Science Snippet: Listening to your own hair

Today I want to talk about following advice on hair products or techniques. As someone obsessed with hair, I have bought and tried many different products. Some work and some don't. In the end, the number one rule is listen to your own hair!



I follow a simple three step check, tweak and chuck method. Let me explain it



Scenario



Hair icon swears by (insert product name/technique e.g coconut oil, deep conditioning, protective styling, mild heat, no heat, gel). So you try it but it doesn't go smoothly and you find that it left your hair ( insert something unnacceptable e.g greasy, breaking, dry, mushy).



Step 1: Check



We are all guilty of skipping a few instruction steps. We have limited time, the instruction seems overly detailed so we skip a few seconds through the video or gloss over the page. I would always go back to the start and recheck the instructions or make sure the product I bought is actually the same one advertised. If possible ask the person to clarify.



Step 2: Tweak



You try again and get a good result or get the same bad result. It is time to consider fixing the instruction or product to suit your hair. This means discard the instructions and try to get a good result by following your own method that would normally yield good results.



Step 3: Chuck



You need to listen to your own hair! If you have tried it at least three times without good results, it is unlikely that this will change. Just consign that product or method to the bin. It simply is not suited to your hair and your hair will happily continue its rebellion until you go back to what it likes.



Bottom line



The reason why a product or method doesn't work is probably because your hair is different. You may have a different porosity or a different type of curl and indeed your hair may be used to a different way of being cared for. You could also have a different expectation or indeed the kind of products that you use already don't work well with this new product or method.

One man's meat is another man's poison. Your hair idol's advice is based on their hair which isn't your hair. Listen to you hair and check, tweak and chuck