Popular Natural Hair Myths
- Lesley Lawson
- Oct 25, 2021
- 3 min read
Natural hair does not grow? Type 4 hair is always dry? Today we will be discussing popular hair myths that have had a hold on the natural hair community for far too long.
Myth #1: Curl typing matters!
No, it does not. The natural hair community has a huge fixation on the infamous curl typing system and rely very heavily on this for guidance on what products and methods work best for their hair. To an extent, this can be reliable, for example a type 4 natural could easily find other type 4 naturals using this system and try similar techniques to others. But aesthetic reasons aside... your curl type plays a small part in how your hair absorbs moisture. The system that should be much more relied on is the porosity system! Knowing your hair’s porosity will give you the cheat codes to knowing exactly how your hair, scientifically, best retains moisture.
Not to mention, all hair behaves differently, even if it is the same curl pattern as someone else’s. The same techniques do not work for everybody, so why rely on how your hair looks for guidance, rather than paying attention to how your own hair reacts to products?
If you are lost on what your hair porosity is, there are many DIY tests you can do at home to find this out, as well as quizzes you can complete online, which I can list below:
Healthy Afro Hair’s video 'HAIR POROSITY TESTS (Test your POROSITY LEVELS- 5 EASY STEPS):
Bri Hall’s porosity quiz: ‘Knowing Your Hair Porosity Is Life Changing!’:
Myth #2: Long hair is equal to healthy hair
I see the thought behind this common misconception, but this is definitely a myth. The length of your hair is not a reliable reflection of the health of your hair. It is nice to be able to see that your hair can retain a lot of length overtime, however a lot of hair growth can come from many other factors including genetics. That being said, if you feel that the length of your hair is not representative of how much work you are putting into your curls, do not be discouraged as it is the behaviour and the body of your hair that matters more. Focusing on health over length is the best mindset to have on your journey.
Myth #3: “My hair thrives when it is dirty”
This is a huge misjudgement within the natural hair community. It is common to take down a protective style and notice the growth after your hair has been tucked away for months, and this is the huge benefit of protective styles. However, due to noticing the amount of new growth all in one go, in comparison to slowly noticing this overtime, it leads to some naturals neglecting their hair as they believe it is the dirt and lack of care which leads to all the new growth. Yes, leaving your hair alone and reducing manipulation helps with length retention, but there needs to be a balance. If you begin neglecting your hair for extremely long periods of time, this can have the opposite effects on your natural hair. New growth will still come in abundance, but if your ends have not touched water in three months, then there will be minimal length retention and the health of your hair may, in fact, decline.
Myth #4: Sulfate shampoos are damaging
I see this opinion extremely often, but this is also a myth! Using sulphates too often can lead to drying out your curls, and due to the natural oils from our scalp taking longer to travel down our textured hair, it leads to many naturals writing off shampoo as drying and damaging. However, shampoo contributes to the process of moisturising your hair, just as much as conditioner does. Without properly cleansing your hair, and having a clean foundation for your hair routine, a build-up of products can layer onto the hair. This leads to a barrier of products on your hair, which can block new hydrating products from getting into the pores and moisturising your hair properly.
Do not be afraid of properly cleansing your hair, as long as you are doing things in moderation and paying attention to how your hair responds to particular ingredients.
Thank you for reading, I hope this myth busting has helped you on your natural hair journey.
Comments