Hand in hair syndrome is a real thing in the natural hair community, and I’m in stage 2 of the signs and symptoms. No, it’s not really a syndrome that requires a diagnosis and pills- but its def a term that is floating around in the natural hair world, and according to many it’s detrimental to the health of your hair.
Yes, I do find myself twirling my hair around my fingers or even stretching it out from time to time when I’m stressed or contemplating. Guilty as charged. Sadly, I just can’t apologize for this. Sure, I may be sabotaging my own efforts, but I guess that’s a risk I’ll just have to take. How can I genuinely be in tune with the needs of my hair if I refuse to touch it, anyways? Listening to your hair means being in touch with the look and the feel, right? Okay, okay … I’ll work on my conscious contribution to this syndrome.
My concern, however, is simple- how do you deal when the hands in your hair are not your own? As J is becoming more aware of her hair and mine, she likes playing, pulling, twirling, and exploring in our curls.While I will never tell her not to touch my hair- only because I think it’s quite stank, and a little self absorbed- I do wish there was a way to prevent this from happening when my hair is wet. As a signature wash-and-go girl, I usually wet my hair every day. As a low porosity natural, my hair usually takes quite a few hours to completely dry. While its not ideal for me to use any method other than air drying, I’m racking my brain trying to figure out how to keep little hands out of my hair… at least until its dry. Not only because your hair at its most fragile state when its wet, but because the last thing I want her little fingers touching- then putting in her mouth- is mommy’s hair that is coated with leave in conditioner. No matter how delicious it smells.
Ahh, the hand-in-hair syndrome struggle is so real.
Suggestions?
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