30 Day Hair Detox

Quick recap on the 30-day hair detox. No RAW butters, no RAW Oils for 30 days. No ecostyler and also no products with coconut oil, shea butter, or castor oil in the top 5 ingredients. That’s it, that’s all. No special products are required, just stop using heavy products.

More info on the 30-day hair detox can be found in a previous post Hair Detox: 30 Day Natural Hair Discovery no Butters No Oils

Doubts about the 30 day Hair Detox

I had/still have all the questions:

The plastics in Eco Styler are bad but polymers and carbomers are okay?

Heavy Oils and Butters usage can cause buildup but all those gels and mousses are cool?

Can stylists really be trusted…I mean Deva a whole salon ecosystem and have people’s hair falling out!

I definitely had more questions than answers but I decided to continue with the Detox because at the end of the day…my routine did not help me meet my goals.

Personal Hair Goals for the 30 Day Hair Detox

My major goal for the 30-day hair detox was a wash and go that lasts 7 days. I never considered my hair a candidate for a wash n go, but after seeing wash and gos on extremely tight textures on @iamblackgirlcurls and other stylists from the Cut it Kinkty directory, I wanted it. 30 Days later despite visiting a stylist and investing is botanical gels….I can’t get a wash and go to last more than 3 days.

Challenges in my Routine on the 30 Day Hair Detox

Whew I was a user and abuser of a shea buttercream. I used it for “moisture: between wash days and as a styler. I was nervous about giving it up…it was my ride or die.

I used to pre-poo as part of my routine. I slathered my hair in coconut oil and detangled it BEFORE wash day. As part of the detox, I did not pre-poo and instead detangled in the shower.

Success Mindset Shift

Redefining Hair Goals

I learned to work with what I got and figure out where I want to be. In the natural hair community hair goals are often related how

Re-learning the definition of Moisture

Before the 30-day hair detox, I thought moisture = smooth and shiny hair. I achieved what I thought was moisture by coating my hair with oils butters and…occasionally silicones. Unfortunately, these are just coatings…think Spanx for hair…they make you look good, but underneath we have work to do.

True moisture is how the hair behaves. My understanding now is moisture is how your hair behaves. I use how my hair feels behaves in the shower as a reference. True moisture is how much water is in the hair. Freshly washed and conditioned hair is the most moisturized and is usually weighed down and curly.

Failures

I won’t be able to get my wash and go that lasts seven days. My hair is dehydrated, and according to my stylist Henna is blocking my blessings (the ability for water to get inside of my hair)

I wasn’t able to get the kinky cut I wanted because my hair is uneven and I don’t have the length where I need it. I am definitely going back to visit my stylist. If my wash and gos have improved, I will get a more connected cut. One of my fears about losing length is that I can’t fall back on the styles I am used to

Regrets

Henna is my biggest regret, it can’t be detoxed, it has to grow out. I’m fighting an uphill battle, unable to achieve my goal of a wash and go that last 7 days using botanical gel. A quick note on Henna, some say it is beneficial others say it is not…the one thing everyone agrees on is that it is drying.

When I used Henna I thought the dryness ended on wash day, meaning I just needed a deep conditioner…. Nope! my experience and consult with my stylist have taught me that dryness is and will continue to be an issue until I grow this Henna out or cut it off.

My number one regret is not coming across this information sooner. When I joined the natural community everything was anti-hair care. Shampoos were damaging, heat was the devil, combs and brushes are damaging, oils and butters are essential to natural hair care. Going through the detox has taught me that NONE of this is true.

I wash with shampoo weekly, I set with a hooded dryer EVERY CHANCE I GET, I hit my hair with the Felician Leatherwood Detangling Brush WEEKLY. Oils and Butters are a footnote in my hair care and no longer the star. My Hair is THRIVING. Minimal Breakage. No more hard crunchy ends that jump off of my head if I look at them the wrong way.

Results and Moving Forward

I like where I am at right now, but no where near my final destination. I’m slowly transforming into a wash n go girl. I like the volume and freedom of wearing my own texture out.

I’m continuing the Detox for at least one year until May 2022. I’m sticking to Detox friendly products or recommendations from my stylist. That’s it. I’m bathing my hair in water and detangling At Least once a week. I will keep checking back in to let you all know how it goes.

Have you or will you try the 30-day hair detox?