I know I can't be the only one that has searched far and wide, read review after review, watched results vid after vid trying to find the miracle hair product that will transform their hair. Well I am here to tell you that it does NOT exist!
Now don't get me wrong, there are a lot of GREAT products out there. But that's just it, there are are a lot of them. More than one hair product or combination of products will potentially work wonders for your hair. Once that product is found, the search can end. I remember when I first learned that there was this whole natural hair community out there and I got caught up in this whole whirl wind of product junkyism trying to figure out which product was THE best. Come to find out there are a lot of them that I like...and sadly most of them I can't afford to purchase on a consistent basis unless they are on sale =(. So this blog post isn't a review or some product promotion it's more of a reality check. Because I know sometimes I STILL need one when I find myself getting caught up in thinking of trying new products.
On my hair journey back in 2010 and 2011 I learned that there are a multitude of things you can put in your hair from conditioners, to pre-poos and different moisturizers. There are tons of techniques and styling methods to be used to preserve length and encourage growth. But it if you don't (or in my case can't) do them on a regular basis then there is no point! As soon as you stop or break dramatically from the routine you hair eventually goes back to the way it was. Think about it. Your hair is kind of like your body. It is a reflection of your lifestyle. You can't expect to be super athletic and lean, turning cartwheels and doing hand stands if you sit on the couch all day eating potato chips. Right? The same way you can't really expect your hair to be healthy and strong if it is always parched dry, never conditioned or taken care of day to day. One deep conditioner is not going to change your hair retention just like one trip to the gym isn't going to shrink your thighs. And even your hair does change, it's more like a crash diet. You may lose a few pounds, but if nothing about your daily habits have changed, don't worry those pounds will be coming back. And your hair will go right back too.
You have to be CONSISTENT in whatever it is that you do to your hair. And that, my friends is the magic product - consistency! Find a hair care regimen, products and styles that fit you. If you can't afford to always pay $40 a bottle for 8 oz of conditioner or moisturizer, please don't try and make that a staple product. If it takes you 3 hrs to do a style that only lasts for 2 days that might not be a good "go-to" style for you. So get to know your hair. Learn it well. Find your foundation for consistency and then go from there.
