What IS the difference between african american hair and caucasian hair? Why is it that way?

Question

I mean, I KNOW there is a difference, but whats the explanation on the difference of their hair?

Answer 1

1 - cross section.
2 - rate of growth.
read below:

1 -

when you look at a cross-section of hair, the shape of the cross section tells you a lot about what the hair will "do"....

african americans (and anyone with curly hair) have an oval cross-section, which means their hair has MORE surface area. what that means is, there is MORE surface to be damaged, and LESS safe hair on the inside. (people with straight hair have a round cross section, which minimizes surface area, and maximizes the protected interior of the hair.)

also... that oval cross section means that across the short side of the oval, the hair is thinner and more prone to breakage.

2 -

another thing about african-american hair.... genetically, it grows more slowly than caucasian hair. slow growth means more older, damaged hair, and less new, healthy hair to replace it.

i am a polymer chemist who has studied this stuff in yarns... the same principles apply to hair. it's really unfair, isn't it? take heart, black girls: i am white but have the frizziest, coarsest, most damaged hair of all time.

Answer 2

Caucasian hair has natural oil glands which makes their hair grow faster and longer than African American hair. African American hair doesn't have those natural oil glands which forces us to use grease. But with the proper hair care and proper product use or hair can be long like theirs. African American hair is also thicker than Caucasian hair. hopes this is a good explanation.

Answer 3

The textures are distinct .The African-American texture is of a rougher grade with a moderate wave in texture.It generally has a black man or woman on the percent.But some Caucasians have a wavier rougher texture additionally .Regularly it will say Yaki for black persons.

Answer 4

Black People With White Hair

Answer 5

Black people are born with sun heat genes which burns our skin black and makes our hair kinky. For example, if you take a straight strand of hair and add fire to it, it will begin to kink. That is what sun heat genes do to our hair which causes it to kink. We are from equatorial Africa ( very hot). So origin does come into play as well. Our ancestors were the African pygmies who also had kingly and queenly kinky hair like us black people have today. Because white people don't have sun heat genes and lack the ability to produce melanin, their hair is straight and does not have the powerful ability to kink like black people do. Another reason is that they evolved came from the tailless monkey ( who also has straight hair). So their ancestors had straight hair from the beginning as well. Scientifically people with straight hair have FUR (just like monkeys, cats, dogs, bears etc.) while the black race grows kinky HAIR by nature

Answer 6

The shape of the hair follicle. Black people have a curly shape. While white people tend to have a straighter hair follicle.

Answer 7

Caucasion hair is supposed to be stronger. African american hair is usually more dry and brittle and they need the oils from the products they use to help keep it strong. That;s what my best friend told me, she's african american.

Answer 8

probably because the climates were different originally, hair adapted and stays that way.