Are you wondering how to grow natural hair? My natural hair may not be down to the floor, but as I was looking through old pictures, I noticed something. My hair used to be significantly thicker and a lot longer than it is today. After reflecting and connecting the dots, I came to the full realization of why that is. Let me share how I grew my natural hair. Here are some tips for natural hair growth!
How to grow natural hair?
The first thing that you need to know is that your hair is growing. There is nothing that you can do or have to do in order to make your natural hair grow.
The question that you should be asking is how to retain the new growth of your natural hair. If your hair breaks of at the same rate as it’s growing, you will have the impression that your natural hair is not growing. This however is the wrong way to look at your hair.
Thinking that your hair isn’t growing can lead to a lot of frustration and will only leave you susceptible to cheap marketing gimmicks claiming to be the solution to your problem. Believe me, I’ve been there.
Length retention for natural hair
Although you can’t make your hair grow, you can help your natural hair retain length. Believe it or not, there are certain practices we do to our natural hair that can prevent our hair from thriving. Just like there are bad practices that can cause you to be stagnant in your natural hair journey. So, what are the practices that you can do to retain length on your natural hair journey? Or as a lot of naturals may put it, to grow your natural hair.
- Wear protective hairstyles/Low manipulation hairstyles
- Moisturize your hair
- Keep a healthy scalp
- Avoid using too much heat
- Trim your hair
Wear protective hairstyles/Low manipulation hairstyles
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/165929567511514730/Wearing protective hairstyles is not only great for when you want a break from your natural hair, but it’s a great way to protect your hair. After my big chop, I used to wear lots of protective hairstyles. I noticed that over time my hair retained a lot of length and that was because I wasn’t overly manipulation my natural hair.
After my hair reached a certain length, I stopped wearing protective styles and wore my natural hair out 24/7. There’s nothing wrong with that but, my mistake was wearing hairstyles that were too tight and I was wearing hairstyles in ways where I was constantly dealing with single-stranded hair knots. My hair was constantly in a puff/wash and go and because I didn’t stretch my hair I noticed a lot of hair knots and breakage.
Instead, I would recommend wearing hairstyles that don’t require you to manipulate the hair such as twists and braids. Try to keep your end tucked away as they are the oldest part of your hair which means that they are more fragile and need that extra attention.
Moisturize your hair
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/479985272795424722/Moisturizing your hair is crucial for healthy natural hair. Leaving your hair to become dry and brittle will only cause your hair to be more prone to break. When your hair starts to break off, it will decrease the retention of the length of your hair. Your hair is still growing but needs to be properly cared for.
Deep condition weekly if possible or every other week. Why am I putting the emphasis on deep conditioners rather than rinse-out or leave-in conditioners?
Well, the word gives it away. Deep conditioner moisturizes the hair on a deeper level by penetrating the hair shaft. Having this in your hair regimen and consistently following up with your routine will keep your hair hydrated. Make sure to also follow up with a leave-in conditioner throughout the week when you feel your hair is starting to lose moisture.
Just like every other thing in life, too much of something is also a bad thing. Moisture is great but overly moisturizing is also a thing. Have you ever heard of hygral fatigue? If you haven’t heard of it, it basically means that your hair has too much moisture. But that is a topic for another day
The point is, that you should find a balance in how you moisturize your hair. Maybe your natural hair will require you to deep condition and remoisturize more or less than once a week.
Keep your scalp clean
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315603886395193819/The health of your scalp will naturally contribute to the health of your hair. You want to keep your scalp as clean as possible by avoiding your scalp having too much build-up. You shouldn’t be scared to wash your hair. Just don’t wash your hair too often to the point where it gets dry and becomes more perceptible to breakage.
If you know you use heavy products on your hair, make sure you take that into consideration for your hair care routine. Also, pay attention to any sign of irritation on your scalp. Are there any signs of itchiness, irritation, or dryness? If so, make sure to look at the possible causes of that issue so you can come up with the proper solution. Don’t be afraid to seek help.
Avoid using too much heat
Just because you use heat on your hair, doesn’t mean that your hair will get damaged. However, what you don’t want is to use too much heat on your natural hair. Over time, using too much heat will cause you’re the keratin bonds of your hair to change in a negative way.
You can use heat in moderation but make sure to incorporate practices that will limit the chances of damage. You can do this by using heat protectants, using heat styling tools at lower heat settings and spreading the use of heat over time.
If you see signs of heat damage then it would be best to leave the heat in the kitchen for now.
Trim your hair
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/353673376997103594/This one may hurt but yes, make sure to trim your hair. I made the mistake of never bothering to get my hair trimmed. How often you trim your natural hair is up to you but there are unwritten rules of how often that should be done.
After my last salon trip, my hairstylist told me that our hair should be trimmed every 3 months. I was quite surprised as I normally hear that you should get your hair done every 6 months. I personally would use these general rules as a reference point. If you feel that your hair is damaged then you should probably get your hair trimmed. Some may be able to leave their hair alone for much longer than others.
If your goal is to retain length, it doesn’t make sense for you to get your hair trimmed every month, especially if your hair is healthy. That will only cut off your hair growth. no pun intended.
Conclusion on how to grow natural hair
Next time you think your hair isn’t growing, stop for a second and look at it from a different perspective. Your hair is growing but you simply aren’t retaining the length of your hair growth. Think about the things that you are doing to your hair and evaluate which ones contribute and which ones obstruct your hair growth journey.
