According to our market research, the average curly spends over $30 per month on hair products – just imagine what Product Junkies must spend! With all of the money being spent, it is a valid concern to wonder whether these products are working on our hair. Do they make a difference? And how can you measure the effects?
Is Your Product Working
Set Your Goal
Before you can determine whether or not a product is working, you will first need to figure out what you would like to achieve with it. Is your hair in desperate need of protein? Are you hoping to boost your growth? Do you want to decrease breakage? Determining what you need your new products to do is the first step in figuring out if they’re working for you.
Choosing Wisely
Once you’ve decided on a goal, choose your products wisely. This will save you money, time and frustration. If what your products you’re using are effective, then you will feel less compelled to buy every product you come across. Visit the CurlTalk forums, where it is highly likely that someone else has already researched products for the same reason you are.
One of the most useful features on CurlMart is the reviews! We’ve read numerous times from readers that these reviews have helped prevent wasted money. The reviewers include their hairtype along with their review, so find the ones with the same type as you and see what they’re saying!
Measuring Growth
After you’ve chosen your products and have given them a try, it is time to see if they’re helping you reach your goals. If you were hoping to improve your hair growth, measure the length of your hair with a tape measure or by marking a piece of string before you start using your product, to give you a baseline for measurements. Then, measure your growth again every few weeks.
You can also use a hair growth chart to do this. After two to three months, if you are unsatisfied with your progress, it might be time to move onto something else.
MORE: The Curly Mistake You’re Probably Making: Give Products Time
Measure Your Protein
In order to measure whether your hair is getting enough protein, give yourself a strand test. Gently pull on a strand of hair. If it bounces back nicely, your protein levels are likely sufficient. If it breaks off easily, then your hair is lacking protein.
If increasing protein is your goal, conduct this test before and after using a new product regularly.
Trial One New Product
Been online shopping? Did a big box of new products just arrive? It can be tempting to revamp your entire routine at once, but if you truly want to measure the effectiveness of one product, this is not the way. Keep the rest of your regimen consistent and simply compare and contrast your hair with the addition of one new product.Were you shedding a lot of hair before trying your new product? How’s the hair loss going several weeks later? If you were aiming to add some life and bounce to your barely-there curls, how does your hair look several weeks later?
Second Opinion
Sometimes, we don’t see things that others see–or we do see things we want to see that others just aren’t seeing (dreaming, perhaps!”>. Try asking those you see on a daily basis what their opinion is. Even better, ask people you only see every few months if they can tell a difference. You can also take photographs of your hair pre-product and post-product.
” src=”https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/curly-woman-holding-clock-1.jpg”>Don’t Forget
Regardless of how you decide to measure a product’s effectiveness, remember that products take time to produce a noticeable difference. In addition, keep in mind that sometimes it takes a combination of products or regimens to get your desired results. If you’re serious about testing your products, remember to set realistic goals, make smart purchases, and measure your results.
