Natural is always better, but if you’re going to spend that cash at least support a black-owned business over the other ethnics getting rich.

Well I think I’ll just throw in my two-cents worth right here.

First up, I am black and my hair is relaxed and I love it. Now this is based on preference. My best friend keeps her hair natural and she looks great with it and that’s fine. I prefer straighter hair because I can put it into all sorts of styles much easier and my natural hair was actually so tangled it would take an hour a day to sort it out. An hour I didn’t have time to waste because it meant I’d be late for school. 

My hair is also long, very long. It passes my chest area easily and swings just above my waist. Relaxed hair can indeed grow. I can say this because I cut my hair every time I relax it. I cut it back to shoulder length and it never fails to grow back down to my waist. 

Now, time to address the claims made in this article. 

Claim No. 1 – Washing Your Hair too often will dry it out

Alright so this can be true in some situations and not true in others. I’d like to stress that the way your hair looks solely depends on how you treat it. I wash my hair everyday when I’m in the shower. This does not dry it out at all. I have a lot of dandruff that seemingly grows during the day (figure of speech.) I’ll wash it at night and during the next day it will accumulate to an embarrassing level. I have tried every dandruff oil and cream under the sun but they do not seem to work. So I wash my hair everyday and this washes out all dandruff and keeps my scalp clean and free. I also use a protein hair mask to replace any protein that may have been lost due to so many washes. 

Verdict: Does washing your hair everyday dry it out? – Yes and No. If you take the time to care for it and replenish all lost proteins and minerals with the right products it will not dry out your hair. If you’re too lazy to do all that then yes your hair will probably dry out, become thin and look terrible. 

Claim No. 2 – African-American hair does not grow long

This is a tough one. The length of your hair is predetermined by genetics. Everything about us all boils down to genetics actually. This is why we all have different skin colour, hair, eyes, etc. I have seen many white people with short hair that will not grow past their shoulders. It is not just black people. It’s just the genetic code of your body. Black hair can grow very long however as my hair is quite long (as I previously posted.)

Verdict: Does African-American hair grow? – Yes. Everyone’s hair grows, but genetics play a factor in how long it will be. 

Claim No. 3 – Our Hair is no different from anyone else’s

What they said is true. Our hair is quite different. It has a tendency to be drier and thicker than other hair types. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s the same as any other race. Asian hair will never be like white hair, not will white hair ever be like asian hair. The same for spanish hair etc. 

Example: Asian hair – Extremely straight, silky, almost always pitch black in colour.

White hair – Varies in texture ranging from wavy to curly or straight, almost always dark brown, or blonde in colour. Some black or red in colour. 

Spanish hair – Typically extremely thick and wavy, almost always black or dark brown in colour. 

Black Hair – Coarse and thick, tends to look dry, almost always dark brown or black in colour. Never blonde. Some red tinges depending on genetics. (I have a natural red tinge to my hair.) 

Verdict: Is our hair different? Yes, just like any other race we have our own traits. 

Claim No. 4 – Relaxers make African-American Hair grow

This is not true. Your hair grows to the length it was meant to be depending on your genetic code. Because black hair is curly it also does not show the true length of your hair until you pull on it with your finger. Then you will see how long it truly is. 

Verdict: Do relaxers make your hair grow? – No. They just make it straight so without any curls it’s showing the true length of your hair. 

Claim No. 5 – Natural hair is healthier than relaxed hair

Not true. My hair is relaxed and extremely healthy. One way to know if you have healthy hair is to take a glass of water and drop a hair strand in it. If your hair floats it is healthy. If it sinks it is definitely lacking in protein and other minerals that keep it healthy. It all boils down to how much care you put into your hair. I use protein hair masks and hydrating products to give my hair all it needs to be healthy.   

Verdict: Which is healthier? Both can be equally healthy if you take the time to care for it properly.

Claim No. 6 – Brushing your hair will help it grow

I’m not too sure about this one. I hardly ever brush my hair, like ever. I use a large toothed comb to comb through my hair everyday as brushing it tends to make it too flat and I like volume. I’d think that this is poppycock anyways. Hair length is not determined by how many times you brush, it’s genetics.

