Setback #3 – Not knowing what to do when you see breakage – There are basics that need to be followed to keep your natural hair healthy. You must cleanse, moisturize, seal and protect and how you choose to do those things will vary but when you upset the order of things you can begin seeing breakage and it may continue for a long while with no letting up.
Again, that can be daunting but don’t panic. Evaluate your techniques; are you cleansing properly? Are you rushing through any of your basic steps? When was your last deep condition or protein deep condition? Are you using too much heat or chemical treatments? Are you stressed? There are several reasons why you may be seeing breakage so don’t panic and start doing EVERYTHING at once.
Remember what you are supposed to be doing and see if you are staying on track. Most likely you are slipping in one or two areas and you just need to revamp your routine. It’s OK to slip but don’t neglect your tresses for long as they will fight back with breakage.
Setback #4 – Your hair doesn’t seem to be growing – All hair grows so if you feel your hair isn’t growing at the normal rate of 1/2 an inch a month, then you may not be retaining length. Your ends are the most fragile and the oldest hairs so take care of them.
Get trims regularly, especially if you do more manipulation to your tresses like heat styling and chemical treatments. Seal your ends to retain moisture and to fight off split ends.
Try protective styles and wear your satin bonnet*, scarves or sleep on satin pillowcases*. Protect, protect, protect, you will begin to see a difference once you make this priority.
Setback #5 – Not liking your natural hair – This will remain a setback until you accept and love your tresses. They are yours and no one else in the world has the exact same coils as you do. Nurture them and they will thrive but if you hate them they will stifle under your neglect and wither.
It’s ok to not like your hair for a while, but know this, you must love yourself completely in order to grow as a person and become successful. Step one of that lesson is accepting your unique beauty and loving who you are.
You cannot change your hair texture but you can give it what it needs to be as gorgeous as it can. Others love your hair even if you don’t know it. Embrace your ‘do’ and be that striking natural that’s inside dying to come out and play!
Verline Ferguson says
Cut e off like mi
Michelle Nicole Charley says
I have a little heat damage in the back so I just regularly condition and wait till the pieces get longer before I cut them slowly over time.
Sabrina Richmond Perkins says
Smart!
Angel Thornton says
same here!!! got a blowout for the first time since I been natural and I have heat damage, just that one time set me back. yes that’s a very smart way to get rid of them.
Drea Taylor says
I love this article – thanks!
Alisha Jasmine Graham says
I’m relaxed and I’ve experienced these problems in slightly different ways
Sabrina Richmond Perkins says
Really? I’d love to know what. Share.
Alisha Jasmine Graham says
When I first started my relaxed hair journey I couldn’t figure out how it was different from what I was previously doing. It took some searching and reading to start finding protective styles, products, etc. that worked for me that help repair some of the damage from relaxers. This made me realize the I couldn’t use some of the same products I used before. Breakage had always been a huge problem for me but after reading some blogs and hair journey stories I’ve began to develop some ways to deal with it. Breakage and shedding has been a main cause for not retaining length for me so sometimes I feel as if my hair isn’t growing. And since I’ve started my hair journey I’ve been texlaxing and sometimes I’m not happy with the two different textures of my hair.
cv watson says
I have been natural fora yesr now and I have no edges I recently wore my hair out and had to keep a band around my head to hide my edges. I would like some tips on hiding this without scarfs and bands. I realize that once my hair starts to get longer I will be able to hide this flaw. I have always had this problem but I do see some hair in those spaces.I plan to stay natural and would like to able to enjoy my twa. Right now I have a protective style and my hair is doing well. This is not my first attempt at this and I think I will keep it this time around. Please give any tips on helping me with this. Thanks bronx natural
MichelleF. says
Every time I butt-up on ‘Setback #5’, I take my bottle of ‘confidence spray’, spritz it on the part of my head that annoys me (or my whole head if it’s a REALLY BAD DAY), pat it down, close my eyes, open them again and once again I’m in love with my hair. It sounds silly but, for me, it really works.
P.S. My ‘confidence spray’ is just made up of water, glycerin and IC leave-in hair & scalp thingy lol.
Daphne Mills says
Ahhh thank you for the 411
Nikki Jones Perez says
Your welcome, I’m reading it too!