8 Myths about Black Natural Hair

1. Black should not be washed often.

I grew up believing that you do not need to wash black hair very often. However I have learned that when my hair is dry, it breaks easily. Water is the best moisturizer for natural hair which needs to be washed often to remove buildup of oils and dust. I wash my hair once a week when I am wearing a protective style and twice a week when I am wearing it out. I also do a protein treatment monthly to keep it strong and reduces breakage.

2. You should oil your scalp often.

I have learned that it is important to allow your scalp to breath. I have not oiled my scalp in years and have had a flake of dandruff. The scalp needs to be kept clean and allowed to breath. Regular scalp massages are also good for hair growth. Oil is great to seal in the moisture in your hair and should be applied to the ends of the hair after spraying water or a moisturizing spritz.

3. You need to trim your hair every six weeks.

The only reason to trim your hair is to style it or to remove damaged ends. If you keep your ends well moisturized, they will stay healthy and you will not have to keep trimming your length. If your hair is damaged then trim and work at preventing future damage by paying special attention to your ends when moisturizing and avoiding heat damage by using heat protectants. You only trim your ends when you notice damage on your hair.

4. Some people have good hair.

This is one of my worst pet peeves. Hair health depends on how well you take care of it. There has not been much research done on hair care products for natural black hair which is why most of us do not have a clue on how to make it look its best. Even very thick natural black hair can look just as beautiful as straight hair if you take care of it and change your perception of beauty. This is so important for black parents because this belief will probably be translated to your children and they will grow up believing there is something wrong with their hair. Once you learn how to take care of their hair and yours, the texture and styling options may surprise you. I do not think that people need to stop straightening their hair but I think we all need to seriously think about what we believe about own hair and what is beautiful.

5. Black hair does not grow.

I am determined to dispel this myth. If our hair does not grow, then we would not need a retouch every 6-8 weeks. Black hair grows but breaks off easily because most of what we do to our hair is drying. That is the reason why most women can get to shoulder length and them seem to get stuck there. If you use protective styling, keep your hair moisturized, drink water and eat a health diet, your  hair will grow unless you have an illness.

6. Natural hair is hard to manage.

The reason permed hair seems easier to manage is because there are so many products and salons that can style permed hair. The options are fewer for natural hair though it is getting better. The most important thing is to understand that you cannot take care of natural hair the same way you did your permed hair. There has to be a willingness to getting to know your hair and learn how to take care of it. Most of us just do not know our hair very well or give up too easily.

7. You cannot comb black natural hair.

You will not be able to get a comb through your natural hair the same way as you did your straight hair. The question to ask is, do you need to comb your hair as often as you did when wearing permed hair. The biggest thing to to learn when to comb your hair. All kinds of hairs tangles and you have to learn how to detangle and when and where to do it. I have found that wet hair is much easier to manipulate than dry hair. If I am wearing my hair in a style that needs combing (which I rarely do) I spray my hair with a spritz and then comb my hair. However I have learnt to wear low manipulation styles that I can easily finger style.

8. If I went natural, I would have to lock my hair.

There are beautiful lock styles out there but if you are like me and enjoy changing your hair style, then you may want more options. This YouTube video is a testament to just how many ways you can style your natural hair.

If you are thinking of trying a natural look, there are many resources out there to help you.  Start by buying a good moisturizer or make your own with water, oil, glycerin and honey, get a sulphate free shampoo and good leave-in conditioner. I will do a post next week on making the home-made moisturizer and reviews on other great products for our hair.