5 Tips For Growing Out Your Natural Hair After A Big Chop

 

by Jessica C. Andrews

Since I made the decision to go natural a year ago, I’ve fielded as many questions about growing hair as styling it. While long hair is desired by many women no matter their texture, for naturals, who have big chopped, it’s a bit more complicated. You literally have to grow your hair back from scratch all while getting to know your new texture and learning how to style and manage it. See? No easy feat.
Here are the tips I’ve embraced to grow out my natural hair:

1. Protective Styles

Your hair typically grows a quarter to a half inch per month. The problem? It can break off as much if not more than it grows causing a heap of frustration when you see no progress at all. In addition to practicing good hair habits including wearing a satin bonnet or sleeping on a satin pillow (cotton is not your friend) and staying away from drying ingredients like alcohol, find a style where your ends are covered or “protected.” Protective styles like a bun, two strand twists, braids, weaves and wigs (with proper haircare underneath) are great options that will help increase hair retention.

2. Vitamins

Use caution (aka consult a doctor) but there are several vitamins out there that can help you with your journey to grow out your hair. Omega 3 supplements and Vitamin D are hailed as excellent for growing out your mane.

3. Natural Oils

There are plenty of products on the market that promise to grow your strands but I’ve found natural oils are the very best. Olive oil, carrot oil, Jojoba oil and Jamaican Black Castor oil are exceptional.

4. Get Your Ends Trimmed

For some reason, many women are afraid to trim their ends. Trust me on this: split ends are your worst enemy. They don’t stop hair growth but they increase breakage which obviously prevents hair retention and leads to damage.

5. Diet

What you put into your body shows in your hair! In addition to staying hydrated (cue Sh*t Natural Girls Say), choose a diet rich in iron, protein, vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids.

What tips do you use?

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Welcome to Sisters with Long Hair!

by TJ Adams

Thanks for your interest in our Sisters with Long Hair blog.

I recently blogged the question, "Why do most black women wear fake hair"?  The results I found ranged from racist to innocently ignorant to just plain silly.  Then, by chance I came across Mae's Natural Chica videos on YouTube.  It was eye-opening.  You see, I am a sister who has worn fake hair for most of my adult life.  My hair grows but it also breaks, and it doesn't grow in the directions I want to style my hair.  I like length and have always found it to be easy to braid up my natural hair and toss on a wig, weave or braids.  With a busy work schedule, wash and wear hair makes life easy.  But recently, I started to pay closer attention to the fact that a majority of sisters also wear some form of artificial hair.  I began to wonder if everyone's reason was the same as mine, or was there another reason for the prevalence.

I'm sure we can all recall the comments Martin Lawrence made repeatedly about Tichina Arnold's "beady beads".  I personally, know many people who freak out at the sight of a little natural kink.  To the contrary, I love my natural hair.  It's full and thick when unprocessed.  In fact, I prefer to wear my hair natural.  However, I've always held the belief that having straight hair makes it easier to assimilate in Corporate America work situations, especially for interviews.  I've gone periods where my hair has grown out to a good length, only to perm it in preparation for interviewing.  Unfortunately, my hair loses its strength when permed and eventually breaks, leaving me to start all over again.  Does that cycle sound familiar to you?

Once again, I am transitioning.  It has been 3 months.  My resolve to refrain from relaxers has been fortified by the many videos I watched on YouTube of sisters with long hair.  As many Black women grow tired of perms, weaves, braids and wigs; natural hair is becoming a popular choice.  We are discovering at last, that with a little TLC, our own hair can grow healthy, long and beautiful too.  There's even an endless array of styles, not limited to dreads and twists.  All it takes is a few years of patience, persistence and dedication to transition from chemical styling or growing out after the Big Chop.  I am astonished to learn of all the many possibilities and can't wait to join the club myself.  In the meantime, this website is a tribute to all the Sisters with Long Hair now.  Congrats on your beautiful locks.  Thanks for the inspiration. 

Are you an all natural sister with long flowing locks?  Are you transitioning or have you made the Big Chop?  Email your photos or video with a description and contact info to: news@sisterswithlonghair.com.

We are happy to share your stories.  If you'd like to post on a regular basis, just reply and we will add you as an author.  Thanks and enjoy!

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Share your "Sisters with Long Hair" photos, videos and stories at www.SistersWithLongHair.com.