give you the body you’ve always wanted…?
Isn’t that what everyone seems to be looking for? That “magic” product. Well I’m here today to tell you it doesn’t exist.
Want to find that perfect thing that makes your hair grow? I’ve got a few for you: Try breathing, eating, and just being alive in general. Unless you have some serious health problems, your hair is going to grow. Throw in eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and exercising aplenty on top of that whole “being alive” thing and you’ve got some great hair growth.
“But” you may be saying “my hair always stays the same length! I must need something to make my hair grow” I thought the same thing when I was relaxed, before I started a healthy hair journey. I would slather everything known to man on my head if it promised to lengthen my hair. And what would happen? My hair would stay the same length.
The problem, as the ladies over on LHCF will tell you, is retention of your growth. All those people complimenting those “long haired girls” on their hair growth likely would have the same results if it weren’t for the loss of the hair at the end of the strands.
The truth is that people have been making money off of women who desire long hair for ages. Especially, and I hate to say it, women of color.
Examples
FYI, Madam C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower was “basically petroleum, sulfur, and beeswax” according to Hair Story. However, that’s what most African American hair products are made of now, so I guess she was a trendsetter.
Here’s another:
One advertisement from a Madam T. D. Perkins even addresses the fears that many blacks had: Black women can’t grow long hair. From the book “Hair Raising:Beauty, Culture, and African American Women”:
She tells readers, “No matter how dark your skin is,” her treatment will “cultivate, beautify and grow a persons hair, so long as there is not physical ailment which will prevent it.”
And…
The ad includes photographs of the back and front of Perkin’s head, with the back shot emphasizing the length of her hair. Underneath this insert is yet another photograph of Madam Perkins, but this time we see her before she began to grow her hair….Between the first inset and the second is a bold headline: “Women, Stop, Wait, Listen, Read!” and a Bible verse states, “If a Woman have long hair, it is a Glory to Her: 1 Cor 11-15.”
These ladies were smart. They knew what black women wanted back then, they knew the fears to address, and they knew how to appeal to them. Don’t get me wrong, I give these ladies props for a good hustle, but as Grandma used to say “Truth is the light”.
And after all the many hair growing formulas that were produced at the turn of the century, black women are still desperately searching for the magic product that will grow hair. Guess what? The money is still rolling in because of that desire.
Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t some herbal or essential oils that may incrementally help your hair grow. But I severely doubt that it’s going to be so much a difference that you would be able to throw your hair out of windows for yon prince to climb to your rescue.
My Personal Opinion
Having been in this game for a few years, I can tell you a few things to beware based on past experiences.
- Beware of before and after pictures.
In the age of lacefronts, weaves, airbrushing and Photoshop, a girl has to be careful where she puts her trust (and her dollars) when believing progress pictures.
Ever hear of the hair implant company Bosley? I have no personal experience with them, but there is a large following of people out there who claim to have been wronged by this company. Bosley heavily targets females even though “Very few women have the type of hair loss that make them good candidates.” (link)
The company has also been accused of false and misleading advertising (whaddya know?) . From this link:
The D.A.’s office alleged that BMG engaged in a widescale advertising campaign heavily based on false and misleading representations and found evidence that BMG used retouched and false “after” photographs in its advertisements- hairlines were altered or “airbrushed”. The photos that appeared in a brochure as “after procedure” photos were actually taken of a Bosley Medical employee who had never had any procedures done. Additional allegations included misrepresentations of pain, scarring, and results, and non-doctors performing procedures.
- Beware of “testimonials”.
I might get slammed for this, but having this blog and visiting hair forums has made me realize how much advertisers are out there on the internet pretending to be customers. You see it a lot on Amazon and I’ve had some questionable comments on this blog from the same person (with different names) over and over and over again about how great product or hair accessory “X” is.
If they spent more time trying to improve their products instead of falsifying testimonials, they would see that good products speak for themselves.
- Beware of celebrity endorsement.
Let’s face it. It’s hard to live up to celebrities. What, J. Lo? You just had twins and you’ve already bounced back to your original shape in 2 months?
Possible? Perhaps. Probable without a nanny, personal trainer, and nutritionist? Nah.
Celebrities are great and all, but when they start endorsing hair products I have to give them the side eye. For instance, Beyonce featured in any hair commercial has me looking like this:
For your viewing pleasure, Bey and Solange (fully weaved and preBC, I’m assuming) in an L’Oreal commercial:
C’mon now…really? I’m not even going to elaborate because it’s pretty obvious the problem with that commercial.
Anyhoo…
Ya’ll know I’m a product junkie, so I’m not knocking trying out a lot of products. Just please have realistic expectations. Please know that people bend, stretch, and karate chop the truth into what works for them. And whatever will get you to put your money on the table.
In conclusion…
As for the moisture deal…I get so many emails and comments asking the same question…”What products can I use to make my hair moisturized?” Well, first you can check out THIS and THIS post.
I’ve found that I can attribute maybe over half of my growth retention to my hair care practices as opposed to the actual products. Now, don’t get me wrong, the right products are an important part of it. And if you’re looking for suggestions, I have many under the Products I Love tab. Keep in mind that I am constantly having to update this list, so you may want to check out my product reviews in general as well.
So ladies, keep your heads up, keep your eyes open, and in the words of Dale Gribble “Never trust nobody!”
{ 6 comments }
