With the spread of social media, many myths surrounding afro hair have reached many ears and minds. With each Tiktok and each short, the truth warps a little more each time, until it’s an exaggeration that no longer resembles the truth. Don’t be mistaken – there are so many content creators that mean well and are simply sharing their opinion, but many others speak of theirs as absolute fact whilst not knowing the magnitude of their words. Therefore, we’ve decided to state a few hair myths that were the original truth according to science, before they were warped.
1.) Afro hair cannot grow long whatsoever
This isn’t actually true – the reason afro hair appears shorter than what it is, is due to shrinkage. Tight coils bind the hair closely in kinks and spirals; shrinkage can shorten hair by a great deal, sometimes to even 75% to 90% of its original length. So long as you’re alive and healthy, your hair will grow – It’s just length retention which is the issue. This is as breakage from dryness is a known hurdle – but this is a moisture issue, and not a hair growth one.
2.) Trims are counterproductive
Trims can definitely help improve the quality of hair; this is because by sealing off the split and dried ends (ends are the oldest part of the hair and are prone to travel up the hair strands in its split) you nullify any split hair damage from reaching the healthier hair strands. And so what many people perceive to be a waste because it’s cutting hair, actually saves it in the end. It doesn’t have to be an enormously big chop – trim what’s necessary, which is usually ¼ to ½ an inch.
3.) Afro hair is hard and strong
Because culturally, afro hair is often braided into elaborate hairstyles, there’s a misconception that it’s unbreakable and forever withstanding. While there are surely people who qualify under such, most won’t come under this as afro hair,by nature, is very fragile. Strands have many twists and coils, which are the hair’s “weaker” points, where they can be prone to snapping off. Due to this, afro hair needs to be gently handled, detangled with care and nourished with products that promote moisture.
4.) Afro hair is unprofessional
Unprofessionalism is an attitude, rather than an inherent texture. You shouldn’t have to straighten your own just to fit into a company, as afros can be worn out, in a bun, or braided. These styles aren’t unprofessional within themselves – it’s simply the unhealthy by-product of beauty standards meant to mold and confine. So long as hair is clean and cared for, unprofessionalism does not factor into this.
As stated above, these were just a few myths that we felt needed to be debunked. If you’d like to learn more truth to do with kinks, coils and twists, make sure to get Narisse Monkam’s Colonised Hair, Decolonised Mind, as it delves even deeper into hair truths and even comes with Narisse’s own experiences in youth and as a stylist.
