When is Less More?

by Kris Pitcher

Sometimes less really is more. And for the athlete that can be a very scary thing. I was thinking about this the other day when I was less than pleased with my hair.

It seemed crunchy. I don't have the kind of hair that's soft. You can't put your fingers through it. My bathroom cupboard has lots and lots of hair products in it. LOTS! Yet, I can't seem to find the right one combination that leaves my curls soft. When I counted how many products I was using from wash to finish...six. So it dawned on me...

Maybe I need to use less? Now, this experiment is a tricky proposition. I mean, when do you try this? What do I do if it doesn't work out and I need to get to work? I don't have the kind of job I can wear a hat to. There is no time to start over.

I committed. The other morning I put the product primarily on the top, and back...but less of it. My goal was to use enough so I could rake my fingers through while it was wet, but not saturate all of it. Then, I got the hair dryer out.

This really is the frightening part. I KNOW what happens when I don't put any product in my hair and just let it dry...for instance a night time shower when I'm just going to bed. Why use product? I wake up looking like I've got a full head of cotton candy.

With the giant diffuser holding the curls toward my head, I worked my hair dry in the same pattern I do every single day. Once it's almost dry, I release the diffuser and turn the air on low to finish.

The whole point of this is it worked! My color was brighter and my hair softer. What's next? A little less? It got me to thinking, less can be more.

As an athlete it is hard to ever do less. Not making gains? Maybe you're over-training, or doing too much cardio? Would less work better? Just a consideration. I know it's a scary one. I think about supplements too.

People rely on a lot of stuff. Maybe it's helping. Maybe it's just making your pee really expensive. Just things to consider. Do you need all that? Maybe you do. What I found was, I had to try it to see. And, that's pretty much how people are. We have to try things for ourselves. But getting to that point is not easy.

I'm not sure where this gets us. It reminds me that it's ok to rest, that gains are made during recovery. It reminds me that eating my whole food is the foundation for my nutrition, and some supplements "supplement" that. And it reminds me that while I thought using more was better, I can actually use less hair product and my curls are going to be better off.