He Say She Say They Say I Heard...

I could write a post telling you what to do, what to buy, how to do it, how often etc... 

You can come on here and rant and rave about how frustrated you are because you tried a method someone else told you worked for them, and you expected the same results. I guess this post is for the newbies because I see a lot of frustration on here because some of you had high expectations for your hair, and a couple months later, you're frustrated because your hair isn't growing as fast as you want it to, and it's curls aren't as defined as you were hoping they would be. Some have become complete product junkies and just layer products over each other to get a slick bun, or a shiny twist out. Well I need to tell you something...

Stop.

Your hair isn't the issue. Or a burden. Your hair is doing what it's supposed to. The sooner you realize that shrinkage happens to everyone and that it's not a bad thing, that nobody's curl pattern is the same, and 100 products won't make life easier, the more enjoyable this journey will be for you. Give your hair a chance. Just love it, and take care of it, and you'll be rewarded. Trust me. 

Never take assume all advice or information will apply to your hair. Just because something works for some people and/or the informant has done their research, doesn't mean it will always work for you. If you just want to experiment and see if it works, that's fine. But don't expect everything to work; and don't get upset if it doesn't. Just move on to the next thing. Most, if not all, natural vets have gone through trial and error. We didn't just know what to do, and what to use. You don't get to dodge the mistakes either!

Patience really, really is the key to success with your hair. Be adventurous, be curious, and don't be hard on yourself or your hair when it doesn't turn out how you want. Have fun. Ask questions. Learn about other's experiences, and share your own. You'll be surprised what you learn -- even from yourself!

- Lauren