5 Hair Tips that Simply Do Not Work For Everyone

I really appreciate natural hair bloggers who understand that not all curls are created equal. In their posts, they make sure to identify the type, texture, density and porosity of their hair, so as to not lead anyone astray.

Anyone who has been unsuccessful in imitating another person’s hair tutorial knows that there is a lot more to the story than a step-by-step guide.

It is important to know what styles, tips and products work best for your hair. That is why it baffles me when people make blanket statements and try to apply their tips to every single person with natural hair.

Here are 5 tips that do not work for everyone. Now, granted, I may be the only exception to the rule. These findings are based off my own experience and that of my friends so lets go!

1. Using gel on your hair for anything other than to smooth it down

I’ve watched tutorials and read of numerous naturals who use EcoStyler* gel or some other brand as the last step in their wash ‘n’ go routine.

This is usually preceded by several other products: leave-in conditioner*, perhaps an oil, and a curl defining lotion or cream—otherwise known as the LOC method. For me, that’s a recipe for hard, crunchy hair! What happened to letting gel be gel?

My curls need all of the moisture they can get, so why would I put a holding gel on it in attempts to have long-lasting, hydrated curls throughout the day? The last time I checked, “bouncy” and “hard” are not synonymous!

2. Using eggs in homemade deep-conditioning treatments

Many naturalistas like to create their own hair recipes in their kitchens. Not only does this save money, but it also can be a lot of fun!

It’s also not a bad idea to get away from the brands and to use all-natural products. However in my opinion….An egg is an egg is an egg! So, guess what happens when you sit under the dryer with that raw egg in your hair.

It fries! I don’t know who came up with this hair tip, but I surely want to be the one to stop it from spreading. I’m sure there are some other ingredients we can substitute that have the same nutritional value.

We have to do a better job of fact-checking, ladies and gentlemen, and start thinking before we hop on board of the latest hair remedy or concoction.

3. Pineappling your wash ‘n’ go overnight

The point of this style is to wash your hair overnight and wake up with it dry and intact. Unfortunately, not everyone’s curls behave accordingly.

Whenever I put my hair up in a scarf, by the time I take it down, the back of my hair has flattened out and my curls are ruined.

Can anyone else relate? I tried the wash ‘n’ go overnight pineappling method once and I woke up looking a hot mess.

Let’s face it: there’s no easy way to dry your hair without using heat or sucking up all of the moisture with a towel.

4. Diffusing

A diffuser* is basically a blow dryer* with an attachment to spread out the heat so it’s not as damaging on the hair. I’m convinced that this method only works for people with low-density hair.

Those of us with high density hair run into problems while diffusing because it ends up just making our roots matted or tangled, or puffy.

Something that might help this problem would be if the knobs on the diffusers were more closely spaced so that the roots wouldn’t mess up so easily. For me, my hair ends up shrinking when I diffuse it, when it’s supposed to make the hair more voluminous!

5. Doing anything to make your hair grow “Quicker,” “Longer,” or “Thicker”

It is a myth that certain styles and products make your hair grow faster. Hair growth is genetic and it’s based on internal processes.

Nothing you do outwardly can affect the rate at which your hair grows. What protective styles do is prevent hair breakage. If your ends aren’t exposed to the elements, then they will not break as easily.

The only outlier to this rule is if your protective style is disadvantageous, and thus counter-productive. For example, you might be using Marley hair that dries your hair out or wearing braids that pull too heavily at your roots. Other than that, there is no product that can make your hair grow. Sorry to bust your bubble, ladies and gents!

So, although this list isn’t extensive, it certainly does show some natural hair experiences contrary to popular opinion. I hope I’m not the only one who has experienced some of these troubles. Feel free to comment below to let me know if any of this resonated with you or if you have any tips to add to the list.