*Facepalm*

[LittleOrca]

Today at a bellydance potluck a woman was trying to tell another woman that your hair will grow faster if your braid it when it's wet! "Trust me, I work in a salon and have so for X years!"

:disgust:

:brickwall <--- Pretty much my reaction to her comment and I kept my mouth shut.

[Lisa R]

I'm sure I would've down the same as you:)

[Lianna]

Perhaps she meant retention, if the hair was breaking from heat styling before it's possible that it will retain more this way (and the moisture would last longer). I don't even like braids though, they make my hair dry somehow.

[CaityBear]

bahahahahahahah!!!!! That's too funny.

I understand if she means in a roundabout way "protecting the ends, less breakage, more growth" but braiding it while it's wet will make it grow faster? I wish!

[minaa]

It probably is the same misconception as getting trims keep hair growing faster.

[supbanana]

I would love to hear her reasoning for this. I'm glad it was you and not me... I would have had way too much fun interrogating her. :D

[Mrspuddinhead]

If that were the cause all of us wishing to reach our final goal length faster would braid while wet on a daily bases. Some people! Goodness !

[Ashenputtel]

Some haidressers should change jobs. My haidresser is skilled but when it comes to long hair habits she is pretty bad. She dies my friend's hair and her hair is pretty damaged. She recommended a balm extra moisturising with no proteins for my friend... Her hair was in such a bad shape. I made my friend buy a reconstructive treatment with proteins and she told me that after two uses it was MUCH better.

I just don't get it. They know only about techniques and nothing about care.

[LittleOrca]

This woman was definitely not talking about just protecting the ends when it came to making your hair grow faster. She seriously believed that the pulling of the hair in the wet braid mad your hair grow faster... like you were a doll with magic grow hair that appeared when you pulled on it. It was just silly to me and something I had to share here. :)

[Lianna]

Pulling hair is a form of massage that increases blood flow, which increases growth. This theory is mostly used with ponytails and buns though.

[spidermom]

I suppose if you pull on wet hair enough, it will stretch out some, but then the condition will be ruined. Not worth it!

[LittleOrca]

Pulling hair is a form of massage that increases blood flow, which increases growth. This theory is mostly used with ponytails and buns though.

I understand that theory, though it has been covered in different threads on here and has been, overall, shown to have such a little effect that there is nothing viable behind it for the most part. But, if it make the person feel better about it, then by all means let them pull their hair. Sort of like cutting by moon phases, hmm?

[Lianna]

I wouldn't say it's the same as moon phases since more blood circulation does help with hair growth. Seems to have more science behind it. Some people swear by their massages, a simple ponytail might not have huge results as that, indeed. But it is related.

[Xi]

:lol: There certainly are some odd notions about hair growth out there -- yesterday I got hit with the good old "if you cut off your hair it'll thicken up" theory (my silent response: "No, then it will be thin short hair, much like yours"). Wet braiding --> fast growing is certainly a new one, though ... At least she was being creative!:p

[Lianna]

"if you cut off your hair it'll thicken up" theory (my silent response: "No, then it will be thin short hair, much like yours").

There's always a thought behind every assertive. The thicken up one isn't that the hair from your scalp will be growing in thicker, but that the hemline might look thicker if it didn't have a blunt cut before. And even if it did, but the bottom was damaged, this might help with thickness too, since healthy hair is generally thicker. But if the hair is healthy and naturally thin, blunt cut, there's no reason to trim.

[Mesmerise]

:lol: There certainly are some odd notions about hair growth out there -- yesterday I got hit with the good old "if you cut off your hair it'll thicken up" theory (my silent response: "No, then it will be thin short hair, much like yours"). Wet braiding --> fast growing is certainly a new one, though ... At least she was being creative!:p

Well there is a wee little bit of truth here. If I were to cut my hair to shoulder length it WOULD appear thicker, simply because I would have cut off my tapered ends and the thinner length which is a result of serious shedding. So while my hair looks "thin" now (mostly the last few inches from SL/APL down) it would look much "thicker" if I were to cut it.

BUT of course, that has nothing at all to do with the hair at the root which wouldn't change at all!

Personally, I think you're better off having a regular daily scalp massage than pulling your hair into a wet braid if you want faster growth too!! It may not make much difference, but it's always worth a try ;).

[Anje]

I seem to recall absolute prohibitions for braiding horses' tails wet because of the risk of stretching and breaking the hair....

[supbanana]

I just don't get it. They know only about techniques and nothing about care.

This! I just don't understand how someone's career can be all about hair, and the one's I've met have no clue how to care for it. Sure, most people probably go to them for a fancy shorter style, but that's no excuse for not knowing and understanding the basics.

[may1em]

Well, I suppose if you're braiding while wet, it's not being heat styled. There's that.

[Kelikea]

OMG I better go braid my wet hair right now!!!

