10 secrets to grow long, healthy natural hair

There are so many advantages of having long hair;

Recognition, appreciation, acknowledgment and it boosts self-esteem.

Everyone (mostly women) nowadays dream of having long hair but few actually strive to get it. Some are looking for answers to how they can grow their hair out healthily and you are lucky enough to have ended up here.

These aren’t just steps but secrets and procedures!

If you take heed of them and practice them faithfully, you will see results in a minimum amount of time. You will definitely have the “Indian” kind of long and luscious hair that most women die for.

Firstly, natural hair comes in four main types: 1, 2, 3 &4.

 

Type 4 is the one most Black people have. It is broken down into 4a, 4b & 4c. 4c is the kinkiest kind of hair. 3c is more loosely curled hair.

The type doesn’t really matter. What matters is the effect of type on which the hair should be handled.

On average, hair grows a maximum of 0.5 inches per month. You should expect 3-5 inches of growth per year. Hair growth is limited. On average, the growth cycle is 4-7 years. This limit is set by genetics and can’t be changed. If you have fast hair growth of 6 inches/year but your cycle is just one year, your hair will not grow beyond 6 inches! However, with a few lifestyle changes, you can expect a more desirable length.

Without further ado here are let’s step into it. As always, I keep it simple.

1.     Wash and condition

The longer your hair gets, the less often you should wash it.

Short hair is more vulnerable to dirt so it needs more care and washes regularly.

Long hair takes longer to get greasy so it doesn’t require regular washing.

 It is necessary to wash then condition your hair at the expected times to nourish your hair and strip it from any dirt.

Most shampoos use sulfate as the cleaning agent. Sulfates are commonly used because they are a lot cheaper than other surfactants and they are effective on greasy hair types. However, for kinky/curly hair, sulfates are too effective as a cleaning agent. They wash out the good oils leaving your hair too dry.

·         If you feel like you need more regular washing, add an extra wash using conditioner, not shampoo (i.e. co-wash).

·         Use a mild, sulfate-free shampoo

2.     Moisturizing

Your hair needs lots of moisture to prevent dryness of scalp and breakage of its ends.

Kinky/curly hair has a high tendency to be dry.

It can lose a lot of moisture in a day.

That’s why it needs the best moisturizer: 

WATER!!

Water helps to soften hair and loosen curls thereby keeping it hydrated so it is less likely to break and more likely to regain length. Also, applying creamy moisturizers to your hair during wet styling is a good way of maintaining moisture in your hair and less liability to lose moisture throughout the day.

Don’t forget to seal the moisture in with natural oils.

·         Sealing the hair ensures hair cuticles are smoothened out and moisture is held in better.

·         Oil is wonderful for locking-in moisture.

3.     No heat

Heat dries out and damages your hair.

Most women with luscious, healthy and long hair claim to never use heat at all and the results are fantastic.

 Try to avoid dryers and straighteners from your hair care routine. 

Blow dryers aren’t that necessary because your hair can air dry after you’ve conditioned and moisturized it properly.

Flat irons aren’t even in the case because straightening hair can be done as much as twice a year, any more often than that will cause breakage.

·         Thoroughly detangle your hair before attempting to blow dry.

·         Straighten your hair once a year and your hair won’t break on you.

·         Applying heat on your hair is like standing in the sun for two hours just to dry/straighten it. Would you like that?

4.     Eat hair foods!

Good nutrition is one of the important keys to having healthy hair.

If you eat unhealthily, your hair won’t be healthy.

A good diet will encourage new growth of hair that will look healthy and better.

 For healthier hair, skin, and nails, consume foods that are packed with protein, iron, vitamin A, B & C and sulfur. For those that love their hair, eat lots of nutritious foods and you will not only see but feel the difference in its health.

·         Eat foods like beef, fish, cheese, soybeans, and fruits & veggies like cauliflower citrus fruits, papaya, broccoli, and bell peppers and so on.

·         Drinking fruit juices and milkshakes are also good for the health of your hair.

5.       Deep condition

Deep conditioning improves the moisture, softness and strengthens your hair.

 This doesn’t mean that you should deep condition regularly.

Deep conditioning your hair too much may cause breakage.

 Deep conditioners aren’t instant conditioners so they shouldn’t be abused. If you want a more regular wash, get a cream-rinse or an instant conditioner.

When you deep condition your hair, wrap it in a shower cap. This generates heat to induce into your scalp and hair which helps the deep conditioner soften the hair more.

·         Cream-rinse conditioners are used for detangling and heat protection.

·         Deep condition your hair 3-4 times in a month.

6.     Handle your hair with TLC.

Your hair is your glory.

 You have to handle your hair carefully to see good results.

Combing dry hair will increase breakage.

