My last blog post was an update on my hair journey so far. I
got a lot of questions 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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.

For my before and after pictures and a few of the products and tools I use click this link -

darkchildlovethyhair..com/2014/09/5-secrets-to-longer-hair.html


Happy growing guys :-)

Let's see

Cool.