Black Hair Myths

Okay if you guys have been watching television, there is a huge hoopla surrounding black hair care and weaves.....etc. etc....

It has to have the rest of the world wondering why Black women's hair is sooooo darn special.

Answer: Because it is...

Anyway, I decided to put together a list of Black Hair Myths. I'm sure you all have heard them before and will continue to hear them...

1. Dirty hair grows better

I'm sure you've heard this one. I used to work in a salon where this young lady would come faithfully and get her hair done every two weeks. She sported hair that was about APL (arm pit length) and I was always jealous.

For two months, I didn't see her which was strange because she was a regular. When she finally came in, I kid you not....SHE WAS BSB (beyond shoulder blade) She claimed that her hair grew from it being dirty. It was dirty. It stunk to high heaven. I had to wash it so I know. But it had grew about two inches!

She had me believing this for a long time. I won't say that dirty hair doesn't grow. Hair grows regardless...just like your nails. But a dirty scalp doesn't create the environment that hair needs to grow. A clean scalp is a healthy scalp that produces healthy hair.

Wash your hair frequently ladies!

2. Perming your hair from root to tip is okay. It makes it lay down flatter.

Not only is this wrong, but dangerous. You are over processing your hair. A perm is that....PERMANENT! You can't wash it out, sweat it out....the only thing you can do is GROW IT OUT! When relaxing, ONLY relax the new growth.

The ONLY time you can perm the entire length of the hair is when you are converting from using no-lye relaxers to lye relaxers...and this should be done by a professional.

3. Greasing your scalp makes your hair grow/moisturizes your scalp.

NOPE! You need an actual moisturizer for this to happen. S-Curl, Glycerin, etc. are all great moisturizers. Grease could be a good sealant. You should apply to the hair shaft after using a moisturizing product. The grease "seals" in the moisture.

4. You can't wash a sew in.

I do this at least once a week. In fact one of my readers just asked this question. Yes you can wash a sew in. It is better to do in the shower so the hair won't tangle.

1. Lightly comb the weave to detangle.

2. Step in shower and let the water completely saturate your hair until it is very wet.

3. Take favorite shampoo and begin massaging the shampoo over (on top of the hair) using a squeezing motion with your hands. This ensures that you don't tangle it up.

4. Use your fingernails, reach underneath where your braids are and lightly scrub the scalp so that it gets clean.

5. You can also take a squeeze bottle, fill with your favorite shampoo and dilute with water. Squeeze your shampoo mix in between the braids and scrub your scalp lightly. This will also insure that the shampoo is cleaning your hair.

5. Perm your hair every time you see the slightest bit of new growth.

This one is pretty sad. Why? Because this used to be me. Every time I'd see the slightest wave, I'd run out and get a perm kit. Then I'd wonder why my hair wasn't growing. You have to learn that first of all, your natural hair is beautiful.

Second of all, you need to accumulate enough new growth (1 1/2 inch or more for me) to ensure that you don't over process the hair that has already been permed. Over processing makes the hair dry, brittle, prone to breakage, etc.

I've seen this all over YouTube....Please don't follow all of the methods you see on that site. There are some ladies that know what they are talking about (me) and some will have you as bald as Mr. Clean.

More Black Hair Myths...coming shortly