Lessons Willy Wonka Can Teach You About Natural Hair

Even though logically we know that no one lives forever. It still always take your breath away when someone who shaped the soundtrack of your life leaves our earthly plane. For me, Gene Wilder was one of those people.

Actor and comedian, Gene Wilder, sadly has passed on. He will most notably be forever known to my generation as Willy Wonka from the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory film (later remade with Johnny Depp cast as the lead…sorry to say, a pitiful, pitiful remake).

This film mesmerized young children for so many obvious reasons, one of them being the fantasies of endless candy options always at your disposal. Your wildest dreams and most secret wishes coming true. The rainbow of vivid colors and fanciful costumes. And for that time, the special effects were cutting edge although they can seem rather cheesy now.

The other thing that was so powerful about this movie was the lessons that it taught through song. One of those songs really sticks out…it’s the song that the Oompa Loompa’s sing and goes something like this:

Oompa loompa doompety doo
I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa loompa doompety dee
If you are wise you’ll listen to me

What do you get when you guzzle down sweets
Eating as much as an elephant eats
Where are you at, getting terribly fat
What do you think will come of that

I don’t like the look of it

Which brings me to the title of this post…

There’s a vicious virus that’s infiltrated the natural hair community. It’s one of product junkie-ism. It’s when a hopeful Naturalista seeks the holy grail of hair growth in a product, pill or potion hoping to magically grow her hair to shoulder lengths longer in an unreasonably short amount of time.

When the truth is, your hair grows at a pretty steady rate. And the thing that most affects your hair health (and hair length) is not so much what you put on it as is what you put in your mouth.

Huh?!?

You see, hair thrives on nutrients, just like your skin and nails. And it gets those nutrients from the foods that you eat, the water that you drink, etc…

No magical hair vitamin can trump that.

So the next time you catch yourself pulling out your wallet to purchase the latest miracle hair elixir wrapped in the sweet scent of a curly custard, hop on over to the produce aisle and pick up some vegetables instead. I guarantee you’ll fair better, feel better (and poo better too).

Not to say that hair products are bad or useless, but just realize that there’s no magic in them. I simply want you to have realistic expectations of what they can/will do for you.

R.I.P. Gene Wilder, you brought us joy and laughter and lessons that will always stay with us.

To the rest of my Naturalistas,
Be Well.