 14 year old girl would always flat iron her hair. The flat iron would steam like an iron. I think Asian people have nice thick hair so I don't understand why they dye it and flat iron it. I also noticed that most Japanese girls have their hair short.

[Nicole.Amina]

I get this question alot. . .mainly because there is the common misconception that people of my ethnic background just CAN'T grow hair past their shoulders.

Some people are genuinely interested and others are just rude.

I've had more than one occasion where a stranger put their hands in my hair and pulled.

And sometimes I don't even get a question, just an overly loud comment like "Look at that weave." Followed by a look.

Needless to say, I don't wear my hair down very often.

That would make me wear my hair down all the more.

[soprano]

Someone asks me if my hair is real at *least* once a week. Usually they ask about the color. If the person asking is nice, I'll say, "No" and maybe we'll get into a discussion about henna. If he or she is rude, however, I tell him or her that you should never ask a stranger such a question, don't you know how rude that is?

Last week a man on the bus asked me how long I had been growing my hair. He wasn't so polite, so I snapped back, "Since I was born." After that he must have realized that he had been rude and we actually had a nice conversation.

The ones that I hate the most are the people who will come up behind me and grab my bun or braid and yank on it or hang on while they tell me how beautiful it is and how their sister/aunt/cousin/great-grandmother's housekeeper used to have wonderful long hair like that. Keep your hands to yourself, please!

[Anne~]

They don't ask if it is real but they do ask if it is a perm and that they bet it was expensive. So I usually mess with their minds and say, "If you have as much money as I do you could have hair just like mine." Then I walk away with a grin.... What money?

[wintersun99]

The only time this ever happened to me (because length is not in question) is when I was using henna alone, over medium-ash brown colored hair. I often had women asking me if that was my natural color, followed by a compliment on the color, I always told them it was henna and it never bothered me...

[burns_erin]

The only time this ever happened to me (because length is not in question) is when I was using henna alone, over medium-ash brown colored hair. I often had women asking me if that was my natural color, followed by a compliment on the color, I always told them it was henna and it never bothered me...
I got the oppsosite as far as coloring. Before henna I had some very strange colors and everyone asked anyway when I thought it would have been obvious. With henna most people did not ask or asked if I had gone back to my natural color.

[kuwati]

I get this question alot. . .mainly because there is the common misconception that people of my ethnic background just CAN'T grow hair past their shoulders.

Some people are genuinely interested and others are just rude.

I've had more than one occasion where a stranger put their hands in my hair and pulled.

And sometimes I don't even get a question, just an overly loud comment like "Look at that weave." Followed by a look.

Needless to say, I don't wear my hair down very often.

I could have written this post nearly word for word!

I did get this comment fairly regularly when my hair was thicker, and when I wore it down more often. These days, as it's up in a bun most of the time, I get the comments about the curls when they're out. Guess people have the misconception that my hair is straight when it's contained every day, and get a real shock to see tight spirals up to the root. "Did you curl it? How long did it take? It's a perm, I can tell-" And so on.

No one believes me when I tell them it's the default, and takes no more effort than air drying.

BTW, your curls are beautiful!

[Fee]

Lately I have been getting this question a lot, is my hair real, do I have extensions, do I flat iron it (because it's "so"? straight) etc, I don't mind when people ask me this, because I'm aware that nowadays it's more "normal" to have extensions rather than natural long hair.

[Aisha25]

:laugh: I just got asked this question today on facebook! Someone asked me if it was real or a reeaally long wig..I was thinking "do they even make wigs that long?"

[IdiotBird]

I've been asked a couple of times, usually when my hair is in a braid. I don't see any reason to get angry about it; it's not a rude question, just a curious one.

[Velvettt]

The correct answer to that question is, "Yes, so buy me a drink, a diamond, and designer purse. Now." :rolleyes:

I love this!:D

I don't get asked about my hair although some day, I hope I will. I do get asked the same thing about my nails. Are they real? or sometimes, where do you get your acrylics done? I like to tell them that when long, thick hair was being given out, I was lining up at the celestial nail salon.

[toodramatik]

I'd love to be asked this question :(

I used to be asked this in elementary school, because I had BSL length super thick super bouncy hair. Only not in very nice terms.

"HEY YOU, YOU KNOW WIGS AREN'T ALLOWED AT SCHOOL."

Kids can be cruel :/

[beyondcute]

Oddly enough YES. Its very irritating becasue I feel like I have to prove to them that it is. SOmetimes I get peopel touchign me. Today at work a lady pulled one of my curls... GRRRRRRrrrrr! I dont know where her nasty hands have been! I work in a hospital so I REALLY dont like for people to touch my hair when Im here. I honestly dont mind if people ASK first. That way I can discern whether they look clean enough and to prewarn them not to YANK.

ALso I hate when people pet me like Im a dog or muss my curls.... UGH!!!

I semi understand though... I tend to have Diana Ross hair LOL

[spidermom]

Nope; nobody has ever asked me this. The closest incident would be when I had henna on it and some guy asked me "what color IS that?" and I said "I was hoping you could tell me." It was really an awful brick color, not nice in the least.

