7 Myths About Natural Black Hair

7 Myths About Black Women & Their Natural Black Hair.

There a few things that are easily said or thought of regarding black women and their natural black hair. I am here to detest 7 of them. So here we go....

1. Natural hair is "hard to manage".

This is not true. The problem is that we weren't raised to care for our natural hair and detangling and combing our natural hair with 'ease' was only a dream. This is because we didn't know exactly how to care for natural black hair. I am sure most of us remember sitting and breaking one comb after another as our Moms or sister(s) try to comb our natural hair. We had never heard of a natural hair regimen.

------------Natural hair is not hard to manage.--------------------

The key is to not comb dry hair without added moisture. I personally stay away from combs if my hair is not wet. However you can comb dry hair by adding a really good water based moisturizer and/or a spritz mist (I use aloe Vera juice, honey and coconut oil in a spray bottle).

Treat your hair like 'lace'. Literally! If you just bought an expensive piece of lace, would you pull and tug at it? I think not. Comb your hair from the ends up to the root. Start with your fingers if your hair is really tangled then use a comb afterwords.  With your fingers you can feel the knots and unravel them vs using a comb. If you feel pain while you are detangling then STOP. Go slow or cowash your hair and detangle with wet hair full of conditioner. This will make your life easier. Also try to put your hair in big braids to avoid a tangled mess while you sleep.


2. Black hair is "Bad Hair".

A friend of mine once told me that she doesn't want a black husband because she wants kids with 'good hair'. While everyone is subject to their own opinion, her statement made me uncomfortable. We hear this way too often: 'oh she got good hair'. This is a saying that makes me sick. There is no such thing as bad hair. It is said that people who have 'good hair' are those who have loser hair texture that is not kinky and closer to being straight.

This is Good Hair!

Now, let's look back to where this way of thinking and categorization could come from: SLAVERY. If a slave had the type of hair closer to that of their masters and lighter skin, then they were favored and most likely be house slaves rather than field slaves. While slavery is over and done with, the mentality is still in our minds. Do you think before there was slaves, black women saw their hair or skin as inferior? No. That is a lesson learned during slavery. I don't believe God created any of us with a bad element.

I am here to tell you that Natural Black Hair is good, beautiful and we should appreciate ourselves as we are.

3.Black men prefer straight hair over natural.

I am not sure how to tackle this myth without scratching my head. Aren't these black men also natural? Don't they have natural hair growing from their scalp too? I never understand this statement and maybe someone should explain it to me.

I do understand that history has shown women not wearing their natural hair unless they are old ladies. So, maybe how men feel derives from what they grew up seeing. However, I think if a man loves you, he will love all of you (nappy head and all). If he cannot accept you for who you are then NEXT. I am blessed to have found a man that could care less what kind of hair is on my head. And he actually prefers me natural versus the pictures he has seen of me with permed hair and weaves. So all is not lost ladies. Love yourself and someone will love you too.

4.Black women can't wash their hair more than once a week or it will dry out.

OK, I am here to say this is false. Before I thought of going natural I did not know black women could wash their hair in the shower and run through the door like other races. I thought the more you wash your hair the more dry your hair will become because your washing away the natural oils we naturally produce. 

However this couldn't be more wrong. If you wash with sulfate shampoos then yes. If you shampoo a lot then yes. But if you cowash (using conditioner to wash your hair) then washing more often is beneficial because you are adding moisture to your hair. You would hear lots of naturals say they cowash during the week and do a full wash with sulfate-free shampoo weekly.

When my hair was shorter I washed almost everyday while showering. I loved it!

5.Black hair don't grow long

Let it be known that Natural Black Hair grows just as normal as other races. Walk through the isles of a beauty store and you will see loads of black hair products advertising 'hair growth'. When in fact, NOTHING can grow your hair. The hair product companies are aiding the way we think about our hair to the benefit of their profits. Now take a look at the white women hair products. They promote volume and strength more than they do growth. This tells us that black women need help to grow our hair. But this is not true.

Retaining the hair that grows out of our scalp is where black people have a problem. Keeping our hair moisturized and handling with care will help with length retention.  Find/build a good moisture regimen.

6. Natural Hair 'doesn't suit me'

This is something I used to say while transitioning. Picturing myself with natural hair was something I could not do. So yes, I too thought natural hair would not suit me. But look at me now. I honestly believe I look better with natural hair. My beauty is so much more radiant to me and others than before being natural.

The hair your born with 'suits' you. My advice to transitioners or those thinking of going natural is to experiment with different styles. I won't tell a woman to chop until they are ready. But I think wearing natural styles during transitioning helps to build the confidence to do the big chop.

Being all natural' is Beautiful. Embrace it.

7. Go natural only if you wanna wear dreads

Women used to go natural because they want to grow locs. But that's not the case anymore. Natural hair is so versatile. I believe straight hair can be boring. But, if I want straight hair today and an Afro tomorrow I can do just that. That's the beauty of natural black hair. The most versatile hair type.

Going natural is not just for the likes of those seeking dreads.


I am sure there are many other myths about Natural Black Hair out there regarding natural hair. But I decide to highlight these few. Please free to comment below and tell me how you feel.

Love
Shelly