Do people ever pet your hair?

[BeeMused]

Max. possible hair length is genetically determined. Some people can grow really long hair, others can't no matter how hard they try.

Perhaps suckyness is genetical too?

[Gizmo]

Here's a cool variation of a french braid for you, T-Goddess: braid up from the nape of the neck, finish the french-braiding at the crown of the head. Continue braiding till the end of the hair, then finish it off in whichever way appeals to you. A bun, or a twist, or a crown or whatever.

(Note: yes, that's advanced braiding.)

Before I cut my hair to a long pixie cut I used to do this at night. Of course it didn't have to look neat or stay up long - just keep the knot of hair out of the way of my neck so I could sleep without getting a crick.

[Salesmonkey]

I am a total hair-petting lapdog. As soon as somebody starts petting with or playing with my hair, I just go limp and relax. I must put out "pet me"vibes, because it happens fairly regularly.

What's interesting is that this is not length related. When I was in college, I had long hair. When girls wanted to pet it, or even braid it, that was OK with me!

But when "real life" came, I got a haircut, and the hair has kept shortening til now it's basically just a buzz cut - but I still get petted. Not complaining.

[XCashier]

I cannot be the only person this happens to.

At the CS desk today, I was helping a 40ish old lady with a return and she had her arm in a sling. She mentioned that she had just taken some pain meds and then went on about how pretty my hair was and then just reached out and petted me a couple of times. She must have been higher than a kite

Happened to me recently, too. I have waist-length (dyed) brown hair that I usually wear in a long braid at work. I get lots of compliments on it.

A few days ago, as I was ringing up two women, one of them commented on how pretty my hair was...and then reached out and started petting my braid!

ME:

Yeah, not comfortable at all with that. I like my space bubble, tyvm.

Basically she wouldn't believe that someone could possibly have hair as long as mine, as it doesn't grow that long, and I must have bought it somewhere, and since I wouldn't tell her where I bought it she was going to take it off me and ask at the nearby hairdressers where she could get a hairpiece just like that. ...I then grabbed my mother as she tried to attack the SB and walked her away, as the crowd berated the SB, who still refused to believe that hair could naturally grow that long. I know I should have contacted security, but by then I had a huge headache and just wanted to go home.

That should never have happened to you. I'm glad your mother was there to help you and the crowd got on SB's case too. That was so beyond rude of SB, she should've been arrested for assault and battery.

Hair can grow to extraordinary lengths. Country singer Crystal Gayle had floor-length hair. Do a Google search on "longest hair" and you can find some amazing pictures. And that's their real hair, no extensions.

[taurinejunkie]

Not in my line of work, no, since no customers are physically present. However I have recently met (outside of work, duh) a woman who loves to pet my hair and since I love it when she does, it's all good

[telecom_goddess]

Not in my line of work, no, since no customers are physically present. However I have recently met (outside of work, duh) a woman who loves to pet my hair and since I love it when she does, it's all good

I can just imagine I have someone who pets me occasionally and I'm loving it.

[Blue Ginger]

The SB just looked and said "it feels so natural. Where did you buy it?"

I completely sympathise. I had this happen to me too. I was on a date in a pretty fancy place at the time.

Stupid woman wouldn't believe that 'yes my hair is naturally strawberry blonde and naturally dead straight'. She made a huge song and dance about me giving her my hair dressers details. Her dinner mates had to take her back to her table.

The second time she started up, the staff moved us to a different table, on the other side of the room. They got a pretty big tip that night.

There was no way in hell I was going to give her my hairdressers details. She is my sis' best friend. They both would have killed her and me.

[Solacelawlz]

Good gawd yes yes and YES!! I'm black or I like to say "brown" but I've lost count of how many caucasians have asked "zomg can I touch your hair?" or will just rub me especially if I grow a fro or have braids. Then they'll say something like "zomg I looooove your hair it feels so cool!". I even had this one chick in college say she wanted to marry me just for my hair. All I could say was um...

I usually don't mind but it'd get extra weird if randoms were to constantly grab at me. Too many randoms just grabbin at my damn hair would be bad and make me get "the glow" and Bruce Lee'Roy them off a cliff or something!

[Kitten in the box]

Oh Ozcatbug I'm sorry that happened to you. I smacked a woman for grabbing my hair last week. It is short but she just grabbed the back to feel if it was real. I jerked away and she pulled back stating she wanted to see if it was real. I told her 3x if she did not let go I'd hit her. Well, I ended up smacking her. (not with a closed fist I just smacked her arm) well this lady threw the biggest bitch fit and stormed off pissed. People started applauding.

[Food Lady]

What is wrong with people?!?!? I have never in my life grabbed the hair of a stranger. You can get hurt that way. You touch the back of my friend's head in any way and she will react immediately and probably violently. Just don't do it.
Now, I have to say that despite the compliments, no one (that I don't know personally) ever actually touches my hair. I probably wouldn't mind at all if someone gently tugged a curl in a conversation about it. People don't, though, because they're polite.

[XCashier]

I had another one today!

I was helping two women pick out thread from our (very limited) stock. One was standing behind me and asked, "Is it real?"

I said, "Is what reaAAAGGHH!" because she reached out and yanked my braid! She immediately apologized, but still,

[Pagan]

nothing to do with color, ginger is hot, or fiery, and red hair was associated with being a hothead or having a fiery temper.

What do mean was? It still is! Men in particular tend to be scared of us redheads.

My hair was strawberry blonde when I was little, but it's darkened over the years. Now I've got these flaming copper streaks coming out.

[RootedPhoenix]

I still can't believe people really tug on a stranger's hair! How very mean. Also, owwww.

[Teskeria]

I'm black or I like to say "brown"

Lol when my oldest was about 2 - 2 1/2, (early 80's) we were walking down the street and there was a lady (I think she was wearing an unusual dress). my daughter was staring at her and the lady asked in a nastyish way "What's the matter? haven't you ever seen a black lady before" in the most indignent tone my daughter replied 'You are NOT black. I KNOW my colors. you are BROWN.' The lady just looked at her a moment, then suddenly relaxed and told her she was right and she did know her colors.

[Moirae]

I cannot be the only person this happens to.

At the CS desk today, I was helping a 40ish old lady with a return and she had her arm in a sling. She mentioned that she had just taken some pain meds and then went on about how pretty my hair was and then just reached out and petted me a couple of times. She must have been higher than a kite

Usually it's just little old ladies who like to pet my hair.

I've never had a customer do that, but I have had coworkers do that often in the past if my hair is long.

At the moment it is really long (like the middle of my back) and its naturally very thick. People like to touch it for some reason. Though its a very very personal thing to touch a persons hair (and crosses some boundaries if you ask me), its hard to say no because I love to have my hair stroked.

When I was a kid, my sister and I used to take turns sitting on the couch in the living room brushing each others hair for hours, and my husband often strokes my hair if I'm sitting next to him.

So trust me, it isn't the first time. Heck, at my last job, the owner walked up behind me once and did that. Good thing she's a very old woman, and was at least usually nice to me. If it had been her daughter, I'd have probably turned around and punched her in the face.