Natural hair has found a firm place in the spotlight and more women than ever are shunning chemical relaxers in favour of their natural manes. But nobody likes the sight of their strands breaking or, equally, having to deal with them being excessively dry and fragile all the time. So if you’re ready to put down the relaxers and promote your natural hair growth but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place!
Here are natural hair growth tips you should take into account before taking the leap.
You don’t have to cut everything off straight away
When you’ve sported long, relaxed hair for a while, the thought of going super short can be quite worrying – especially if you never tried it before. While going for the ‘big chop’ (cutting off all of your hair in one fell swoop) is the fastest and boldest way to transition, rest assured and know that you don’t have to take this route.
Change it up
All the products that you’ve used on your relaxed hair won’t benefit your natural mane as much, so you’ll need new ones that specifically target the needs of your brittle, dry, and dehydrated strands. It’s easy to get carried away and become a product junkie, but generally, sticking to the same products will help your hair in the long run.
Expect a lot of breakage (but don’t panic!)
Nobody likes the sight of their strands breaking, but it is something you’ll experience a lot during the journey. As your natural hair growth comes through, dealing with two textures will start to become a challenge.
The line between these two textures (relaxed and natural hair) is often referred to as the ‘line of demarcation’ (where your hair is at its weakest and extremely prone to breakage). In order to reduce breakage as much as possible, you’ll need to build up your mane’s strength by keeping it in tip-top shape and following a strict natural hair care routine.
It’s all about moisturising
When you relax your hair, all your protein bonds are broken down and it loses its moisture. So the aim of the game is to restore both moisture and protein with weekly deep conditioning treatments. And it’s all about balance. If you add too much protein, your hair will become brittle while too much moisture will make it go limp.
Scalp care
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp so it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that the key to natural hair growth starts with proper scalp care.
To encourage healthy hair growth ensure your scalp is nourished by stimulating blood circulation with daily scalp massages. Simply use a hair oil and your fingers to massage your scalp in a circular motion for a few minutes a day.
Heat doesn’t have to be the enemy
When thinking about how to grow natural hair, using a hairdryer or a straightener every so often for a change of style isn’t sacrilegious. Just make sure to always apply a heat protecting spray before using any heated styling tools, and that includes a hairdryer and diffuser.
Protective styling
When thinking about how to grow natural hair, we recommend opting for hairstyles that will protect your hair from everyday elements.
From box braids, twists to cornrows, there is a number of stunning protective hairstyles waiting to be discovered. Not only are they incredibly stylish and versatile, but they’re low-maintenance too
All it takes is a little faith
Transitioning is a timely process that will involve a lot of trial and error, but it will be so worth it once your stronger, natural hair growth comes through. So don’t give up! Trust us, you’ll have beautiful, healthier-feeling and less damaged-looking hair in the end. Besides, it also gives you time to perfect those protective hairstyles and become a hair care expert.
