There is so much bad information circulating about black hair growth. I want to start by addressing the myth that black hair doesn’t grow.
First of all, if that was the case people wouldn’t need relaxers every two months. So yes, our hair does grow, and it can even grow long.
The problem is many people have trouble retaining length (breakage) — which is a big difference from not growing.
I’ll talk about length retention later, but let’s go back to growing black hair.
Genetics Play a Huge Role
Everyone is always searching for that miracle product that will give them the long tresses they’ve always desired. But the truth is hair growth is largely determined by genetics.
Look at the women in your family and see if you notice any kind of length pattern.
Some people simply have genes that help their hair grow faster and longer than others. That’s definitely the case in my family.
Many women on both my mom and dad’s side have longer hair, and my hair has always grown at a pretty good rate.
Now, don’t get discouraged. Genetics aren’t the end all be all. It’s just something to keep in mind when you’re comparing your hair to someone else’s.
Hair Growth Products
Most products have very little impact on hair growth. Now unless you’re talking about a prescription product like Rogaine (for thinning and balding), most products do very little. A lot of what you see is just marketing.
Now, of course everyone has an optimal growth rate, which can be inhibited by things like diet, stress, etc. and promoted by vitamins, exercise, and eating healthy. I discuss all that here.
However, there are very few products that will make your hair grow faster than your optimal rate — which varies from person to person.
If you’re looking for a natural remedy for thinning hair, try rubbing a small amount of castor oil into your scalp every night before bed. Castor oil is known to have a positive effect on thinning hair and is also used to thicken eyebrows.
Keep in mind, though that if your hair is thinning from over-processing with a relaxer or traction alopecia (wearing braids too tight), rubbing castor oil is not going to help unless you stop what’s causing the problem.
Here are more remedies for thinning hair.
Hair Texture & Pattern *Does* Matter
If your hair is super kinky (meaning your strands have a lot of bends/turns, draws up and tangles easily), then it can be more difficult to grow your hair longer.
This DOES NOT mean long hair is unattainable. It just means that it may require more attention than someone with a looser pattern.
Why?
Because when your hair is very kinky, oils from your scalp do not travel down the strands as easily. As a result, your hair may be dry, more brittle and prone to breakage.
Don’t get discouraged. At least you now understand why you have trouble retaining length.
So the key is taking extra time to ensure your hair is properly moisturized and wearing a lot more protective or low-manipulation styles (rod sets, straw sets, etc).
I don’t want to create unnecessary division by mentioning hair texture because I know this is often a touchy subject in our community.
However, I felt it necessary to bring up here because like it or hate it, your hair’s texture and curl pattern definitely play a role in length retention because it affects your hair’s natural moisture level.
Hair that retains moisture, has more elasticity, breaks less and retains more length. Dry hair is more brittle, breaks off easily and prevents you from retaining length.
There’s a myth that kinky hair is stronger because it’s more course, but it’s actually the exact opposite. Kinky hair is more fragile than naturally straight or curly hair because of the moisture issues mentioned above.
So it’s not about trying to alter your texture or feeling discouraged because you don’t have a certain hair type. It’s about understanding your hair, embracing it and giving it what it needs so you can have the length you desire.
Food & Vitamins Also Strengthen Hair
What you eat can help your hair grow at its optimal rate, also make your hair stronger and prevent breakage so you maintain and gain length.
I was experiencing some brittleness and couldn’t figure out what was going on. In fact, I had to cut a few inches because the breakage was starting to become noticeable.
So I purchased a NutriBullet and began packing my body with vitamins and nutrients by drinking a “Nutriblast” (a smoothie made with fruits and veggies) 2-3 times a day.
I also stopped eating so poorly, and after a few days I immediately noticed a difference in the strength of my hair when combing it. The brittleness stopped immediately.
Don’t forget how food affects your hair strength and optimal growth rate.
Protective Styles
Protective styling does not help your hair grow any faster, but it helps you retain more length because you are not constantly manipulating your hair.
