You partake in the inversion method
I always wonder whether I am the only one that finds the inversion method really outrageous and borderline obsessive. If you have not heard about the inversion method, it is one of the most common drastic hair growth ideologies that has not been proven by any science whatsoever. It involves standing on your head. Some modifications to of the inversion method involve bending over and making your head hand downwards. The idea is that by doing this, you will cause an increased blood flow to the hair follicles. It is unclear the science behind this because the hair follicles are normally supposed to be attached to blood flow by nature so I am highly uncertain how this is supposed to make any difference. While I am not criticizing anyone who partakes in this, I would say that it is an extreme approach to increase hair growth. Although there are yoga poses that involve tilting the head downwards, I just think doing it for the purpose of increasing hair growth is highly extreme. Besides, the inversion method might cause concussions and severe consequences if not done properly and if you have certain existing medical conditions.
You take several ‘hair growth and hair thickening’ vitamins
Apart from trying extreme methods for increasing hair growth, some naturalistas take several vitamins that promote increased hair growth and thickening. It is bad enough to stand on your head because you want your hair to grow but you may be able to get away with it without any issues but it is a bit extreme to actually ingest medications for hair growth. There are several long and short term effects of doing this. While you might see some ‘growth’ based on the placebo effect, you might also witness some adverse effects. Some of the adverse effects I have heard include increased hair growth all over the body, general tiredness and fatigue as well as interference with existing medications. I am not trying to criticize anyone for doing this but I just think it is really extreme to expose yourself to any possible health complications all for hair growth. However, to the people that insist on doing this, I would recommend drinking a lot of water to enable your kidneys process these vitamins more easily.
You detangle your hair by separating each strand.
The hair pretty much grows at a steady rate. The only time your hair growth pattern or frequency is likely to change is during pregnancy and this is not necessarily an increase in growth, it is an increase in the retention of the growth that is already achieved due to decreased hair shedding. Some people already understand this and as such, they are not running after the various hair growth fads out there. However, some of these people take extreme measures in efforts to protect and maintain their length. This includes detangling their hair strand by strand. This method of hair detangling is not only painstaking, it is also very time consuming and I think it is a quite extreme.
You have a whole day or two set aside for all things hair
Detangling the hair by separating each strand takes a lot of time so some extreme naturalistas carefully set aside a whole day for ‘all things hair’. On days like this, some people deep condition for the whole day even though no deep conditioning treatment is recommended to be used for more than thirty minutes. After deep conditioning, they then proceed to detangle strand by strand in addition to applying several other extreme time consuming techniques. While I do not criticize folks who do this, I just think it’s a bit extreme. There are many other important things to do in life and setting aside a day or two every two weeks adds up to lot of days in a year and this is time you can never get back. How about paying more attention to your loved ones or going out for some fresh air while taking a nice walk.
Your product stash fills up a whole room.
In my opinion, having a lot of natural hair products is a lot of fun because of the thrill and excitement you get from trying a new product. It can really be exciting to have your hopes up because of the many promises the product makes and the potential that it might just be what your hair needs. However, I believe at some point, you will need to know where to draw the line and apply the brakes so you don’t create a financial problem for yourself. As one YouTube vlogger put it, while filming her product stash, ‘It is better to be a hair product junkie instead of a substance abuser’. While I agree with this statement, I would say that product junkiness might be a bit extreme sometimes, leading to financial problems. If you find that your product stash can not only fill your closet but actually goes ahead to fill up most of the space in the entire room, then you might not only be an extreme naturalista but even an extreme product junkie. Let’s face it, most naturalistas are product junkies but there are extreme naturalistas that insist on buying every product out there. I would advise to channel your financial resources to more important things unless of course you are Solange Knowles.
You have hair dreams
We all daydream about having really long hair and turning heads because of how healthy our hair is, but when you find yourself dreaming about this all the time then it might be a sign that you are beginning to obsess about it and you might just be an extreme naturalista. It is never a good sign to obsess about something. Some people even go as far as becoming depressed after their big chop. I have heard someone with long hair talk about how she would have bad dreams about losing her hair. She would wake up and be so happy that it was all a dream. For this category of people, I would advise snapping out of it, getting a nice wig and a life if the worst ever happens, that way you don’t leave in unnecessary fear and anxiety.
You have a panic attack when looking at your shed hair
A sign related to the hair dreams sign is the panic attack that many get in the bathroom sink when they supposedly see their hard work running down the drain in the form of shed hair. Unfortunately, this is inevitable because it is a natural process that the body goes to. The hair sheds at least 100 strands a day and depending on your situation; post-partum or medical issues, you might lose even more. There is really no need to stress out over something you cannot control. After taking necessary steps to keep your hair healthy, there is no need to be too worried about shed hair because it is just a normal cycle that would go on nonetheless. The earlier you accept this reality, the better for you. However I think it’s a little bit extreme to get panic attacks when you see your shed hair. It will grow back, it is just hair.
You have hair idols
We all have people that we admire for one reason or the other. A lot of people admire celebrities from a distance while some go a step further to idolize them. In my opinion, idolizing someone is just inappropriate as it makes you ignore or fail to appreciate your own unique virtues because you believe the person is and will always be better. In the same way some people have natural hair idols. This is often someone with a texture that they feel is better or more desirable than theirs. This leads to a total lack of appreciation for one’s beautiful and unique texture. Eventually this could lead to unnecessary frustration. For the people in this category, I would recommend that they start to appreciate what they have. I am yet to find a natural hair texture that is not beautiful. Natural hair is beautiful in every texture so please learn to be grateful for your curls.
You have unrealistic and ambitious hair goals
Once you start idolizing other people’s natural hair, it would make you set unrealistic and ambitious goals. Sometimes these kinds of goals include achieving a certain length by a certain time, coloring the hair and achieving a certain shade, and many others. In the natural hair community, certain growth milestones exist, including shoulder length, bra strap length, waist length, lower back length and etc. However, some hair growth goals can really be ambitious considering your given regimen, health and life situation. For example, if you have a home full of kids to take care of, you might not have a whole day set aside to carefully pamper your hair to keep the length you are aiming for so it is good to be realistic in setting your goals. I remember watching a YouTube video where the vlogger talked about her hair goals of reaching knee length. This was very hilarious to me and I considered it really extreme at the time. However, not long after she declared her goal she had to cut her hair due to heat damage. In my opinion, there is no need to make unrealistic or ambitious hair goals. Just take good care of your hair as much as you can and with the resources you can afford and you will see a good amount of length which I advise you to be satisfied with while reaching for your realistic goals.
You are always comparing your hair to others and always measuring.
Due to unrealistic and ambitious goals that results in obsessive behavior, some people keep measuring and comparing their hair to others. This also results in the product junkie status which comes as a result of trying to achieve the length, color or texture that others have. This is one of the reasons why it is not advisable to have a hair idol. Some people end up buying every single product used by their ‘hair idol’ without considering that the product might not work for them in the same way. Frequently measuring the hair with measurement tapes and rulers so as to compare growth is a good sign of an extreme naturalista. It is better to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of your hair and personal circumstance. This would enable you appreciate where you are in your natural hair journey. For more details on what to avoid in your natural hair journey, see my article on ‘why YouTube is dangerous for your natural hair’.