Learn How to Grow Long Hair and Keep it H
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: African American Hair
Forum Name: African American Hair
Forum Description: Devoted to the special needs of African Americans.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=39374
Printed Date: August 05 2025 at 12:40pm
Topic: Learn How to Grow Long Hair and Keep it H
Posted By: SimplyAlex
Subject: Learn How to Grow Long Hair and Keep it H
Date Posted: January 23 2006 at 5:40pm
|
Valueable Info I found. Read and Apply! Growing long, beautiful and healthy hair is not an extremely difficult process. It does not require the upscale hair products hawked by salons, handfuls of expensive vitamins, or any sort of sacrifice to the long hair gods. What it does take is common sense, dedication, and a lot of patience. Indeed, growing long hair is more a question of what you shouldn't do rather than what you should. 1. The first step to growing long, beautiful hair is by far the most important. It is absolutely non negotiable for anyone who wants healthy hair at any length, but it is also by far the hardest step you will have to follow. In order to have long healthy hair you absolutely have to start with healthy hair. You must cut off every inch that is damaged. If you are going for extreme length, from that point on you will have to treat your hair like delicate, antique lace at all times. Remember, once your hair is at your waist the ends can be as many as six years old. Your hair will go through a lot of trauma in six years no matter how careful you are with it. You *must* start out with healthy hair to have healthy hair when it's long, there's no way around it. 2. Trim your hair often. Damage to your hair will move up from the ends and the only way to stop the damage in its tracks is to remove it as soon as it happens. Trim hair a half inch every month or so (the average rate of hair growth) if you are maintaining your length. If you are actively growing your hair, trim it a half inch every three or four months. In between trims it is beneficial to sit in bright light and snip any splits off the ends of individual hairs with a good pair of hair cutting scissors that you explain to the men in your house are absolutely not to be used for anything else, especially prying off bottle caps when they can't find the bottle opener, which is of course in the drawer where it belongs if they'd just look. I digress. If you are persistent with this method, regular trims may be able to be postponed even longer. If your hair begins to show damage, it is important to trim it more often! Damaged hair doesn't grow, it breaks, and damage will only increase with time. 3. If you don't have someone you trust implicitly to trim your hair for you, find a salon that caters to long hair or at least has a long hair specialist. Remember, it is not in the best interest of most salons or stylists if you rarely make visits to their salon! If your hair is short and styled, you are always there spending money for maintenance. If your stylist tries to convince you that your long, healthy hair should be cut, run screaming from the salon immediately! Make sure that anyone whose advice you consider, be it a stylist, friend or family member, has only the best interest of YOUR acknowledged hair growth goals in mind. Otherwise smile politely and ignore every word they say. You absolutely are not too old, too thin, too short, too gray, too anything to have long hair. 4. Avoid using any heated appliances whenever possible. No blow drying, no curling irons, no hot rollers, and especially no flat irons or crimpers! If you absolutely must blow dry, do so minimally. If you must use hot rollers, use flocked or soft rollers, not spiked plastic rollers. If you insist on using curling irons, flat irons or crimpers on a daily basis, really long healthy hair isn't in your future. 5. Don't use any harsh chemicals on your hair. Hair color with low peroxide is more tolerable, but using these products again and again will eventually affect the health of your hair, it is unavoidable. No perming or straightening ever for any reason. These chemicals actually break down the structure of your hair and rebuild it. Don't do it. (If you insist just know that is alot harder to have long healthy chemically treated hair than it is to have long healthy natural hair. Make up for this by being extremly strict with the other rules!!!) 6. Avoid chlorine and saltwater. 7. Be *extremely* careful of what kind of hair jewelry you use. Never use metal barrettes (the "French" style) and absolutely NEVER use rubberbands, they will tear your hair when you try to remove them. Avoid anything that has sharp or rough edges, such as plastic combs with rough seams or hair claws with metal hinges. Never put anything in your hair that attaches with Velcro or springs. If you take anything out of your hair and hair comes out with it, don't ever put it back in your hair. Scrunchies are great, and several can be used if your hair is very long. Need I mention the most fabulous hair accessory of all? Hair sticks of course! 