What began as a thought or an idea has become something much more powerful, that now it's a movement. The movement focuses on embracing your naturally kinky or curly hair and creating flawless curls. A lot more women are deciding to get rid of their perms, flatirons, blow dryers and hot combs and embracing their natural hair textures. As the natural hair movement continues to grow, more women are becoming part of the natural hair movement, but why wouldn’t they?
The process of going natural usually refers to black women or African American women transitioning from perms or relaxers to their natural hair state. Some women choose to cut their hair when they go natural (big chop) and some choose to let their hair grow out and cut the ends of the relaxer out as their hair continues to grow. You’ll definitely be able to see the difference in the natural texture of your hair and your relaxed hair.
You have to get to know your hair to understand which products will work best for you. Overtime you’ll start to learn that your hair will let you what it needs, so pay attention. Shrinkage for kinky hair is real. This is nothing new to anyone with curly or kinky hair, caring for your natural hair takes a different type of patience. Regardless of hair type, you can grow your hair to long lengths with consistency and the right hair care methods.
In a normal hair growth cycle, a larger percentage of hair is in the Anagen phase and every hair is at a different stage of the growth cycle. We normally lose 100 strands of hair everyday. Kinky and curly hair is particularly prone to breakage because it’s really dry. The oils produced by the scalp don’t effectively travel along the hair shaft. If they do, the cuticle layer is likely lifted and sucks the oils dry, due to the lack of hydration.
Fun fact: Did you know that 10% of the hair on your head are in a resting phase and those hairs tend to shed usually around 2 or 3 months? Did you also know that hair growth has about 4 stages? These stages are anagen (growth phase), catagen (transitional phase), telogen (resting phase), and exogen (shedding phase).
Hair grows at different rates for different people, however, the average rate is usually around one and a half inch per month. Unfortunately, some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length. This could be caused by hormonal changes, tight hairstyles, stress, diet and nutrition, or illnesses.
Of course our hair experience wear and tear, especially when we’re swimming, applying chemicals, combing/ brushing our hair, or even wearing tight hairstyles. Because hair is a keratinous substance, or protein, I formulated the Hair Repair Treatment to reinsert that protein that’s needed to back into repairing and strengthen the hair follicles.
However, hair breakage from heat styling, harsh chemicals, or tight hairstyles, are the most common causes of hair loss. Too much manipulation (combing, brushing, pulling, etc.) can lead to increased breakage. This is why protective styling and how you’re styling your hair is very important. Not properly taking care of your hair can break off the hair and damage the hair follicle. Damaged hair needs to be grown out and trimmed. This helps you get rid of those split ends.
Deep conditioning you hair and taking the proper steps to manage your hair’s health can change this! By over-washing your hair, you can wash away your hair’s natural oils, which helps your hair look healthy. If you’re not washing as often, you can have product build-up. Again, be mindful and listen to your hair needs. Use warm water when washing, this is to reduce the changes of your hair being stripped of sebum, which is the protective oil that acts as a natural conditioner that gives your hair its luster and shine.
Another tip is to co-wash your hair for more hydration and protection. Co-washing involves washing your hair with conditioner or a cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo to cleanse your hair. Co-washing helps to gently remove dirt and better hydrate the hair. Co-washing is especially helpful for people with extremely dry hair which gets stripped of moisture when using regular shampoo. With co-washing, you can maintain your natural oils while your hair becomes more manageable.
Conditioners are the food your hair needs! It put protein and moisture into the hair strands to restore the hair’s strength, give your hair body, and protect your hair against breakage. Try conditioning your hair after shampooing then applying a deep-penetrating conditioner or hair mask every 2-3x a month.
Retain your hair growth by:
- Understanding your hair growth cycle (anagen, catagen, and telogen).
- Using moisturizing products that helps your hair hold moisture for longer periods of time.
- Keeping in mind that your hair is made up of proteins and use products that delivers the proteins needed to repair and strengthen your hair follicles.
- Keep your hair in a protective style to avoid over manipulation and breakage.
- Not roughly combing through your coils. Try using your fingers to detangle your strands or a wide tooth comb.
- After washing your hair, try putting your hair in large twists or braids and wrap it with a satin or silk scarf, this will help prevent hair from tangling while keeping that moisture locked in.
Using these tips as mentioned will help you see a huge difference in your hair growth journey. A large percentage of people who are going natural or is already natural, do not see the growth that they wish to see, due to tangling and hair breakage! If you want to see steady growth month over month, use products with, coconut oil, olive oil and other moisturizing and nourishing ingredients, like our Herbal Oil or other products offered.