Grow African American Hair

Because of its strong curl and tendency towards dryness, African American hair can seem to be very difficult to grow to great lengths. However, some changes in your styling routine and hair care can increase the likelihood of you, the Rapunzel locks you always dreamed of.

Steps

Keep Your Hair Healthy

1. Keep your hair moisturized. This is by far the most important tip to growing long, strong, beautiful locks. Because African hair is so curly, oil from your roots takes a much longer time travelling to the ends of your hair. This means you need to spend every time managing the most damaged and dry part of your hair - the ends.
   • Always use conditioner every time you wash your hair. Look for conditioners which advertise dry, damaged, or brittle hair management. Apply this, and leave in for 2-3 minutes before rinsing out.
   • Use a deep-conditioner every 1-2 weeks. Leave in for at least 20 minutes and then rinse out.
   • Make your own deep-conditioner at home. Although it may sound strange, mayonnaise is a wonderful deep-conditioner. Rub it into your locks and leave in for 15 minutes. Rinse with your regular shampoo and conditioner. Repeat this every 1-2 weeks for ultra-soft curls.
   • Try a leave-in conditioner. This is a special kind of conditioner that can be rubbed into your hair after showering while it is still damp. It does not need to be rinsed out, but will also keep your hair from getting greasy-looking or piece-y. This can be done after every shower or between washes, as you like.
2. Use oil in your hair. Because it does take such a long time for your hairs’ natural oils to travel to the ends of strands, infuse your hair with oils to supplement those your scalp already creates. AVOID petroleum and mineral oils.
   • Try using castor oil (or Jamaican black castor oil). This has been used for hundreds of years to increase the softness of your hair and aid in faster growth. Rub some oil between the palms of your hands, and run them through your hair to incorporate it to as much of your hair as you are able.
   • Lavender oil is not only made from a popular flower, but has shown to improve hair growth up to 44% when rubbed into your locks. Use the oil on wet or dry hair in addition to other natural oils to help expedite your hairs’ growth process.
   • Moroccan oil is a new type of oil becoming very popular for its intense moisturization and de-tangling abilities. Although it can be pricy ($30 for a single bottle), reviews make it seem worth the cost. If you aren’t willing to pay that price, look for imitation versions for similar results at your local drugstore or beauty supply store.
3. Trim your hair when needed. Although your goal is to grow your hair, fried hair ends can slow your natural hair growth process.Trim your hair every time your ends are split or constantly dry to keep it in tip-top condition.Only trim off the damaged hair don't trim anymore than necessary.
4. Take vitamins that boost hair growth. There are many supplements and vitamins available for oral consumption which help your hair to grow speedy-fast. This is optional.
   • Biotin is considered the best vitamin to take to boost hair growth. It is available in capsule form at many health food stores, or for purchase online. It helps to renew the cells in your hair, allowing them to grow longer, faster.
   • Vitamin B6 is a great supplement to take to aid in hair growth, as it blocks the testosterone receptors at your hairs’ roots. Too much testosterone released into your follicles makes hair become thin and slows growth. B6 blocks some of this testosterone.
5. Protect the ends of your hair. The tips of your strands are the most brittle and damaged (as they receive the least amount of natural oils), and are the most prone to breakage. Leaving hair down constantly increases the likelihood of breakage, so put your hair up sometimes to help prevent this.
   • Keep your hair in a bun using bobby pins to help keep your hair in place. If possible, don’t use a ponytail or rubber band, as these can break your hair when you remove them.
   • Braid your hair. This helps keep the ends of your hair from being exposed and damaged further. You can choose to do dozens of small braids or a few large ones, but make sure you leave the ends ponytail-less so that they don’t rip out strands when you remove them.
6. Cover your hair whenever possible. To help your hair soak in the oil and nutrients you have been supplying it with, cover it in a satin or silk scarf or bonnet. Although you can’t do this all the time, wear one during the night to prevent damage from the elements.
   • Use a satin scarf, as this material does not absorb oil like cotton and other synthetic fabrics do.
   • Sleep on a satin pillowcase so that the oil from your hair doesn’t get sucked out while you sleep.
7. Try using a protein treatment. These are products that add protein to your hair to fill in the parts of your strands that are broken or damage. Although they benefit hair only temporarily, they can help your hair to grow long over time. Ask about it in your favorite salon or look for one in a beauty supply store.
   • Protein treatment has the biggest positive effect in relaxed or treated hair, but can be used on natural hair as well.
   • When you are looking for a protein treatment, read the bottle. If a type of protein (animal or plant based) is not listed in the first five ingredients, it probably won’t do much to help your hair.
   • There is no difference between animal or plant based protein hair treatments.
8. Eat healthy foods. Certain foods have proven to increase hair growth, and are great for nourishing your scalp and strands. Try to eat more of these foods to get your hair growing strong and long!
   • Salmon, avocados, and pumpkin seeds are full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids which help you hair follicles to stay healthy.
   • Spinach, eggs, greek yogurt, and lentils are all great sources of protein which enrich your strands of hair.
   • Blueberries are a source of vitamin C which is important for for strong hair. Too little vitamin C leads to hair breakage.

