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Who didn’t grow up with with
mom’s & friends who told the best beauty myths? Whether it was how you can
grow longer hair or how to have flawless skin..We have heard them all!
I came across this really great
list that nailed the most common black beauty myths. Author Briana McCarthy
lists the most common beauty myths on essence.com. Check them out!
Dirt makes your hair grow faster
Um, no. All dirt does is make your hair dirty.
That’s it, that’s all. The reality is your hair and scalp thrive when they are
clean and not covered with residue or debris. Want to ensure that your hair
grows? Properly clean your scalp and moisturize your hair, focusing on the ends
and you’ll be good to go.
Alcohol is a good facial
astringent
If you use alcohol on your face, I’m giving you
a major side-eye right now. Alcohol is only good for killing bacteria and
drying your skin out. It’s way too harsh to be used on our delicate skin. A
great alternative would be witch hazel. It’s easy on the skin, very
inexpensive, and is a great natural astringent.
Braiding or pulling your hair
tight makes it grow faster
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this
one. I even had a stylist tell me this as she proceeded to try to braid my then
3-year-old daughter’s hair clean out of her head. Listen and listen well—pulling
one’s hair tight doesn’t make it grow. On the contrary, it can potentially
cause permanent hair loss. Can you say traction alopecia?
Putting toothpaste on pimples
makes them go away
If by “makes them go away” you mean “makes
them grow three times larger” then, yes, toothpaste makes pimples “go away.” I’m
sure I am not the only one that has tried to get rid of a pimple with toothpaste.
I’ve tried it tons of times and each time was a complete fail. Toothpaste only
irritates breakouts and oftentimes makes them worse.
“Greasing” your scalp is an
important part of your hair care regimen
According to Dr. Kari Williams, greasing your
scalp can cause more damage than good. It can clog your pores and exacerbate
problems you already have. Adding grease to a flaking scalp only plasters those
flakes to your scalp. It does not get rid of them. Instead of focusing on
greasing your scalp, focus on applying light oils to your hair. Regular styling
and scalp massages will distribute the oil naturally to your scalp.
Women with darker skin can’t
wear red lipstick
Lies, I tell you. All lies. All Black women, no
matter how light or dark the complexion, can wear red lipstick. It’s all about
finding the shade that best complements your skin tone. In my experience as a
makeup artist, I’ve found that MAC Cosmetics’ Ruby Woo and Russian Red work on
any shade of brown skin.
Black hair doesn’t grow long
There are a ton of myths surrounding Black hair.
One of the biggest myths is that our hair doesn’t grow long—and if it does
grow, it is because the Black person is mixed with another race. This couldn’t
be further from the truth. Truth is, Black hair, no matter how kinky it may be,
can and does grow long. There’s no genetic trait held only by Black people that
keeps our hair from growing. Chemical overprocessing and improper haircare is
what keeps some hair from growing. All hair grows. We have to protect and
nourish it to keep it from breaking off.
What other myths have you heard of? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
