Hair Composition

When you consider the structure of African hair as compared to other, straight hair types, you may wonder why or how our hair developed into a kinky, coily pattern.  Currently the prevailing theory is one that has to deal with Adaptation.

Adaptation is a term that describes how African hair has developed over time. Anthropologists believe that due to the high temperatures found throughout the continent of Africa, African hair has adapted to protect the scalp from the harmful rays of the sun. As a result, our hair appears kinky and usually forms tight masses of coarse hair.  Whether or not this theory is true...hmm...your guess is as good as mine.

Some say that African hair is fragile.  In reality, it just has to be cared for differently.  See, every twist in African hair represents a breaking point. Thus, individuals with curlier hair usually suffer because their hairs' shorter, more elliptical pattern is more susceptible to tangling, knotting and breakage relative to other hair types.

If you're the type who aggressively styles, combs, brushes or manipulates your hair, then you may unknowingly be putting stress on the various points of curvature.  Think of it this way, with straight hair you can move a comb through in one smooth motion because there aren't any bumps/curls to disrupt the action.

With kinky hair, each curl/kink is like a speed bump.  Comb too quickly and you can literally hear your hair breaking and ripping.  Comb slowly and you'll eventually meet an impasse.  This is why when you comb natural black hair, it's a good idea to gradually work your way to the ends by inserting and reinserting the comb rather than attempting to comb in one motion.

Despite this adaptation, African hair is almost chemically identical to other hair types. What makes African hair different from Caucasoid or Asian hair is the bonding and wave pattern. Bonding refers to the structure of our hair and as above stated, the tighter the bond, the curlier and more fragile the hair.

The primary bonds found in our hair are hydrogen and polypeptides.  Hydrogen breaks down in the presence of water and then reforms in its absence.  This is what accounts for our hair flexibility.  This is why your hair stretches in humid environments or when wet.

Polypeptides found in Keratin which comprises roughly 88% of hair accounts for our hairs strength.  These bonds are more difficult to break and require the addition of a strong base (remember acids and bases from chemistry?) to be destroyed.  What is a strong base?  A relaxer.  When you relax your hair, you destroy polypeptide bonds.  Thing is, once these bonds are destroyed, unlike hydrogen, they can never be repaired...they are forever altered.  This is why in order to return your hair to its natural state, you gotta cut off the relaxed ends.