The ends of your hair are the most fragile because they are the oldest part. So after all the combing, detangling, blow drying, and flat ironing, it’s very easy for your ends to become damaged.
And if you don’t get your ends trimmed regularly, they will break off. So in order to keep your ends healthy, you have to continue to trim.
Check out my favorite shampoo and nighttime routine for healthy ends.
The average person’s hair grows 1/2 inch per month, so if you are losing that amount or more due to breakage then it will appear as if your hair is not growing.
Protective styles like braids, twists, up dos or any style that tucks away your ends and doesn’t require manipulation can help you retain more length.
Also, natural hair is prone to snagging on clothing (especially wool) which can cause breakage and split ends, so keep that in mind during those cold months.
Here is an example of a protective style I wore while I transitioned to natural hair.
Also remember that just because your hair is in a protective style (yes, extensions count too), don’t neglect to moisturize it. Because when you take it down, you will have a lot more breakage due to the fact your hair has dried out.
Scalp Massages
Massaging your scalp for 20-30 minutes per day is a great habit to get into. It increases blood flow to the scalp area and can stimulate growth.
This may be especially helpful if you have thinning edges from relaxers or weaves. If your hair is not permanently damaged, this could help your hair grow back.
If you cannot sit and do the scalp massage all at once, do it several times per day in smaller intervals.
Natural Hair vs. Relaxed Hair Growth
I’ve also heard a lot of women claim natural hair grows faster than relaxed hair. This is not really true.
Unless you have some kind of chemical damage from relaxers, your hair will grow at the same rate no matter if it’s relaxed or natural. The reason why natural hair seems to grow longer is that a lot of naturals retain more length.
Below is a picture of my hair 27 months after I started my natural hair journey. This is the longest my hair has ever been.
And the length is not just about being natural (of course that helps ’cause my hair is stronger), but not using heat and wearing a lot of low-manipulation styles play a huge role in my length retention.
You can also see how much natural hair shrinks up. My hair is about 50% longer than it appears. That’s just something you have to deal with when you are natural.
Got Thinning Edges?
Here are some tips to help your edges grow back.
What About The Length Plateau?
Almost every natural experiences a time when it seems the hair stops growing.
The reason this happens is your ends get older as your hair grows, and they break more easily. As a result, you never seem to get past that length plateau.
Find out what the source of my plateau was. You may have the same issue.
In Summary
So I hope this article dispelled a few myths and shed some light on black hair growth. While protective styles, diet and exercise can definitely play a role in your individual optimal hair growth rate, don’t underestimate the genetic factor.
This is not to say you cannot have long hair if you don’t have “the genes”, but it may require more patience and discipline (minimizing heat, eating healthy, constant moisture etc.) to achieve the length you desire.
More Tips for Black Hair Growth
If you need more direct assistance with growing your hair longer and healthier, you might want to check out the book Grow it Long.
It’s a 96-page book (downloadable, PDF format) with tips on how to grow longer, healthier hair by using a more effective hair care routine.
I already knew a lot of the information in the book, but my favorite part was the homemade recipes for scalp cleansing and conditioning.
I love making my own products and will definitely be trying the brown sugar scrub soon!
The author, Donna Hanover, also does a great job of explaining the different kinds of conditioners available on the market and when to use them.
If you’ve struggled with growing hair all your life, this is definitely going to be the book for you. This is the kind of information our community needs and I was happy to support Donna. You can get Grow it Long here and download it today.
I don’t even know how to start about my hair!!
I have what you call kunta kinte hair lol straight from Africa very thick and strong looking lol and my edges are gone!! With the exception of my baby hair.I need help me out! don’t know what to do with it at all.Am on the verge to just cut it all off and start from scratch but am scared that my edges won’t grow back.please help me am in need of Help!!! :'(
I’m 18 years old and growing up I was the only one in my family with long hair and super thick and my mother made the mistake my freshman year of HighSchool to put a perm in my head and of course it all broke off from mid back length to neck/shoulder length. What can I do to regain the length. My hair has been in weaves for a few years now and has only gotten thicker, but not much growth in length. How can I retain that again?