[AshNight1214]

Facepalm is right!!! OMG!!!!!

[pepperminttea]

With the damp braiding I do, if this were true, I'd be at floor by now. :p

[hototogisu]

I find damp *bunning* protects my ends and stops mechanical breakage, but I couldn't imagine manhandling my fragile damp hair into a braid!

Speaking of manhandling, I always find my hair gets badly beaten up by hairdressers. They're forever brushing it out with pin-tipped paddle brushes after shampooing and blowdrying and curling ironing and all that bizzo. But I do dearly love going to the hairdresser, so it's a twice-a-year pleasure for me. The fact is my hair's grown longer (and healthier!) since I began taking care of it myself and using the hairdresser as a very rare treat (mostly because I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my hair washed by someone else - bliss).

[Toadstool]

Pulling hair is a form of massage that increases blood flow, which increases growth. This theory is mostly used with ponytails and buns though.

This is what I assumed she meant too.

LittleOrca, love your signature pic! You are so cherubic-looking!

[Hypnotica]

I just don't get it. They know only about techniques and nothing about care.

That it is just not true. The level of knowledge may be different in each hair stylist, but they are not all ignorant.

Please note that there are several members here that are hair stylists.

[irishlady]

If that were true I would be at my goal length by now, I braid my hair when damp/wet, makes no difference to the length.
Some people and their hair myths :rolleyes:

[GlennaGirl]

I once had a teacher (yes, a teacher) tell us, the class, that nobody is sure why women's hair is longer than men's but one theory was that when women were breastfeeding, the babies would pull on the hair.

I just wouldn't even be sure to begin with that one...

[Ashenputtel]

That it is just not true. The level of knowledge may be different in each hair stylist, but they are not all ignorant.

Please note that there are several members here that are hair stylists.

I started my full message by saying SOME hairstylists ;).

Of course they are not all bad. I still like my hair stylist even though she's clueless about care and she believes in heat protectants and such.

She's a great listener and she always understand the exact lenght that I want to be cut. I just don't talk about care with her. I prefer her to any hairdresser with a lot of knowledge who doesn't listen. (I've met those before too).

[fluffybunny]

This woman was definitely not talking about just protecting the ends when it came to making your hair grow faster. She seriously believed that the pulling of the hair in the wet braid mad your hair grow faster... like you were a doll with magic grow hair that appeared when you pulled on it. It was just silly to me and something I had to share here. :)

Bwahahahaha! I had that doll when I was a kid in the 70's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crissy

[Lianna]

I started my full message by saying SOME hairstylists ;).

Of course they are not all bad. I still like my hair stylist even though she's clueless about care and she believes in heat protectants and such.

She's a great listener and she always understand the exact lenght that I want to be cut. I just don't talk about care with her. I prefer her to any hairdresser with a lot of knowledge who doesn't listen. (I've met those before too).

Heat protectants do help to a certain extent, because the silicones in them prevent the heat from concentrating in one spot. It's not a miracle, of course. But works somewhat. Same with the massages, oils, MN, "pulling hair" from being in a braid/bun etc, it won't make hair grow magically...like you all are saying "then my hair should be to my knees" or something, when not many years have passed and other things also contribute to the hair growth, or lack of it. It might add at least milimeter or two every month. But it might add none aswell, for some people, doesn't mean it's all flawed. We shouldn't jump to criticize people like that, when we don't know all about the science of hair either (talking in general, not just to the person I quoted).

[ratgirldjh]

Well it probably won't hurt it and maybe it is kind of like damp bunning? Keeps moisture in?

[annieangel149]

Pulling hair is a form of massage that increases blood flow, which increases growth. This theory is mostly used with ponytails and buns though.

hmmm interesting! I have been putting my hair up in ponytail at night for 3 weeks and i was sure that my hair growth had increased but i didn't mention it here because i thought you guys would think im nuts! lol! i never knew that liana! may need to do some research on the internet! lol! :cheer:

[Ashenputtel]

Heat protectants do help to a certain extent, because the silicones in them prevent the heat from concentrating in one spot. It's not a miracle, of course. But works somewhat. Same with the massages, oils, MN, "pulling hair" from being in a braid/bun etc, it won't make hair grow magically...like you all are saying "then my hair should be to my knees" or something, when not many years have passed and other things also contribute to the hair growth, or lack of it. It might add at least milimeter or two every month. But it might add none aswell, for some people, doesn't mean it's all flawed. We shouldn't jump to criticize people like that, when we don't know all about the science of hair either (talking in general, not just to the person I quoted).

Of course they do help. I meant that she told me that heat does not damage the hair if you use it, that hair dye was almost not damaging that only bleach was, etc. While that may be true with strong hair, it's not with mine. She was getting a lot of money out of me with the hair dyes.

I'm not criticizing her as a person, I'm just saying that I think she's very skilled but her advice on care is not good with me and with my friend.