The Truth About 10 Natural Hair Myths You Know All Too Well! (Part 2)
Earlier this week, we shared some Natural Hair Myths that you know all too well. Now that you’ve read part 1, we’re back with part 2.
Without further ado, here they are!
Natural Hair is Hard to Manage
Natural hair can seem hard to manage if you attempt to treat it like straight hair. If you use the same tools and expect the same results that you would on straightened hair, you’re going to be disappointed. However, once you learn to treat natural hair in a way that doesn’t try to change it or alter it, it can be as manageable as any other type of hair.
You’ll have to use different tools and methods of styling. Your fingers, a wide-tooth comb, natural boar bristle brushes, and natural oils are all good ways to treat black hair. If you’re used to dealing with straightened hair, learning new routines and techniques that work with your natural texture instead of against it will yield the best results.
Protective Styles are the Best Way to Help Your Hair Grow
This isn’t quite true either. Don’t get me wrong- protective styles can be a great way to give your hair a break from high-manipulation styling, and your hair will be able to grow without a lot of attention every day. But the solution isn’t to leave put your hair in braids and forget about it either. In fact, ignoring your hair for a long time while it’s in a protective style can lead to breakage and hair loss. This is why you should consistently be refreshing your hair with moisture, care, and restyling.
Natural Hair Does Not Look Professional
This myth should be debunked! Hair that grows out of your head can not be bad in any workplace. There is nothing that you have done to make your hair grow that way so how can it be regarded unprofessional? You could make very beautiful styles with your natural hair which would you look smart and tidy!
Natural Hair Does Not Suit Everyone
I find it very sad when I hear this kind of statement in the natural hair community. What makes one hair type better than another? How can the hair that grows out of your head not suit you? Is that even possible? You may not understand how to immediately deal with your hair but that is just a learning process.
Growing Natural Hair is for the Rich
This is one common myth I hear a lot. I remember advising a friend to stop applying relaxers on her hair and go all natural. Her response was that growing natural hair is for people with deep pockets. Wow! I was shocked. I mean I know some products for natural hair care are expensive but there are less expensive ones and there are a lot of DIY products one can use. Thus, growing natural hair isn’t for the rich. This myth definitely needs to be debunked!
Trimming Makes Natural Hair Grow
Even though trimming will improve the overall health of your hair by getting rid of split ends, it has nothing to do with the hair that grows out of your scalp. By trimming your hair, you are able to hold on to strands that don’t split, so you are able to see length because it’s not breaking and splitting. I had a friend who would hold on to her split, see-through ends in an attempt to grow her hair long. But she had to get a major haircut once a year to get rid of the splits, so each year she had to cut her hair shorter and shorter to make it healthy again. It was a never-ending cycle that could have been prevented.
There you have it! 10 common myths you’ve probably heard about natural hair that are false. I hope we start making more informed choices on our natural hair journey.
Article written by Ebeledike Neenma