8. Never put your hair in any kind of style that will put undue stress on the individual hairs... no tiny braids, no extremely tight coils. If you pull all or some of your hair into a braid or a ponytail to create your hairstyle, make sure it isn't pulled tight enough to put stress on the roots of your hair. Pulling hair tight repeatedly commonly results in bald patches! 9. Avoid extreme diets. If your body isn't getting enough nutrition, neither is your hair. 10. Be *extremely* gentle with your hair when it is wet. Don't rub your hair vigorously with a towel, gently squeeze the towel down the length of your hair. 11. Be very careful with what you choose to style your hair. When you use a brush, use only natural boar bristle brushes, which are useful in distributing sebum (your hair's natural protective oils) to the ends of your hair and to remove loose hairs. Also, nevernevernever back comb or tease your hair with a fine-tooth comb. This will destroy the healthiest of hair in a very short period of time. 12. Comb your hair to ensure all knots have been removed before shampooing. After the knots have been removed, use a boar bristle brush to remove loose hairs, which will also cut down on knotting during shampooing (not to mention keep your plumber at bay). 13. Let your hair get dirty once in awhile. That's right... permission to be lazy, what more could you ask for? 14. Don't pile your hair on your head when you wash it, that's just asking for knots. Apply shampoo only to the roots and wash your scalp, then work the shampoo to the ends. You may find adding a bit of water to your shampoo or very quickly ducking under the shower spray after initially applying it to your hair will increase lathering significantly, making it easier to work the soap to the ends of your tresses. When you apply conditioner, work it through to the ends of your hair, smoothing and detangling gently with your fingers as you go. Continue smoothing your hair as you rinse. This will make combing your wet hair much easier. 15. If you wash your hair often or have very dry hair, you may want to consider using only conditioner to wash it on occasion. If your hair isn't very dirty the conditioner will easily rinse away surface contaminants while allowing you to avoid daily use of the harsher solvents found in shampoo. 16. Rinse your hair in as cold water as you can stand. Not only will this make the cuticle lay flat and less likely to snag and break, but by the same token you'll get the added benefit of very shiny hair that's easier to comb wet. Yes, you will get used to doing this, even in the shower, and it is wonderfully invigorating for your whole bod, not just your hair. I know, I know... I couldn't convince Hubby either, but it's true, I swear! Trust me. 17. If your hair is especially coarse, extremely curly, or if you didn't heed my stern advice in Step 1 (don't make me come over there) and your hair is damaged, you may want to consider using a leave-in conditioner in addition to a regular rinse-out conditioner (I recommend Infusium-23, but there are many good ones out there). In some cases, leave-in conditioners may replace rinse-out conditioners altogether. 18. Become familiar with the ingredients in your styling products. Once you know what affects your hair positively or detrimentally, you will be able to effectively choose products that contain ingredients that are best for your hair type. 19. Deep condition your hair at least monthly, even if it's in good shape this will help keep it that way. If your hair is dry or damaged, deep condition weekly. Hot oil treatments are a good alternative for very dry hair or for extra conditioning. 20. Lessen the friction on your hair whenever possible. Don't sleep with your hair loose or if you must, use a satin pillowcase. And we all know, no matter what promises hair product manufacturers claim, the ONLY way to fix damaged hair is to CUT IT OFF... perish the thought! www.longlocks.com/how-to-...g-hair.htm ------------- Hair Type: 4a/3c Natural Hair Length: Mid Back (growing out Layers) Hair Goal: Long Layered Waist length/ Super Healthy! |
Replies:
Posted By: cmesweet
Date Posted: January 23 2006 at 10:27pm
|
Thank you for that valuable information...I tried the cold rinse,doesn't really get along with me. From time to time I try to do it, tho. ------------- Natural BC May 9, 2004 |
Posted By: Pokahontas
Date Posted: January 25 2006 at 9:00am
Thanks for taking the time to post this info. There are some very good tips and information here .------------- |
Posted By: princess8907
Date Posted: January 25 2006 at 8:52pm
|
Thanks for the info. New members will find this especially helpful. Especially the part about damaged hair being cut off ------------- 4b-natural,shoulder blade length,hair goal of to my bra strap 
|
Posted By: Renata22
Date Posted: January 26 2006 at 5:18pm
| Great info! I already follow some of it. It took me a long time to realize that you really can't wash your hair when it's long the same as you did when it was shorter. I no longer pile hair on top of my head, and as a result, NO MORE TANGLES!! |