Style Icon Jasmine
For women interested in growing long, natural hair the greatest challenge can often be patience. Hair goals should be realistic but also ambitious enough to keep you committed to your regimen. In this blog, I share 3 tips that helped me to monitor my hair growth and hair health without throwing in the towel.
1. Knowing Your Growth Rate
We all know those women who seem to grow hair so quickly that they complain about having to get haircuts just to maintain a particular length. In fact, you may know several if you happen to come from a family of women who are genetically predisposed to above average hair growth. It can therefore be frustrating if you base your hair progress against a standard that is not only outside of the norm but not realistic for you. Early in my hair growth journey, I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t setting myself up for disappointment. I knew that on average most women grew about ½ inch of hair per month or 6 inches a year. I used this standard as a starting point in setting goals. To be sure I measured one area of my hair at the start of my journey and after 4 months of good hair practices (low manipulation, moisturizing and sealing) I knew that by the 2 inches of hair I retained, I could anticipate 6 inches of length retention within a year. Do the same for yourself early on in your hair journey. Know what your rate of growth is and set goals tailored just for you.
2. No Short Cuts to Quick Growth
Once I knew my rate of growth, I would find myself tempted to pursue bandwagons that promised faster hair growth. The way I figured it, if I could boost my hair growth from ½ inch a month to ¾ inch a month, then by the end of the year I could retain 9 inches instead of 6. That may not seem like much difference but as a newbie that was the difference between arm pit length and hair flowing past my bra strap. I took supplements like biotin and after a few weeks of breaking out in acne; I decided that a ½ inch a month would do just fine. Don’t get caught up in bandwagons or fool yourself into thinking you NEED to grow your hair faster. Trust me, you will be very pleased to retain 5 or 6 inches at the end of the year. No need to rush the process.
3. The Big Reveal
Length checks every other week is what you do when you WANT to become frustrated quickly. I learned during the first two years of growing out my hair that waiting a few months to blow out my hair gave me something to look forward to and encouraged me to remain faithful to my routine. Once you know that you are retaining length try waiting 4-6 months (or longer) before wearing your hair blown out or straightened. It really is quite a treat to look in the mirror, gob smacked by the progress you have made. I would sometimes wait until a special event or occasion, so that I had a reason to get dolled up when styling my hair. You might consider doing the same. It’s fun to surprise others but it’s even more fun to surprise yourself!
What tips help prevent you from becoming frustrated with length retention?
