Tress Truth: As much as we’d like to believe this to be true, uh uh. You can temporarily treat your split ends with fortifying conditioners like Biolage by Matrix ForteTherapie Intensive Strengthening Masque ($9, drugstore.com), but the little scragglers do still exist. The only way to fully repair your hair is by ridding it of its bad parts—and by that we mean cutting.
Tress Truth: “This is definitely not true! Everyone has a point where the hair will just stop growing regardless of ethnicity,” explains Washington. “Hair growth comes from a good diet and well-maintained hair. Taking multivitamins, drinking water, eating green vegetables, trimming the hair a quarter of inch every four to eight weeks all promotes hair growth.”
“This myth really depends on the person. The more oil-producing glands you have, the less likely you are to experience lack of hair moisture from washing. If your scalp does not produce enough sebum, which is oil, washing frequently will dry the hair out,” says Washington. Water coupled with great moisturizing products like Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural Intensive Moisturizing Shampoo ($5, drugstores nationwide) will help to reduce dryness after washing.
Tress Truth: Applying chemicals to your hair does weaken the hair shaft. However, that does not mean that natural hair has the strength of 1,000 men. Actually, all of those cute little curls and kinks could be your hair’s breaking point—literally. No matter how thick or strong your natural strands may look, handle them with care. Aside from your usual conditioning treatments, apply a leave-in conditioning balm like Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment ($5, drugstore.com) to protect your mane against daily wear and tear.