Why Do Hair Products Stop Working?
Twist out with my Holy Grail As I Am Twist Defining Cream
Hey everybody! It's been quite a while since you've gotten a natural hair post from me, so here you go! This post is about what to do when you don't know what to do. You found your Holy Grail shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in, gel, custard, and whatever else, and then all of a sudden, the product stops working. Your hair is frizzy or stringy or dry or limp, and you have no idea why. First, let me say that you are in good company! It happens to the best of us, myself included. And second, here are some of the reasons why this might be happening to you, and how you can fix it.
Moisture
Maybe your hair is dry or lacking moisture, or maybe it's overloaded with moisture. Perhaps you haven't been sealing in moisture like you should which leads to dryness, or maybe you've sealed in too much moisture, which can make your hair limp because water is heavy! Any little change to your regimen can make a big difference in the outcome, so make sure you're not under or overdoing it with the water.
Protein
This is also a Catch 22 like moisture. Too much protein can mean brittle hair, and too little can mean limp, lifeless curls. You have to find the right balance between protein and moisture, and that sweet spot in the middle pretty much guarantees your tried and true products to work. I usually do a protein treatment every 6-8 weeks and deep condition every week, especially in the winter, which brings me to my next point.
Environmental Changes
Humid air, dry air, and cold air greatly affect our curls. Humidity often works in my favor by adding extra moisture to my hair (and extra volume, which I like). But dry air and cold air are terrible! Maybe your problem isn't your product, but your environment, in which case you may have to switch up your products depending on the season. I have a winter hair regimen and a summer hair regimen specifically for this reason. Different seasons and geographic areas come with different kinds of weather. So maybe the change from winter to spring did your curls in, or maybe you've recently moved to an area with a super humid climate. If your environment has recently changed, then the product may not have stopped working. It just may not work for your new environment.
Hormonal Changes
The other kind of change that nobody likes. You can't control or change it, you just have to roll with it. Before you trade your faves for new stuff, think about recent changes that may have occurred in your body. Are you on a new medication? Just hit menopause? Been under a lot of stress? All of these things can affect your hormone levels, which can affect your hair. In this case, you may need to adapt to your changes by changing products, or keep the products and seek to reestablish the hormonal balance you had before by changing your diet, vitamins, etc.
Product Buildup
This is a pretty common cause of product ineffectiveness, especially if you have low porosity hair like me. If your hair and scalp are covered in product residue, any product you try will be ineffective because it will sit on top of your hair. So you may need to shampoo or clarify a little more frequently to remove the buildup so that your Holy Grail products can actually penetrate the hair shaft and work their magic.
Wrong Technique/Change in Technique
Maybe that wash and go or twist out didn’t turn out the right way because of your technique, not the product. Try using or applying the product a few different ways and if then you still don’t like it, it’s fair to let it go. Maybe you’ve changed your application method without realizing it, or maybe you abandoned shingling for the rake-and-shake method when you were in a pinch and got less than desired results. Don’t forget that you’re paying your hard earned money for this stuff! If that product was a $10 bill, would you be so quick to give up on using it?
And that's it! I hope you've found this useful and as always, thanks for journeying with me.