I have not had a relaxer in my hair for about a year, it seems that my hair is not growing. Yes some change has been made but not a lot. I cutt off all split ends about 5 months into the transistion. it seems that my hair in the middle of my head when i tried to straighten it the end were like curly and made that crunchy noise when i combed it. what is that? I need your help please respond
Hello my hair is thin but long and its natural are they any products you would recommend for thicker hair
I recommend New Options Reconstructor Penetrator. If you send me your address, I’ll let you try one for free.
Ps. I hope that’s OK Lisa:-)
Hey Lisa, love your work. I have a natural product website that I could use some help promoting. Can you help? I just recently signed up for Shark Tank. I’m not sure if I’m going to get on the show, but I’m looking at your work, thinking to myself, “maybe I don’t need Shark Tank”.
Thanks for the great ideas!
Errol
Hi Errol,
Were you interesting in advertising on this site or starting your own website?
Hey Lisa, I’m open to advertising on this site. This is really not my lane, and I could use some guidance. I do have a website, but from listening to you I see that I can do a LOT MORE.
http://www.newoptionshaircare.com/who-we-are/
Hello I finally made the decision to grow my hair out naturally after years of perming and dying. My ones very thick hair is now thinner and my edges are thinning out. My last perm I admit was a month ago. How can I get started and help my edges to grow back ? fyi I have a very short style
I have been looking for hairstyles for permed hair and i just can’t seem to grow my hair, but i did notice that last year when i was on vacation and a few months ago that i was using a leave in conditioner and i wen from ear length to the tip of my shoulder length then it just stopped I want to go natural, but i will take too long to grow back. I don’t understand why my hair so short compared to my mom’s she has Indian in her so why won’t my hair grow long??
Hey Lisa, I’m all natural and I want to color it but don’t want my curl pattern to change. What product should I use . Thank you
Hi Sharon
I would go to a professional and make sure you deep condition your hair regularly after the treatment is done. I’m not an expert in color, sorry. Never had color before.
hi lisa.i had a longand black hair but due to brain tumour doctor cut my hair now its very short ia m 30 year old nd i want long hair again nd my hair turn grey also.plz advise me for long and black hair quickly well i apply oil regular but it doesn,t effect on my hair plz help
A. Shampoo hair at least every two weeks.
B. Sulfate free shampoos cleanse without over drying.
C. Detangle hair with conditioner and water combo before shampoo to avoid small knots, tangles and breakage during shampoo.
D. Twist hair into large chunky twist before shampooing hair. Leave twist in hair for shampoo and release twist to condition.
E. Condition hair and seal ends with light oil after shampooing.
These are some of the hair growth tips you may follow.
Lisa i just big chopped yesterday and the length of my hair is long enough to braid so im wondering if i can braid dos that mean im not in the twa stage
REAL HAIR SPELL
Thank you dr Opingo for the hair spell you did for me, my hair is so long and thicker , i never believe this will really work and i remember i promise to bring people to your temple and share your testimony online if it really work. here i am happy and rejoicing for the hair spell Dr Opingo did for me, you can also contact him at: alterofcandletemple02@gmail.com thank you Dr Oping you are really a great man and i will stop sharing your testimony.
Hello. I’m currently a starter transitioner and i want to cut my hair to the length of my natural hair (about three cm long).. Is there a way that i can not cut my hair or get my curls to place? I do a lot of protective styles but my hair still grows weird and it’s very dry. I eat plenty and I use natural oils and conditioners (leave in as well).. Any advice? Thanks.
Ms Lisa,
I am just beginning my transition without the BC. I want to get braids as a protective style. How will I still condition and moostirize my hair with the braids?
I have gone without a relaxer for about 90 days, nad i do not intend to get anymore; at least for a long time. I am trying to transition my hair without doing the big chop, but I have not found any products to help me with the process nor do i know how to style it. Im am tired of wearing weaves but uncomfortable with my big bush of hair. the job I hold I cannot wear my hair in an afro; it has to be well maintenanced. Please HELP.