Verdict: Does brushing your hair help it to grow? No. But it does keep it looking neat and tidy. 

Claim No. 7 – Grease is good for your scalp and hair

No. And this is absolutely a no brainer for me. By oiling your scalp with thick oil or gel you are clogging your pores. This makes it hard for new hair to push up. Use light oils and don’t over do it. Maybe I’m biased because I hate greasy feeling hair. I like to run my hair through my hair and I’d hate to feel sticky oil in it and have it all over my hands when I do. Nevertheless, oiling your hair too much clogs the hair follicles. 

Verdict: Should you oil your hair? – Yes, but with gentle, light oils or use a serum. 

Claim No. 8 – Taking prenatal vitamins will help your hair grow

I have no knowledge in this area so I’ll keep quiet rather than blab and look foolish

Claim No. 9 – African-American hair grows slower than other races

Not true. I cut my hair a lot and it never fails to grow back to it’s length

Claim No. 10 – The brown girl on the bottle means it’s for me

Again not true. I don’t use any ‘black people’ products (so to speak.) I don’t understand the ideology that seems to be floating around that goes something like this. ‘White people can’t make products for black people’s hair.’ What? Where did this very ignorant sounding saying start? As the article said, it’s a marketing strategy. Most of the ingredients in these so called ‘black hair products’ are the same found in other products. It’s the same strategy every company uses, like when they say Axe for men and now new Axe for women. They’re dividing their products by gender to make more money when really if you were to use Axe for men nothing would happen to you if you were a woman. You’d just smell like a dude since the scent is very masculine. 

I use products by Garnier, Herbal Essences and Pantene. I don’t care much for TRESemme products as they don’t really work for me. It all boils down to what works for you. 

Verdict: Do you have to limit yourself to ‘black people products?’ – No. You use what works for you

In the end: Everyone is different. We all have different views and preferences, etc. No two people will have the exact same feelings about anything. My reason for having relaxed hair is that it’s easier to manage, and I love it. I love having my hair straight to the point where I don’t have to use a flat iron on it everyday. I love how bouncy it is and how easy it is to style it. Does this make me ashamed of being black? NO! I love my skin tone. It’s beautiful and flawless in every way. I will never run out to get surgery and turn myself white. NEVER. I accept myself and love myself. Just because I prefer straight hair doesn’t make me ‘less black’ or ‘less proud.’ 

All this talk about ‘being natural’ is crazy. No one is 100% natural. Nowadays everyone is running around getting plastic surgery or tummy tucks and all those ridiculous procedures to achieve a ‘flawless look.’ Hows that natural? Why make everything about the hair? Talking about ‘embrace what god gave us.’ If we are to embrace it then why not argue with people drastically changing their appearance or people who coat their faces in makeup to hide pimples. Are pimples not natural? Everyone gets them so why hide them? The reason is obvious. No one wants to walk around with a pimply face, and no one wants to feel ‘less than pretty.’ So they run out and get work done, but I digress. 

I say STOP ARGUING OVER IT. If someone likes straight hair then so be it. Why let it divide your race in half – people with relaxed hair go over there and people with natural hair stay here. Black people are the only ones beating each other down because of their preferences. We’re doing this to ourselves. It’s a never ending cycle of judging and arguing and playing ring around the roses. 

I’d also like to point out that if you keep your hair natural but still flat iron it…that’s still straightening it. The only difference is that a relaxer is long term…

Just relax, chill, and love one another. 

Also – your diet plays a huge role in how healthy you are. Eating foods rich in protein, iron, calcium etc, determines how shiny your hair is, how white your nails are, and how much your skin glows and looks younger. 

Note – The opinions stated here are my own. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m in no way trying to represent a bunch of people here, though I do believe many probably share my sentiments I’m talking from personal experiences. Others are free to dispute what I’ve said. We’ll just agree to disagree if it comes to that. 

Gosh this was a long post, I do hope it helps though. (If it helps even one person that’s good enough.) 

Take care guys.
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