I have always wondered if I have curly hair because of my mother. I love my curls and I thank her for blessing me with those curly genes.
Have you ever wondered the reason behind your curly hair or why does it run in your family? Well there are various reasons to explain that.
But first you need to understand that curly hair can be found in many cultures around the world, and there is no one culture that exclusively has curly hair. People of all ethnicities and races can have curly hair, and the texture and curl pattern can vary greatly even within the same cultural group.
I have seen curly hair in people from Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Indigenous communities, among others. So you cannot associate curls with one specific culture.
It’s important to remember that our hair texture and curl pattern are largely determined by our genetics and can be influenced by a variety of factors such as climate, diet, and hair care practices.
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Did humans originally have curly hair?
It’s difficult to say with certainty what type of hair early humans or so to say, our ancestors had because hair does not fossilize well. So there is no legit proof.
However, based on what we know from studying the DNA of our closest primate relatives and from observing modern human populations, it’s likely that early humans had hair that was relatively similar in texture and curl pattern to the hair of modern humans.
Most primates have straight or wavy hair, with the exception of some species of monkeys and apes that have curly hair. Our closest primate relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, have coarse, curly hair. Based on this, some scientists speculate that early humans may have also had curly hair.
However, it’s important to note that hair texture and curl pattern are complex traits that are influenced by a variety of genetic and environmental factors.
It’s possible that the hair of our ancestors varied depending on their geographic location, climate, and other factors.
What determines if your hair is curly or straight?
Do you ever wish you had curly or straight hair if you had otherwise? I did.
My curls were difficult to manage and so I wanted to have an easy way out.
But did you know deep below your skin, the hair follicle is a complex, multicellular compartment. Curly hair comes from curved follicles, whereas straight hair follicles create straight hair strands.
Yet, why do some hair follicles have curves, and how do curls develop in hair?
While embryonic development is assumed to dictate the structure of each hair follicle, experts are unsure of how this process works. Hair follicles with curves are “S-shaped,” or have two bends.
Although the hair follicle naturally goes through structural changes every few years, this shape is established for life.
Each hair develops for roughly three to five years before resting for many months and then falling out.
The hair follicle undergoes structural change and effectively shrinks inside the skin during this resting phase. The follicle reshapes itself to begin a fresh cycle of hair development.
Straight follicles usually regrow straight. However it is still unknown what controls this amazing restoration of curves in the follicle.
Is it true that curly hair is governed by genes?
Our genes are known to influence the structure of our hair. The major gene responsible for the development of the protein trichohyalinTrusted Source (TCHH), which fortifies the developing hair, has so far been discovered.
The gene(s) that make your hair curly may not always come from a single source). Together with your ethnicity, your hair type is determined by how the DNA of your parents combines.
I have come across various studies that claim genes determine a person’s hair type and can vary depending on their ancestry.
It’s interesting to note that some of these are thought to be under epigenetic control, meaning that your environment or even your parents may have an impact on how they are expressed.
Why is kinky, curly hair common among African people?
It is true that your culture will not determine if you will have straight or curly hair. However, your genes and the area you reside in plays an important role when it comes to your hair type.
While it is true that curly hair can be dominantly seen in people from Africa. And many scientists think that the reason why black people’s hair is curly and kinky is because it evolved that way to shield the hair from the sun’s UV rays.
Afro hair is thought to have evolved genetically to shield the scalp of the earliest modern humans in Africa. The density of the hair and its elastic helix structure create an airy effect that cools the scalp. In countries with hot climates, keeping the scalp cool aids in controlling body temperature.
Black people’s scalps have more sebum, a natural moisturising oil, which affects the texture of the scalp. And it is this sebum that gives Afro hair its curly texture. African hair is typically drier than most other hair types because the sebum finds it difficult to penetrate the hair shaft.
And I think that is why black hair evolved to be kinky and curly due to all of these genetic and environmental causes.
Characteristics of curly hair
While your culture may not be at play here but black hair is no exception to the rule that ancestry frequently influences hair types.
The curl pattern of their African ancestors, who spent a lot of time in the sun, is where black hair gets its texture. Certain hair kinds are more prevalent than others in a family lineage, just like with any genetic feature.
These genetic factors also contribute to the high prevalence of curly, kinky hair in several African tribes. Due to genetic makeup variances, it could be challenging for people of other races to achieve these identical appearances.
1. Increased keratin content
Black people have larger follicles than people of other races, which causes them to create more melanin and have darker skin. Africans also get thickly oil-filled, tightly curled hairlines as a result of this.
Due to the higher concentration of keratin in the skin blacks, they can absorb more sunlight and create more melanin.
African Americans have more resilient hair and scalps as a result, which contributes to their curly, kinky hair. Similarly, because Afro hair has a higher keratin content and is curlier and kinkier, black hair strands can grow up to six times faster.
2. They have naturally tighter curl pattern
Because heat and sweat drive the curls to become tighter, afro hair has a thicker, tighter curl pattern that acts as a barrier to keep moisture in. The smaller diameter of these curls often results in less frizziness since their strands are glued together more firmly.
Black hair naturally has thicker cuticles than Asian or Caucasian hair because its cuticle layers are flatter and thinner.
To sum up, your biological mother and father both contribute to the development of your curly hair. Your hair’s appearance is not governed by a single gene.
While the texture of your hair may change throughout the course of your life, this does not indicate that your DNA has altered.
Over the course of your lifetime, your hair fibre may appear more or less curly depending on factors like hormones, nutrition, and environment.
Due to the evolution of skin pigmentation and evolutionary adaptability among persons of African heritage, black people have curly, kinky hair. Due to their proximity to the equator, Black Americans’ ancestors were more exposed to UV rays and sunshine.
This caused them to produce more melanin, which is what gives humans their dark skin colour and their curlier/kinkier hair textures.
