7 Narratives About Hair Care We Must Change

Introduction

You know the old phrase already – everyone’s a critic. No matter what you do and how you present yourself to the world, there will always be someone there to tell you they wouldn’t have done that if they were in your shoes.

But the opposite is often the case as well. There will often be a person who appreciates the effort you’ve gone to, who will find your approach to be inspiring or just worth acknowledging with positivity.

It’s also healthy to look to some of the narratives we might have accepted as true and try to flip them if they no longer serve us.

For example, while it’s true it’s healthier and an improvement to live life at a healthy weight, you can absolutely look wonderful, radiant and yourself at a larger size, too.

Understanding that means you can avoid trying to justify yourself to anyone.

So what other narratives can we flip, specifically about particular areas of our body? For instance, if you find hair care to be important, then you’ll no doubt come into a great deal of advice prescribed to you.

Let Us Bust 7 Hair Care Myths

Here’s how to give your own opinions more weight. We intend to bust a number of narratives in that light:

I’ll naturally expand each section while maintaining that simple, conversational style:

Hair Advice Is Applicable To Everyone

Your hair type is as unique as your fingerprint, and it’s healthy to think that way. So, what works for your friend’s fine, straight hair might be completely wrong for your thick, curly locks.

Those viral social media hair tips often skip this basic truth, and advice can’t always apply to you on a 1:1 level.

For instance, some people’s hair thrives on daily washing, while others do better with weekly washes, as there’s no universal rulebook.

Even siblings can have completely different hair needs unless identical, and even then there can be subtle variances.

The temperature of your water, the hardness of it, your local climate, and even your daily activities all play a role in what your hair needs too.

Now, should you keep all this hyper-detailed advice in mind before making a decision? Not at all. But it might make you think more about who to take advice from.

For instance, your hair edges may be better managed when being discussed from an authentic source with a similar ethnic makeup to you, who is more likely to hold your hair type.

Your Hair Needs To Be A Certain Way

Anyone who has followed fashion or beauty standards for a while knows how hair trends swing wildly from one extreme to another.

One decade we appreciate poker-straight styles, the next it’s beach waves – ironically enough these are going out of fashion right now.

The truth is, your natural hair pattern is already “the right way,” and timeless because nature prescribed it to you, so working with your natural texture saves time, money, and damage from fighting against what your hair wants to do.

Does this mean you can never change it? Of course not! But don’t feel obligated to.

This is because your hair doesn’t need to fulfill anyone else’s vision of perfection. Some of the most striking looks come from people who’ve learned to enhance their natural pattern rather than fight it, so have fun!

Depending on your type, this could mean embracing your curls, waves, or even your straight texture. If you can find styles that work for that, you’ll always have something to fall back on.

Aesthetic Matters Over Health

Pretty hair that’s damaged is still damaged hair, and unfortunately, we see plenty of this in pop culture or beauty environments.

That’s because using hot tools daily or bleaching repeatedly might give you the look you want right now, but it’s like taking out a loan or a line of credit – you’ll pay for it later with breakage and dullness if you overdo it.

Moreover, healthy care looks great anyway! It tends to move better, style easier, and ironically often looks better than hair that’s been conformed into submission outside of particular use cases.

Now, if you’d prefer to have fun with it such as shaving areas or using punk spikes, well, there are better and worse ways of doing this, and it’s always best to opt for a natural product and conform with what your hair wishes to do to help direct your approach.

After all, starting with hair health creates a better foundation for any style you choose. The shine and bounce of healthy hair catch the eye more than any elaborate style on damaged strands, so be sure to prioritize it if you can.

It sounds strange to say, but if you think of your hair like a plant – directed but not conformed, and nourished as much as you can, it’ll thrive.

Hair Loss Should Be Avoided & Covered At Any Cost

Hair thinning is normal and natural for many people. Of course, this is quite common for men, but it happens to women too, and there’s zero shame in that.

That’s because the pressure to hide it or fix it at any cost often comes from clever marketing rather than genuine health concerns.

Some people choose to embrace their changing hair pattern, others prefer treatments or coverage options – both choices are equally valid, but you shouldn’t make that decision out of shame.

What matters is feeling comfortable in your own skin rather than feeling ashamed about a common human experience.

Many people find that accepting their changing hair pattern feels more liberating than fighting it.

Some even discover that shorter styles or different cuts actually suit them better than their previous look, or having fun with wigs can help them enjoy more formal events with confidence.

Don’t assume that you have to look a certain way, you’d be amazed at how accepting people can be despite the narratives we hear all the time.

Hair Dye Can’t Work In Professional Settings

These old rules are falling away fast, especially now more forward-thinking Gen X’ers and millennials tend to be in management positions in companies.

More workplaces now recognize that hair color doesn’t affect job performance, just as tattoos don’t.

While some industries remain conservative (you probably don’t want the aforementioned punk spikes if you run a legal practice of funeral directors), many now welcome personal expression through hair color.

The key is wearing your chosen color with confidence and maintaining it well. A well-maintained pink can look more professional than a neglected natural color.

The important factor is how you carry yourself and how well you maintain your chosen style. Look to Dr. Tom Crawford, an accomplished Oxford mathematician (arguably one of the most formal academic institutions in the world), whose alternative style does nothing to limit just how professional, affable, and capable he is in his role and chosen discipline – he has funky hair too!

So, if you’re worried, don’t worry. You’ll no doubt still be welcomed in professional settings.

A Hair Care Regimen Is “High Maintenance”

Strangely, people (especially women) are often described as being high maintenance if they care for their hairstyle and well-being.

That’s ridiculous, of course, as taking care of your hair isn’t vanity – it’s basic self-care, like brushing your teeth or exercising. So stand tall and don’t apologize for it.

Keep in mind tat a good routine actually saves time in the long run. When you understand your hair’s needs, you can meet them efficiently without endless products and steps, but it is a learning process and sometimes you have to experiment with practices.

Just keep it simple and remember that good care is often about working smarter, not harder. If your loving partner jokes that your forty-step hair care regimen is a little much, that’s different to someone mocking you because you want to spend time washing and nourishing your hair with vitamin solutions.

After all, many people find that a well-thought-out routine takes less time than dealing with constant bad hair days.

You Can’t Get By With Budget Care Products

Expensive doesn’t always mean better, as many people who save up for luxury products begin to learn. Many affordable products contain the same active ingredients as luxury brands but just with less fancy packaging or marketing behind it.

If you can read ingredient lists rather than focusing on fancy packaging or celebrity endorsements, you may save a great deal. Don’t worry, while you might not have the most beautiful rack of vanity products, if they work, they work.

Some of the most effective products sit right on shop shelves, performing just as well as their high-end alternatives but at a fraction of the cost, and that might mean you can nourish your hair more easily throughout the year than once in a while.

Just be sure to experiment and if you find any that seem to run counter to what you want, or damage the health of your hair, discontinue use immediately and write a user review so others know.

If you want luxury, consider going for the same salon-style options your hairdresser uses, as professional use is often a good testimonial.

With this advice, we believe you’ll be able to challenge some of the most common and pernicious narratives about hair care, if not publicly then at least in your own life!