Both from the point of view that all you can really, truly do is to maximize the potential genetical maximum through proper care and handling. You can't out-nutrition or out-care your genetic blueprint.
...But also because it seems like so much of the textbook knowledge out there just seems so plain wrong.
Is it just me?
How often do you hear/read that the active growth phase (The anagen phase) is genetically predetermined and is only 2-6 years?
How often does that seem to be true?
I always wants to say "Well, yes, maybe for balding men, I guess" but I have seen enough balding men with ponytails to say that isn't true. Two years of hair growth is around shoulder length for most people, three years around armpit length. I'd say two years is wrong, but three might be an option if we speak of all people in general, since many with fine, fragile or very curly hair have trouble reaching more length. But two? Nah. Not buying it.
And then there is the maximum active growth phase, so often quoted to 6 years. That should be around tailbone or classic or so depending on your height. Of course when you grow your hair for so many years, you are pretty much guaranteed to trim a lot of the ends off. Actually, I would say it's pretty damn hard to grow nice-looking hair of that length if you don't trim on the regular!
Anyways. Maybe it's just me, but the numbers quoted of years for hair growth in the anagen phase always seemed off to me.
Back in 2019, Mr Igor and I did the 23andme tests, which is a story in itself. Here and the follow-up here.
It was really interesting from a hair genetics point of view too, because I didn't know there was so much depending on your genes when it came to hair. Now it almost feels like a "Well, duh?" kind of thing, but I guess I never really thought of it before.
Before that, I just knew of the basics: pheomelanin gives you red hair tones, and the amount of eumelanin regulates how dark your hair is.
I didn't know that photobleaching was a genetic factor. I always thought it was sort of a by-product of having lighter hair, especially when it seems to be so common among native Scandinavians. Everyone I know with lighter hair gets it lightened in the summer. I mean, most things, such as fabric and wood goes paler when exposed to sunlight too?
The loss of colour comes from a loss of protein and structure in the hair, so the paler colour is a sure sign of damage to the length. I'm only slightly obsessed with SPF in my haircare products. After all, skin can to some degree repair itself after sun damage. Hair can't.
But supposedly a massive 48 genes plays a role in whether your hair loses colour from sunlight or not.
Maybe it's just me, but I find the sheer numbers of genes involves in something so simple to be fascinating. I remember us using hair colour (As well as eye colour) as simple examples for Mendel's second law in primary school biology, and now as an adult I look at this genetic mess that determines my hair colour and learn that it isn't that simple!
I would really like to know more about how this works though. It seems for most people, their hair pick a narrow range of colours to grow, but for me, I can find individual hairs ranging from light blond to dark brown.
(And no, I know mr Igor isn't cheating and I'm finding someone else's hairs all over our place. I would be very impressed if he managed to find a side piece who also grows 1½ meter long hair. As far as I know, that's not mr Igor's thing)
I don't care what they say though. I think red hair is amazing. Maybe it's the rarety of red hair I like. Both for the mostly-Celtic genetic variant and the Melanesian genetic variant. I just think the colour is really pretty!
The red colour comes from pheomelanin, but you also need to have lower levels of eumelanin for the pheomelanin to really show through the dark colour.
It's funny: The widows peak is another one of those traits I remember from biology class. Along with little tidbits like that how you fold your hands is genetically predetermined (And folding them opposite feels really crazy wrong) and folding left thumb over is the dominant gene. But maybe that's wrong too. I mean, it's been over two decades since I sat in a biology class, so I actually kind of hope my knowledge is outdated?
I also remember that male pattern baldness was tied to the X-chromosome, so since men only have one, it explains why men usually either go bald fast or not at all. They simply don't have a "backup" to soften the effect, like women do. The knowledge seems to still hold true today. But since 23andme didn't bring it up for Mr Igor, I guess that it isn't that simple? Or maybe they don't want to get sued.
The widows peak also have a bunch of genes involved. More than you would think. Okay, less than for some of the other traits, but still.
Now, one hair related trait I was slightly disappointed in not seeing any info on was hair growth. It would have been fun to see what my maximum genetic capacity is, but maybe such info does exist?
After all, everyone always assume my hair grows a lot faster than it does, but I only get 1,5 cm each month and 2-3 months in the middle of the summer with 2 cm.
