I went natural in March/April 2011. I don't remember the exact date. My hair had broken off at the back so I had about 1 inch of hair on two-thirds of my head to begin with and a couple of inches at the front.
At the time, my hair was so badly damaged that I couldn't care less about hair growth - I just wanted it to get healthier. Looking back on it I think ignoring hair growth and focusing on health is the best strategy one can go for because my hair has been growing and any growth I get comes as a happy surprise. If you expect nothing, everything and anything you get will be a positive. I also don't do length checks. I have done one before but I don't think it's that important. You will know if your hair is growing depending on where it reaches. Anyhow, fast forward 2 years and and 3 months to July 2013 and this is where my hair is at. I'm happy with this length to be honest. If I get more, great; if I don't, it's about health first anyway so it doesn't matter.
I wash my hair every 7 days on average but occasionally leave it until 10 days have past. This is what I do:
WEEKLY ROUTINE 1. Finger Detangle damp hair ...because it is far easier to detangle hair when it is just a little damp rather than when it is wet or very dry. Dampening the hair and softening it with a little conditioner is called plasticizing the hair. Product used: either a leave-in conditioner or a detangler, Luv Naturals is particularly good but only available in the US and also only on their website. 2. Shampoo
3. Deep condition
4. Detangle again but this time with a comb I take the shower cap off, detangle again and then section my hair into twists after the detangling. 5. Rinse out conditioner. 6. Moisturise and plait or twist each section. My hair has to be twisted or plaited to stretch it. When it was shorter I only did 3-strand plaits because they are the most effective at stretching but now that I have gone past the shoulder twisting seems to work fine.
DAILY ROUTINE
That is basically it. You might also like: Moisturising Natural Black Hair: LOC Method vs. LCO Method The weekly wash-condition-detangle routine that's brought my natural African hair back from hell!9/6/2012
Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
FYI, THE VIDEO ABOVE INCLUDES ALL THE INFO BELOW. Until last year I completely took my hair for granted. It was effortlessly beautiful. Then, I undid my latest braids to find it wasn't. It was all broken, unhealthy, thin - ugly! Since then, I have treated my hair with reverence and it's thankfully beginning to look healthy again. I hope I don't have to start going blind before I start treating my eyes with the same respect!
I dedicate two hours every single week (usually on Sunday) to washing, conditioning and detangling my hair. I conditioned my hair even when I had braids over the winter. This is my basic routine:
1. Detangle hair gently with fingers before you start washing especially if it was in plaits. No combing - it's still too dry. 2. Wash hair with just WARM water
3. Shampoo hair once
5. Put a shower cap over the hair.
6. Blow dry on top of the shower cap for 2-3 minutes for maximum effect. Heat helps hair to absorb all the good stuff out of the conditioner and essential oils. If you are using bad products, it will absorb those too! I don't apply heat directly to the hair.
Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. 10. In my final step, I undo each twist. Moisturise the section with a mixture of leave in conditioner, a shea butter based moisturiser and my homemade jojoba plus essential oil mix. I then redo the section in a plait or a twist. Let me explain in greater detail:
If you want your hair to stay look stretched you need to plait or twist your hair every evening for at least three nights as it starts reverting back to a kinky afro. If you replait for three nights in a row, it should stay pretty stretched for another two or three nights without re-plaiting. I like the afro look so I sometimes allow it to revert to type.
I usually wash my hair on Sundays and I don’t unplait it until Monday or even later in the week if I don’t need to go anywhere special. I usually wear some sort of headgear when I have the plaits in. The texture and curl pattern when you undo the twist is magnifique! In developing this regime, I received a lot of inspiration from kimmaytube on YouTube. I give thanks. The key difference between my routine and hers is that I'm very into essential oils. I've been using them since 2006 when I learnt the art of massage. I plan on experimenting with different conditioners and moisturisers (both bought and homemade) until I feel that my hair cannot come out any better. On a daily basis spritz with water and massage Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator. Follow me @NenoNatural and check out Neno Natural's Haircare Store. |
I now blog about wealth creation - so if you have any money questions meet me there, you can do all sorts of cool things like leave me a voicemail.
By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx Categories
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