Rehairducation

Hair Length Goals

Lenght Goals

I was watching Act like a lady, Think like a man in the cinema with a bunch of my friends and the following questions came up in the movie: what are your short term goals? what are your long term goals?
I smiled to myself because it reminded me of advice I received at the beginning of my hair journey.  Advice about the importance of short term and long term goals when you start a hair journey.

THE FIRST GOAL

The first and most essential goal on a hair journey must be to improve the health of your hair.  Having long hair which is unhealthy looking, badly damaged and very thin is not a good idea.
A popular saying on hair care forums is “health before length”.   When you start your hair journey, you should focus on preventing further damage, restoring the moisture levels of your hair and preventing excessive breakage.
Having a hair regimen will help you achieve such goals.
Most ladies on a hair journey notice an improvement in the health, look, feel and thickness of their hair before they begin to see an increase in length.

THE LENGHT GOAL

Lenght Goals 2

When your regimen is in full swing and you are beginning to notice an improvement in its health, you can move on to setting your length goals.
If you’re going to start a journey you might as well have some sort of length destination, however short or long.
Also having a length goal will help to keep you motivated on your hair journey.

The picture above shows the hair length chart and acronyms used on many hair care forums.
If you are currently neck length for example and have a mid back length goal, it may seem a bit daunting and unattainable.
Well to make the journey feel less like mission impossible, it is advisable that you set short term length goals whilst keeping your long term goal at the back of your mind.  It simply makes the journey feel more achievable.

Lenght Goals 3

My goal at the start of my journey was to have healthy APL (armpit length) hair.  When I got close to reaching that length I thought, “hhmm actually BSB (below shoulder blade) would be nice”.
When I got to BSB the greed monster took over and I set a long term goal of waist length.
In the short term  however, I focused on first getting to BSL ( bra strap length) and then to MBL (mid back length).  Having short term goals made the journey to waist length that much easier.

Lenght Goals 4

Have you started or thinking of starting a hair journey?  If yes, tell me, what are your short term goals? What are your long term goals?

 

Learn | Change | Grow

6 Facts You Should Know Before You Start a Hair Journey

 6 Facts you should know

If you have just discovered healthy hair care journeys, it is likely that you will be tempted to start one immediately.  Although this is a positive thing, before starting a hair journey there are some facts that must be pointed out.  These are facts I believe you should be aware of before starting a hair journey.

1 Time

It takes time to understand the different types of hair products available and to learn how to use them correctly.  Creating a regimen that is suitable for your hair type and lifestyle can also be time consuming.
Please note also that improvements in your hair will not occur overnight; positive results will be achieved over a period of time; months and years not days or a few weeks.
You have to be patient and have a realistic and fact based mind set on how long it will take you to achieve your desired hair health and length goals.

2 Consistency and dedication

When you start a hair journey and create your hair regimen, you have to be consistent and remain dedicated.  There is no point taking care of your hair for a few weeks, ignoring it for months and then expect to see a positive change in your hair.    Not being consistent with your hair regimen will only lead to disappointment.  You have to incorporate healthy hair care practices into your lifestyle on a permanent basis.  At first this may seem tasking and  complicated however it will eventually become second nature.

3 On-going Review

If you have begun a hair journey, it is likely that you will have purchased new products and commenced healthy hair practices.  You will have to review whether the products and practices are working for you or not.  Ensure you are using the products correctly and assess how your hair reacts after a few uses.   A hair journey and hair regimen should be flexible. It should start with the basic products and practices which you can adjust until you find the perfect regimen for you.

4 Do it yourself between salon visits

It is important that you find a good salon for processes like relaxers and colour treatment.  Finding a good salon is important because you do not want all your efforts in caring for your hair to go to waste by patronising a salon that will damage your hair through improper practices that may cause a setback on your hair journey.

After finding a good salon, do not neglect or mistreat your hair between salon visits. You should ensure you take care of your hair yourself in the days or weeks between the salon visits.  Neglecting or mistreating your hair may cause damage which even a good salon may not be able to reverse.

5 What works for her may not work for you

A hair regimen is unique to each individual.   Products which work perfectly for one lady may not work or be suitable for another.   A hair journey requires some trials with products and techniques to discover which are most suitable for your hair.  Start with a basic regimen using well recommended products.  You can then amend your regimen as you go along, if necessary.

6 Overall Health

A healthy lifestyle, drinking water, sleep, a balanced diet and exercise must not be overlooked.   A poor diet, illness, stress, hormonal imbalances etc are factors that can slow down the growth or increase the shedding rates of your hair.   If you think that you are experiencing hair loss as a result of health issues, medical conditions or hormonal imbalances you must see a doctor and/or trichologist. 

 

I hope the points mentioned above have not discouraged anyone from starting a hair journey.  I thought it was important to be frank and set out the reality of what a hair journey entails to prevent frustration.  I for one have found my hair journey rewarding.  Like any goal in life, it is satisfying when you meet and/or exceed your goals.   I learnt all the above facts before I began my hair journey but they didn’t deter me, if anything I was super excited to get going.

So ladies, are you up for the challenge?

Learn | Change | Grow