How to Grow your natural hair !

Rule #1- Shampoo or Co-Wash at least once a week or every other week

 Whether you chose to wash with a shampoo or conditioner, in order to avoid product build up consider washing your hair at least once a week. I know most of you may have been taught that washing your hair dries it out…FALSE!! Natural hair requires water for moisture and to prevent breakage!!! It’s simple, water is now your new best friend and your dry hair depends upon it in order to flourish! Now because you need a clean healthy scalp for hair growth to occur washing the hair is a must but be sure to use a Sulfate-Free moisturizing shampoo or conditioner to avoid stripping the hair of its natural oils.

 Rule #2 Deep Condition your hair with a protein or moisturizing conditioner In order to prevent breakage and to keep your hair moisturized a weekly deep conditioning is a MUST!! You can either deep condition your hair with plastic cap under the dryer for a 20-30 minutes or without heat for at least one hour; again this should be done at least once per week. If needed, you can do a protein treatment at least every 6 weeks or whenever the hair feels very limp, mushy, overly soft etc.

 Rule #3 Detangle the hair after applying conditioner. Tangles lead to breakage. Always detangle wet hair with a wide tooth comb or denman brush after conditioner has been applied to hair.

 Rule #4 Rinse hair with cool water Your final rinse should be with cool water to close the hair cuticles.

 This is also a good time to do an ACV Rinse.

 ACV= Apple Cider Vinegar .. it  rinses help to remove some types of build-up from the hair while also closing the hair cuticles. ACV rinse can remove product buildup, restore the pH balance of the scalp and hair, and promote blood circulation in the scalp–which can stimulate new hair growth–and give the hair a soft, healthy sheen. Apple Cider Vinegar Mix 1-2 tbs apple cider vinegar 2 cups room temperature distilled water 

Rule #5 Always use a water based leave-in conditioner. After deep conditioning your hair you should ALWAYS apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair to retain moisture. A good leave-in is one that is water based.

 Rule #6 Keep your hair moisturized! Kinky, curly, coily hair is the easiest to break when dry that is why it is crucial to keep your hair moisturized at all times. Because the ends of your hair are the oldest and are more prone to breakage you should focus on moisturizing and sealing your ends every day. After applying your leave-in conditioner apply a water based moisturizer then seal the moisture in with an oil and/or butter to trap moisture in the hair. 

 Rule #7 Air Dry or Limit the use of direct heat. Stay away from flatirons/blowdryers which can easily burn the hair. Opt for a tourmaline / ceramic iron to straighten your hair. But be sure to only use it rarely.. Natural hair wearers sometime misjudge how damaging heat can be. The use of direct heat will at some point result in heat damage. Always remember to apply a heat protectant such as grape seed oil before using heat. Heat should only be used on clean hair.

 Rule #8 Wear protective styles. Protective styles are worn to protect the ends of the hair which are the oldest and are more prone to breakage. When wearing a protective style hair ends are tucked away, protecting them from rubbing against your shirt collar and/or being exposed to heat, the sun, or cold drying air.

 Styles may include two strand twists, flat twist, braids, buns, up-dos, weaves, or any style that helps to protect the ends of your hair. Protective styling is a good way to maintain growth retention. ***When wearing a protective style stay away from wool collars or hats. Staying away from wool collars and hats is a good idea if you want to prevent breakage. 

Rule #9 Know the difference between breakage and shedding. If you see a white bulb (hair follicle) at the end of the hair strand, this would be considered normal shedding. If you don’t see the follicle this may be considered hair breakage. 

Rule #10 Protect your hair at night. Always sleep in a silk/satin scarf or bonnet or use a silk/satin pillow case. Sleeping with a cotton scarf or pillowcase will cause the hair to dry out. Cotton is very absorbent and will absorb moisture from the hair.

 Rule #11 Keep your natural ends trimmed. You don’t have to trim as often as those who have chemically processed hair. It is recommended to clip your ends every 3-6 months. If you are natural and wearing color, I would definitely trim a little more often to prevent breakage. An easy way to trim your own hair is to try the two strand twist method. After twisting to the end, clip off 1/4th to ½ inch. Perform this on each twist until all of your hair is clipped. It is harder to detect split ends on natural hair but they do exist.

 Rule #12 Do not comb dry hair while it is dry. You should only comb your hair while it is in its wet state. This will remarkably cut don’t on any breakage that you may be experiencing and result in a thicker head of hair. Always use a wide tooth comb. (The only exception to this rule is if you are wearing your hair in a straight style which should be infrequent.) If you are wearing twist-outs, braid outs, bantu knot sets, afro puffs etc., you should be finger combing your hair on a daily basis and not combing it.