More Hair Growth Tips!!! (Speaking from experience)

I’m sure you know that you can’t just eat well to promote hair growth but you also have to take care of the strands to get more strands.  It’s a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it and the best woman for the job, is YOU!

Just like eating right for hair growth can become something you have to make a habit, so is your hair routine, which requires your attention every morning and every evening.  At least it’s not 3 times a day like your hair growth eating habit but who said keeping your beauty would be easy?!  A few weeks ago, I shared with you how to identify your curl pattern and the best products to match (check the post for 5/31/15).  Well this time, I’m going to share with you a tip or two on routinely taking care of your hair.

The first rule for every hair type is USE A HEAT PROTECTANT WHEN USING HEAT ON YOUR HAIR.  Heat protectants help keep your hair from drying out which prevents your hair from burning and therefore becoming lifeless and needing to be cut off (get the picture?).  

Now as I was saying, if your hair falls within the range of 3B-4C, you’ll need more moisture and protective styles than any other hair type.  As a rule of thumb, condition your hair more than you shampoo your hair.

• Find a sulfate free conditioner that contains natural oils and condition your hair 15-45 minutes at least 2 times per week.  If your hair is very thick, switch one night with a deep conditioner.

• Each night you’ll want to seal moisture into your hair to replenish the oils removed while facing the weather or brushing up against your clothing, which causes dryness and leads to breakage.  Use all-natural oils like coconut, castor, or olive oil. Apply oil to the scalp.  Once you’ve applied oil to your scalp, use your fingers to massage in the oils.  Part your hair into 2 or more sections and use a moisturizing lotion on each section and comb through.  Last, take the natural oil (the same one used for your scalp or another, and lightly apply oil over the sections and comb through again.

• Every morning, repeat the same routine as you did in the evening but this time spray in a leave in conditioner.

• Wear a protective style like a bun, braid, or a tucked in ponytail or any style that prevents the ends of your hair from constant exposure.  

• Wash your hair 1-2 times per month.  I know it sounds crazy but you need all the moisture you can muster and to wash your hair weekly, you’ll strip the natural oil environment in which curly hair grows best.  If you wash your hair once a month, be sure to wash with a ph-balanced shampoo and conditioner to avoid fungus from growing on the scalp.

If your hair falls within the range of 1-3A, you don’t have to be so tedious with your routine but you’ll need high-quality products that keep your hair from thinning and falling out.  Too much moisture in your hair type will cause your hair to be lifeless and can even cause balding.  As a rule of thumb, wash your hair more than you moisturize your hair.

• You too want to choose products that are sulfate free.  No matter the hair type, sulfates strip the scalp from it’s natural production of oil which assist in growth.  Your goal is to rely on your natural oils moreso than added moisture.

• You’re usually safe to shampoo your hair everyday, every other day, or every week (moreso for 3A hair type).  Be sure to use a shampoo that hydrates your hair, which adds more water than oil to keep your hair bouncy.  Remember too much water and you’re likely to have stiff hair and thinning.

• Use a leave in conditioner everyday, especially during the winter, which has a tendency to wreak havoc on your pores containing hair follicles.  The leave in conditioner should feel more like water to the maximum thickness of a vitamin c serum.

• You shed more hair than any other hair type.  While shedding hair is natural, you want to make sure that you’re wearing hairstyles that avoid constant exposure to your scalp or else it will dry in those areas and lead to your hair strands falling out at the bulb.  This will certainly lead to balding…not breakage but balding.

• You also want to use a ph-balancing shampoo and conditioner 1-2 times per month as shampoos leave behind build-up that weigh your hair down and you can’t simply wash off shampoo residue with another shampoo.

Lastly, a protein treatment never hurt any hair type!  Grab some eggs, mix with honey, and apply generously to your hair.  There's also alot of great protein conditioners on the market.  I absolutely love Aphogee Protein Reconstructor and Aussie's 3-minute protein moisturizer (they are pictured on my post titled "Hair Products I Love" January's Post). This is great to do after using your ph-balance shampoo.  There you have it!  Everything you need to keep up with your daily, weekly, and monthly hair care routine.  Use the calendar on your phone or even download an app that will send you reminders to take care of your hair when you set a schedule.

I transitioned for 18 months before chopping the remaining
permed ends. No, I didn't have a TWA, but this was my Big Chop!!!
"A mini fro"

This is 2 weeks after I cut the permed ends. I fell in love
with my curls!!! Team Natural all the way!!!

This was taken 3 months later; you can already see
the growth. Natural hair grows length so much faster
than chemically processed hair. This was a twist-out.

Okay, believe it or not this is just 9 months later. I went to
get a trim & a blowout and I was amazed by the growth.

What a difference 8 months made; I love this journey.
As you can see from the blowout pictured above compared to the
picture on the right (Nov.2014); the shrinkage is real!!!

This is the 11th month mark, I have been on Youtube
trying out so many different styles and looks. This hair journey
is actually fun & exciting.  Once you get your routine down
you will fall in love with your hair. I'm a witness!!!

Naptural Anniversary, 1 year mark!!!