5 Things Keeping You From a Solid Hair Regimen

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Chloe O'Neal

Chloe is an entrepreneur and natural-hair veteran. Her passion for helping women in all aspects of womanhood fuels her creativity. You can find her on social media sharing insightful observations, or exploring her hometown. Look for her on Instagram @ChloeBlooms or Twitter @whoaskedher

5. Hair-Blogger Obsessed

It’s natural to get inspired by what we see and we love natural hair bloggers! That’s just about the only way you will find specific techniques and see them in action but you can’t try them all at once. If you find yourself constantly changing or adding to your regimen week-to-week based on what you saw from different hair bloggers, you’ll eventually burn out. You also won’t be able to properly evaluate what has and hasn’t worked. I’d recommend following a blogger with a similar hair type and if you desire to mimic the routine, then try it for at least three to four weeks. Give it sufficient time to determine if it’s effective for you before moving on.

4. Regimen Overload

Similar to the blogger-obsessed, you do too much too fast. You do the Inversion Method daily, deep-condition on Monday, rinse in Apple Cider Vinegar on Thursday, etc. Your regimen is overloaded! Much like a diet, if you do too much too soon, you will also burn out. Slow implementation is more likely to stick. What is your greatest hair need? Focus on consistently addressing that for starters.

3. Trust Issues

Ok, so you saw this video on YouTube and followed her Twist Out regimen down to a tee including the exact products. I mean you really took your time. The problem was, your hair looks like blah with a little curl on the ends while her Twist-Out is all spirally and luxurious. I know the feeling…grrr! It is so frustrating to go through all-of-that-work, even forfeiting comfortable sleep, and it not turn out like you imagined in the morning. What do we do? We revert to our simplest style. Those moments of discouragement can cause us to forego any regimen because we don’t want to risk wasting our time. Much like diet failure, we can’t let one disappointment knock us off-kilter. Natural hair is so unique to the individual and one simple ingredient can be the difference in how your style turned out vs how somebody else’s turned out. You just have to find what techniques and products work for you. Which leads to the next thing keeping you from a solid hair regimen.

2. Overwhelmed by Product Choices

The thought of even typing this section is overwhelming so I’m going to pause…okay. There are so many products!! I am loving how the natural hair community is being accommodated and the burst of black-owned hair care businesses is refreshing. With this rapid influx of products comes the feeling of being overwhelmed which can lead to avoiding the scenario all together. What do I choose? Bloggers are helpful when it comes to this but even that takes some sifting. Self-exploration is probably what most of us do. If that is your primary method, I’d recommend trying whole product lines at once; that would be more effective than trying various brands at once. It’s hard to pinpoint what works and what doesn’t if you’re all over the place. For help deciding what products to choose, see below.

1. Too Expensive

Lastly, the cost to buy the products needed for each step in a regimen can rack up! That’s a major factor. The good thing is there are some cheap finds out there but as with any product type, you have to look. You can even resort to making your own products if you have the time. Certain product types you can skimp on name brands like shampoo and conditioner to save extra money but I’d definitely recommend keeping your moisturizers, leave-ins, or styling aids specific. Protective styles are best for those on a budget because they require low manipulation/product application. If all else fails, I count on coconut oil or olive oil to stretch me through to my next purchases. For the budget-conscious, pick two or three staple items that are sufficient for your day-to-day maintenance and leave the splurging for special occasions.

A regimen of any sort is challenging because it means consistency but pinpointing deterrents will make implementation more likely to stick. Wherever you are in your hair journey, take pride in the fact that you have embraced what’s natural and have committed to being the best version of yourself. Slowly and surely is the name of the game. You’ve already jumped over the hardest hurdle: transitioning. Maintenance is the fun part! Enjoy the excitement of trying new things, achieving better results, and sharing what has worked for your hair with others.

Author: Chloe O’Neal