How to Get Black Hair to Grow

Although African Americans have a wide variety of hair textures ranging from straight to tightly curled, it is a frequent challenge for many to find the right styling products and techniques for maintaining a healthy mane. A related difficulty is the ability to foster faster, sustained hair growth. Proper nourishment and care is key to length, and becomes even more so the curlier your hair is. Here you will find simple yet effective ways of encouraging hair growth for black hair.

Things You'll Need

• Silk pillowcase or scarf
• Vitamins

Instructions

Five Methods of Promoting Hair Growth

1. Gently massage your scalp with your fingertips. This action will stimulate blood flow throughout your scalp and loosen it as well. Both effects encourage faster hair growth.

2. Only wash black hair with lukewarm water. Using hot water gets your hair no cleaner than with lower temperatures. Washing your hair with hot water strips it of natural oils that guard against breakage.

3. Drink plenty of water. Hydrating your system from within will help maintain the pH balance of your hair follicles, resulting in faster growth and less fragile hair strands.

4. Use no-lye, mild or regular relaxer kits on black hair; super formulations contain higher concentrations of the chemicals that induce hair straightening often at the price of hair strength. Brittle hair will not grow due to the ends splitting.

5. Supplement your diet with vitamin E and fish oil capsules. These will strengthen hair follicles and reduce dryness, resulting in more sustained, higher-quality hair growth.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrapping black hair nightly with a silk scarf or sleeping on a silk pillowcase will guard your hair strands against premature breakage.

• If your hair is relaxed, avoid using hair dyes. Even mild dyes can have adverse effects on hair growth.

• Maintain a balanced diet with an emphasis on protein. Protein provides the building blocks for healthy hair cells and continual growth.

• Do not use any alcohol-based hair products. Alcohol saps the natural moisture from hair shafts, causing premature breakage.

• Do not overuse high-heat items (hot rollers, curling irons, blow dryers) when styling hair. Excessive heat styling also robs black hair of its natural moisture.

Resources

• Healthy Hair Growth Vitamins