Hi Lisa,
I’m curious about the process that you use to untwist your hair after two weeks or so without causing damage or breakage . Your videos are very helpful. Thank you so much !
The key is to make sure your hair is moisturized and sometimes I lightly spritz/mist it with water. Then I slowly unravel the twist by turning the opposite direction. If my ends are healthy and hair is moisturized they come right apart. The key is having moisture in your hair because I have gotten knots/tangles from man-handling the hair and not making sure I add moisture first.
I have no questions. You are a God send. Fortunately for me I’ve been natural for a little over 4 years. I’ve had a perm since I was 13 and I am not 52. A young 52 mind you. I am blessed in that my hair is as thick if not thicker than when I was young. I’m not certain how that happened except that I braided and washed my hair often during transition. I have to assume I was getting most of the hair care right, because I’m just finding out how vital moisture and conditioning is for our hair. One of your YouTube Videos answered every question I had about the type of regimen I should used. After 4 years, I am still experimenting-But not anymore. I will send my natural hair friends to your site, have them sign up for the forums, and tell them this is their final stop. No need to look further for hair care advice. Thanks Lisa, and I look forward to a long hair journey with you. Blessings and Favor to you. Deborah Meadows/Always Speakn’ Life.
Good luck Deborah! So happy for you and thanks for sharing my site!
iam gone natural but i do not know what to do want it i dont have long hair but i need help
if we want to dye our hair, should we do it while were transitioning or when we’re fully natural?
I just want to say I think you’re AWESOME for responding to everyone’s message. You gave very good advice. 🙂
hi lisa,
i just realized ho much i miss my natural hair. I was natural all throughout my life, started relaxing my hair when i became a teenager, i dyed it red and then bleached it, finally i grew tired of it and i cut it really short at the back and leaving some length in the front, my hair was completely damaged it was no longer healthy and i started regretting my decision to relax and cut my hair.
but now i am transitioning back to being natural, its been 5months since i had my last perm and its very depressing because sometimes the hair styles dont work for me. i am completely clueless i had my hair in braids and they had them too tight in the front and my hair cut a lot when i took the braids out.
please tell me what i can do to get my old natural hair back. any advice.
Stress, poor eating habits and limited exercise has taken a toll on my hair an skin. I had success of extending relaxers every 12 to 16 weeks with limited damage or breakage. Today, I decided to switch between braids and full weaves and refraining from Relaxers. When i washed and conditioned, sectioned, twist and pinned curled each section the look afterwards was Beautiful!! My hair was full curly and wavy. I have a natural color, dish water brown, which i have grown to love, regardless if my hair looks dry. I am not able to obtain African castor oil where I reside. Please inform me about products I can use after I Chop of all the relaxer this week.
My hair in the back has broke of so much to the point that i cant grip it, and I would like to know how to get it back to its natural long beautiful length.
Hi Shanaya
I’m sorry about your hair. If it’s breaking you want to determine what’s causing it first. Are you using heat? Extensions? So first, stop whatever is causing and then get a good trim. After that nurture your hair back to help with moisture and deep conditioning. Wear low manipulation styles that don’t require heat like straw sets, bantu knot outs, rod sets, etc.
Hey Lisa
I’ve been transitioning for ±7 months, I first started off with cornrows/straight back and I went on to braids…it had been the first time I ever had braids and I was scared…but I kept my braids in for ±4 months and since the cornrows to the braids my hair has grown a considerable length of ±5 inches and I’m proud of it. I am 16 years old and I don’t know what styles to do; as I am still in school. And is it good to leave your hair a 2 weeks rest before rebraiding. Thanks
Hello Lisa,
I was wondering if you had any advice for me. I have been natural for a little over 7 months. I transitioned for 9 months and when I first big chopped my hair began to grow back really thick and really fast, now I feel like my hair growth is slowing down dramatically. I co-wash about every 2-3 days and wash with a sulfate free shampoo every week, and lock and seal almost every night. My hair is also color treated. I was wondering if you had any insight as to why my hair growth has slowed so much. Any information will be greatly appreciated as well as any remedies! Thank you in advance!
