Hair and texture

[melannen]

I'm writing about a religious order where not caring for one's hair is a matter of devotion. For people with straight, fine hair (which happens to describe the founder of the Order) this means that if they wish, they are allowed to rinse it with water, comb it every few days, and have a very simple trim, every couple months or less; the ideal, imitating their founder, is for it to hang in lank, oily clumps around the face and shoulders.

Would it be reasonable and not-offensive for members of the order who have hair that is too coarse, kinky or curly for this to happen to generally wear shortish, freeform dreadlocks, as the equivalent? And if not, what should their hair be like?

(The story is set in a semi-cyberpunk future and modern cultural markers don't necessarily apply, except of course for how they do, because the author and [presumably]readers are part of a modern culture.

(Also, does anyone have links to any general guides to writing about people with different hair textures? I feel like I've read at least one, but I couldn't find it today.)

Comments

Re: Well...

[melannen]

Hmm, if very fine straight hair won't lock, what *does* it do if not combed or styled constantly? I have people up above saying that fine straight hair will start to lock almost immediately and I need to go coarser if I want every-couple-days combing to work...

Re: Well...

[elf]

Fine straight hair will mat, because it tries to fall *down* rather than *around* the other hairs. But it's also easy to keep straight by a very quick brushing--two minutes or less per day will do it. Sometimes every other day is enough. It can be less hair care than most people put into tying their shoes.

Re: Well...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>Hmm, if very fine straight hair won't lock, what *does* it do if not combed or styled constantly?<<

Depends on the type of hair:

* Very fine straight hair that is oily tends to stay straight, without tangling a great deal, hanging in greasy rattails as you've described.

* Very fine hair that is average and fluffy, or dry and frizzy, will tangle -- sometimes severely enough that the tangles can't be undone, if left long enough.

Dreadlocks differ from tangles in that they are felt. The scales of the hairs open and lock together. Look closely at the surface of the dreadlocks and you will see that they are almost smooth; the individual hairs will not move and have fused into a compact mass. Tangles are looser and fuzzier, and individual hairs will still move. This is why they can sometimes be picked loose with enough patience.

The coarser and kinkier hair is, the better it tends to lock. The finer and straighter it is, the less well it tends to lock, but it may still tangle. In between you've got hair that will form dreadlocks, but they'll be looser and fuzzier especially at the surface.

I've seen a variety, and I've done research on hair types for some of my own writing. But if you're getting divergent answers, there are two options for solidifying the data:

1) Empirical research. Find several people of different hair types who will let you take a close look at their dreadlocks. Unless you've got a bunch of close friends who wear their hair this way, it's likely to annoy people.

2) Consult a real expert. Talk with a hairdresser, or several, who have ethnic clients and have seen dreadlocks in different types of hair.

Be aware that these are tendencies, not absolutes, especially in populations with a lot of genetic mixing. Aim for the most common effects and you should be okay.