It's a nice and very average growth rate, but really not impressive in any way.
It would have been fun to know if I'm even close to maximizing my potential growth rate, or, dunno, I need to eat more proteins?
I assume people think your hair grows fast because it's so long, but of course it's because you take good care and had the patience to get there in the first place (10 years?) and maintain (10 more?). Many want to believe in "instant pudding" but very few have that magic set of genes. It would be interesting to examine the hair genes of some of those who are able to grow far beyond floor length, mostly Asians I believe.
ReplyDeletepeople confuse terminal length with taper. hair usually tapers at collarbone length, some people of course discover that their hair tapers at chin length and some hair types begin to have a slight taper at tbl or knee length. genetics, really. and hair care. anyway, my hair tapers at cbl. I know it because if I braid my hair it's what I see. it tapers at cbl. people think taper is not nice, they think it's damage/breakage. also, at cbl hair tends to change it's "curl"(?) pattern. I mean it really shows if your hair type is 1b or 1c or 1a. more confusing is the in between pattern: 1a/1b, 1b/1c, 1c/2a. people don't even understand fia's hair typing system. they believe that damaged or frizzy or blonde, fine, curly=coarse, etc are in fact hair types.
ReplyDeleteRE: Terminal length--Definitely agree about the apparent skew. I've hear a lot about "my hair won't grow very long, and then people say "well, it's all genetics. Most people don't have the genes." Now that my hair's at knee, I hear that a lot more often. (And I tend to think: Yes, my hair is long, but if I didn't wear it up daily, my hair'd be at waist, max, because of breakage, and then I'd cut it. AKA the same practices of just about everyone I know IRL who wants long hair. Also the elephant in the room: I didn't cut it for six years apart from small self-trims).
ReplyDeleteTo the extent that genetics is a factor, I agree to a point; I don't think having terminal time long enough to grow knee length hair is ubiquitous, but I'd bet it's a lot more common than people think. I don't know many people whose desire for hair length is stronger enough to prioritize it over other factors (frequent color changes, frequent heat styling, desire for blunt ends and no taper, desire to wear hair loose on a daily basis, etc). Most people get tripped up in the length retention stage, not the genetic terminal stage.
Common hair practices and beliefs just aren't super conducive to long hair. I'd be willing to bet that most white people I know could grow their hair to at least waist or hip length if they implemented certain practices like wearing hair up, limiting dye &/or heat styling, and gentle detangling. Honestly, I'd even bet classic(or classic stretched) is within reach for most with an appropriate haircare regime--the main thing is that a lot of people would have a level of taper they wouldn't like.
Also, echoing the comment above me, a lot of people see taper and automatically think it's from damage without realizing that it's a natural consequence of different growing times for each hair. As such, all tapered hair is seen as damaged. I used to think if I got a wish from a genie, I'd ask for my hair to literally all be one length with no "flyaways" --which sounds nice until the day the telogen phase hits and all my hair falls out at once!
In other words, I think most people mistake practical terminal length for actual terminal length, and don't realize you can do a lot to lengthen the practical terminal length. I agree that it's weird that the time length of the anagen phase is so short even in scientific things.
(There are definitely people with shorter terminal lengths, especially when you're dealing with baby fine, i hair--the technical terminal length and practical terminal can also be a lot further apart when hair is naturally fragile).
So much yes to your thoughts about hair growing phases and terminal lengths. So many people claim that their hair simply doesn't grow longer, but when you ask them what they're doing it reads like the handbook of what you shouldn't do to your hair if you want it longer. I'm very sure that most people can grow successfully to at least waist. Of course, it also depends on the height of the person. Your hair on me would mean floor length since I'm so very short, but on a really tall person, while still an impressive length, it look more around classic length.
ReplyDeleteFor that reason alone people using personal length marker as a definition of terminal length never made much sense to me.
I loved your original entry about the genetic testing and I love this one too. I wish I could get a 23&Me test, but they aren't allowed in Germany. I also have a ton of different hair colors and I'm really curious what the test would show. I have some red tones in there, but I've light blonde hairs to darker brown hairs that result in an overall medium brownish tone with a lot of golden and reddish highlights.
And: forever curious if the 23&Me would detect that I'm lacking ALDH2 enzymes, meaning that I get a lovely alcohol flush reaction. They claim they can detect it.....