Hi Jonee
Hair growth rarely slows down, so you must be experiencing breakage — meaning you are not retaining length you gain.
When is the last time you trimmed your ends? Color treated hair definitely dries out faster so deep conditioning weekly is a must. Do you do this? As your hair gets longer it does get a tad more challenging to retain length and when dryness is an issue that makes it worse.
I’ve only trimmed once since I BC about a half inch off last month. And don’t seem to have much shedded hair than normal. And I do not dep condition regurally. Is there deep conditioner that you would suggest? my hair type is 4a-4b.
hi,
i am using a hair oil which turned my hair from black to white
i am really interested in that panjami hair oil
it really works for me also prevents dandruff helps in growing new hair
Hi, I’m african american/ caucasian but me growing up with my mum who’s caucasian didn’t teach me the right things for my hair. I have more african american hair and it was a lot more kinky before I started straightening it so often. I’ve had about 2 relaxers and in the first one I had my hair was past my butt. I’ve cut my hair since then twice and now it’s about chest length. I want a relaxer but my mum’s afraid it will majorly damage my hair. My hair doesn’t grow as much as it used to. I need ideas for my hair such as hair styles as I straighten my hair as I don’t like things like braids (remember I’m growing up with my mum)
But my hair is extremely damaged, do you know any products?
Have you tried the Mixed Chicks line? I’ve heard that people who are biracial really like this line. I’ve never tried it but have heard good thing about it.
Hello,
I have been transitioning for about 7 months now and last month I decided to put braids with extension in my hair. Every time I take my braids out and wash my hair, I end up with almost all my hair tangled and it take a really long time to get them detangled. Is there a easy way to detangle your hair after removing braids?
Hi Charmaine,
Do you apply a lot of conditioner on your hair when taking out your braids? Sometimes that will help soften up your hair and even strenghthen it so you don’t have so much damage. Remember your hair gets soooooo dry when braided up for so long so it’s weaker. A conditioner will help. Also deep condition after shampooing.
Hi Lisa!
Thank you for creating this site! It has been an immense help to me. I decided to transition to natural three weeks ago. My hair has been relaxed for 32 years; I’m 38. I was apprehensive about transitioning because I have a bald spot, about the size of a nickel, in front of my head (relaxer applied wrong when I was 10), and I have no clue as to what my natural texture is. Thanks to your videos I’ve been able to do two rod sets that allow me to cover this spot while giving my hair a rest. There’s so much information on this site and it’s easy to navigate. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Tracy
so my daughter is 12years old & her hair isnt growning much . as a protective hair style i braid her hair in extension singles , leave them in for about 2 months . so what i am saying is that what should i do with her hair ? i mean like she doesnt use relaxer anymore , & i use CLEAR shampoo & conditoner products that really help to clean her scalp! Any tips or help to help my daughter hair to grow long & healthy ? please help , ive tried many products but none of them seem to be working .
Hello,
I would like to transition from perm to natural. Last perm was eight weeks ago. I need to know specifically what to do to begin the transition process. What products to use.
Hi Cheryl
I wrote a very comprehensive article on my forum that answers your questions. Make sure you read it thru and join up to ask any questions. https://napturallycurly.com/forums/showthread.php/844-New-to-Transitioning-Start-Here
I never had problems growing long hair until I entrusted my precious hair in the hands of a careless hair-dresser. I had very, very long natural hair, to the point that people would not believe it was my own hair until they touched my scalp. Two years ago a hair-dresser messed-up my hair by applying highlights to my hair. I had asked her to apply it on a very thin strand of my front hair and she took a whole fraction of my front hair and did a terrible job. Her colleagues at the saloon were mad at her for misusing the highlight and predicted that my hair would break because the highlight was not applied correctly. Just as they predicted, two weeks later, my hair started falling off and they have never ever returned back to their normal length again. This is all new to me as my hair has never struggled to grow before. It pains me to look in the mirror knowing that I’m struggling to get back my once long and thick hair. Whenever I have new growth,which happens often, I get excited, but then after relaxing, the hair always seems to look thinner and shorter and keeps breaking, even thought the highlight has gone out of my hair a year ago. How do I recover my chemically damaged hair? the good news is that my hair naturally grows very fast but the problem is that the constant breaking prevents it from reaching its original and full length.
