This morning, on one of my forums, some of the napphies were complaining about their hair not growing or not long enough. It made me think about some small dos that we tend to neglect but that bid high on our hair length in the long run….
1- Brushing– yes! If you brush your hair with a hard brush, you brush your hair frequently and you brush your hair when it is wet, then, you may lose some strands in the process. Therefore, brush your hair with care and with a soft brushe (denman brush, boar bristle brush, etc) or just do not brush your hair. Doing this is more a preference than a requirement.
2- Too much manipulation– Manipulating your hair everyday, touching it every once in a while, frequent combing and styling rip away some of your hair strands. How do you think the locked people achieve such lengths?! Their number one secret is low manipulation. Keep your hair in protective styles, keep your hair in low manipulation dos so that you can retain maximum hair length.
3- Use of shampoo– I foresee your surprised face when you read this but yes, it does take away some of your hair. Shampoo is harsh and a majority of them take away the natural oils from your hair. Plus, I truly believe shampoo is not a must in a naturalista’s regimen. To cleanse your scalp, you can use other products as Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water or bentonite clay (there’s a way to use it properly) or baking soda (ATTENTION though).
4- Lack of moisture– Your hair needs moisture to grow and blossom. Natural black hair is very fragile and requires more moisture. If your hair is not enough moisturized, not only will the ends break but you will definitely have less hair. Make sure your hair regimen is set in a way for your hair to get all the moisture it needs.
5- No protection of your hair when you are going to sleep– If you need to retain length, not only do you need to keep the moisture in your hair at night by wearing a silky/satin cap/bonnet or use a silky/satin pillow but you should also take the habit to put your hair in a pineapple puff or twist/braid them.
Jael from naturalhaircommunity.com
6- If you don’t have a healthy diet– You are what you eat. Your hair is you. If you don’t eat properly to provide your body the necessary vitamins, your hair will suffer from it. Make sure you eat properly and intake enough iron, biotin, zinc, vitamine E,D,A and B1 so that you can grow longer hair. Alternatively, take supplements to grow healthy long hair.
7- No protection of your hair against the environmental hassles– You need to protect your hair whenever you will be exposed to the sun ( aloe vera, tea tree oil and leaves are exemples of great sunscreens for your hair), to cold or chlorine water.
8- Heat damage – I know nhappies experience shrinkage and use heat to go full hair length or at times, we want to straigthen our hair for a new look. Heat can damage your natural hair, it is to be used with very much care.
9- Harmful ingredients in your products – Take the time to review the ingredients in the products you are applying on your hair. There are so many products to avoid in natural hair products: petrolatum, parabens, sulfate and lead to name a few.
10- Stress– There is a correlation between stress and hair loss.There are generally two types of stress-induced hair loss: telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.Telogen effluvium occurs when sudden or severe stress causes an increase in the shedding of hair, which is generally triggered by ongoing stressful events or chronic stress. The condition is generally temporary and hair will typically grow back within 6 to 9 months. Alopecia areata is more destructive. Intense stress may trigger a type of hair loss called alopecia areata. In this condition, white blood cells attack the hair follicle, which stops hair growth. Hair falls out relatively quickly – typically in clumps or patches within a few weeks of the stressful event. Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/028591_hair_loss_stress.html. Manage your stress, relax, take it easy!
11- Hard on the hair– Some people rock tight puffs, ponytails or leave braids in their hair for too long. If you need long hair, you should be gentle with your hair.
Afro Alice 