Stop Your Abuse by Breaking These 5 Natural Hair Bad Habits

With our go-go-go lives and ability to be accessible to others at all times, it’s easy to see why we stay so busy. In the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to pick up natural hair bad habits. On the other hand, some naturals just don’t know any better. They damage their hair without even knowing it. In my opinion, unhealthy habits over time add up to hair abuse. I am just like everyone else . . . I get busy, and I was ignorant about my natural hair before I started my journey. So, I thought it would be interesting to share with you the 5 natural hair bad habits I broke to stop my cycle of hair abuse.

Natural Hair Bad Habits #1 – Skimping on the Water

Water is essential to our overall health. Every seasoned natural knows water is a must to keep your hair in decent shape. To truly keep your hair hydrated you have drink plenty of water (that takes care of the internal) and moisturize your hair with water or water-based products (for the external). Properly hydrating your natural hair inside and out will help lead to:

Enhanced overall look, feel, and manageability of your hair
Less breakage and hair loss
Better transport of nutrients, fuel, and hair building blocks (i.e. amino acids) to your scalp, encouraging healthy hair growth

Not drinking enough water has negative repercussions beyond just your hair. So, stop skimping on the water by implementing the following changes to your routine:

Drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day, at a minimum. For best results, set a target to drink at least ½ your body weight in fluid ounces of water each day.
- Need a schedule to get started? Check out this Best Times of the Day to Drink Water infographic from Curejoy.com.

Moisturize your hair between your wash days, as needed to support a good moisture balance. Pay attention to your hair; it will tell you when its needs a little water TLC. I personally moisture 2-3 times between my weekly hair shampoos.

Natural Hair Bad Habits #2 – Wearing Longer Term Protective Styles Too Often or for Too Long

You all know which styles I am talking about. Those “too-cute” braids, “I love my chunky” twists, “it only took me 2 hours” crochet braids, and “this is my hair (I bought it)” weave, etc. Of course, I am poking fun here. I support using additional synthetic and/or natural hair to enhance your style. Being totally honest, I have box of hair ready to go in my closet right now.

Truthfully, these styles have a rightfully earned place of distinction in any natural’s hair journey if an individual so chooses to use them. They keep the hair protected, save style time, and reduce the need to manipulate the hair so often. So, keep braiding, twisting, crocheting, and weaving if it suits you (I do it!).

However, when used too often or kept installed for too long, these longer term protective styles can damage hair. With these hairstyles, it can be difficult to properly shampoo your scalp. Moisturizing the hair underneath or within your install can get a little tricky. These styles may also put undue tension on the hair, leading to general hair thinning or traction alopecia. I follow the tips below to keep this bad habit in check:

Don’t leave your longer term protective styles in place for longer than 8 weeks at a time. I have never even made it this long; my hair is usually ready for its freedom at the 5-6 weeks mark.

Give your hair enough time to rest between longer term protective styles. I use the rule of thumb “equal to equal”. My hair rest period is equal to the length of time I had my longer term protective style installed (i.e., 5 weeks in crochet braids equals 5 weeks or longer hair rest before I put in the next set).

Natural Hair Bad Habits #3 – Skipping the Deep Conditioning

Deep conditioning provides much needed moisture, nutrients, and overall yummy goodness to hair after the cleansing process. Skipping this important step is an absolute NO-NO for any natural. Yet, I, too, have fallen victim to this unhealthy habit.

I no longer look on deep conditioning as a pain. I think of it as the foundation of whatever style I am going to have for the week. My deep conditioning is the opening act for that week’s main attraction, which is almost always a protective style. I tackled this natural hair bad habit with the following strategies:

Integrate deep conditioning as a permanent part of a weekly hair regimen. I don’t just wash my hair anymore. I do my hair now, meaning I must complete everything in my permanent routine to be done. For me that’s a prepoo, shampoo, deep conditioning, LOC method, and style.

Use deep conditioning time to catch up on social media, watch TV, or read a good book. Make the time enjoyable so it does not seem like a chore.

Natural Hair Bad Habits #4 – Improper Detangling

Let’s face it . . . detangling is my least favorite part of my weekly hair routine. When done correctly, it takes time and can get very tedious removing the tangles from my 4c hair. If I detangle improperly, it can cause weak hair strands to break. The breakage leads to future knotting and tangles from all the jagged, broken ends. In addition, I may loose healthy hair in the process if I am too rough.

It can literally take me 45 minutes to an hour in a good detangling session. In the past, I wasn’t so patient with my hair. I have had to learn some good lessons around detangling by paying a high price. I now use the instructions below as my guide to detangling:

Be very gentle with the hair during detangling. My mom says that any hair on your head is blessing, so I treat mine with the respect it deserves.

NEVER detangle dry hair. Hair should be at least damp and ideally contain a conditioning product (conditioner, leave-in, detangler) to provide extra slip.

Use fingers to detangle. I only use a wide tooth comb sparingly. Boar bristle brushes and fine-tooth combs have no place in the detangling process.

Detangle from the ends of the hair up to the roots. Clear the road ahead before you try to send the wreck through.

DO NOT pull or yank hair while detangling. I use my fingers to gently work my hair to freedom when I encounter a tangle or knot. NOTE: fairy knots are a different story, and I will cover those in a different post.

Natural Hair Bad Habits #5 – Sleeping without Satin or Silk

For a person whose scalp regularly sweats when it gets overheated (yes, that would be me), sleeping with my hair wrapped up is the last thing I want to do. It definitely took some time for me to get comfortable with this. I never really knew the benefits of sleeping in a satin or silk bonnet or scarf until I started my journey.

Regular cotton towels and sheets are not your hair’s friend. They can cause snagging and steal much needed moisture from your hair. Sleeping in silk or satin protects your hair and helps to preserve your style. I keep the following in mind as a guide to sleeping with satin or silk:

Integrate your hair wrap-up into your normal nighttime routine (i.e. wash face, brush teeth, wrap-up hair).

Make sure the satin/silk bonnet or scarf is not too tight around your head. You don’t want to restrict blood flow.

If you can’t sleep with your head covered, invest in satin or silk pillowcases. This will reduce snag potential and moisture loss.

Wash your bonnets and scarfs on a regular basis. I know some of you are like . . . duh! But, you’d be surprised how many people will wear the same bonnet or scarf without thinking about throwing it in the washing machine. My rule of thumb . . . clean hair gets a clean bonnet/scarf (so, I change mine once a week on my current hair regimen).

Wrapping It Up

With that, we have come to the end of my first list of natural hair bad habits to break. Did you know it takes roughly 21 days to break or form a new habit? If this list of natural hair bad habits seems a little daunting, choose just one to try to change in the next 3 weeks. Your hair will thank you for it!

I love hearing from all of you! Be sure to like, share, and comment below. Also, subscribe for the Natural Hair Nysa newsletter and other special updates. You can also reach me through the Contact Us page.

Don’t forget to follow Natural Hair Nysa on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube!