The Difference Between Brown Locks & Black Locks

Brown Locks vs Black Locks (Comparison)

The question asked a lot are: “Can raven haired women be classified as brunette?” Or “Is there such a thing as having black hair at all”? Though brown hair may be lumped in with the black hair, it is very different from black hair and other hair shades that may differ. Here I will list some myths people often mention followed by facts about brown and black hair.

Myth # 1

There is no such thing as true black hair pigment, but that black is just a manifestation of really dark brown hair.

Raven Haired Woman (European)

Fact # 1

As I have mentioned before on 10 facts about Brunettes, I explained that they are both brown and black eumelanin which are significantly different based on a pattern of polymer bonds. Brown is the lighter expression of Eumelanin. This manifests in all different shades. Brown eumelanin are what Europeans and non-Semitic Middle eastern people have in common. While black eumelanin is what most non-European people have in common.

Black is the commonly seen hair color in Asia and Africa due to the fact that the people in these regions tend to have lower levels of tyrosinase in their bodies. Black eumelanin secretion causes the hair to turn black, which indicates that the MC1R is in the active state.

Dark brown hair is very distinct from black hair.

I have so many friends that have dark dark deep luscious black hair. I have dark brown hair (not black), and as I compare it to my friends who have black hair, It's obvious my hair is brown and theirs is black. I'm still convinced there is black hair.

Myth # 2

Black hair exists, but the occurrence is very rare.

Myth #3

Brown hair is the most common hair in the world.

So let’s kill two myths with one stone.

Fact # 2

Brown hair is the most common hair color only in Western societies such as Central and Northern Europe, the US, even the Middle East. But brown hair only consists of 11% if the world’s population at large and around 6% of them are of European stock.

Brown locks when sunlight hits them.

Fact # 3

It may be very common place for brown hair shades to exist in Western countries, but not so much in non-Western countries, as black hair consists of 83% of the world’s population at large, which is mostly found in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries and even some parts of Europe. It is, however; very common place to spot non-western people as to having black hair.

In light of this, can raven hair be classified as a brown hair shade? I would say, no. It is very different from Brown hair because the genetics which make up black hair are vastly different from brown hair and manifest differently.

Another difference between brown and black hair is that brown hair is the most various in hair shades which comes in much lighter shades to dark brown. Some are mixed with blonde, black, or reddish highlights. Black hair only comes in just a few variations such as natural black, jet black, off black, pitch black and black-brown (which is a mix of brown and black Eumelanin). Still just as beautiful! But it is much different than brown hair. Black hair is it's own classification that is absent of any blondish or reddish tones.

When the sunlight hits brown hair it also reflects a different hue than black hair, which is another difference we can see with the naked eye.

Below showcases some of the various brown hair shades.

So is brown hair truly the most common hair color in the world, as many say? Here is a chart illustrating the commonality of each hair color. Red being the lowest, followed by blonde, brown and then black being the most common hair color worldwide!

In this, we also have to consider the percentage of people dying their hair. 91% is a pretty large number. So remember, being a brunette may not be as common as you think it is, especially after realizing that you are not the majority of the world's population after all, nor are you anything less than unique.

If you are proud of your brown locks, tell us about it! Join our new FB group, share your story and promote yourself. Have fun! And don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on style, health and beauty and how to thrive as a dark haired girl! Much love!

It's all about the brunette! 🙌 #classy #darkfeatures #nohate #lovebrowneyes #LoveBlueEyes #LoveGreenEyes #brunettes 👸🏻😍👌

Also read: Why it is good to be a fair skinned brown haired beauty