Curly-haired people need to sweat less to release heat and cool off, helping them retain water in hot temperatures. This might be why curls are way more common among people that live in notoriously hot countries such as Africa, the Middle East, South America, parts of South-East Asia and Mediterranean countries.
Curly hair is most common amongst people with African, Mediterranean and Native American ancestry. There's a specific gene that helps shape the hair shaft and determine hair texture, and it's called trichohyalin.
Studies have shown that the morphology of the hair follicle can be influenced by a person's race. Individuals of African ancestry, for example, are more likely to have curly hair due to the oval shape of their hair follicles.
Researchers suggest that the evolution of curly hair in early humans was a crucial adaptive trait in equatorial Africa, offering effective protection from the sun's heat and minimizing the need for sweating. This passive cooling mechanism likely allowed for brain growth by conserving water and reducing heat.
in places like sri lanka, the maldives, central india, and south india id even go as far to say that curly hair is as common there as it is in places like the mediterranean and ireland. One of my friends who is sri lankan even has type 4 hair (4A).
This might be why curls are way more common among people that live in notoriously hot countries such as Africa, the Middle East, South America, parts of South-East Asia and Mediterranean countries.
Type 1A: The rarest hair type, this one is very straight and fine with a “wispy” appearance. It's very difficult to get it to hold a curl. Type 1B: Though still straight, this type has a medium (rather than fine) texture and a little more volume.
A new study examining the role human hair textures play in regulating body temperature found that tightly curled hair provides the best protection from the sun's radiative heat while minimizing the need to sweat to stay cool.
Irish Curls are curls that are wavy or curly underneath but straight on top. This hair pattern is not only fascinating but also quite common among people with mixed hair textures, especially among those with Irish or Celtic roots.
Human hair comes with all sorts of colors, textures and shapes. Notably, African hair is more coiled and dry; Asian hair is straighter and thicker; and Caucasian hair is somewhere in between with around 45% having straight hair, 40% having wavy hair, and 15% having curly hair.
Asian hair is the thickest, with a larger diameter of about 70 µm. Caucasian hair has an average diameter of 65 µm, and African hair is the finest, with a diameter of 55 µm. The cross-section of Asian hair is the most round and uniform, Caucasian hair has an elliptical shape, and African hair has a flattened shape.
There is evidence that trichohyalin (TCHH) may affect hair curl in most/all world populations and that other genes such as EDAR and WNT10A only affect specific populations. Hair curl variation in native Africans is very likely a complex trait with multiple genes influencing curl.
Kinky hair, is a human hair texture prevalent in the indigenous populations of many regions with hot climates, mainly Sub-Saharan Africa, Melanesia and Australia.
Interestingly, natural blondes are increasingly rare, constituting only about 2% of the global population, according to the WHO. So why the comparative scarcity of towheads? The alleles for light hair are recessive genetic traits.
Many people of European and Asian descent have curly hair, and curl patterns vary greatly among people of African descent. As the combining of ethnicities becomes more common in an increasingly global world, these historical ways of describing hair may become increasingly less accurate.
The curly hair gene, known as TCHH, is prevalent in Irish populations. This gene affects the production of trichohyalin, a protein that influences hair structure.
For many individuals, especially those from multicultural backgrounds, curly hair is more than a style; it's a symbol of heritage, resilience, and identity. By embracing our natural textures, we honor our ancestors and celebrate cultural richness.
Men often find curly hair alluring for its unique texture and volume and how it frames a woman's face. Women may also find it attractive because it can be styled in a multitude of ways using a hair curler brush and other tools, from simple and natural looks to extravagant and glamorous styles.
The curls stop the natural flow of oil down to the tips of the strand, preventing your hair from getting the adequate lubrication it needs for protection. The moisture barrier breaks and is unable to retain any moisture, which causes your hair to turn frizzy.
“We suspect that the structure of human curls allows for a lot of air pockets between hair strands. In other words, you can have a lot of depth (from the scalp to the top of the hair) without having a lot of density, which would keep heat in as well as keep heat out,” says Dr Tina Lasisi, PhD, coauthor of the study.
A general observation across experiments was that straight hair was perceived as younger, healthier, and more attractive than wavy hair and darker shades (medium copper and brown) were perceived more positively than blonde hair.
The rarest eye colors are red and violet, which are primarily found in individuals with albinism. Excluding those affected by albinism, green and gray eyes are considered the most uncommon.
If the above applies to you, congratulations - you have 4C hair. Although this hair type is the weakest for breakage and dryness, the incredible volume allows for a range of hairstyles that will last for days, as well as holding protective hairstyles for months.