Black Hair Care: Grow the Locks You Crave

As a little girl I spent countless hours with my head bent in cramped positions as a hot comb was pulled through my hair to make it straight and shiny. Sometimes by my mother, sometimes at the beauty shop but the smell of burning hair and the fear of seared flesh were constant companions.

My mother tried to get my hair to grow longer but with little success. The logic of how the treatment of my hair was actually causing more damage escaped her. Asking the beautician for help was a lost cause.

My hair is now rather long. Through the years I watched and listened to the suggestions other women made to each other. Myths and superstitions get passed around but no real sound techniques for creating beauty that mimicked a European model, when it came to hair.

These myths all had one common flaw. They perpetuate the idea that what you do once the hair grows out of the scalp can cause growth. Remember, the growth of the hair is handled internally. Your metabolism and genetics take care of that.

1) Cutting hair makes it grow.

I have heard ALL beauticians use this lie. The fact is cutting will make the hair look better and thicker because the ends are all about the same length. This is grooming and visual affect, not growth. Having the ends about the same length helps the comb move through the ends without snagging which slows breakage. If you slow breakage the hear will remain longer but it doesn't grow any faster!

If you you are growing your hair out it is necessary to keep the ends as free from splits and snags as possible to allow the hair to remain attached to your scalp. When someone starts to trim your hair be sure to have a mirror to watch what they are doing or check the floor where your cut hair is falling. A trimming should take off no more than 1/16 inch. Do not let the stylist try to create a "style". Do not allow the stylist to "even the ends up" as they will cut off more hair than necessary for a trim.

2) Oiling the hair and scalp will make the hair grow.