Natural Hair: Growth Tips

Do you ever wonder why your natural hair isn't growing? Keeps shedding? Isn't retaining moisture? Are you suffering from bald spots or severely damaged hair or split ends? I had all those problems too... the growth process is a long journey, be patient!

Back in 2018, after a serious search on Pinterest and YouTube about moisture and growth for natural hair, I found various growth tips from washing and conditioning to moisturizing and detangling to avoiding breakage. Let me tell you! Following natural hair YouTube influencers changed my hair care routine and reduced the process in half, from 4 hours to 2 hours.

Washing and Conditioning:

• Separate hair into 4 corners with hair clips

• Use warm water to shampoo/condition hair

• Wet each section with warm water from scalp to ends (I use a spray bottle)

• "Pre-poo", massage oil in hair while it's wet, apply with "prayer hands" from scalp to ends (before shampooing)

• Detangle hair with fingers (oil and water)

• Section hair in twists (2 strand or 3 if you're that talented!) to keep hair "stretched out"

• Section by section, apply shampoo to scalp, let it run down hair, rinse with cold water

• Apply oil to hair, put it back in sections

• Section by section, apply conditioner scalp to ends (applying more to those ends!)

• Sit with a plastic bag on your head for 30 mins-1 hour (if you don't have a shower cap big enough) this helps seal in moisture

• Rinse hair section by section, with cold water

• Dry hair with a t-shirt

Moisturizing:

• Moisturize hair with a cream, oil or butter (I mix 4-6 oils in a bottle and use as needed)

• Massage oil to scalp and apply to hair with "prayer hands" to stretched or wet hair

• Clump ends with moisturizer/oil

• Use products containing water as an ingredient (adds moisture)

• Use sulfate-free products

• Keep hair moisturized at least 3 times a week to promote growth

Avoiding Brittleness/ Breakage:

• Keep nails low and smooth (detangle process)

• Cut your ends!

• Keep hair in stretched styles

• Keep tools in good condition, clean them with soap and water after build-up (hair bands/elastics, hair clips, brush/comb)

• Sleep with a satin/silk bonnet, satin/silk scarf on a satin/silk pillowcase

This may seem like a lot to the natural hair maintenance process but it's worth trying and when you see the results, you'll want to stick to it or adjust your routine to what works for you.

This process changed my hair for the better! If you have any comments, questions or recommendations please share them with me :)