8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Natural Hair Journey
You may become encouraged to start your own natural hair adventure after seeing celebrities and other personalities blushing over their natural hair, yet this should not only be your motivating factor towards starting your own natural hair. It has to come from your mind because this is what will fuel the passion, so that along the way you would not get tired of keeping the natural hair.
MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN BEGINNING YOUR NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY
1. Not Understanding Your Hair Type
Why It’s a Mistake
Starting a natural hair journey without knowing your hair type (porosity, density, curl pattern) makes it hard to choose the right products and routines. Natural hair is not one-size-fits-all. You don't have to purchase every natural hair product that you see on your favorite naturalist. Individual differences in hair type may mean that what suits one person's hair may not suit yours. Your scalp may be more sensitive, or your hair may have a different texture, both of which could be harmful to your hair. Stop copying other people's hair products and use the proper ones for your own hair if you want to achieve a successful transition and healthy natural hair.
What Happens If You Do It
You may use products that don’t work for your hair, leading to dryness, breakage, buildup, or slow progress. This often causes frustration and makes people think their natural hair is “difficult.”
What to Do Instead
Learn your hair’s porosity (how well it absorbs moisture), density (how thick it is), and curl pattern. This helps you understand how your hair responds to moisture, oils, and styling methods.
Product or Technique Examples
- Low-porosity hair: lightweight leave-ins, gentle heat when deep conditioning.
- High-porosity hair: thicker creams, sealing with oils or butters.
- Dense hair: sectioning for wash day.
- Fine hair: Use lighter products to achieve soft and fine hair. This will avoid weighing it down.
Why It’s a Mistake
Natural hair, especially textured hair, thrives on balanced moisture. Too little causes dryness; too much causes limp, mushy strands.
What Happens If You Do It
- Under-moisturizing: brittle hair, breakage, difficulty styling.
- Over-moisturizing: “hygral fatigue” hair feels overly soft, weak, and stretchy.
What to Do Instead
Follow a moisture-protein balance. Hydrate regularly but allow the hair to dry between treatments.
Product or Technique Examples
- Moisturize with a leave-in conditioner 2–3 times a week.
- Seal moisture with light oils like jojoba or grapeseed.
- Use a protein-based treatment every 4–6 weeks (non-medical products).
3. Using Harsh Shampoos or Wrong Products
Why It’s a Mistake
Strong sulfates and alcohol--heavy formulas can strip natural hair of essential moisture and oils. It is no secret that having natural hair can be harmed by excessive heat. You must avoid excessive heat if you want natural hair. Your natural hair will never be healthy if you attempt to blow dry it.
What Happens If You Do It
You may experience dryness, frizz, scalp irritation, breakage, and difficulty retaining length. This can damage your hair drastically and ruin the whole of your natural hair journey.
What to Do Instead
Choose gentle cleansers or moisturizing shampoos that eliminate dirt and buildup without over-drying. Thereafter, use a good hair moisturizer to make the hair silkier and softer.
Product or Technique Examples
- Use sulfate-free shampoos for regular washing.
- Try a clarifying shampoo only when necessary (e.g., once a month).
- Use moisturizers like aloe vera, shea butter, or coconut-derived cleansers.
4. Detangling Incorrectly
Why It’s a Mistake
Detangling without proper technique can cause breakage, knots, and unnecessary hair loss. Your hair becomes harder to comb through when you switch to natural hair. Before using a comb to go through your natural hair, use a conditioner to untangle it. Be patient in detangling; work your hands through it carefully after applying conditioner to it. This will facilitate the combing process.
What Happens If You Do It
Detangling when the hair is dry can lead to loss of hair. Do not pull or tug too hard on your hair when detangling as this can slow down your hair growth.
What to Do Instead
Always detangle on damp, conditioned hair and work gently in sections from tips to roots.
Product or Technique Examples
- Use a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush.
- Apply conditioner or a slip-enhancing leave-in.
- Finger-detangle for extra gentleness.
5. Expecting Fast Growth
Why It’s a Mistake
Natural hair doesn’t transform or happen overnight. Do not set your expectations too high when growing natural hair. Growth is slow and requires consistency and patience.
What Happens If You Do It
You might get discouraged, compare your hair to others, or abandon your journey prematurely. You wear protective styles for too long and your natural hair may suffer harm. Although protective styles are effective at preventing hair breakage and maintaining length, prolonged use of protective styles will eventually cause thinning, dryness, and breakage.
What To Do Instead
Focus on healthy hair habits like moisture, protective styling, gentle handling. Celebrate small progress and be patient with your unique growth pace.
Product or Technique Examples
- Keep a simple routine.
- Track growth monthly instead of weekly. Use monthly routines to keep your hair growth in check.
- Wear styles like twists or buns that can help retain length.
6. Sleeping Without Protection
Why It’s a Mistake
Cotton pillowcases absorb moisture and cause friction that leads to breakage and frizz.
What Happens If You Do It
You may wake up with dry, tangled hair, split ends, and reduced moisture retention.
What To Do Instead
Protect your hair every night with satin or silk accessories.
Product or Technique Examples
- Satin/silk bonnet, scarf, or pillowcase.
- Pineapple method or loose twists to preserve styles.
7. Comparing Your Hair to Others
Why It’s a Mistake
You know they say, 'comparison is a thief of joy', therefore there is no need for comparison as no two natural hair journeys are the same. Comparison steals confidence and creates unrealistic expectations. Consult experts for help with that and additional advice on maintaining hair growth. Always visit the salon to stay in contact with experts who will provide you excellent advice on maintaining your natural hair.
What Happens If You Do It
You may feel discouraged, try unnecessary products, or force styles that don’t suit your hair type.
What To Do Instead
Embrace your unique texture. Focus on learning what your hair loves rather than copying someone else’s routine.
8. Skipping Trims
Why It’s a Mistake
Avoiding trims makes split ends travel higher up the hair shaft, causing thinning and breakage.
What Happens If You Do It
Hair will look uneven, frizzy, and may appear to “stop growing” because damaged ends break off.
What To Do Instead
Trim regularly to maintain healthy ends and promote length retention.
Product or Technique Examples
- Trim every 3–4 months or as needed.
- Look for signs of split ends: frizz, tangling, rough texture.
- Add protective styles to reduce the need for frequent trims.
Your hair needs gentle care right now, so you need to devote more time to it. Be careful of the hairstyles you would plait, so you won't overstress the hair. Avoid hurrying to style your hair as this may cause harm. You must be prepared to give up some time for your hair before you go on this path because your hair is more prone to breaking the kinkier the curls and the more strands it has.
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