What makes an African person's hair to be curly, a Japanese person's hair to be slick and straight, and why does my hair always looks like a bird nest, blown out of a tree due to heavy storm?

Brainy Blonde

The answer is genes. The following definition is from an on-line dictionary. A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes. So jeth, if you don't like your hair, blame your parents! You could also use a hair relaxant, which is the opposite of a perm. Some people with curly hair refer to it as a perm. In any case it does the job and gets rid of that nasty 'two sparrow's nests in a hurricane' look! Jun 29 01, 2:29 PM

l3i7l

While it is genetics that determine the big picture of what you look like, the hair follicle shape (from your genetics) determines what type of hair you have. A round follicle creates straight hair. An oval follicle makes wavy hair and a curly shaft of hair comes from a flat follicle. My own blonde hair, punctuated with several 'cowlicks', is courtesy of my genetics. These same cowlicks are even noticeable in photos of my great-grandmother, following the female lineage. Even my son has them, poor kid. The slight wave to my hair is from my father, who has brown hair. You get what you get. Find a hair stylist you can work with, to discover a style that looks good on you. It may take a few attempts, but it is worth it. After all, whether you look like Michael Jordan, Carrot-top, or somewhere in between, your hair is like your own personal trademark. Jun 30 01, 5:46 PM