How to Grow Long Healthy African-American Hair

Many African-American men and women believe they can not grow their hair long. This is false! With a little TLC and patience, you can grow long, healthy African-American hair! Just follow these simple steps:

Things You'll Need

• Patience

Instructions

1. Keep your hair moisturized! Wash more often!
   Hair needs moisture to survive and keep from breaking off. Many African-Americans believe that washing the hair less will make it grow more. It's the exact opposite! Washing your hair at least once a week will help to keep your hair moisturized, which will help you retain length! Use a sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates can be drying and harsh on the hair, so check the ingredients. If there are any sulfates, kick it to the curb! Always condition the hair after washing.

2. Keep your hair moisturized between washes!
   Do this by applying a quality leave in conditioner to the hair at least once a day. This will prevent breakage and help you to retain length. When choosing a leave in conditioner, be sure to check the ingredients. Stay away from anything that contains mineral oil, petroleum, or other cheap ingredients. These can clog pores and inhibit growth.

3. "Seal" in your moisture!
   Do this by applying a thin layer of oil directly after moisturizing with a leave in conditioner. This thin layer of oil will keep the moisture from evaporating off of the strand, which will keep your hair moist longer! Some examples of hair oils you can use are olive oil or coconut oil.

4. Protect your ends!
   In order to retain length and grow your hair long, you must avoid split ends at all costs! Wear your hair in "protective styles" (i.e ponytails and buns) to prevent the ends of your hair from rubbing against your clothes and creating split ends. Avoid direct heat styling. Too much heat can cause split ends and breakage. If you must use heat, remember to use some type of heat protectant to minimize damage.

5. Trim those ends when needed!
   A lot of African-American men and women believe that trimming their hair will take away from their length. This is false. Some split ends occur naturally and, sadly, are unavoidable. The only way to get rid of them is to trim! The key word here is TRIM, not cut. Trim up to 1/4 an inch as needed.

6. Keep a hair journal & create a hair routine!
   It may sound silly, but keeping a hair journal can greatly help in creating a hair routine. Write down what you do to your hair daily. Keep track of which products work for you and which don't. Decide which products you will use daily. How often will you wash your hair? Will you cut back on heat styling? If so, how much? Brainstorm about your hair!

Tips & Warnings

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take vitamins, or both.

• Do protein treatments and deep condition the hair regularly.

• If you relax, do it safely (see resources)

Resources

• For more details, check this out!
• For more on safe relaxing, check this out!