Debunking 5 Common Myths About Moisturizing Your Natural Hair

Moisture plays a huge role in maintaining natural hair. Moisturizing is necessary especially if your natural hair is dry because it helps reduce damage brought about by handling and styling your hair. Moisture also makes natural hair look and feel good.

But like any other good thing, when moisturizing is done too much, it can be bad for your hair. In fact, over-moisturizing hair can make it prone to breakage just like dry hair is. One of the reasons naturalistas tend to over-moisturize their hair is due to some myths about moisturizing. Here are five of these myths:

Myth #1. Dull hair means dry hair.

Having dull hair does not necessarily mean you have dry hair. If your hair is manageable and it does not break easily when washing, combing or styling, then your hair has enough moisture. The reason you don’t see that much shine on your tight coils and kinks is because light does not reflect off of it as well as it does on a flat surface like stretched hair. When moisturized, natural hair usually has a soft luster, which is not a bad thing. So remember girl, whenever you think your hair is dry because it doesn’t have a shine, check for pliability.

Myth #2. Protein conditioners should be avoided.

Protein conditioners actually help keep the hair moisturized. How? The compounds in these conditioners patch up damaged hair cuticles. When cuticle scales are damaged, the hair cannot retain moisture well. So by using protein conditioners, the problem can be fixed albeit temporarily.

Myth #3. You must moisturize every day!

Nuh-uh! Daily moisturizing does not come with being natural and as already mentioned above, over-moisturizing is bad for your natural hair. Some naturals can go for days or even a week or so without the need to re-moisturize their hair. How often you should moisturize depends on some factors: the effectiveness of the products you’re using, the style you’re wearing and the characteristics of your hair.

Myth #4. Products with alcohol dry out natural hair.

It depends on the kind of alcohol in the product. There are ‘fatty’ alcohols or long-chained alcohols which are good for the hair. These alcohols are stearyl and cetyl alcohol which are added to hair products mainly as a thickening agent, hair softener and emulsifier. Avoid using products with short-chained alcohols like ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) because these can dry out your scalp and hair.

Myth #5. Grease is the best moisturizer for natural hair.

Some ladies grease their scalp believing it can keep their hair moisturized and help their hair grow faster. If you’re doing this too, stop! Greasy products contain mineral oil and petroleum which act either as sealant or barrier. When applied to the scalp, they seal in the natural moisture from your scalp so it can’t get to your hair. They also attract dirt to your strands. It’s best to use water or a water-based moisturizer and after moisturizing, use natural oils like jojoba oil to lock in the moisture.

Author: Pamela

“Changing attitudes about natural hair” is what we do at Natural Haircare News. Through informative articles, podcasts and videos, we go beyond just sharing the latest advice and tips on kinky, curly, wavy haircare – We shake things up and focus on the realities of wearing our hair natural.