Incredibly Stupid Black Hair Myths

[melissa-bee]

A couple months ago I bought some shampoo from Avon and my mum was telling me that I shouldn't buy white people's shampoo. She said if I do my hair will start dropping out. I've used it a few times and I'm happy to report my hair has not been dropping out.

 

[Ms Kain]

1. Only people with good hair can grow it long.
2. Having a pregnant woman do your hair will make it fall out.
3. Dirty hair grows faster.
4. Hair needs to be straight to be presentable.

Oh dear gawd! I was drinking an orange juice when I saw #2 and now there's a mess everywhere! I need to stop drinking while reading posts!!!! That's HILARIOUS!!!

 

[Ms Kain]

Back home they say after a hair cut you should wrap the hair up in some tissue paper and stuff into into the shoot of a banana tree, that will make the hair grow faster

Also to never throw your hair outside, but to burn it or birds will use it to make a nest and make all you hair fall out

Ok that first one was just told to me by some dude from the Virgin Islands and I was like "really? All that huh?" ! If you don't mind me asking, I'm jus' curious - where are you from?

 

[Lexib]

Black people's hair ''doesn't grow''. And in keeping with this theory,

The black people that do have long hair, are mixed (even if it's just their great, great, great, great grammy, that still counts and is the only logical explanation)

The curly hair that eventually pops up after a relaxer is not new growth, but just the relaxer reverting - hence the need for a touch-up.

 

[frizzy]

.

Let me play devil's advocate and hope this doesn't hijack the thread....I'm a newbie and often wonder if some of the stuff I read on LHCF about growing hair has any truth because I've been led to believe for years that hair growth is genetic. Fact/Myth?

I'll bite. I would say that it 100% depends on genetics, and at the same time, the hair has to be cared for properly so that it can reach it's full potential. That's all that's happening with the long haired ladies around here, proper hair care.

Length and texture is determined by genetics.

 

[lovelexi]

Black people can't wash their hair "too much." "Too Much" means once a week. I remember when I was relaxed and I always washed my hair once a week and all the black people thought I was washing my hair too much and thought I was going to wash the perm out.

I really wish black people ditch the dirty hair myth because its untrue and unhygenic. Another myth is you can't brush your hair.

same for me. and this was before I joined LHCF. they thought i was acting like a white girl because i didnt use "black" products. like what are black products anyways? lol

oh and heres a myth
1. black people must use "black" products because the "white" products will make your hair fall out.

 

[Avaya]

Let me play devil's advocate and hope this doesn't hijack the thread....I'm a newbie and often wonder if some of the stuff I read on LHCF about growing hair has any truth because I've been led to believe for years that hair growth is genetic. Fact/Myth?

I think the tips and techniques here will better help you retain the hair that you do grow. Furthermore, I also think that vitamins, healthful eating, exercising, certain topical growth aides etc will help your hair grow quicker (ie. 1/2 inch per month instead of 1/4 inch per month) but I do not think we can change our anagen phase.

If your anagen phase is just two years than your anagen phase is just two years. That, in my opinion, is the genetic part. I think whatever the length of your anagen phase, the tips and techniques here can help you take advantage of it and get the most growth out of your particular growth cycle.

While sitting here typing the above, I'm not even 100% sure that the anagen phase is absolute either. For example, Saw Palmetto helps prevent shedding. So couldn't one argue that, in essence, SP helps extend the anagen phase??? IDK .

 

[kmn1980]

Dandruff makes your hair grow.

 

[divachyk]

I think the tips and techniques here will better help you retain the hair that you do grow. Furthermore, I also think that vitamins, healthful eating, exercising, certain topical growth aides etc will help your hair grow quicker (ie. 1/2 inch per month instead of 1/4 inch per month) but I do not think we can change our anagen phase.

If your anagen phase is just two years than your anagen phase is just two years. That, in my opinion, is the genetic part. I think whatever the length of your anagen phase, the tips and techniques here can help you take advantage of it and get the most growth out of your particular growth cycle.

