10 Tips To Growing Black Hair Longer
The common thought is that black hair grows slower than all other types of hair. In actuality, all hair types average a 1/2 inch of growth every month. The treatment you give your hair is the determining factor to growing and retaining your hair. Some women may practice superstitious rituals like having a strict daily vitamin regimen or follow a lunar calendar to determine when to cut their hair. Unfortunately there is no magic spell or hair growth tonic involved to get hair to grow. Committing yourself to healthy hair practices and giving your locks some TLC are all that you’ll be required to do. Below are 10 tips to help grow your beautiful black hair stronger and longer.
Source: pexels.com1. Have a healthy lifestyle – Taking care of the inside will help the outside. Your choices in what you eat and drink go a long way in effecting the health of your hair. Choosing fresh fruits and raw vegetables, drinking plenty of water and getting regular exercise will show a difference in your hair health. Often people who are deficient in vitamins and have unhealthy diets will have drier more brittle hair.
2. Hydrate and moisturize – Black hair is naturally drier than other hair types. Using products which replace moisture and hydrate the hair make a big difference. Choosing shampoos and conditioners with formulas created to be used on damaged or dry hair are not always found in the “ethnic” hair sections of the store. Look at all the available products for different hair types which can help with moisturizing.
3. Regular trims – Visit your stylist regularly to get hair trimmed. Though this doesn’t sound productive to growing hair, it actually does help since trimming helps rid the dry, damaged and split ends which slowly work up the hair shaft and can cause more damage and slower growth in the long run. Discuss with your stylist your goals in growing out your hair and the length you’d like to achieve. Your stylist will know how much to trim and what type of time schedule will be best for you. The length of time between trims will also depend
on the overall health of your hair, you may visit your stylist every 6 weeks or every 3 months, only your stylist will be able to determine the best timeframe for you.
4. Protective styling practices – As your hair length increases you may be tempted to style and wear it loose, letting it blow in the wind and show how long it’s growing. Choosing to wear hair in a protective style helps keep the length and health of your hair. Protective styles can keep your ends, which are the driest section of your hair, from coming into contact and rubbing against your clothes, pillows or chairs. When you keep the ends styled up you prevent possible breakage and moisture loss. Nighttime protective styling is just as important as daytime and using satin or silk hair covers or pillowcases is better than cotton. Ponytails which are too tight, braids which are worn over an extended period of time can lead to breakage. Show kindness to your hairline and hair by choosing hairstyles that protect and are gentle will help reach your hair growth goals.
5. Brush less – Black hair which is brushed less thrives and flourishes over black hair which is brushed too much. Less is more when it comes to brushing black hair.
6. Turn down the heat – Occasional use of curling irons or flat irons is okay as long as heat isn’t turned up too high on these appliances. Finding a way to minimize practices in heat styling will go a long way in helping your hair grow. You and your stylist can talk about different hair styles which don’t require so much heat. Find wraps, wet sets and twist styles which are gentle.
7. Relaxing with TLC – Black hair is most often damaged from the use of chemicals, especially the use of relaxers. There are alternatives to hair relaxers and discussing the best relaxers to use with your stylist is essential in finding which relaxers are best for your hair. Making sure your hair health is a top priority when using these chemical processes is very important and having a stylist who is on-board with you regarding this will make all the difference. Stick with your stylist, the less people using chemicals on your hair the better and you’ll feel confident knowing your hair is being treated the best.
8. The right tools and accessories – It is often overwhelming when looking at all of the accessories and styling tools available. The best choices for black hair will be the tools and accessories which work with the natural texture. The right ones won’t pull on the hair, rather they will be gentle with the hair. Losing less hair from the tools and accessories chosen means you’ll keep more hair on your head to grow.
9. Crucial conditioning – Having healthy black hair is dependent on conditioning. Choosing the correct shampoo and conditioner along with the right leave-in conditioner will matter greatly. Speak to your stylist about a deep conditioner for using once per month or between salon trims which will be most beneficial in working with your daily and leave-in conditioning practices. When black hair is well moisturized it is less likely to dry out and break meaning it can grow.
10. Keeping it natural – Many women have rediscovered their natural texture. Those women who have started down a path of stopping chemical processes like relaxing now have less damage and breakage and more growth over time. They’ve also learned to work and style their natural black hair after some practice and talking with their stylists. Many black women aren’t familiar with their natural texture because their hair has been constantly relaxed since youth. It may seem devastating that cutting off all of your relaxed hair at once in order to grow it in length is the right method, but it is the easiest way to get back to your roots and begin on a chemically natural hair regimen.
Growing black hair longer can be accomplished when TLC is given to your hair and when you work with your stylist. Adding length and reaching your hair growth goals by using the tips above can make all the difference.
