Saturday, December 27, 2008

"My hair won't grow"

This notion that (channeling frequently used campaign '08 phrases) black hair can't grow is completely false.
So where does it come from? Decades of handed-down misinformation, leading to unhealthy hair care practices.
If you are not seriously ill, then your hair grows-all the time. When you shave, does the hair grow back? Do you have to clip your fingernails? Get touch-ups? Tighten braids? Wax those brows? Your hair grows, like any other race.Your only hindrance is that your hair is the most delicate of all the races and should be treated like expensive silk.
The curly nature of African American hair disturbs the flow of the scalps natural oil from the root to the tip of the hair. This leads to dry hair. Dry hair breaks easily. Relaxers, heat, the sun, and shampoo further dry out and damage the hair. This is why healthy hair care habits are detrimental to the state of black hair.

Of course, there are certain things you can do to facilitate a healthier growth environment and we will be investigating them thoroughly on this blog. But if we're going to be embarking on this journey to longer, healthier hair, we have to let go of this urban myth.