new year tips for growing your natural hair: 12 tips

In this post I’m going to share with you my best tips for growing your natural hair this year.

But first…

Happy new year, Sis! I thank the Lord for allowing us to see yet another year. May it be a blessed one for you 😉

I have heard people say to me “…ah! my hair just doesn’t grow” and “…my hair just falls off” and “…my hair breaks a lot.”

Now, I don’t know what is going on with your hair in particular, but understanding the hair cycle can help you figure out what to do.

Breaking vs shedding natural hair

Earlier in my natural hair journey I learnt that when I see my hair strands in the basin or a place other than my head and, upon closer inspection those strands don’t have a white bulb on one of their ends, then it is hair that has broken off. 

But, if the hair does have a white bulb at the end then it is shed hair which often is a result of a healthy and normal hair cycle.

Simply, hair growth has a cycle; old hair makes way for new hair to grow by shedding off. (Are we together, Sis? Good.)

So then, it becomes important to know the hair growth cycle in order to better understand your 4c natural hair.

No need to panic when you see the white bulb, it is your hair shedding and it is (usually) normal. 

But if you don’t see the white bulb it means your hair is breaking. Not to worry though keep reading for some tips!

Let’s first understand…

…Growing your natural hair: the hair growth cycle 

It has the following phases:

1. Anagen/growth phase – cells divide and make new hair for the hair shaft. Hair can keep growing from 2 to 6 years, depending on genetics. Hair grows about 6 inches (that’s 15.24 centimetres) a year!
2. Catagen phase – transitional phase lasting from 2 to 3 weeks, hair no longer grows. A club hair is formed in preparation for the next phase.
3. Telogen/resting phase – for about 100 days hair sheds (about 100 strands a day) and the anagen phase starts again and so the cycle continues… Stress, trauma, etc. can cause more than normal shedding.

All the phases take place simultaneously – different strands are in one of the 3 phases at any given time.

So girl, your hair is growing! But if you are adamant it is not, I wrote a post that identifies 9 reasons your hair is not growing. 

If your hair is breaking (i.e. has no white hair bulb at the end) then lack of moisture is one of the culprits. 

So, if you are experiencing breakage on your 4c hair, i.e. you are not seeing the white bulb, here are some tips to help you to grow your natural hair…

11 tips on how to avoid breakage and retain length:

1. Avoid manipulating your hair when it is dry

Sis, don’t handling your natural hair while it is dry especially when doing high manipulation styles. This will lead to breakage.

Type 4 hair is prone to dryness and when it is dry it is brittle and breaks easily. Continuing to handle your hair while dry will set you back greatly in your attempt at growing your natural hair.

Spritz some water or apply a leave in conditioner to allow your hair to be elastic and malleable. You can then gently manipulate as desired without snapping it. 

2. Avoid excessive use of fine-toothed combs

Because your 4c hair strands are kinky and coily, fine tooth combs are met with resistance. The fine toothed combs do not glide smoothly down the hair shaft as they would on straight or less coily hair. 

The better option is to use wide tooth combs as they met with less resistance and will cause less breakage! And less breakage is growing natural hair!

3. Finger detangle

Although it takes time, it allows for to carefully unravelling of double and multi stand knots where a comb would have snagged or broken the hair. Here’s why finger detangling my be the best for you

4. Use sharp hair shears

If contending with a stubborn knot, use your hair shears instead of yanking your hair your with your fingers.

The sharper the better, you want a clean cut. A clean cut reduces the chances of splitting ends. Trust me, splitting ends are the enemy of growing natural hair. Look at this post on Dead Ends and how to prevent split ends.

5. Handle your hair when you are in a good mood

Negative emotions while handling hair can lead to frustrations and rough handling. Rough handling leads to breakage and counters your efforts of growing your natural hair.

6. Handle your hair when not in a hurry

Make sure you allot enough time for your haircare. Not planning your time properly and ending up in a rush can lead to rough handling and breakage. 

Make sure you stay on top of your natural hair care routine. You can create your own personalised routine for your lifestyle, I’ve made it practical and easy for you to stay organised.

7. You can’t go wrong with protective styles

Protective styles are great for growing your natural hair especially if you are a busy mom like me! I always have my hair in twists.

That way my hair stays organised and I don’t need to be handling it all the time.

Be careful with protective styles though, at installation but especially at take-down. I write briefly on this on 9 reasons your hair is not growing.

8. Pay attention to your hair accessories 

Some may be breaking to your hair. They may be snagging, snapping and ripping your hair without you even realising. Stay vigilant sis! Growing your natural hair needs you to pay attention to detail!

9. Sleep with a satin/silk heard scarf

Satin/silk scarfs/pillow cases are best. Unlike cotton and other material which absorbs moisture, they help retain hair moisture.

I did a fun little satin scarf DIY, check it out.

10. Pay attention to your clothing that your hair does not ruffle against it

Collars are unlikely culprits too. If your hair is constantly brushing up against your collar the friction may be causing your hair to break. Another unlikely suspect!

11. It could be your products

Pay attention to the products you use. How does your hair FEEL? If your hair feels dry within moments of applying a product, ditch it and find a product that is longer lasting. The market is wide, you have options!

Check your shampoo, your container and sealants. If any are drying and making your hair feel brittle consider discontinuing using them in favour of ones that are moisturising.

12. Avoid excessive heat

Excessive heat dries out your hair and dry hair is prone to breakage. I never use heat on my hair, I exclusively let my hair air dry and is one of the factors contributing to my growing natural hair.

How to grow healthy natural hair

The 12 tips I’ve mentioned above are really about taking care of your hair once it has grown and help you retain your length from the growing phase. But growing good quality natural hair really comes down to at least these 3 things:  nutrition, exercise and rest. Quality natural hair growth is an inside job!

1. Eat
2. Exercise
3. Sleep

I’ll cover these in another blog post!

I hope you enjoyed my tips on growing your natural hair (more accurately, retaining your growing hair). Remember, it is important to understand the hair growth cycle. This knowledge helps you know the difference between shedding hair and breaking hair and take the necessary steps to avoid breakage and in turn retain length!

Which tip will you be implementing? let me know in the comments.

Love,

Mmabatho