Want Longer Hair? 3 Things You May Be Missing

Recently, during my daily scouring of the internet for natural hair news and information, I noticed a pattern. For all the natural hair resources out there, it appears as if there are relatively few women who are satisfied with their natural hair and/or are not hitting their hair goals.

Now, to be fair, for as much good information as there is out there, there is also a ton of misinformation. One could easily become confused by all the YouTube videos, blogs and articles. But there is one thing that I have found that separates fact from fiction: science. When I search intently enough, science always backs up and confirms my hair care suspicions and questions.

So this begs the question: if there is scientific information out there to help us address our hair concerns, then why aren't more of us meeting our hair goals? Is it because we aren't diligent in seeking out accurate information? Is it because we lack a hair goal? I'm not quite sure. But here are three things that I have noticed are usually missing from hair care regimens:

1. Discipline While on my research kicks, time after time I come across ladies who are not satisfied with their hair growth and/or the condition of their hair, yet they keep doing things to sabotage themselves, like applying lots of heat or permanent dyes to their hair. Our hair goals are like any other goals we set in life, and in order to achieve them it is important to exercise discipline. If we consistently apply the rules of proper hair care then we will see the growth we're hoping for.
2. Patience Have you ever heard that "patience is a virtue"? Well this is especially true when it comes to caring for our curls and kinks. I'm sorry to say it, but there are no "miracle" products or techniques out there that will make our hair grow faster. All hair grows at about the same rate: about a 1/2 inch per month, and nothing we do to our hair is going to change that. But what we can do is exercise patience, and rather than focusing on how fast our hair is growing, we can instead choose to focus our energy on handling our hair gently, minimizing manipulation, wearing it in protective styles, and sealing the moisture into our strands.
3. Persistence This one goes hand-in-hand with discipline and patience. Constantly changing up your regimen will mostly likely end in frustration. There is no harm in trying new products. However, it would probably be a good idea to spread them out over a period of time. Pace yourself according to your wash schedule. If, for example, you wash your hair once a week, then maybe commit to trying out a product for a month and see how your hair likes it. But if you're constantly trying product after product without giving your hair a chance to "breathe," then you might be doing more harm than good. The women I've seen on YouTube with consistent hair regimens have beautiful, healthy hair and they meet their hair goals.

I hope these tips help you achieve your hair goals!