Hi Therese
If your hair is too badly damaged, you might want to consider getting a good cut and start over. I know it’s painful to think of losing so much hair, but trying to preserve hair that is beyond repair will just make you even more frustrated. If deep conditioning doesn’t work, you may want to consider trimming your hair past the dye so you can start over.
Cutting your hair short can be scary but you will retain more length if you can remove the damaged hair.
you may want to try a hardcore protein treatment like aphogee 2 step protein treatment with the balancing moisturizer, its a miracle worker. also do moisturizing treatments too.
Hi Lisa,
Did you have any suggestions on the comment I posted 2/25? Thanks
Just responded. 🙂
Hey Lisa,
I was wondering how did you obtain the book Grow It Long. I have been searching for the ebook with no luck.
Hi, did you click the link from the article on this page? http://growitlong.info/?hop=blunders I bought it from that link and downloaded it.
Hello,
It’s been 7 months now since the big chop and I’m still having problems with which styles are suitable for me. I feel unattractive because I feel there are no hairstyles that are working. For one, my hair shrinks up and appears shorter than what it is and especially in the back. My hair when stretched touches my ear lobe. I need my hair to be full in the back because it works well with my facial features however, it looks like I smashed it to my head. It’s not appealing on me at all. What products and styles do you recommend to achieve a fuller look without shrinkage? I also grey more now in particular areas. Do you recommend a particular dye that’s suitable for natural?
Hi LaNette
When you shampoo your hair, have you tried putting it in large twists and pinning them to your head in a criss-cross fashion so they dry stretched? This will give you a fuller look when you take your twists down. It will look crazy while drying but it will prevent so much shrinkage.
Ok I will try that. Thanks for your help.
Hello,
I am 18 years old, mid-back length hair, very thick,, 3a. When I was longer maybe 5 years ago, my hair was to my lowerback, a few inches away from my butt. But i’ve noticed that since then it has gotten shorter. Any advice to get my length back? I’ve straightened for like 5 years straight on and off, i’ve recently stopped using heat.
Hi Toni, no doubt the heat is keeping you from retaining as much length so your ends are breaking. Minimizing heat will help and also wearing more protective styles where your ends are tucked away (twist up do’s, etc.)
My hair is thinning from medication with steriods and has broken off tremendously especially from the top middle and edges. I must stay on the medication per doctor advice, but I need my hair to grow and thicken. I do use a mild perm called Bantu every 6 weeks. What do you recommend for hair growth? I recently purchased Shea Moisture Yucca & Aloe thicken growth milk and it seems to thicken my hair. And, I recently started taking biotin
Jamaican Black Castor Oil is a great stimulant for thinning hair. However, if your still on the medication I’m not sure how much that will help.
Hi Lisa
I cut all of my relaxed ends off November 13th 2012.I had about 3 incs of hair left. My hair is naturally curly. My hair has grow at lest two inches since then. But I have almost no curl pattern. I was looking at pictures of my hair before i relaxed it. My hair looks a lot different then it. did back then. The roots are really curly and the rest is really frizzy. If I don`t t put any hair gel in my hair there is almost no curl it`s just all frizz.. I don`t know if this is because I still have a lot of hair relaxer in my hair. But is this normal after cutting hair? is there anything i can do to get my natural curl pattern back?
I can do to get my curl pattern back?
Hi Lisa,
i am transitioning from my relaxed hair and some of my hair coils up really tightly and the rest just does its own thing but i was wondering was there a product i can use to get all of my hair to coil and look the same?
Hi Jerrica
Welcome to the world of natural. 🙂 Most people have different textures. I’ve learned to just work with it.
