Congratulations on your decision to go natural! Now, here are some common mistakes you might want to avoid.

1.) Waiting Too Long to do the Big Chop

What are you waiting on? Set a date and like Nike says “Just Do It”! If you wait too long you may start to notice more breakage around the demarcation line (point where new growth and relaxer meet). Besides, your hair will probably look healthier and better chopped off rather than sporting the “damaged hair look”.

2.) Fixating on Your Curl Pattern

If you’re new or old to the natural community, you’ve probably heard of Andrew Walker hair typing system- 3c hair, 4a hair, 4b hair, and so on. I think learning your hair type through this system is wonderful for assisting you with finding products that may work best on your hair. Nevertheless, there are other factors involved in finding the best products and styles for your hair, for instance – length, porosity, and thickness.

Once you learn your hair type, accept what you were born with! You may want to even check out some videos on YouTube to get some ideas of some products and styles that may work for your texture.

Please do keep in mind, there’s no guarantee what works for others will work for you. Try not to get too wrapped up into trying to make your hair do something it doesn’t want to naturally do.

3.) Putting Too Many Products in Your Hair

Okay, there’s a lot of product out there, however you do not have to try them all at once! As your hair grows-out, you might want to “fix it” by using several products on your hair all at the same time. Excess products in your hair can clog your pores and suffocate your strands. This may eventually lead to breakage and limit your growth potential. In addition, if you start having an adverse affect, you really don’t know which product is causing the problem.

4.) Worrying Too Much About Length

Try not to obsess over your hair length. On average hair grows about ½ inch a month. Natural black hair may grow at this length or slightly slower. Be patient with your hair! If you follow a good healthy hair regimen you should notice consistent growth. Besides, obsessing over your length won’t make your hair grow faster. Sorry boo!

5.) Jumping on Every Bandwagon

Everyone’s using Shea Butter, Henna, Eco-Styler, so I’m sure it’s going to work for my hair as well! No, unfortunately this is not always the case. As I mentioned earlier, what works for someone else hair might not work for yours. If you already have a healthy hair regimen, then there’s no need to make changes. It is not always good to try something new just because everyone else is doing it. Now you may want to consider new products or approach if you notice what you’re doing is not working or you’re having hair trouble i.e. dryness or breakage.