5 SECRETS TO LONGER HAIR

Hi guys,
    My last post was an update on my journey so far. I got a lot of comments from friends and family who saw the pictures, about what I did to grow my hair so fast. I was a little taken aback because I felt that was modest growth but people seem to think I have done very well in 15 months. The basic question is "How do I get my hair to grow as much as yours has done in such a short time?" I have to explain that everybody's hair grows, its retaining the length that is a problem for most people. To be honest I know there are people who do nothing at all and still have great length retention but I had to work a little hard to retain the length that I have. Here are 5 things I do and here's hoping they help you too:

 Moisturise and seal as needed.
This is a no-brainer right? But its still so hard to get it right. I try my very best not to let my hair get dry because dry hair breaks! Its that simple. I found a moisturiser my hair loves and I use a heavy whipped Shea butter cream to seal in the moisture, this keeps my hair moisturised for at least 3 days. Sometimes my hair needs a spritz of water during those 3 days sometimes it doesn't. I give my hair what it needs when it needs it. You need to do the same. Moisturise your hair like your very existence depends on it ( a little dramatic I know lol). Use the right moisturiser for your hair, you might have to experiment a lot to find one your hair loves and when you do stick with it. Always seal with an oil or butter to lock in the moisture. You can also get a spray bottle as it makes the whole process easier.

My moisture buddy

Yummy whipped Shea butter that SEALS the deal!

Comb Less/properly
Faced with a thick bush of natural curls you might be tempted to unleash the dragon on it to get a semblance of uniformity but you could be doing more harm than good. Combs are responsible for a lot of the breakage naturals have. Learn how to comb properly or do not comb at all. I do a lot of finger detangling especially when my hair is tangled. After I have finger detangled I can leave it as is or I can run a WIDE TOOTH comb through each section no more than thrice. I have noticed less breakage since I started doing this and less breakage translates to greater length retention. Not all of us can finger detangle but use proper tools and techniques and your hair will not suffer too much.

Right tools help to retain length.

These combs cause a lot of breakage

Deep Condition regularly
This can in no way be over emphasized. Deep conditioning improves the overall condition of the hair, making it stronger but softer with more elasticity and body. Deep conditioning makes hair more hardy, preventing breakage and split ends. I alternate between protein and moisture based deep conditioning. I use protein once a month and a moisture one every 2 weeks. One thing I love about deep conditioning is that it can make up for up to a week of missed/improper moisturising.

Deep conditioning helps more than you know

Reduce manipulation and stress
Manipulation weakens the hair strands leaving it vulnerable and prone to breakage. Its not easy to leave those juicy curls in peace but you have to curb that I-must-twirl-my-hair-around-my-thumb-so-I-know-its-really-mine spirit that attacks us all from time to time. I try not to play with my hair much. I also put my hair in chunky braids when I am home to discourage my wandering hands. Hair grows more when it is left alone so avoid hairstyles that have you combing and smoothing every day, also sleep with a satin bonnet at night to avoid your pillow playing hanky panky with your strands when you are in dream land. Choose hairstyles that keep your hair in a style for at least one week to prevent excess manipulation. My protective style of choice is cornrows under a wig so I hardly manipulate my hair during the week.

Unsexy but it keeps my hands away from my hair.

Finally and most important for me is CHERISH YOUR ENDS
This is the most important thing for me because my ends are the oldest part of my hair and break off more easily than the rest. How do I care for my ends? I baby it like mad. I apply moisture there first, I seal my ends with more product, I apply my deep conditioner there first, I do not apply shampoo to my ends at all, I tuck my ends in after I make my cornrows etc. by now you get the drift. Imagine you have a new-born baby and far older kids, who will you give more attention? The new-born right? Even though my ends are the oldest I pamper them because they are as delicate as a new born baby. This translates to properly moisturised and strengthened ends that just bend and don't break. So while my roots are growing out my ends remain faithful and voila my secret of longer hair.

Showing my ends some Lurve ;-)

All these steps are really nothing new. I'm sure you may have read them over and over but lets practice more. As you can see its possible to give your hair a helping and get the growth you want in a short period of time. I leave you with this subtle reminder of how far we've come:

October 2013

This could be you!!!!

Thanks for stopping by as usual,

KimB