Hi Lisa,
I will be one year natural March 30, 2013. I cut my hair last year due to damage of harsh hair dye……I am not planning on dying my hair again. I will embrace my grayness along with my natural hair….I just want to say, I co-wash my hair with VO5 strawberry and cream. While my hair is wet, I use a mix that I put together which consist of raw shea butter, olive oil, jojoba oil, and Jamaica black castor oil. I rub this all over my hair then proceed to braid in four section. I then wrap my hair with a silk scarf. I like to know is this process okay for the hair…My hair is growing.
Great tips! I think using a growth product will help give hair a ‘boost’…especially if you weren’t blessed with great hair genes like you mentioned.
Hi Lisa,
Wow! I love your website, it is really helpful. Thank you for posting these tips.
I’m 28 year old. I was natural all my life, December 2011 i decided to use relaxers, so i have been using it for one year. Last time went to salon was November 17th 2012, I should have already gone back. Now i decided to go natural again as one of my new year resolutions. My biggest problem is that, i cannot do my hair. Can i use extensions? If yes for how long should i keep them? Which one would you advice me: Brazil hair extensions or or braiding hair extensions? I have noticed that during your transition, you have never used them. Thank you Lisa.
I’ll appreciate your advice.
Hey there,
I’m not an expert on extensions, I would just say don’t get them done too tight and give your hair a break in between re-do’s. Try not to keep them in longer than 2 months and make sure you continue to condition your hair while they are in.
Thank you so much. Do you think i would be able to wash my hair while having the Brazil hair extensions? If so I’ll try it, but i don’t really want to try braiding hair extensions, because it will take to long to get my hair done. Any way with your encouragement, i am already sure, i will have natural hair soon! Wish me luck! Thanks girl!!!!!!!!!
I honestly don’t know how those work since I’ve never had them. I only had kinky twists but was able to shampoo my hair weekly. Whatever you do, try to wear a style that will allow you to shampoo and condition. That is important while you are transition. Your scalp needs to remain clean and healthy as well as your hair.
Thanks Girl!
Hi Lisa i’m having problems growing my hair out i can get it to a length, but it sheds, and brakes off real bad. I have ” HYPERTHYROIDISM” and i know it affects my hair growth, and more, but i was wondering if you have any suggestions. I ant the best product, or products to help me achieve longer healthier hair faster.
Hi Kayla
I actually had a thyroid issue when I started transitioning and I can tell you that you want to get that issue under control with your doctor first. No hair product is going to fix any underlying health issue. As I stated on this site, I can’t recommend a product for your hair but I can tell you what I used. Check this page. https://napturallycurly.com/2010/07/my-favorite-transitioning-products/
Hi Lisa,
I have grown natural for over 2yrs now, i But yet still my hair is not growing fast.
i try so many products like Jeba hair food, organic root stimulator hair moisturizer, herbal essence, vital olive oil u them but still my hair is getting damage in addition to that ihave antidanruff on my hair sclap.
plz help me with the best product to apply on my hair so that it grows thick ,long an fast.
Hi
Some of the products you are using are commercial products (Herbal Essence, Vital, etc.) that may not necessarily be geared toward natural hair. Have you tried any of the Shea Moisture products? There are shampoos, moisturizers, etc. that are more suited for kinky hair.
Your hair is growing. It’s just breaking off. So once you make your hair stronger and keep it moisturized, it will stop the breakage process.
Read this page on a hot oil treatment. It may help too. https://napturallycurly.com/hot-oil-treatments-on-natural-or-transitioning-hair/
As far as dandruff, mix 1-2 ounces of jojoba or olive oil with 1-2 drops of tea tree oil. Massage it into your scalp and let it sit for 30 min prior to shampooing.
Hi Lisa,
I am 30yrs of mixed race and my hair is very fine and grows very slowly. Up until a 3years ago i always wore my hair natural and just tied up, very rarely in synthetic braids or weaves but it never seemed to grow below my neck nor was it was not growing. i then relaxed and nothing seemed to change though i would retouch after 4 to 6 months as there was very little growth. My relaxed hair is a lot thinner and always looks and feels brittle. The sides have so little hair that u can always see my scalp. Please help as i want to cut my hair and grow it natural again though i would want it thick and it grow a little faster. Another thing to note is that i live in Zimbabwe and the weather here is very hot always.
