5 Myths About Going Natural

Okay, ladies this is probably the number one myth. Knowing that you have spent weeks, months, and maybe even years trying to come to terms with your own natural hair is enough to deal with on your own. So when someone says to you “is that really your hair?” they’re really saying that your hair looks too long to be true, too good to be true, to amazing to be true.

Instead of taking this comment negatively, politely say it IS and tell them more about your natural hair journey. You never know who may be on their own self-love journey and is genuinely curious on how to get started. Many people will express what is really disbelief in their own abilities and not yours. Don’t shut down; open up!

There is no such thing as “good hair” – ALL hair is good! Recently I noticed that there is a divide within the natural hair community when it comes to texture and curl pattern. I think that the best way to tackle this issue is to acknowledge that there is a fetish for looser curl patterns and textures in our society.

In order to understand this phenomenon you must also acknowledge that it stems from a dominant image of what beauty should look like. As a community, however, we need to stand united and defy what is considered the standard image of beauty. Instead of tearing each other down let’s talk about these issues and look for the best way to uplift one another.

I’m hoping that one-day people will see women with natural hair and not question their ethnicity automatically. I believe that maybe this question comes from years of not seeing natural haired women in mainstream media. However, curly and wavy hair is not reserved just for those with mixed heritage. Just look on YouTube. You will see women from Somalia, Ghana, and all over the Caribbean with looser curls.

Of all the myths I have heard this has to be the most ignorant of them all. Natural hair requires large amounts of patience, time, and care making it one of the most expensive decisions to make. In addition, when it comes to going natural, a lot of girls will invest in hair accessories, all natural hair products, protective styles, etc. In what world is this cheap?

I would like to say subscription box services like Curl Understood’s “My Curls Understood” box have made it easier to learn more about my own hair. A plus to the service is that it’s more affordable than going to a regular store and picking out different products myself. The box is tailored to your hair needs.

Some think the decision to go natural makes you feel like you have to choose between having healthy hair or long hair. Don’t be fooled! Your hair will grow back if you decide to cut it all off. But you can also choose to transition, slowly cutting your damage and/or straight ends off each month.

Even if you decide to transiton without cutting your hair off you are still gorgeous nevertheless. When I first started wearing my hair natural, I transitioned with braid and twist outs until I became comfortable with my natural hair.