I personally don’t like combing my hair, I “finger-detangle”. I use my fingers to carefully work through the coils and knots without having to use a comb or brush. If you want to comb your hair, spritz it with water or apply a creamy base to avoid snagging and breakage.

Remember that dry hair hates combs and wet hair is the best for detangling.

·         The best type of comb for hair is a large tooth comb. It is gentle on your hair and doesn’t snag it.

·         Fine-toothed combs are a no-go area mostly if you have kinky hair.

7.     Trimming

Trimming is very important in your course to retain and grow healthy, natural hair.

Trimming involves cutting off a small piece of damaged hair (split ends) from your remaining hair.

Split ends get tangled with the new & healthy hair and it causes more hair damage. That is why it is essential to trim them off.

Trimming also gives your hair a smart look and boosts growth.

HOW?

When you cut off the split ends that are likely to tangle with the healthy hair, your new hair is rid of the damaged hair that can cause it to break and cut.

If your hair looks dry and frizzy, trim it.

Don’t necessarily trim every week. Only trim it when it looks like it needs to be trimmed.

·         If your hair is looking messy, trim it.

·         Don’t trim too frequently. Every 6-7 weeks is perfect.

8.     Build your own regimen

Having your own regimen and following it consistently is a great tip to retain length and grow your hair out.

Just use the simple products and routine required, and then follow it faithfully. You can have daily, weekly, monthly and even bi-monthly routines.

The most known one is the wash routine---weekly wash day routine; shampoo, condition, co-wash, deep condition and moisturize. You know the simple step-by-step kind of routine.

You can also get inspiration from other famous hair bloggers but I suggest building your own from personal experience and available products.

·         What works for you, may not work for me. YOUR HAIR is YOUR HAIR.

·         Start with the basics then you can add more routine changes.

·         Consistency is the key. If you are not consistent, your effort will be in vain.

9.     Protective styling

You’ve heard it everywhere; protective styling!

Protecting hair involves styling it in a manner that the ends are locked in and safe from dust and other elements.

The ends are the oldest part of your hair so there is more reason to ensure that it is always protected.

Many protective hairstyles involve pulling the hair up and tightening the hair strands to hide the ends of your hair. Some of these hairstyles are really nice to wear and show off but you don’t really know the good you are actually doing for your hair.

Don’t worry; it will repay you with rapid hair growth. Protective hairstyles are very important when there is a change in weather conditions and seasons e.g. summer, winter and so on.

·         Twist braids, buns are all examples of protective hairstyles.

·         Hair strands aren’t well protected when they are loose and free.

·         When it is sunny, wear a hat. UV rays are not only bad for your skin they are also bad for your hair.

10.                        Don’t ever forget your satin bonnet

The biggest mistake you can ever make when you finish detangling your hair from braids/twists at night is to forget to sleep with a satin bonnet.

Your hair needs protection in the day and at night.

Wearing a satin head cap/bonnet is better than a cotton one because it is more loose and slippery. 

Thus it will protect your hair from breaking during your sleep.

Also to avoid frizz and extra tangy coils, twist your hair before going to bed. It helps to keep strands of hair from coiling up together and tighter making it hard to style in the morning.

Moisturize your hair also before sleeping.

·         Get a satin pillowcase if you forget to wear the cap

·         If your hair is frizz full in the morning, spritz water and gently comb through it to loosen the coil before styling.

CONCLUSION

Thank you very much for reading this post. I hope you gained something and it was very helpful. I know you can have a Rapunzel hair of your dreams; you just need to be consistent, faithful, healthy and loving towards your hair. I promise you will see the differences.

Please drop a tip of your own in the comment section below and keep on loving your natural glory.

Thanks again.

Stay tuned and stay blessed.

DO’S

ü  Apply a heat protector before applying heat to your hair.

ü  Finger detangle first.

ü  Use wide-tooth combs.

ü  Shampoo once a week and deep condition at least thrice a month.

ü  The LOC and LCO methods are great methods of maintaining & sealing hair moisture.

ü  Take vitamins/supplements for deficiencies.

ü  Style your hair in braids and leave for two weeks. No longer than that!

ü  Protect your hair during harsh weather conditions.

ü  Wash hair with warm water and rinse with cold water.

ü  Give more love to the ends of your hair than the rest.

DONT’S

û  Don’t comb hair with fine-toothed combs.

û  Don’t do wash’n go’s on long hair.

û  Avoid products containing paraffin, gluten, propylene, glycol, sulphates and petrolatum. Read labels first.

û  Regular spraying of hair with water can’t replace your weekly wash.

û  Oil is not a moisturizer.

û  Do not comb dry hair. DON’T TRY IT.

û  Avoid thin or heavy braids.

û  Don’t dry hair with regular towels. It promotes frizz.

û  Don’t trim your hair too often. Give it time to grow out.