Hi Lara
Can you buy Jamaican Black Castor Oil there? If not, see if you can order online. It can be good for thinning edges. Massage a bit of it into your thinning areas daily and see if that will help with thickness. Castor oil can also stimulate growth.
hi lisa thanks for the video on how to twist hair. i have been natural for three years and have just been putting my hair in braids and wearing wigs cause it just seem to hard to due natural twists and i wasn’t sure of the products to use. many web site give all the different conditioners and creams you name it to use on natural hair but yours were simple easy and to the point thank you i think i will give it a try this week and see what happen. how long can i leave my twists in before taking them out and re-washing my hair?
thank you again
Hi Shirley
It depends on how long you are comfortable wearing them. The smaller ones last longer than the larger ones. So if you want them to last, make them small. I just go by how my scalp feels and how fuzzy the twists are.
Im transitioning and to be frank! i dont know if my hair can get past shoulder. Most of the women in my family have short shoulder length hair. Im starting to get discharged since the crown area of my hair which happens to be the finest is not retaining! \\
Here
1.wash my hair in sections
2.deep condition weekly
3.protein treatment weekly
4.protective styling ALL THE TIME
5.TRIM WHEN needed
6.no heat or coloring
7.every other week
8.oil my hair not scalp
I know what ur going to say about the protein however my hair likes the weekly ORS MAYAO mixed with BLACK jamaican castor oil protein. It reduced breakage. frankly speaking i dont why my hair is not growing is it genetics! all The PRODUCTS I USE DONT dry my hair out so dont know 🙁 help
The problem is I don’t see a regular moisturizer in your routine. Oiling your hair won’t do anything if you aren’t putting a moisturizer on it regularly. Have you tried Shea Moisture? Oil seals in the moisture but if your hair is dry the oil just sits there.
I love my kera care Conditioner for color treated hair but since i been going natural it’s not as moisturizing. SO at the moment im looking into buying the SHEA moisture kit which i have heard mixed reviews about and im getting the kinky curly knot today conditioner.
As far as moisturizer go i have not really focused on buying one lately! I have Have FINE 4c hair and to be frank i hate the buildup! i tried the S curls which leaves my hair sticky and the triple moisture.
If u could give me some suggestions that would be great !
I would try the Shea Moisture kit and see if the moisturizers there will work for you. It’s really hard to suggest a moisturizer for someone else’s hair, but if you have course/kinky hair the thicker products tend to work best. So yes, start with Shea Moisture. Good luck!
Lisa,
I recently visited a girlfriend of mine that I had not seen since 2008 and she said, she had been natural for two years. Once she saw my hair she seemed kind of hurt, I asked what was wrong and she said her hair won’t grow. She really is a beautiful person, but unfortunately not tuned to natural hair care. At first she refused for me to touch or take her hair down. Her 4C hair was very dry, brittle with some spotting. Her products are clearly are not working for her. I didn’t have my grip with me to do her hair but I tried to update her on a few things. She also told me that she has never cut nor trimmed her hair. I’m putting a care package together for her, but would like some strong recommendations.
Hi April
Sounds like you need to shower her with moisturizers. Give her Shea Moisture for sure! But you know it’s honestly hard to give recommendations to someone because our hair responds differently. So I tread cautiously when it comes to that. Look for moisturizers where water is the first two ingredients. That’s so nice of you to help a friend!
Could u please provide me with some tips from the book..it seems very helpful
Hey lisa ! I was wondering what hair products would you suggest for new transitioners (without the big chop) and is there any website i can use to purchase them . Also what hairstyles would you advice i do if i dont want to do braids with extensions or weaves . Thanks
Hi Sia
I don’t suggest products for other people because your hair may not respond the same. But you can check out the products I used https://napturallycurly.com/2010/07/my-favorite-transitioning-products/
Also, I give you guidance for some good products on my FAQ page
https://napturallycurly.com/transitioning-to-natural-hair-faq/