I'm sure that at some point in your hair journey you have been reached a plateau, where you no longer see the results that you were seeing previously... does that make sense? It may sound something like this; my hair isn't growing anymore; my hair doesn't like this product anymore; my hair doesn't curl up the way that it use to... I mean the list goes on and on. I am just as guilty as the next person of saying some or all of those things, but here's the thing, it’s not all true. I’m going tell you my experience with some of the most notorious "hair problems" and how what you are doing contributes to the problem.
Hair Problem #1: My hair
won’t grow. Okay, clearly you should all know by now that is far from true. The
problem isn't that your hair won’t grow; the problem is that you can’t retain
length. If you are alive and breathing, then your hair is growing. The issue is
that your regimen is preventing you from seeing the growth. Your diet is
preventing you from seeing the results. The products that you use are
preventing you from seeing results. I'm not sure why, but it’s easier to accept
that your hair doesn't grow, then admitting that something it’s something that you
are causing yourself. I am a firm believer in the concept that, it’s not what
you use; it’s how you use it. I have tried an overwhelming amount of products,
cheap, expensive, commercial, natural, organic, name brand, off brand...etc. Let
me tell you it has nothing to do with what you use, it’s about how you use the
products. You can have the best products and still see no growth at all. The
secret to length retention is preservation, or simply put, getting your hair to
maximum growth potential. I was talking to this girl this morning, and she
asked me, what is the best Deep Conditioning treatment? This was my answer
"Spray your hair with water, and place a shower cap over your hair and
leave it in for a few hours or overnight." To which she said, "That
doesn't work." It really puzzled me as to why she didn't believe that. The
main key to hair preservation is, MOISTURE, the ONLY true moisturizer is WATER.
The key to length retention is trapping moisture in your hair. Everything this
else is an AIDE in sealing in the moisture. The misconception that "products"
are ultimate moisturizer, is the reason why we don't see the results we want.
Once you can wrap your mind around that concept, I think you will begin to see
results that you want.
Hair Problem #2: My hair
doesn't like this product anymore. Been there, said that. This is actually a
true statement, but not for the reason that you may think. I often hear people
say this, and I too, myself have said this, that your hair is use to a certain
product, so it no longer responds to it. Once a follicle breaks through the
scalp it is dead, and everything from that point on is preservation; keeping
the bulb attached to the scalp. Your hair is not a living organism, so it cannot
"get use to" a product, but what it can do is out GROW a product
literally. What worked for your hair when it was a TWA (teeny weeny Afro), may
no longer work for your shoulder length hair, because your hair needs are
different at different lengths. When your hair is short, your hairs natural
oils reach all the strands, but the longer your hair gets, the harder it
becomes for sebum to reach the ends of your hair. That means that you need to
adjust your regiment to meet that need. Your hair products and regimen will
change as your hair grows. If you don't adapt to that change, then you will
become a victim of Hair Problem #1.
Hair Problem #3: My hair
doesn't curl up any more. Oh story of my life, lol. I don't know one person
with curly hair, who hasn't had this problem. I also don't know any person with
one curl pattern through their entire head. It’s also quite possible, almost
expected that over time your curl pattern will change. The reasons are plenty, ranging
from environmental causes, age, diet, and of course product regimen. What I
have learned from personal experience is that, it’s pointless to fight this,
embrace it, and keep it moving. In order to get the results you want, whether
its length, healthy hair, or moisture, PLEASE, STOP TREATING THE HAIR YOU WANT
AND START TREATING THE HAIR YOU HAVE.
Hair Problem #4: This,
in my opinion, is the Holy Grail of Hair Growth Secret to Length retention. I
wish that someone would have told me in the beginning: Treat the hair you have,
not the hair you want. Treating the hair that you have will give you the hair
you want. Basically, if you have type 3C hair, don’t care for or use products
for type 4C hair, or vice versa. You will always get the results you don't
want. I think that part of this is perpetuated by blogs, YT, and commercials,
that if you have natural hair then you need to use Shea butter, Castor oil or
other oils to moisturize or get your hair to grow. This is so not true, if you
have a fine hair type; heavy oils will suffocate and weigh your hair down. If
you have type 4B hair using grape-seed oil, which is a very thin oil, it will
not be heavy enough for you hair. I think the internet, YT, and blogs are great
avenues for information, but don’t allow it to dictate what is best for YOUR
hair. Only you know what does, and doesn't work for your hair. Stop trying to
force products to work for your hair because someone, who has never seen or touched
your hair, said it would.
I hope that this was
helpful to many of you who are just starting or who have reached a plateau in
your hair growth. Remember, this is just hair, it’s not meant to stress you
out. It’s supposed to be fun, so just let it grow.
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