8 Tips To Grow Your Natural Hair Faster

Natural hair is beautiful. Whether it is type 3 or type 4, long or short, we have to all admit the fact that natural hair is immensely beautiful. We’ve been made to believe that our hair cannot grow past a certain length. Although the rate at which your hair grows is determined by your genetics, retaining the length of your hair is another matter entirely.

Lack of length retention is the reason why some curly girls have never had their hair grow past their shoulders. This doesn’t mean their hair is not growing, rather, they are not retaining the new length for one reason or another. If you have been battling with stunted hair, here are eight tips to grow your natural hair faster and retain your length.

1. Trim your hair

While trimming sounds counterproductive, it actually is an effective way to grow your natural hair. Why? Frequent trims mean that your hair never has split ends. Split ends are one of the reasons why your hair looks like it’s not growing.

The longer you leave split ends in your hair, the longer it will take to “grow”. Split ends will travel up your hair shaft and make your ends break off. So, your hair will keep growing but will remain the same length. There are different ways to trim your hair. One way is to look for the split ends and trim them off.

While this method is effective, you might end up chopping bits of hair in different places leading to uneven hair. An alternative to this is the “twist and trim” method. This method is more effective as you just do some two-strand twists and trip when you’re done. Interestingly, all you need for this is a clean pair of scissors.

The last method is to comb out your hair to a certain length and then snip the ends. It could be one inch or half an inch. It’s all up to you to decide. You could also get a friend or go to your hairdresser to trim your hair. Whatever method you choose, your hair will thank you, and you will see more length retained. To grow your natural hair faster, trim your hair every four to six weeks. 

2. Condition your hair

Have you ever washed your hair without conditioning? Don’t do that again! It’s better to do a wash with only a conditioner, called a “co-wash”, than for you to shampoo without conditioning. This is because shampoos usually strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils while attempting to cleanse them.

Dry hair breaks and flakes more easily than moisturized hair. A conditioning treatment is the first step to getting some moisture back in your hair. Invest in a good leave-in conditioner for days when your hair needs a little extra boost of moisture. Conditioning can help you to grow your natural hair faster with the added advantage of having healthy and shiny strands. 

3. Try a DIY deep conditioner

Deep conditioning is necessary if you are trying to grow your natural hair. However, the deep conditioners you pick from the shelves may not be giving your hair the nutrition it needs. The solution would be to make one yourself.

Plant and sometimes animal-based organic deep conditioners help to restore shine and softness to your hair. Don’t forget to either use a satin bonnet or a hooded dryer when deep conditioning.

If those are unavailable, a plastic wrap or shower cap will do the same trick. The proteins, healthy fats, and vitamins found in a DIY deep conditioner might be just what your hair needs.

There are dozens of deep conditioner recipes, from Avocado based recipes to aloe vera, eggs and mayonnaise. The point is that a DIY deep conditioner might just be what your hair needs.

4. Avoid heat

A hot tip to help you grow your natural hair length is to avoid heat. Straighteners and blow dryers seem like fun until you discover how much damage they have made to your scalp.

Proteins are prone to denaturation by heat—and your hair is made up of proteins. Damaged hair has a dry, fluffy appearance that makes them unattractive. Also, it makes your hair more prone to split ends and shedding.

Thus, avoid heat at all costs. If you must blow-dry your hair, then blow it dry on a low heat setting and with a diffuser. The only time when heating is allowed is with deep conditioning, especially when your hair is low porosity.

If you are not deep conditioning your hair or blow-drying at a mild setting, you have no business using heat on your hair. Thankfully, the hair repairs itself. Give your hair a month or two break from heat and see how rejuvenated it would look. You’ll thank us later.

5. Moisturize your hair

Natural hair needs moisture to thrive. A properly moisturized hair doesn’t break or form split ends easily. A spray bottle is a great investment for moisturizing your hair. Use it to spray your hair with water.

If forms a mist that makes it easier for your hair to absorb the moisture. Do this before styling your hair. If you want to grow your natural hair, this simple trick can make a huge difference.

Make sure to also get a good leave-in conditioner or moisturizer. Look for those conditioners or moisturizers that contain humectants. These will help draw more moisture into your hair from the air.

Your moisturizing routine can either be the LOC method or the LCO method. This depends on your hair texture and porosity. People with high porosity will mostly use the LOC method and vice versa.

The main takeaway here is to find which routine works for you and act accordingly. Also, after moisturizing your hair, keep it oiled to retain the moisture.

6. Invest in a silk wrap or silk pillowcases

Black hair is often so soft and fragile that you have to wrap your hair in silk at night. Buy yourself a silk wrap or bonnet. If you don’t particularly like to sleep with a wrap on your head, get yourself silk pillowcases.

Investing in silk for your hair is important for several reasons. The silk protects your hair from breakage. Also, silk helps your hair retain moisture, leaving it less dry and brittle. 

7. Detangle and brush gently

To grow your natural hair, you must learn to detangle properly. While detangling, ensure that you are gentle with your hair. You don’t want to be pulling and tugging at your hair. Also, ensure that your hair is not dry while you’re detangling.

Spray some water to moisten your hair before detangling. Alternatively, you can get a detangler and a detangling brush. This will help protect your ends from splitting. If you want to grow your natural hair faster, be gentle with detangling and brushing.

8. Massage your scalp

We often neglect the importance of a scalp massage. Massaging your scalp helps to increase blood flow. This will, in turn, help your hair to grow thicker and longer. We all know that blood carry oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body. Your hair will grow healthier and faster if they are properly nourished.

You can choose an oil that works for your hair and scalp, and add messaging to your moisturizing routine. Massaging your hair doesn’t have to feel like a new load of work. You can do this while watching a film or speaking to a close friend. If you want to grow your natural hair, don’t forget to massage your scalp.

Conclusion

We often forget that our hair is an extension of our bodies. Consequently, we neglect the care of our hair leading to severe consequences. We hope that these tips will help you to grow your natural hair.

Is there any special tip you are using to grow your natural hair faster that we missed? Feel free to let us know in the comment box below.