5 Natural Hair Setbacks And How To Successfully Deal

With anything in life there will be setbacks, whether you are natural or relaxed you will have internal and external forces that may be keeping your hair from being as healthy as it can be. Couple that with problems in styling, hair health and management, and you could easily find yourself wondering what you are doing wrong and how you can get out of this downward spiral.

If you are like me then you won’t even notice the problem until it’s too late so being aware in the beginning stages of a problem is critical so that you suffer minimal damages to your tresses.

Setbacks are expected in the trial and error phases we encounter while going natural. Whether you transition or big chop there will be pitfalls that find you grasping for solutions. I get it, you panic as you are not sure what’s causing the problem but staying calm, focused and smart will get you through the setback and back on track to healthy, happy hair.

Setback #1 – Not knowing what to do when first going natural – It can be startling at first going natural, for one thing, you are going to see some remnants of your relaxed hair whether you big chop or transition.

You will probably have to deal with scab hair which is an unscientific term used to describe the newly grown hair after one stops chemically relaxing. This hair is extremely dry, unruly and weak. Because of its fragile nature, being gentle is a must and using the correct tools will lower your breakage.

I wasn’t even aware of these two terms nor the hair that was emerging after I stopped relaxing my hair. It was shocking and upsetting because most women think the hair will start growing out strong, healthy and their true natural texture and when it doesn’t it can create a setback in your attitude and desire in moving forward.

There is so much information but it can become overwhelming if you don’t know what direction to take because quite honestly, many natural hair experts are saying the opposite of others so who’s right? Sorry, but trial and error is the only way to determine what works for you and what techniques will become yours.

Setback #2 – The expense of the product junkie – Going natural has created many a product junkie that probably didn’t know she even had this tendency within herself. For one, most of us have our beloved products from our relaxed days so we were not buying every new item that is on the shelf.

You may have had some items under your bathroom sink but not nearly as many as you do now. Going natural is a new experience and since we have NO clue what products will work for us we must try a lot to figure it out.

It can be expensive, at first but only if you let it. You do not have to buy the most expensive items on the market and now things are easier because there is a wide variety of items to choose from that are even at your local Target, CVS or Whole Foods.

These products are easily accessible online as well and you can have essential or carrier oils* in bigger bottles from Amazon to your door within two days!

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!