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6 COMMON NATURAL HAIR SINS
Let me tell you the story of Lauren. She washes her hair with the top of the line shampoos and conditioners. She deep conditions regularly and makes sure that her hair is regularly moisturized. However, for some reason, her hair is still not growing! She has tried wide tooth combs, Denman Brushes, and even the Felicia Leatherwood Brush. She big chopped 3 years ago and yet… her hair is barley at her shoulders when stretched! Are you in the same boat as Lauren? Are you struggling to grow your hair? Have you even tried to convince yourself that maybe your hair just doesn’t grow past a certain length? If you answered yes, you might be committing these 6 Common Natural Hair Sins and Mistakes. Discover the truth and save yourself time, money, and moreover, emotional pain and frustration.
#1 You Don’t Use The Right Products!
First, never assume what is in a bottle! Always read the label! Your hair and scalp are just as sensitive as your skin. Odds are, if you cannot eat it, it is more than likely not the best product for your hair. But moreover, many products contain substances such as isopropyl alcohol, which is the main product in rubbing alcohol. If you haven’t already guessed, that is not something you should be putting in your hair. Your hair will dry out and become more brittle the more you use products with isopropyl alcohol. In addition, try to avoid sulfate shampoos. Sulfate is another drying agent. In the end, sulfates and isopropyl alcohol will cause hair loss in the long run. I recommend downloading the Think Dirty App before purchasing your next hair products.
#2 You Confuse Detangling Your Hair with Breaking Your Hair!
Second, we have all heard the infamous popping sound when a hair strand decided it has had enough time dealing with you. To many of us, this is the sound signaling that it is time to slow down and be gentler on our hair. But to others, this is just a normal part of detangling. If this is a normal sound you hear while detangling, you are more than likely detangling your hair wrong. You may say, “But, Double Nn! There is no right or wrong way to detangle your hair!” I have to 150% disagree. Everyone’s hair is different therefore, no person detangles their hair the exact same way. However, your hair is telling you that you are not implementing the best method for her through the repeated popping sounds. To some of you this may sound like common sense, but I have had a roommate who would rake a Denman Brush straight through her hair after showering and all you would hear were snaps and pops. If you are experiencing this unfortunate occurrence, you are either not using enough conditioner, not using the right type of conditioner for you hair type, using the wrong detangling tool, or being too rough. Those are the main 4 culprits. Remember to do detective work when figuring out what works for you hair and what doesn’t. These are 4 common culprits, but they are not all of the culprits.
#3 Overly Manipulating Your Hair!
In addition, many girls fall prey to the idea that we have to have a different hairstyle every day in order to look beautiful. Trying to dress to impress will only be your downfall when it comes to hair. Constantly trying every new hairstyle you see on social media or around you will lead to hair breakage. Our hair is very vulnerable to breaking. In addition, trying to have laid hair with edges on fleek constantly is detrimental to your hair health. In order to lay our hair down, often times we have to slap layer upon layer of gels and various products on our hair. Our hair is smothering and is in dire need of a break. Give your hair some space! You can wear the same hairstyle for a week or even two weeks ladies. People will judge you whether you look good or not, so why do you care? Trying to live up to other people’s standards will have you bald and exposed. You will save time and your hair will grow more the more you leave your hair alone.
#4 Not Trimming Your Hair Often Enough
Moreover, split and thinning ends are not your friend. Do not mistake length with healthy hair. Once a hair strand splits, it continues to split until it reaches the root. One way to prevent split ends is to make sure you regularly moisturize your hair, but even that will not completely save you from the doom of split or thinning ends. Try to make a habit of trimming your hair at least once every 3-4 months, but it might vary for you. Some people can go longer. Some people can go shorter. Some people cut it on their own and others go to a professional. Ultimately, don’t procrastinate on your hair health and wait too long for trims. There is nothing more devastating than going to a hair salon to get a trim and finding out they have to cut inches off your hair because your hair split so high up the hair shaft.
#5 Not Shampooing Enough and Co-Washing Too Often!
Next, in the natural hair community, we hear a lot about co-washing. There has become this strange stigma around shampooing. Now, some misinformed people believe that shampooing is bad and only co-wash. This is dangerous! Shampooing with the right kind of shampoo is important for the health of your hair. Shampooing removes product build up, dirt, dead skin, and many other things. Of course, avoid sulfur based shampoos because they will dry your hair, but the total avoidance of shampooing is completely unnecessary. Co-washing will only cause build up of conditioner after a while. This will stunt hair growth and health. However, shampooing is not something to be done every single day for most naturals. Place your hand on your head and scratch your scalp a little bit. Do you see crust? Smell it. Does it have an odd odor? Has your hair been itching even after moisturizing and adding oils? These are some of the ways to tell if you need to shampoo your hair. Speaking from my personal experience and hearing from some of my friends, the higher you go up the hair spectrum approaching type 4 hair, the less often you have to shampoo or wash your hair in general. Just keep that in mind. Usually, type 4 hair does not need to be washed as often as type 3 hair, but this may or may not be the case for you! Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with co-washing, but it should never be exclusive. Find a good balance for your hair.
#6 Not Paying Attention To the Signals Your Hair is Giving You!
In the end, the best way to know if you are damaging your hair is to pay attention to your hair. Your hair needs to be monitored and watched closely. A simple change in a brand of conditioners and shampoos can completely alter the way your hair reacts. One brand will make your hair feel smooth like butter while the other will make your hair feel like it was fried under a flat iron. Your hair may also react to one brush differently than another. One brush might rake your hair out while the other glides through with no problem. Some hair will adore one comb and absolutely hate the other to the point of nearly cursing it out. Some hair detangling methods will snap your hair into oblivion while others will make your hair flow down like water. This is why it is imperative to take into consideration different hair advice. Try it out and see if it works. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I have seen way too many people take hair advice from bloggers and continually do the regimen that worked for the blogger and ignore the cries from their hair. They instead think that they are doing something wrong when in reality their hair just does not like that method. Never force your hair to act differently from the way it naturally acts.
Share your Natural Hair Sins in the comments. Tell me your story of what has worked and what hasn’t worked for you. Thank you for reading!
