length afro

When most ladies go natural, one of the topmost goals is to grow their hair long. “How did you grow your hair to that length?” is a question natural hair bloggers with impressive manes get asked all the time. A lot of emphasis is placed on products, but length retention goes much deeper than that.

If you aren’t seeing an increase in the length of your hair over several months, it means the strands are breaking off faster than the rate of regrowth. Here’s how to cut down breakage.

Wash Day

This is the day your hair receives the most hydration and nutrients. It’s important to ensure you wash it correctly to prevent excessive breakage. Wash your hair in sections. Use hair clips to keep your hair in sections. If you have long hair, wash it while in loose twists. This cuts down tangling of the strands.

You might be tempted to vigorously wash your hair to get rid of dirt, but excessive force can break the strands. Gently massage the scalp with shampoo then gently squeeze/ smooth it down the strands. When drying your hair, use patting/ smoothing motions to reduce friction.

Styling

Be gentle when handling your hair. Avoid styling it while completely dry- use a hydrating butter, oils or leave-in conditioners. The best trick for length retention is to leave your hair alone for days or weeks at a time. This is called low- manipulation styling/ protective styling. Two strand twists, braids, flat twists, cornrows, etc are good examples. Don’t forget to hydrate and moisturise your hair while in such styles or else the strands will become dry and brittle, leading to breakage.

Day & Night Routines

Keeping your hair hydrated is the foremost defence against breakage. Spritz your hair every two days then seal with an oil. When going to bed wrap your hair in a satin bonnet/ scarf and use a satin pillowcase. Drink lots of water to hydrate the strands from within. Keep your ends tucked away to protect them from drying and rubbing against rough surfaces like clothing. As the oldest and weakest part of your hair, the ends need extra love to ward off breakage.

Length retention is simpler than most people realise. But to see results you need to apply these healthy practices consistently and have patience.

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