Despite the unconditional love we have for our kinks, we tend to make a few mistakes when it comes to caring for it. We don't pay much attention to what we put our hair through. Keeping in mind what I can slack when it comes to caring for my hair, here's a list of eight common mistakes we make.
1.) Comparing hair journeys
Just like I have said before, comparing your hair to other’s can over lead to disappointment. You can 't expect your hair to be shoulder length in just seven months after big chopping because you saw it happen to someone else on Instagram. You have to realize that everyone is different and journeys can and will vary from person to person.
2.) Focusing too much on length rather than health
Most people tend to think that long hair is better hair which isn't the case. Growing shoulder-length hair isn't a hard task, growing healthy lengthy hair can be. In reality, healthy hair is key. Sure long hair is pretty, but have you the beauty of nice healthy hair? Sometimes starting off fresh is nice to consider.
3.) Product junkie
Having tons of different products isn’t beneficial if anything it’s confusing. If you repeatedly use the same products then your hair already knows how to act and YOU will never be surprised. Using multiple different products actually confuses your hair. Every time you use a different set of products, you can assume for a different turn out each time.
4.) Being too harsh
Ripping out your hair isn’t getting you anywhere. Knots, especially strand knots, can be extremely annoying to deal with but you can to try to keep your composure. When you decide to rip through those knots or even just pull them out, you’re not helping your case. Doing this adds to the breakage you’re already struggling with.
5.) Over manipulating/detangling
Reflecting off of mistake number four, over manipulation can lead to those knots. Playing around in your hair can cause those knots and tangles, creating a domino effect. As far as over detangling, if you struggle with brittle hair, detangling could be a nightmare. Trying to get every little knot out can make matters worse. With that being said, sometimes it’s just best to leave a few knots here and there.
6.) Assuming hair types
When we first decide to go natural many of us have no clue what to expect out of our hair. If you’re anything like me, I got my first relaxer at a young age and my mom has always done my hair. Never having touched my hair I didn’t know what my hair type would be and I had no idea hair porosity was a thing. I looked every YouTuber with natural hair, and I didn’t care about how their hair could be different from mine. Due to that, I fell victim to false expectations. I watched type 3C and 4A hair video and expected my hair to be just like theirs. Moral of the story is don’t be like me and expand your horizon.
7.) Not getting needed trims
We all love the idea of having length and don’t want to lose it, but we still need to get a trim every once in a while. When we trim our hair we’re just making our hair short than we may want, in reality, it is helping our hair grow. Trims help to get rid of split ends as well as any single strand knots.
8.) Using cotton towels
If you dry your hair with a casual cotton towel, you might want to stop. Using a cotton towel to dry your hair after every wash day, leads to breakage. We don’t always realize it, but when using a towel our hair can sometimes get caught within the cotton. An alternative for a cotton towel is a microfiber towel or even an old cotton t-shirt.