One of many myths that have been going around among the black community and people of other races for as long as I can remember is that afro-kinky hair doesn’t grow or stops growing at a certain length. I am going to talk about many things that some of us do and/or believe about may just be what’s holding us back from having long and healthy tresses.

 

1- “This Scalp Needs Greasing”

When I started my healthy/natural hair journey for the first time 4 years ago, I noticed that there’s a misunderstanding amongst black people that our scalps need to be greased to prevent our hair from becoming dry. While this idea has an aspect of truth behind it, the opposite of ‘dry’ is ‘wet’ or ‘moisturised’ and the most basic form of moisture is water. The best way to combat dry hair is to use moisturising products such as leave in conditioners and  moisturisers (where water/aqua is the first ingredient on the label). I like to use Aunt Jackies Knot On My Watch Detangler as I find it moisturising enough on it’s own, it doesn’t leave me with a lot of product build up and Aunt Jackies products are free from sulfates, parabens, mineral oil and petrolatum. However I have also used  Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream and African Pride Shea Butter Leave in Conditioner. As water evaporates and oils are heavier than water/they don’t mix, it is ideal to use a natural oil on-top /after you apply your moisturiser to seal the moisture into your hair strands. A few common natural oils include Extra Virgin Olive Oil (like the type you would put on salad), Organic Coconut Oil (cold pressed and unrefined, like the type you would cook with), Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil and Castor Oil. As these oils are natural they will have more benefits on your hair health and your scalp will actually be able to absorb them rather than just sitting onto of your hair/scalp creating a shiny and greasy film. While greases such as Blue Magic, Palmers Coconut Oil, Ultra Sheen etc can be used on-top of moisturisers to lock in moisture, they contain ingredients such as mineral oil and petroleum, similar to silicones which smother your hair and can clog up your hair follicles suffocating your scalp, reducing hair growth. However, if grease and silicones works for you, by all means continue as everybody’s hair and scalp is different. Also remember too deep condition weekly/bi-weekly!

 

2- “Giiiirl, You Need a Relaxer”

Relaxers (or the weak version texturisers) are a chemical cream treatments that permanently alter the texture and curl pattern of your hair strands. They work by breaking down the bonds within your hair shaft to make your hair straight. The benefits of relaxers are that depending on your natural hair texture, they can give you frizz free bone straight hair that is easier to manage (although a relaxer/texturiser isn’t necessary to get ‘easier to manage’ hair). Side effects of relaxers are frizzy hair, dandruff, thinning and breakage (as those broken bonds become weak) scalp irritation/damage and in extreme cases permanent hair loss. The toxins in relaxers have also been associated with cancer, fibroids, other health issues and early puberty in children as they seep into the body through our pores and around our blood stream. You can help to keep your chemically treated hair as healthy as possible by doing regular protein treatments to strengthen the broken bonds, and by using leave in conditioners under natural oils to keep your hair moisturised.

 

 

3- “Not Washing Your Hair Will Make It Grow”

Similar to the grease concept above, not washing your hair regularly will lead to buildup from products and the natural oils that your scalp creates, clogging up your hair follicles. This build up will also sit ontop of your hair shaft blocking any moisture from getting into your hair leading to dry hair resulting in breakage. Many mainstream shampoo’s contain harsh chemicals called sulfates that completely strip your hair of any grease and dirt, but also of beneficial natural oils that moisturise your hair such as the ones that  your scalp naturally produces. A healthier way to wash your hair is to co-washing which is short for conditioner washing (washing your hair with conditioner). Conditioners contain a small amount of ingredients that help to clean your hair and so can be used in place of a harsh stripping shampoo. Some people use conditioners such as Herbal Essence-Hello Hydration or Tresseme Naturals, however I prefer to use Aunt Jackies In Control Conditioner which states that it can be used as a co-wash on the label weekly, and then use my sulfate shampoo once a month for a good deep clean. Another product than can be used is sulphate-free shampoo such as my Aunt Jackies Oh So Clean. As sulphate-free shampoo’s are still shampoo’s and are meant for cleaning, they still contain cleaning agents just not as harsh and drying ones. remember to deep condition after every shampoo to replace any lost moisture. Washing black hair reguarly won’t cause any harm, it’s good to immerse your hair in moisture (water) just make sure to seal that moisture in properly with natural oils and butters afterwards to prevent the moisture/water from evaporating out of your hair shaft leaving you with dry hair.

 

 

4- “Black Hair is Thick and Strong”

Yes, black hair can be thick but it is also the weakest out of all hair types due to it’s fragile kinks and curls being vulnerable to breakage. No/low manipulation hair styles where your hair isn’t put under the pressure of daily styling such as braids, cornrows (as long as they aren’t too tight, pulling on and stressing the hair follicles) and wigs/weaves with minimum to no leave out can aid hair growth as your hair gets to rest and isn’t put under the stress of everyday brushing, combing and general styling. Low manipulation hair styles such as buns can help hair growth as they keep the ends of your hair tied up and away from being dried out by the air and rubbing on clothes, seats etc. Before brushing/combing/styling black hair, always lightly moisten your hair with water in a spray bottle (either plain water, rose water or water mixed with your favourite conditioner/leave in conditioner) to help loosen any knots and prevent you from ripping a comb or brush through dry hair  causing breakage (You’ll be surprised how much this helps, I was). Wide tooth combs and your fingers are the most gentle tools to use for detangling, starting at the ends of your hair and working your way up to your roots. Fine tooth combs should only be used when straightening hair or to create a tidy parting as they put stress on your hair.

 

5- “I Cut My Hair So It’ll Grow Back Longer/Faster”

Cutting the ends of your hair has no effect on the hair follicles on your scalp which your hair is growing from. However, trims when necessary can help you to retain length as getting rid of split ends are essential so that they don’t travel up the hair shaft and cause further damage, leading you to have to cut more hair off. How fast hair grows is down to genetics and diet. How much hair length you retain, is down to your hair care routine, gentleness and patience.

 

 

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