Avoid Damage

1. Avoid using heat on your hair. High temperatures make your hair dry and brittle, increasing the chances of breakage. If you must use heat on your hair, try to limit it to once a week at most.
   • Allow hair to air dry whenever possible. The heat from blow dryers can be especially damaging, as it is combined with a strong blast of air - another culprit for hair damage.
   • Keep use of flat irons and curling irons to a minimum. Because these can heat upwards of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, you are literally cooking your hair.
2. Steer clear of hair color. The chemicals in hair dye are a major cause of hair damage. Using dyes often can prevent hair growth from damage to the entire strand of hair. If possible, don’t dye your hair at all. If you must, spend at least three months between hair dye sessions.
3. Spread out time between hair relaxing sessions. If you get your hair relaxed, you know how damaging it can be to your hair. Although getting your hair relaxed frequently may be tempting in order to maintain straight locks, try to wait as long as you can between sessions.
   • Spending at least three months between hair relaxing treatments can help aid in hair growth.
   • If you are able and willing, try foregoing relaxing your hair for a natural look instead. This will not only mix up your hairstyle, but increase your hair’s ability to grow faster.
4. Avoid real-life stressors. Stress has shown to have an effect on hair growth and overall thickness, so do things to make your life as anxiety-free as possible. Stay away from things that stress you out, and incorporate more things into your life that put you at peace.
5. Be gentle to your hair. Although sleeping and daily activity can make your hair difficult to manage, don’t try to control it through power-brushing and a strong hand. Instead, be soft to your hair to ease out tangles and knots.
   • Brush your hair slowly. This will help to reduce the amount of breakage your strands experience. Always begin brushing from the top, and work your way down.
   • Use a comb or boar-bristle brush to brush your hair. Avoid using a brush that has knobs on the ends of bristles, as these can get caught in your hair and cause more damage.
6. Avoid using extensions and tight braids. These place stress on the roots of your hair, making them more likely to break from the root.
   • Using weaves and fusion extensions can damage hair roots, so try not to use these if you want to grow your hair long.
   • Braiding your hair loosely can help protect brittle ends, but exceedingly tight braids or cornrows can break off your hair near the follicles. Use loose braids to help keep your hair protected.

Tips

• Try to always use a wide-tooth comb for less hair breakage, remember to be gentle.
• Drinking lots of water can help your hair to grow faster.
• Try to wear a scarf every night. This helps the hair to be safe instead of rolling all around in the bed.
• Use coconut oil on your ends to prevent breakage and on the roots to increase hair growth.
• Use natural shampoos and conditioners if you can.
• Comb hair when damp and conditioned. This eases the comb through the hair with less breakage.
• Always keep your hair moisturized!
• Have patience. Hair grows on average 1/2 an inch per month, so it may take many months for your hair to reach your preferred length.
• Loose braids can help in the winter to give your hair a rest to keep you hair inside. This may protect again drying out, as well.
• Blow dry your hair on a cool setting.
• There's really good heat protection oils and sprays made by olive oil brands if you feel you need to straighten your hair often.
• Straightening the hair will cause protein break down in hair shaft, which cause hair to become weak and brittle. This is why people see hair shedding and heat damage.
• Only oil hair when it is damp. If it is dry, the oil will prevent moisture from entering.
• Relaxing hair weakens the shafts by changing the protein bonds. To save time and money, why not try going relaxer free?
• Use mayonnaise then shampoo and conditioner it to smoothen it.
• Moisturize your hair using Aloe Vera gel at night and rinse in the morning.

Related Articles

• Brush Your Hair
• Give Yourself a Scalp Massage
• Have Great Hair
• Make Your Hair Glossy
• Flat Iron Hair Without Causing Damage
• Put African American Hair in a Bun

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do Ghana Cornrows
• Detangle African Hair
• Style African Hair
• Take Care of Black Girls' Hair
• Care for Damaged African Hair
• Take Care of Relaxed African Hair
• Grow African Hair Faster and Longer
• Maintain African Hair
• Moisturize African Hair
• Grow Long Hair if You Are a Black Female

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