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| Always read what is in the bottle first. |
Have you ever purchased an entertainment unit, computer desk or bunk beds? Remember arguing with your significant other, tossing the directions out and putting it together based on the picture on the box? Remember what happened when you put the furniture on the stands or the kids hopped in the bed? They all broke. Hmm, "Step Brothers,"...lol!
That scenario is very typical of hair care. Most people purchase hair care products and never read the directions. A generic approach to using hair care products is a common practice that leads to damaged hair in epidemic proportions. Understand hair care manufacturers have specific amounts, time frame and shelf life for their products. And those specifications are not general for every product. Just as looking at the picture and rigging the way furniture should be put together does not assure it will stand, neither does not reading the directions assure the product will work properly.
So what are the most common mistakes made when using hair care products? The common mistakes are: using the wrong products, using too much or not enough and purchasing according to race or the picture in the advertisement.
Using the wrong products for hair is a result of mis-information, using someone else's hair care regimen or looking at the fancy advertising marketing companies use on products and posters that entice us to purchase them. To the contrary, chemists create products according to the hair and its need versus image and wives tales. Keep in mind that companies use images to sell products are doing just that, selling products. Fancy pictures and celebrity endorsements have very little to do with what is in the bottle, who should use it or how to use it. Therefore, read the label on the bottle to give you direction in your purchasing decision to know what is right for your hair. Keep spinning the bottle to the back to read the directions to learn how to use it. If the bottle does not describe your hair, your problems or address your concerns, put it back. For example, the label should read for fine to limp hair, or medium curly/wavy hair or thick coarse hair. If the bottle reads, "for women of color." Put it back. That is the equivalent of buying food for skinny people.
Using the wrong amount wastes products and money. I am a cosmetologist who strongly believes in teaching my customers how to do it themselves. This allows me to get a glimpse inside to see the styling habits done away from the salon. Remember that hair is skin. Just as applying too much lotion on the skin results in wiping the excess on the towel; using handful amounts of shampoo results in rinsing it down the drain. Read the directions to save money and to make your products last for at least three months.
Purchasing products according to race or the picture in the advertisement leads to disappointment. Most consumers are not aware of just how much chemistry is put into a hair care product to be reduced to a race or image factor. The quality of the directions as it relates to description, amount, frequency, time and safety is an excellent indicator to the amount of science/chemistry is put in to formulating a quality product.
Read the directions and follow them to prevent over processing and softening of the hair by using too much, leaving it on too long or just outright using the wrong product. Following the directions truly guarantees the validity of the product and great results.
