It is finally here! It has finally happened! It has taken me my entire life, but I have finally done it. I grew my hair out to my dream length, the bottom of my rib cage. For those who have not known me since I was twelve or who have not heard me talk about hair care, I am a little obsessed with the topic of hair. I spent several years researching ways to make my hair grow faster. Outside of going to hairdresser schools and reading their textbooks, I know everything there is to know about hair and hair growth. Well, that sounded prideful. I have considered getting text books from hairdresser friends to keep learning but have not yet done so.
You are probably thinking, “If you have been hair-obsessed your whole life, why did it take you so long to grow it out?” Good question, friend. Answer, I am very indecisive about my hair and love short and long hair. From the moment I had autonomy over my hair around the age of twelve, I spent the next sixteen years cutting my hair, regretting it, re growing it and then getting bored of waiting for it to grow and cut it again. It was a vicious cycle. Five years ago, it occurred to me why I am so indecisive about my hair. You see, I was not a fan of the natural texture of my hair when it was longer ( past my shoulders), but I am also not one to spend time styling my hair daily, except when it was short (within an inch of my chin). So when it was short I could avoid my natural texture because I straightened it regularly and when I was growing it out I was focused on the process and not the texture.
It has only been in the last four years that I decided to get serious about my goal length and did not cut it when I felt the urge to do so. My secret weapon, hair die. I discovered that when I got bored and wanted to cut it if I put some temporary hair dye in, it made for a nice colorful distraction and got me past the urge to cut it again. Worked wonders.
So, in celebration of reaching this childhood dream and lifetime goal, I have decided to share my “secret formula” for hair growth. I once had someone argue with me that you could not speed up your hair growth, that it grew at a certain rate and that was it. They argued that by doing all the things I was doing, I was simply preventing damage and therefore making my hair look like it was growing faster when in reality I was simply reducing damage and thus giving it the appearance of faster growth. She made a fair point. Either way, here is my list of items to improve the health of your hair and possibly increase its growth as well. It may not have been growing faster, but it sure felt like it and made the journey that much easier.
- Eat well and drink water. We all know that we are what we eat. If you eat junk, you will feel like junk. The same goes for your hair and skin. They too need nutrients just as much as your organs do.
- Exercise. Exercise increases blood flow throughout your body including your scalp which encourages hair growth. Eating well and drinking water, it is also just good for your overall health.
- Good quality shampoo and conditioner. This is more of a personal choice, I am simply not a fan of the idea that the ingredients in my shampoo are also in my dish soap. I wash my roots and then condition my length. This became more important the longer my hair got. You see, depending on how often you brush your hair and thus distribute your natural oils down the length of your hair, your length is not getting very dirty and thus does not need as much washing. I simply let the soap run down my length. Same with conditioner, there is no need, at least for myself to condition my scalp. Conditioning is for adding moisture and helping to detangle. Unless you have a dry scalp and need extra moisture, you do not need to condition your scalp.
- Leave-in–conditioner. This became important once my hair was reaching chest length. I have fine hair and am thus tangle-prone and it may have been a little dry at the time. So use a leave-in-conditioner. I put it in after my shower from my chin down the length of my hair and then let it air dry. Then two days later I would dampen my length with a spray bottle and reapply.
- Do not wash your hair every day. You are stripping your hair of its natural oils of you was it every day. Yes, I know that some people have oily hair and need to wash it regularly. Maybe use dry shampoo instead. I spent my life washing my hair every other day and then in the last three years washing every four to six days. More on that later.
- Hot oil treatments. My mixture is coconut oil, olive oil, and castor oil. Each oil has its special nutrients that are good for your hair and thus I mix them. Equal parts coconut oil and olive oil and then half of that of castor oil. Castor oil is thicker and thus harder to run through your hair. I find this ratio works nicely. Now, for years I thought that the oil was penetrating my hair shaft and was giving it nutrients from the outside in, then a hairdresser friend told me that the molecules of the oil are too big to get into the hair and act more like hand cream for your hair. Not gonna lie, this discovery rocked my world for a few days and I contemplated ending this activity and then thought about how dry my hands get in the winder and my need for hand cream and figured my hair needed the same treatment. I also have a special bonnet that attaches to my hairdryer at one end and the other to my head and I use it to warm my head and the oil once I have worked the oil into my roots and through the length of my hair. I was told that for your to get the most out of a hot oil treatment you want to add the heat to open up the pores on your head and allow the oil to penetrate your scalp.
- Do not brush wet hair. Wet hair is brittle and thus prone to breakage if you brush it when it is wet. I use my fingers to untangle mine after a shower and then let it air dry. I also use a wide-tooth comb instead of a traditional hairbrush.
- Do not use a regular towel on your hair. Use a microfiber towel or an old cotton t-shirt. The fibers on your regular bath towel pull on your hair causing damage, whereas a microfiber or cotton t-shirt simply absorbs the water. I use an old t-shirt.
- No heat. Or at least minimal heat and use a heat protector when you do use heat. Air dry your hair when possible and reduce the amount of heat styling you use.
- Good hair accessories. Do not use the hair elastics with the metal faster on them. Use the ones that are glued together. We all know the metal piece rips out our hair.
- Satan nightcap. I spent a lot of time going back and forth on this item. I was not sure if it was necessary for me. Satan and silk bonnets are marketed towards curly hair and African American people. I am neither. For African Americans, it keeps their hair from drying out. For curly hair women, it keeps their curls intact. For me, it keeps my hair in place and keeps it from getting tangled in my sleep. After a week or so of wearing mine, I realized it was also keeping my hair cleaner longer, and thus how I went from washing every two days to every four or five. You see, I braid my hair and then put my cap on before bed. In the morning my hair looks like it did when I went to sleep and therefore there is no need to handle my hair and style it for the day. The more you handle your hair the dirtier it gets.
- Trim split ends. I keep a pair of hair-cutting scissors nearby and whenever I see a split end I simply cut it off.
There you have it, friends, these are all the things that I do regularly that have encouraged my hair to be strong, healthy, and “grow faster”. I hope that if you are on a similar hair journey that I was on these tips and tricks will help you to achieve your goals as well. Because no matter how big, small, or “weird” they are, your goals are important and you should work hard at achieving them and then be proud when you do.
God Bless
~Hannah
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment