| Many African American women have a difficult time | | | | haircare brand against any old random one off a store |
| growing black hair long, and despite years of effort, | | | | shelf, they will both often contain at least one of the |
| you could be forgiven for concluding that it just isn't | | | | things we should all avoid. They are: |
| possible to have strong and healthy hair as long or as | | | | - silicones (usually found in hair conditioners, although |
| short as you want. There's something different about | | | | some shampoos contain this as well) |
| our hair that makes this dream impossible, right? | | | | - petroleum based hair "greases", or any cream based |
| Wrong! I'm not going to pretend it's easy, but what I will | | | | on it |
| do is to explain why it's common that people get this | | | | - any mineral oil based hair lotions |
| impression. The whole thing is just a myth that the | | | | And these are exactly the problem. Growing black hair |
| haircare industry continues to promote, despite the fact | | | | long is next to impossible when you continue to use |
| that growing black hair long is a lot simpler than you'd | | | | products that encourage the "grow a little, break a lot" |
| think. | | | | brittleness cycle that African American hair goes |
| Basically, the problem is that us girls with African | | | | through if not cared for properly. |
| American hair continue to use the wrong products - | | | | The great news once you've learnt the valuable lesson |
| usually because that's just how we've always treated | | | | above is that growing black hair long becomes a much |
| our hair, or because we don't know what alternatives | | | | more straightforward task to achieve. It's a lesson that |
| are available. It's a very easy trap to fall into, because | | | | the black haircare industry hates people passing on. |
| it's not always obvious that your haircare routine needs | | | | Long, strong, healthy African American hair which |
| to change. For example, even if you think you're buying | | | | grows quickly doesn't require an endless amount of |
| a haircare product that's been formulated to suit your | | | | care, it doesn't require expensive products, and it |
| African American hair, it's often just marketing hype. | | | | doesn't require constant trips and advice from salons |
| I'm pretty sure that if you were to really look at the | | | | to get right. |
| ingredients list of your preferred African American | | | | |