Resist the urge to twirl your hair now and prevent frizz or even bald spots later on.
Constantly putting your hands in your hair, also know as “hand in hair syndrome,” is something with which many naturals are familiar. Hair twirling, pulling, and twisting may all seem like normal things, but did you know those things could actually make your hair fall out if you do them too much? Resist the urge to twirl your hair now and prevent frizz or even bald spots later on.
Why Your Hands are in Your Hair
Hand in hair syndrome (HIHS) seems to be a big problem among naturals. V.key2010, a regular poster on the CurlyNikki forums, says she has her hands in her hair so much, she doesn’t notice it anymore.
“Even when I have twists, or even a twist-out, I’ll play with my hair throughout the day.” she says. ”Sometimes I don’t even notice!”
Other CurlyNikki users have shared that having their hands in their hair has caused breakage as well as oily spots on keyboards and papers.
Still, the question remains: why would someone want to keep her hands in her hair all day? Not surprisingly, many of the worst offenders are those who have done a big chop. For some, it’s as if they need to be sure that at least some hair is still there after chopping most of it off (this applies to those who big chop and have about two inches of hair left). They may also feel the need to monitor hair growth and make sure its coming in at a decent speed. Others are just so fascinated with the growth and new curls, they can’t resist the urge to run their fingers through them!
Hand in hair syndrome is also a problem among women who are transitioning to natural hair. Transitioning is often a long process lasting anywhere from several months to several years. During that time, naturals want to feel how their hair is changing with their newly-developed hair care routines that no longer damage the hair.
Why It’s So Bad
Besides encouraging frizz, pulling, twisting, and twirling hair constantly can actually lead to or be symptomatic of a condition known as trichotillomania, an anxious disorder that presents itself as incessant hair pulling. This condition can also be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
How You Can Stop
Fortunately, if you have hand in hair syndrome, there is hope for you!
- Wear a wig: Some with HIHS have found the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” to be true. By covering their hair, they are less tempted to tug and twist it.
- Flat twists: Putting your hair in flat twists will bind the hair to your scalp similar to tight braids. If you have your hair in flat twists, you can’t run your fingers through it.
- French braids: If you’re not keen on having several twists in your hair, try having your hair done in a French braid. You won’t be able to run your fingers through your hair, yet it will still be easy for you to take out and wash if you need to wash it every couple of days.
Want More?
Other people tend to have their hands in our hair, too. Get the why behind natural hair fascination!
Final Thoughts
Do you have hands in hair syndrome, or have you overcome it? Why are you touching it all the time, or how did you stop? I see a New Year’s resolution in the making!
This entry was posted on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Care Methods. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a comment. Pinging is currently not allowed.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
OMG yes, I have it and I have it BAD! lol I actually just did a post on this. I don’t know why, but I love to play with my hair. I have tried to keep it in buns more just to try to break the habit. I know it’s bad and I’m trying my best to stop.
http://cutekinks.blogspot.com
January 21st, 2012 at 3:30 am
Ha ha, I’m guilty as charged! I’m constantly fiddling with my hair and I should really make a new year resolution to stop it. This article has made me realise just how much I do it, lol!
February 6th, 2012 at 5:39 am
I fiddle with my hair a lot so, like I basically have a scarf over my hair if I’m just staying at home or going to the grocery store. If I’m out and about, I just flat braid my hair or two-strand twist it or some times African thread it, but when I have like two-strand twists or African threadings, I tend to like touching it, adjusting it and so on. So, I just like hold my hair up in like a bun kinda thing so it doesn’t touch my shirt collar or neck then I try so hard to not touch it. I did this week-with-no-touching thing: I braided the ends of my hair together round my whole head, moisturised, got some oils in then I tied a scarf like a turban over my hair and had it like that for a whole week! I might try it again when next I leave my hair out for a whole week or more.
September 18th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
I have HHS but rally just because I love to touch it
January 8th, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Totally, I’ve been like this since childhood. I wear wigs and still can’t keep my hands out of my hair. I’ll pull a section of my hair out of my wig and begin to curl it around my finger, twist it, rub my finger up and down the shaft of my hair…its absolutely flipping insane. I keep telling myself…”ok tomorrow I won’t touch you”…I seriously don’t even know when I’m doing it, it has become second nature (KMT)….
April 2nd, 2013 at 7:05 pm
I have HIHS and I am sure I have it because the curls and ringlets feel so nice to touch.