How To Grow Long Natural Hair pt.1

Growing up as a little girl I used to imagine that I had long hair. I would tie a blanket around my head and let it hang like I was Rapunzel. Ah, the good times. It wasn't until 2010 that I started making that a reality and really trying to reach that below-waist hair length goal. Already my hair has grown more than 5in. Below I have some tips on how I achieved and maintained growth. check it out!

Manipulate Hair Less
A lot of the breakage we receive from our hair results from how much we play in it. Combing and restyling every day results in your hair breaking, making it shorter and not able to show length. To maintain length, style your hair less by using Protective Styling. Protective styles are hairstyles that last for a week or more, and allow you to leave your hair alone for long periods of time. Protective styles would include braids, twists, cornrows, wigs, and even weaves! (Weaves need to be done correctly, do your research! having a bad weave can result to bald spots!

Detangle Hair Gently
Raking and forcing a comb, or a brush, through your hair can take a serious toll on your fragile strands. The results are far worse than manipulating your hair too much.  Rough housing your hair while detangling can pull the hair out of the follicle and make it appear like your hair didn't grow. To protect those precious strands take your time and detangle your hair gently. Put your hair in sections, then moisten and apply conditioner to the hair to make detangling easier. Use wide tooth combs and paddle brushes for easy gliding through your hair. Never use bristle brushes to detangle, bristle brushes are just like chocolate, you have to have it sparingly. Bristle brushes are best used when touching up edges, but use with caution. Overuse can lead to thin edges!

Protect Ends
Because your ends are the farthest from the scalp, they receive less nutrition and natural oil from the scalp. The ends also get abused from rubbing against clothing and exposure to the outdoor and indoor elements (like the sun or the air conditioning). Dry ends lead to split ends, which can run all the way up your hair strand, splitting the hair and causing it to break because of fragility. Protect your ends by putting your hair in styles that leave the ends tucked in like a bun. But if you're like me and you like to flaunt your hair, try putting a little olive or coconut oil on your ends every day to help against split and dry ends.


Click here for part two!