Fact Check: Can Black hair not grow very long?

THE CLAIM: Black hair does not grow easily. “Good hair” or looser curl patterns are special because they can grow more in length.

OUR RATING: False

Before securing all of her well-deserved Grammy wins at the 2024 awards ceremony, SZA explained,“ I just wanna be better than my last project to myself. I wanna be a better writer. I wanna be a better artist, musician… a better thinker. I just wanna do things that make myself proud and interested.” Just like the S.O.S. album, the songstress has gradually sculpted her own hair into a fine piece of artwork.

During the five-year process it took to prepare her second album, SZA has simultaneously documented her hair growth journey. “Getting to know you & your crown has been a pleasure,” her hair guide and stylist, Whitney Eaddy wrote on Instagram. To celebrate her hair recovering from damage and growing into a thick healthy ponytail, SZA posted in her caption, “One time for the 4c Gorls.” slyly dispelling the myth that natural Black hair cannot be long or even grow easily.

SZA’s excitement was a simple, matter-of-fact realization that has hit many other Black women who’ve done the same: Pursue healthy hair care while living in a fog of Eurocentric beauty standards.

To be clear, there is no singular type of Black hair. A range of natural curl patterns, colors and textures exist. Since Oprah’s personal hair stylist established the Andre Walker Hair Typing System or “The Hair Chart” in the ‘90s, various types of afro hair are either referred to as 4A (kinky, defined coil), 4B (z-shaped coil) or 4C (tight, o-shaped coil pattern). Of these, 4C or tightly coiled afro hair is often assumed to be inherently dry and unable to grow “properly.” But this is not true. There is no such thing as normal. For people of African descent, hair does grow slower (2 inches per month) than other racial groups. Asian hair grows the fastest at 8 inches per month. Whether your hair type grows faster or slower than white people (at 5 inches per month) is not what determines overall hair health. A Eurocentric global beauty industry has embraced the average speed of growth associated with white people as “ordinary.” But genetically different rates of growth are just that — different. All hair types can be healthy and reach the same lengths; just in diverse ways.

It’s important to note, not everyone agrees with using the Andre Walker Hair Typing System. It was initially created in 1997 as a way to help market Walker’s hair product line to different textures. But, the labels used in the chart to describe curl patterns remain popular reference points, particularly when marketing Black hair products or describing Black hair.

Retaining your hair length and avoiding breakage, which happens more often for those with a curl pattern, depends on the products you use, age, environment, and personal health factors. “In a normal healthy scalp, about 80 perfect of the hairs are actively growing,” Dr. Mia Jing Gao explained to Live Science.

A Black person with a 4C curl pattern could have the exact same length of hair as someone with straight or wavy hair (1a-3c, according to the Andre Walker System). 4C textured hair gives a perception of being shorter and growing slower because its follicles are oval shaped and coily like a spring. The strands must be fully stretched or combed out to see their complete length. If your hair is long, wavy, fine or straight, it can still be unhealthy. Length does not automatically translate into having hair that won’t break. It may be a traditional qualifier for beauty, but not for healthy hair.

The physics of shrinkage also fuels the notion of afro hair not growing quickly. Shrinkage is when wet curly hair reduces in length as it dries out. Shrinkage in afro curl patterns is often mistaken for damaged hair. In actuality, your hair could be the exact opposite, growing in length and just requiring more care when it dries. Recalling the first time she cut her hair off, actress Lupita Nyong’o admitted, “I just got fed up going to the salon every week. I’d had enough! On a whim, it was off. It’s low-maintenance.”

The Black hair care industry has an estimated value of $2.5 billion. In 2026, it is projected to reach over $6.9 billion. For Black consumers, the majority — roughly 80 percent — of their hair care budget is spent at beauty supply stores. Investing in a variety of hair products does reflect creativity and a certain willingness to experiment. But, trying different types of products too often can also impact a consumer’s ability to maintain healthy natural hair because it’s likely to leave a consumer exposed to toxins. Black women spend approximately $1.7 billion annually on hair care products.

Chemicals in certain personal hair products primarily used by Black women, like parabens and phthalates, are known endocrine disruptors. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Dr. Tamarra James-Todd pointed out, “About 50 percent of products advertised to Black women contain these types of chemicals, compared to maybe only 7 percent that are advertised to white women… I think that there needs to be more products introduced on the market, with recognition that these products are important to African-American women and that they do have purchasing power,” adding, “This is a very large industry.”

The belief of biologically having a “bad” hair type can lead to people avoiding consistent treatment altogether. Receiving harsh beauty maintenance methods, incorrect info or products might help you look good, but not necessarily be healthy for overall hair growth. Using a cycle of harmful products and inconsistent treatments can lead to scalp build-up, with tightly coiled hair not growing faster, but still technically growing. Solange Knowles once mused, “I think many people, especially from other cultures, just don’t understand the role hair plays in Black women’s lives.”

Every month, Black women in the US spend an average of $54.14 on hair care products, more than any other race or ethnicity. According to Gitnux Market Data Report, 36 percent of Black women in the United States preferred natural hair over chemically treated hair. As more Black consumers move toward natural hairstyles, the marketing psychology embraced has become one of nurturing hair, purchasing products that prioritize self-care.

For Black women, hair is a sacred mark of beauty. Whether braids, swirly edges, a blow-out, high ponytail or no hair at all — different styles act as badges of honor and can unravel stories or memories. 4C hair grows tightly, but beautifully. Like other hair types or body parts, it all depends on how you decide to care for it and what resources you have access to. But questioning if the 4C curl pattern can even grow properly should no longer be up for debate. Even in 2024, the act of wearing your afro hair natural at work or on Instagram, is still a brave, revolutionary act. If you’ve already been given a crown, all you have to do is wear it.

]]>