While sitting here typing the above, I'm not even 100% sure that the anagen phase is absolute either. For example, Saw Palmetto helps prevent shedding. So couldn't one argue that, in essence, SP helps extend the anagen phase??? IDK .

idk either but I will say that LHCF got my undivided attention and I'm definitely trying the tips/techniques discussed here that are within my skill, budget and desire. Amazing how we just buy into concepts. I'm very guilty in this case. I see all these ladies with beautiful hair and think wow, I too can achieve by doing this and that.... The price and the measures we go through to achieve beauty.

 

[8HoursFromHome]

Gramma told me not to use a deceased person's brush or comb in my hair or it will fall out! I've been looking for the scientific study to support this one. To date, no luck finding it!!

 

[CheLala13]

I hate when people say that water will make your hair fall out. Water, of all things. Ridiculous.

 

[CheLala13]

So with all these "hair growing" myths, the people who said them, do they have long hair?

 

[8HoursFromHome]

Back home they say after a hair cut you should wrap the hair up in some tissue paper and stuff into into the shoot of a banana tree, that will make the hair grow faster

Also to never throw your hair outside, but to burn it or birds will use it to make a nest and make all you hair fall out

Gramma told me that if a bird uses your hair in their nest, you'll have headaches for the rest of your life.

 

[8HoursFromHome]

So with all these "hair growing" myths, the people who said them, do they have long hair?

Gramma's hair was past her waist, my mother's also. Their hair was straight, both of my sisters hair also. I have very thick and very curly hair. I don't think Momma knew what to do with it. I'm sure it was ruined by all of the blue magic and dixie peach she used on it!!

 

[PistolWhip]

Black people's hair ''doesn't grow''. And in keeping with this theory,

The black people that do have long hair, are mixed (even if it's just their great, great, great, great grammy, that still counts and is the only logical explanation)

The curly hair that eventually pops up after a relaxer is not new growth, but just the relaxer reverting - hence the need for a touch-up.

^^^^^ This plus the less you wash your hair the more it will grow(what a contradiction).This is a great thread to dispel all these myths that just keep getting passed down.

 

[southerncitygirl]

washing too often will strip the hair of its natural oils
white folks products are not for "our" hair
the concept of "growing dandruff'...wth?
all mixed folks have good hair
the whole good hair bad hair thing i see beautiful type 4 hair all day everyday in nyc, its a hair type that is misunderstood and often not properly cared for

 

[MarieB]

Cutting makes it grow. Black people should only use black products. Burn cut/shed hair. Black people's hair can't/doesn't grow long. Greasing your scalp is good for your hair.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

Only use black people's hair products.

Don't wash hair too much.

Brading damp hair makes it fall out at the root

Grease is very important.

One girl had the nerve to tell me that I should use Dax wax grease thing to grow my hair becasue that is what she used. Btw this girl had ear lenth hair yet she thought my hair which was shoulder length and relaxed at the time needed all the help it could get.

You can wash away your chemical relaxer by washing too often.

Blow drying relaxed hair makes it revert to natural

 

[ajoke]

I think a lot of these myths were propagated and supported due to wrong hair practices. For instance, when I first moved to Europe and started taking care of my hair myself, I found I had a bit of dandruff, so I headed for the market and bought the most potent head and shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo that I could find, and washed my hair with it, without conditioning.....of course my hair broke like ****. When I told a friend about it, she was like 'of course, you shouldn't be using white people's products on your hair'. So I stuck to that for several years, until LHCF!! I did find a hairdresser about 5 years ago when I was still relaxed who told me to use the dark and lovely daily moisturising spray, and who deep conditioned with every time I went for my weekly roller-set. She was also scissor happy however, so the longest my hair grew was about APL. However, she also believed in the only black ppl product myths.

Also, I think if you don't wash 4a/b hair gently(for me that means in sections and not scrubbing it like a carpet like I used to), you are going to get a ton of breakage, and your hair won't grow......so I bet washing infrequently was a form of low-manipulation. So I can see how people who washed their hair infrequently using the wrong techniques would retain more length than if they washed frequently......

I bet if we dug deeper, we'd be able to find 'logical' reasons behind the most stupid myths. The question is how do we help spread the truth. Like you shouldn't just tell someone to wash their hair frequently, but also go the extra mile and tell them to wash in sections...

