Debunked: Natural Hair Myths You Might Believe

Have you examined what you know about natural hair care? Are you believing common natural hair myths?

We tend to hold popular natural hair rules and commentary as fact. We might not know where they came from or how they started, but we will stick to them at all costs, even when they don’t work and even to the detriment of our hair.

What if I told you that some of the things we deem law keep us from being successful on our natural journeys?

Shocking right?!

Well, get ready to have your mind blown because that’s precisely why I’m here.

That’s right! Today I’m debunking five natural hair myths and pointing you in the direction of clarity and truth to help you become more successful on your natural journey.

Myth #1 – Maintaining your natural hair has to be complicated

The biggest myth that you can ever believe concerning your natural hair is that it has to be overly complex. Is it work? Yes, everything worth having takes some work. Does it have to be complicated, frustrating, or stressful? Absolutely NOT

The key to successfully managing your natural hair is knowing your hair. That means we have to take the time to discover the unique characteristics of our hair. Then use that information to guide us when making decisions concerning styling, product selection, and best practices for care and maintenance.

The truth: If you want to be successful, you have to take the time to learn helpful information about your hair.

The good news: It’s not hard to learn what you need to know about your hair, its specific needs, and its unique characteristics. Once you know better, the transition to doing better is easy. It will make caring for and embracing your curls easy as well.

Myth #2 – Heavy oils and Butters are the Holy Grail of natural hair care

Not to knock them, oils and raw butters are chocked-full of nutrients designed to nourish and heal.  They can serve several purposes when it comes to health and beauty. However, their place in hair care may need to be re-evaluated. 

These products create the look of hydration, reduce friction when manipulating or styling your hair, and can, at times, be nourishing. But, in their rawest form, without proper formulation and routine cleansing, they become more harmful than helpful. Beyond aesthetics, they have no hydrating properties and should not be an option for increasing moisture in your strands.

Struggling with hair that is dry, damaged, and hard to manage? First, consider the products you are using.

The truth: Some of your holy grail products are working against you in your pursuit of natural hair success.

The good news: Help is a mindset shift,  consistent shampoos, and a few intentional product selections away. The key to moisture is and will always be water. Accepting this fact and then focusing on methods to increase the absorption and retention of water creates an environment that allows your curls to thrive!

Myth #3 – Shampoo is not a wash day essential

Shampoo has gotten a horrible rap, and it’s not necessarily all its fault. We dislike shampoo because we don’t understand its primary purpose and how it relates to our hair’s look and feel. We also don’t always know how to select the correct shampoo or how certain ingredients can affect the strength of the shampoos we choose.

Shampoo is necessary because it is the critical ingredient to remove build-up, dirt, and debris from our hair. During the shampoo process, our now cleansed strands can freely absorb much-needed moisture into our hair. Additionally, a clean scalp is the foundation for hair care success and creates an environment that allows your hair to grow, styles to last, and curls to pop and thrive.

The bad news: Failure to routinely cleanse the scalp can cause scalp conditions, reduce manageability,  stifle hair growth, and create an environment where bacteria can grow and spread.

The good news: It’s never too late to start cleansing your scalp. That’s right! You can begin today to create a happy, healthy scalp that supports and promotes your hair’s overall health and growth.

Myth #4 – The hair typing chart will give you the needed clarity for knowing your hair

If you have looked at this chart and you can’t find exactly where you fit in, you’re in good company. Most hair typing charts are limited. They don’t account for people having varying surface textures, textures, or curl diameters in one head. When it comes to knowing your curls, one size does not fit all. And neither will any rigid hair typing chart. Truly understanding your hair requires more than pictures of coils that fail to capture one head of curls’ diversity and unique characteristics.

Truly knowing your hair requires you to take time to know some specifics about your hair. Learning the unique characteristics of your hair allows you to move with more clarity when determining what products, styles, and techniques will work best for you.

The truth: The curl typing chart won’t bring you any closer to knowing your hair, what it needs, or what works best for you.

The good news: Knowing your hair doesn’t have to be complicated!  Getting up close and personal with your hair is a significant first step on the journey to hair care success. It fuels intentionality and takes the guesswork out of succeeding on your natural journey

Myth #5 – The hair strand in a cup of water test will tell you the porosity of your hair

Unfortunately, watching your hair float or sink in a cup of water will not bring you any closer to knowing the actual porosity of your hair. Several factors come into play that makes this test impractical and unreliable.

Besides the fact that it is grounded in faulty science, most hair will always float because it is less dense than water. The surface tension created by the water rarely allows the hair to fall to the bottom. Coupled with the fact that most hair is coated in oil or product build-up, we can begin to acknowledge why this test is constantly serving up inaccurate results—leaving you no closer to knowing the actual porosity of your hair.

The truth: Your float test results are probably wrong. You’ve been wasting water and pulling out your hair for nothing.

The good news: You can save the water and your hair. There are much easier ways to discover the porosity of your hair. For a clearer understanding of priority and what it means for your hair and its care, start with clean hair and observe how it reacts, absorbs, and behaves in the presence of moisture and when styling.  

Forget what you’ve heard, it can be easier

Surprised at what you’ve discovered today? Hopefully, I have shown you that facts matter. The proper knowledge drives an intentional approach to natural hair care and ultimately makes consistently caring for your curls easy.

Need help navigating these truths or knowing what your next steps should be? Bold Kulture Beauty is the only place to start. From building the proper foundation to intentionally applying the knowledge that makes caring for your curls a breeze, we’ve got you covered!

Visit BoldKulture.com today! Work with me directly or explore my invaluable resources designed to take the guesswork out of natural hair care and empower you to succeed!