The Truth About Your Favorite Hair Guru: 3 Tips On How You Can Become Your Own Guru

Hair care does not have to be so difficult.  In fact, hair care should be as simple as eating pie. Seriously, when you first start on a specific hair journey, everything is so new and you’re like a sponge that will soak up anything and everything that will cater to your hair needs.

You watch YouTube tutorials, read blogs, check out every hair care book in the library, and even stop strangers in the street for their “hair secrets.” Hair care can become so difficult from complicated terminology to how to wash your hair that all you need is one person who can explain it all…the guru.

In the natural hair community, we tend to call our hair crushes “the natural hair guru.” But what is a guru? According to a regular dictionary, a guru is a person who advises, counsels, and mentors on a specific subject that he/she is mastered in.

The guru has “know it all” in his/her field of study, expertise, and research. So when you hear your friend say, “OMG! You have to check her out. She is a natural hair guru!” Her favorite naturalista “knows” everything there is to know about natural hair…that’s what I am referring to.

Well, let me debunk this for you. Hair gurus don’t exists! Now wait a minute, before you reach for the comment box and go off on me continue to read.

I mean what I say that hair gurus don’t exist. Now you may have a kitchenista whip up some concoction in her kitchen to make your hair grow like weeds in 3 months or you may see 800 thousand subscribers on your favorite naturalista crush’s YouTube page and find her regimen may help your hair see the light. But those facts do not make either woman a guru in her specific field. Let me go further.

Appearances can be deceiving, especially when you don’t know the people you are following, watching, and reading about personally. Of course, they put out quality information, do hair care interviews, and have the most awesome tips/styles to try for your own hair.

You may even be so lucky to find someone of your “same hair type and texture” and follow her regimen and hair care style to perfection, since the hair gods virtually sent her to you.

Sometimes, I even find myself saying, “She’s my favorite natural hair guru.” But let me be frank, you don’t know how this guru got her hair, recipes, and techniques together the way she did.

If she has long hair, she may have worn sew-ins or braids for years before uploading videos of her present hair care regimen while showing off her waist length hair.

I’m just saying that the key words to her success are “trial and error.” Her hair care regimen came about from her experiences.

You must admit you have heard a lot of gurus say, “This works for my hair.” The hair care personalities you are following are still on their own hair journeys as well, with a majority of them not having beautician licenses or degrees in dermatology and other hair care studies.

They simply use their specific platforms to share their information with others. Like I said before, the guru you are following may have quality and enriching information, but long or thick hair does not qualify her as a hair guru.

Don’t think that I am bashing all of your favorite hair care crushes out there, that’s not the case. I have a few hair crushes of my own, but I don’t stay on their page for the next big thing.

This is about taking the training wheels off and becoming your own hair care guru. Here are 3 tips to be the expert of your own hair and hair care:

1. Learn your own hair

That seems simple enough right? That’s because it is simple to learn your own hair. You can perform different hair tests to find out what kind of hair you really have in 5 minutes.

I’m not talking about hair typing hair typing is overrated. I’m talking about learning your own hair porosity, density, texture, and moisture/protein balance.

Once you learn what “kind” of hair you have, you can write your goals, create an effective regimen, find products to cater to your own hair, and accept your hair for what it is.

2. Practice different styling options

What better way to learn your hair than by putting your fingers in it? If you like your hair off your neck, try updos and flat twists. Wear perm rod sets and bantu knot outs if you like the curly look.

Rock crochet braids and Senegalese twists if you love putting your hair away. Try everything! Find out what looks great on you and continue with your favorite styles. If you have that one go-to style, you are set for your healthy hair journey.

3. Research!

I cannot stress this to you enough. Would you really try out a product just because your favorite guru says it’s the bomb-diggity? You just heard about it! Do your research on everything you want to try for your hair. This goes from herbs to commercial products to brands of wigs*.

When you know step 1 of this list, then you will most definitely be able to know what products are great for your hair just by looking at it. Learn to read labels, check out hair care books, go to natural hair meet ups, and share your information with others.

Please don’t let YouTube, hair boards, blogs, Instagram, and Facebook groups be your main and only sources for hair care tips. They are based off of their personal experiences as well. Research everything.

Now, I’m not telling you to delete and unfollow all of your favorite people you presently go to for hair care tips and advice. There are some good regimens and tips to follow.

But remember that her hair is not your hair. It is great to use her tips, but evolve your own and share with others. What works for one, won’t work for all and no one knows your hair better than you.