 

[levette]

-if you relax- you have to relax every 6 weeks or your hair will fall out
-black boys hair grow faster than girls
-black women can't grow their hair real long unless your're mixed or are majority indian
-Your hair will not look good unless you get it done every 2 weeks at the hair salon
-

 

[DrC]

Dandruff makes your hair grow.

WTF!!
I'm a survivor of psoriasis/dandruff. I used to suffer from something bad.. my hair still grew ( because hair is ALWAYS growing) but my scalp would stay irritated.

 

[MsLizziA]

-if you relax- you have to relax every 6 weeks or your hair will fall out
-black boys hair grow faster than girls
-black women can't grow their hair real long unless your're mixed or are majority indian
-Your hair will not look good unless you get it done every 2 weeks at the hair salon
-

Geez at some of these myths that people honestly believe... no wonder we so messed up

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I never heard any of this stuff until joining LHCF! I grew up in the rural Midwest. I don't ever remember people really talking about hair at all. Or maybe I wasn't paying attention.

 

[silenttullip]

do you know I believed that... My sisters who somehow happen to be "cosmetologist" told me to do that if I wanted to go natural... I washed with a LOT of vinegar a few times and OMG I wish I would have known better. Smh the things we think

The stupidest I can think of are:

water is bad for the hair
vinegar will strip the perm out of your hair making you natural again

 

[Nelli04]

1. 
   [*]Only people with good hair can grow it long.
2. Having a pregnant woman do your hair will make it fall out.
3. Dirty hair grows faster.
4. Hair needs to be straight to be presentable.

the bolded stands out to me lol.
My cousin has silky 3c/4A hair and she's trying to grow it out and she decided to go to a new/ more knowledgeable hair stylist.
My cousin tells me her stylist tells her 'oh, I can tell by a person's hair texture whether it will grow or not' and because my cousin is a silky 3c/4a she told her that her hair will grow long...

 

[silenttullip]

I think old folks said this because some people do actually practice "voodoo" and things of that nature. My granny was always nervous about someone putting "roots" on us

That black women can't have long hair.


What would be the point of burning the shed/
broken hairs?



Oh yeah, a stylist told me that a girl with super kinky hair came in, they kept on shaving it off everytime she came, and eventually that made it change textures.

 

[silenttullip]

WTF!!
I'm a survivor of psoriasis/dandruff. I used to suffer from something bad.. my hair still grew ( because hair is ALWAYS growing) but my scalp would stay irritated.

Yep I'm a survivor of it too I like that you call it that.
What I think people were getting at when they said that was the stimulation from the massaging or gentle scratching that was necessary to ease the dandruff made your hair grow but they mistakenly said the dandruff alone. They probably just didn't know how to accurately express their point.

 

[4bforreal!!!]

OH I HAVE A WHOLE HEAP LOAD


-dreds will bring your natural hair to its full potential
-if your head itch that mean your hair growing..... show me the studies on that!!!! No seriously show me!!!
-braids makes your hair grow faster
-wash your hair with the hottest water, you'll get all the dirt out.....and a burnt scalp for the bonus
-( when i was relaxed) leave a perm on as long as you can take.... it will have better results..... the bonus pack includes patches, burnt scalp, baldness and low self esteem
-using black hair dye makes your hair look healthier,HMMMMM i thought i was just taking care of your hair..... oh well

 

[drappedup]

Silliest one to me now is the one I believed MOST in, and that is:

NO WATER. WATER is bad for your hair! AVOID WATER. Lol. It's impossible to wash/shampoo/condition your hair and have it NOT turn out to be a crazy tangled, knotted mess. So translation: water ruins your relaxer, leave it to the professionals to WATER your hair every so many weeks you see them. -______-'

HOW STUPID IS THAT?!!!

To think, just a YEAR ago, I still genuinely believed that. I really thought I couldn't wash my own hair, or let water touch it.

 

[IrisDaVirus]

So with all these "hair growing" myths, the people who said them, do they have long hair?

From what I've seen over the years..........HELL NO!