How Can I Get My Hair to Grow?!

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Whether freshly BC’d (big chopped) or lifelong naturals, most (natural haired ladies) I come across – if they have more than a basic concern for their hair - are most concerned about getting their hair to grow.  They aren’t necessarily concerned with the hair’s overall health, lushness, etc.  That comes later if they really get into the ‘hair thing’.  The question largely, is ‘how do I get my hair to grow?’ 

Ready for this?  All you gotta do is…. stay alive and healthy!!  There’s no catch; all you have to do is keep breathing, eating (obviously a + if it’s quality food), moving (aside from being great for you, regular exercise increases blood flow to the scalp and brings nutrients to the hair follicle) and doing the other things that make you a living creature!  Unless you have severe vitamin deficiencies or medical problems which can affect hair growth or cause excessive dryness, your hair is growing.  Assuming there are no medical issues at play, you can expect an average growth rate of ¼ - ½ an inch per month.  (Some people will underachieve or exceed these margins; genetics play a role also). 

There are some things you can do to create an ‘optimal growing environment’, but fundamentally if your goal is longer hair, you have to shift from the ‘what can I do to get my hair to grow’ mindset to ‘what can I do to keep the hair I’m growing’!   

Naturally curly/coily/kinky hair tends to be dry.  Dry hair is more prone to breakage when manipulated.  Rough handling when detangling or styling can definitely contribute to breakage.  Some styles will increase the likelihood of friction on your ends, again leading to unnecessary breakage.  Whether your hair has high or low porosity, is thick or more fine (actual strand diameter) will also have an impact on how often you need to moisturise, styling choices and the levels of manipulation that your hair will tolerate.  Naturals with thick strands can get away with a lot more than some fine-haired naturals for example. 

This journey isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ kinda walk.  You have to invest time into learning your hair.  Finding your key steps and products will involve trial and error; patience is a must.  In future posts, I will be sharing what I believe are some of the key building blocks of a healthy hair regimen - the knowledge I’ve gleaned from my time learning about hair online or from books.  It’s not set in stone, and how much you apply is up to you, but I hope it helps.

Peace and love,

Pooks