Before you decide whether to wear natural hair or not, read over these 13 natural hair myths. It’s shocking what some people believe! Make sure you’re aware of the truth about your real hair.

Natural, afro-textured hair is the strongest hair type.
It is a common myth that kinky/afro textured hair is the strongest, so people tear the comb through it not realising that they are breaking the hair off. The way our hair twists and turns means that there are more opportunities for it to break than in straight hair.

If black women cut their hair, it won’t ever grow back!
This would mean that black women have a special ‘Hair won’t grow’ gene that isn’t present in black men, white men, white women, Asian men, Asian women, biracial men, or biracial women…Of course not! Your hair is always growing, trust me.

Natural hair is unprofessional.
Naturals work in many professions ranging from teachers to lawyers. As long as your hair is tidy, it’s professional. Try to step away from the mentality that straight hair=neat, presentable, and professional. All hair types can be this way, but they all require work to get there.

Dreadlocks are unhygienic and messy.
Most dreadlock wearers are just as hygienic as you are. Yes, some have messy, dirty, smelly dreadlocks, but those people don’t represent the majority. It’s just like some straight haired people who are unkempt, have heads full of dandruff, hair all over the place, stink, etc. Don’t tar every person with the same brush.




You won’t be able to comb your hair.
You CAN comb natural hair, but it’s best to start combing from the bottom of the hair strand to the top. Actually this applies to relaxed hair as well. This makes working the knots out a painless, much easier process. You also get to keep more hair on your head, instead of losing it to the comb. I personally finger comb because my fingers are gentler than a comb’s teeth. Spraying a glycerine-water combo on your hair also works wonders, and you can read more about the benefits of glycerine and water in the hair maintenance section.

Natural hair grows very, VERY slowly.
Many naturals have said that their hair has grown faster since they stopped relaxing, meanwhile others say that their rate of growth has been the same. In my case, my hair length has already caught up with my relaxed hair. My relaxed hair took 18yrs to grow to armpit length, but my natural hair has taken under 2yrs. You decide.

The average rate of hair growth is six inches, and this applies to ALL races. If you have a white/Asian friend whose hair grows faster then this, it’s not because of their race but their diet, genes, environment, etc. You could also find a black friend whose hair grows just as fast.

Relaxers make your hair grow.
Relaxers DO NOT make hair grow. Your diet, lifestyle, environment can affect your hair growth, but relaxers do not. Relaxers make your hair appear to grow faster because straight hair shows more length than curly hair.

Natural hair is bad hair, like Africans have/had.
Those Africans are your ancestors, so how can you insult your ancestry by calling them ‘bad’? Slaves had more important things to think about than hair i.e. being ripped apart from their families, whipped daily, drowned, raped, etc. Anyone who was strong and lucky enough to survive all of that and more is not ‘bad’.

Let go of the ‘bad’ and ‘good’ hair concepts from the slave plantation era. Natural hair comes in all shapes and sizes, which makes it all the more beautiful.

Only black people have afro-textured hair
No hair texture is exclusive to one race. Afro-textured hair is not exclusive to the black people, curly hair is not exclusive to biracials, and straight hair is not exclusive to white people/Asians.




It’ll be dry.
My hair was dry when I first went natural, but now that I’ve found my favourite hair products, it’s so soft to the touch. Just like with weaves and relaxed hair, you need to dedicate time to finding products that work your hair and lifestyle.

Natural hair is unmanageable.
I believe your mindset will determine how unmanageable something is. Before I went natural the natural kinks were the enemy because they always ruined my ‘perfectly silky’ relaxed hair. When I decided to go natural, and actually paid attention to my natural hair instead of hiding it, I realised that it wasn’t hard at all.

Men don’t find it attractive.
This myth is completely untrue. Many natural women say that they attract MORE attention since they’ve gone natural. Yes, some have had partners who were against the hair change, but some of these men changed their minds later on and now find the natural hair irresistible.

Straightened hair always returns to its natural state

Not true. Straightening and natural hair is like sex and pregnancy. It only takes one time! Some women straighten their hair for years and it returns to its natural state every time. Other women straighten their hair a few times in one month and it NEVER reverts back to its natural state. Every time you straighten your hair, keep in mind that it may never revert back.

Surprising, isn’t it? After years, possibly your whole life, you believed myths like these. Now you know the truth, make an educated decision on whether natural hair is for you. Remember, your decision isn’t final.