[Chromis]

Nope never been asked if my hair is real. Now and then I'll have someone ask "Just how long *is* your hair?!" since I normally wear it up but they never assume it's not mine.

[lorig713]

Yes and other questions like how long did it take to grow that long, or who braids your hair and other questions I can't remember at the moment. It's mostly at work and asked by my patients or their families. I mostly keep my single braid tucked in my jacket so it will be less of a distraction. Maybe the jokes on me as a way for them to avoid talking about discharge plan. You'd be amazed how many people don't want to leave the hospital once they are medically stable.

[Barca]

this used to happen to me when i was younger, but it still happens to my sister who is a natural red head (go figure!)

[GlassEyes]

I used to get asked if the curl was real sometimes. Less now though. e-e;;

[tsf]

I can't wait for someone to ask "Is it real?" so I can look blank and say:

"Real What?"


praying for the strength to keep a straight face...

[ChatoyantLocks]

I've been asked if the color is real. I'm usually not too offended because red is a fairly common color for people to try coloring their hair with, and they look so impressed when I tell them it is my natural hair color.

[Darkhorse1]

Yep. I got this from a hairdresser! I had to go to first choice for a trim (I can't trim my own hair due to the wave in it). I wear an english braid, high, at work, so when I undid it, the girl--who I think may have been rather young/new, said 'wow! That braid is misleading!" and she was running her fingers through my hair to get the waves out and she said 'is this real?'.

Um, wouldn't a hair dresser be able to tell? I mean, maybe not, but I found it an odd question. I guess some of the high end extensions are really hard to tell if they are fake or real?

Oh! forgot to say I told her 'hope, this is home grown. All by me'. :D She got a kick out of that.

[trolleypup]

Oh yeah, I get that from time to time. Usually I just answer affirmatively. Or if the comment refers to my bun, just pull the stick out and drop it down.

[Slug Yoga]

I do get the amazed looks when people see my hair come down from a bun, and I have had classmates ask if I've gotten a haircut because the bun seems so small to them.

I've had the reverse problem. My hair is not quite BSL, and I wear it up most of the time. A few months ago, when it was even shorter, people would often ask about my "hair cut" when they saw it down, because they assumed I'd need longer hair to get it in an updo like that. Good ol' fakkare. :o

[Robbi Dehlinger]

People who do not love long hair find it hard to believe it when hair is long, especially below thigh. I guess they assume it must be extentions or something?

[Soniasonia]

Lol yea I get asked that all the time. I giggle. :P

[rhysiana]

The only time I remember getting this question was at my senior prom, from people who saw me every day and knew that my hair was below my waist! For the prom, my mom and I had put my hair in a ponytail, done tiny braids from there to the ends, and then tried to bun it, as we had done before for a dance concert. Turns out my hair had grown quite a bit since then, so there was too much, and we ended up doing half the braids doubled under, and the other half woven around the outside, like a bun with a loop coming out of it. Somehow, this made it look less "real."

The most amusing story I ever heard about that question, though, was from a model being interviewed on Oprah, who did, in fact, wear extensions. She said she got asked the question "Is that really your hair?" all the time and her reply was, "Of course it's mine; I paid for it!"

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Lol yea I get asked that all the time. I giggle. :P

I hope you an an inspiration to other "potential longies" both feamle and male!

Huggz:)

[kaorifun]

I usually get that from customers at work. Just a few days ago I had my hair in a french braid and one lady said, "that's a pretty braid you have, is it all your real hair?"

[ladystar]

I get this sometimes! Not that my hair is as long as a lot on here, but its pretty thick!

I never get offended I think its flattering !

[EmpressRi]

Story of my life!! There is a manner in which people ask me, and that depends on whether I get offended or not.

[Alethia]

I've never been asked this before, but then I rarely wear my hair down, and when I do, it looks too thin to seem like it's got any extensions or weaves attached.

[LadyLongLocks]

A similar thing happened to me in a bar 2 years ago. I dropped off a friend at this bar. I walked in and all eyes were on my hair. A couple came up to me asking if my hair was real. They were obviously intoxicated. I said it was real. The woman believed me but the man did not. They bet $10 it was fake. Then the woman proceeded in digging through my hair to see if I had extensions! I ducked away best I could and tried to stop her. She then said "YES, it's real" and collected her money. I have learned to never walk into a bar at midnight with my hair down...actually I don't go to bars anymore and seldom wear my hair down in public either. I still get angry when I think about this. If it happened today I would be a bit more prepared to react. I was shocked at the time and also did not want to cause a scene. Now I don't care!I also wont go out in public with my hair down without my significant other as a "bodyguard". People have some strange reactions to long hair. I guess it takes one crazy experience like this to put you on your guard.

[Katahdin]

I don't often get asked if the length is real (probably because it's not that long yet), but I always get asked if my colour is real. I don't mind it too much, unless they ask in a particularly rude manner.

People do always seem to say "are you going to cut it soon?". I guess they're assuming no-one would really want longer hair, or that I'd want a change after growing it this long? I just politely say no. :)