Whengrowing out Natural Hair, many ofus strive to have our healthy curls, coils, and kinks growing at a noticeablyencouraging speed. We strive for MoistureRetention and a healthy scalp as well. I think we can all agree that it isdefinitely a process. Even with concrete guidelines for your hair type andtrusted product recommendations, everyone’s natural hair and natural hairjourney can be, and is often, well... different. Growth can sometimes feelstunted due to breakage, dryness, or your hair is legitimately stuck at aparticular length for reasons unknown to you. Below are some of the top 5 tipsand methods to promote and retain healthy natural hair growth.
1) Please Don’tTouch My Hair. The Thing I Tell Myself Daily
Thisis rule #1, and for a good reason. I get it. You take that style out that youare trying from youtube. It comes out absolutely perfect, and you want to playin it. Your natural curls are poppin, and your Twist Out or Flexi Rod Set is giving youEVERYTHING that you want in life, or worst-case scenario…it comes out awful,and now you need to restyle. So you pull the sides up on day 2, you braid thefront back on day 3, you pull your hair into the cutest puff on day 4. Them Youcomb it out day 5 to try and restyle or wash it because of all of the productbuild-up. Right? WRONG! Very very wrong.
Thenumber one cause of natural HairBreakage, fairy knots, split ends, and dryness is constant hairmanipulation. This includes playing in your natural hair far too often, pullingit up day to day, straining your edges, and styling manipulation. It isessential to refrain from touching your hair too often. The constantmanipulation of your hair prevents growth and can lead to premature breakage.Your hands also carry their own oils and germs throughout the day as you touchyour hair, leading to dryness and sometimes scalp conditions. Try low manipulationhairstyles that will reduce your temptation to touch your hair as often. It iskey to keep such styles in for at least five to seven days. In between, if youwant to pull your hair into a puff or pineapple, then that’s A-ok. Just as longas you are not going full stylist in your head daily. Pick it out, shake it outor manipulate with your fingers in the morning and leave it. Do not touch it,and do not reshape it during the day. The perfect part of having natural hairis that it does not have to look perfect. Bask in that and keep your hands toyourself. Stretch out your wash days if you shampoo/condition once or twice aweek. Be sure to use a satin scarf and/or a bonnet. In case those slip off,also use a satin pillowcase.
2) Jewelry andHang Nail Free Is The Way To Be
Iget it! You don’t want to take off your engagement ring when styling your hair.You are in the house, so who cares if your nails are chipping. I’ll tell youwho cares…or what rather. YOUR HAIR CARES! These little things play an essentialpart in our Natural Hair Careroutine but can often be the big reason why you are seeing breakage. Ensurethat all jewelry is off when washing or styling your hair. This includesnecklaces, stud earrings, and rings. Anything that your hair can wrap around,get snagged on, and rip. If you must wear a ring when washing or daily styling,cover your hands with rubber gloves. The same rule applies when doing yournatural hair with hangnails and chipped nail polish. Ensure that your hands aregroomed, nail polish is fresh, or removed on fingers where it’s chipping. Ifnot, then slip on a rubber glove until the next nail appointment to minimizedamage during styling.
3) Say No ToHeat
Youmay see online naturals taking the 6 months no heat challenge or suddenlystating that they went no heat and watched their hair blossom. This is NOT atest. This is the truth, but only if you are ready to hear it. You see yourhair blowers and flat irons? Get up, wrap those cords around them and placethem on the highest shelf in your home where you will forget about them. Heatis an extreme enemy of natural hair, length retention, and moisture retention.You know those parts of your hair that look insanely straight on wash day inbetween curls that are popping? That’s HeatDamage. Excessive amounts of heat will not only cause damage to the hairshaft but will also alter your natural curl pattern and prevent growth vialength retention. Those areas will break off sooner or later. In addition toexcessive fallout and breakage, heat contributes to brittle, dry, anddull-looking natural hair. The only way to treat heat damage is to cut off alldamaged ends causing you to start back at square one. Quite similar to perming.Do not apply direct heat only indirect such as a hooded dryer to dry or deepcondition your hair. While using the hooded dryer, try to stay below 55degrees. This is considered indirect heat. There are a few exceptions: very-lowheat with a diffuser on your hair blower to dry the roots of a Wash and Go or the lowest heat levelto stretch your roots. However, try to stay away from heat altogether. Now, thisis not saying that a silk press will destroy all of your hard work. A silkpress done correctly by a professional who knows how to ensure that your hairwill not be heat damaged is A-ok. Many naturals limit this to two or threetimes a year.
4) To Pre-Poo orNot to Pre-Poo
Theanswer is always yes! Pre-poo is a process of prepping your hair by saturatingit before washing it with an oil such as Olive Oil, Almond Oil, or Grapeseedoil. Looking for a little extra protection before washing? Then you can add athick substance such as aloe gel to your oil. There are quite a few brands thatsell amazing pre-poo’s as well. The process adds extra time to each wash day,and it is worth it. You saturate hair and let it sit for 25-40 minutes, andthen begin washing. This process fills open shaft cuticles so that your hair iseasier to detangle with added slip during the manipulation of washing, is lesslikely to break off while manipulating, and creates a protective layer when youshampoo to prevent your shampoo from stripping the moisture from your strands.After pre-pooing, you will see softer, bouncier, shiny, and moisturized curls.Using this method over time will increase your overall hair health and assistin Moisture Training your hair.The extra 25 minutes is worth it in overall hair health and length retention.
5) Your Hair IsA Picky Eater
Theold adage you are what you eat not only applies to your body but also appliesto your hair. Your daily/weekly diet can actually encourage or hinder healthy Hair Growth.
*Didyou know that regular alcohol consumption stops/slows hair growth? Alcoholleads to dehydration, raised estrogen levels, and reduced zinc levels in thebody, making it difficult for long, healthy hair to grow. The more alcohol youconsume, the weaker your strands will become. Remember, we want to retainmoisture and a healthy scalp for maximum hair growth.
*Didyou know that your sugar intake could be affecting your hair growth? A highsugar intake spikes your blood sugar levels which damages hair follicles andpotentially accelerates hair loss. It also causes inflammation of the scalpleading to loss of quality and quantity of hair, and can also contribute to theflare-up of common scalp conditions. Cut the sugar and grow the hair.
*Greensglorious greens and fruit are your hair’s best friend. Incorporating freshgreens, fruits, nuts, proteins, and fatty fish into your diet. It can be hardwhen you are on the go; if so, try and incorporate them into daily smoothies,not the fatty fish of course! If it is merely impossible to do so, then find asupplement that works for you.
*Stayhydrated. Drink water often – 8 cups or more a day.
Ihave a saying, My hair feels better when I treat myself like a house plant.This includes constant watering, sun, the right foods & the rightenvironment. Check back soon for part two of healthy hair growth tips fornatural hair because there’s a lot more where this hair comes from!
Formore tips and natural hair advice visit https://www.commithaircare.com
