I've asked black guys why they don't swim. The answer is simple. Their hair. Unlike other human phenotypes, black individuals tend to create far less oil on the scalp, which results in dry, brittle hair. So much so that there is an industry built around marketing scalp oils to them (re: https://blacknaps.org/best-oil-for-black-hair/). This low oil generation is also a big part of why du-rags are popular among black men.
As anyone who swims regularly knows, chlorinated water is extremely damaging to hair. Since white people typically generate more oil than their hair needs to protect itself, this is usually not a huge problem -- but in black people, it can cause issues with both hair and scalp. (re: https://bglh-marketplace.com/2011/12/hard-water-and-hair-breakage/)
It's just a part of the glorious contradictions that are human phenotypes. It's not surprising that Mediterranean peoples generate more oil on their skin than others, as the area is riddled with populated islands and produces an oil-rich food culture. Ethnic groups with one or the other (re: proximity to large bodies of water -or- oil-rich food culture) tend to be somewhere in the middle, while those with neither tend to suffer dry skin and hair.
For example, as someone of English/Irish descent, I do generate what I think is a lot of oil on my scalp, but definitely not as much as you, as I can usually go 2-4 days between hair washings without any itch or discomfort. When I do wash my hair, if I remove too much of the oil, it gets unreasonably feathery (think koosh ball poofy), which is its own brand of uncomfortable. As such, I try to use pretty gentle shampoos when the option is available, and when it isn't, I just stagger out hair-washings to every other day or every three days, and stick to washing the rest of the body on between days.
The sad part is, this is easily observable stuff, and people are so busy caught up in trying to create a 'normal' expectation for all people that they discard the fact that our ancestry has evolutionary biology of its own and shouldn't be ignored.
I've asked black guys why they don't swim. The answer is simple. Their hair. Unlike other human phenotypes, black individuals tend to create far less oil on the scalp, which results in dry, brittle hair. So much so that there is an industry built around marketing scalp oils to them (re: https://blacknaps.org/best-oil-for-black-hair/). This low oil generation is also a big part of why du-rags are popular among black men.
As anyone who swims regularly knows, chlorinated water is extremely damaging to hair. Since white people typically generate more oil than their hair needs to protect itself, this is usually not a huge problem -- but in black people, it can cause issues with both hair and scalp. (re: https://bglh-marketplace.com/2011/12/hard-water-and-hair-breakage/)
Seriously, this is not that complicated.
I'm fully convinced the whole "you don't need to wash your hair everyday propaganda" is to make black people feel better.
Nigga, I'm italian, I need to wash my greasy hair daily.
It's just a part of the glorious contradictions that are human phenotypes. It's not surprising that Mediterranean peoples generate more oil on their skin than others, as the area is riddled with populated islands and produces an oil-rich food culture. Ethnic groups with one or the other (re: proximity to large bodies of water -or- oil-rich food culture) tend to be somewhere in the middle, while those with neither tend to suffer dry skin and hair.
For example, as someone of English/Irish descent, I do generate what I think is a lot of oil on my scalp, but definitely not as much as you, as I can usually go 2-4 days between hair washings without any itch or discomfort. When I do wash my hair, if I remove too much of the oil, it gets unreasonably feathery (think koosh ball poofy), which is its own brand of uncomfortable. As such, I try to use pretty gentle shampoos when the option is available, and when it isn't, I just stagger out hair-washings to every other day or every three days, and stick to washing the rest of the body on between days.
The sad part is, this is easily observable stuff, and people are so busy caught up in trying to create a 'normal' expectation for all people that they discard the fact that our ancestry has evolutionary biology of its own and shouldn't be ignored.
One day without washing and my hair oil acts like hair spray. It gets slick and my hair cannot be brushed.
What about merkins?
This. Plus, pool's closed.