Have you been around a natural hair girlie or are one? You would know that it’s either they are complaining of inability to retain length, or toughness of their hair, or that they just do not know the right things to do to keep the hair in a condition that it should be in, enabling growth. 

Natural hair growth is a love-hate journey with girlies. However, it is one that requires patience, adept consistency, right hair care tips and plenty of money to buy the right products. 

Are you trying to retain length, grow your natural hair faster, or just keep are healthy natural hair but don’t know how to? All you need is to learn better about your hair and what works best for it. 

In this article, you will be learning more about your natural hair, how best to take care of it, what to and what not to use on it, and everything you need to know about growing your hair. 

Hair Porosity Types. 

Before you go into making your hair the hair of your fantasies, it is important to know your hair porosity type. 

Hair porosity is your hair’s ability to soak up and hold in moisture and products. 

To check your hair porosity, fill a glass of water and drop a strand of your hair into the water. 

If it floats, it is low porosity. 

When it sinks slowly, it is medium porosity.

If it sinks immediately, it has a high porosity. 

Types of Hair porosity includes: 

Low Porosity Hair. 

The low porosity hair is hair that is resistant to moisture. Moisture sits on the hair instead of penetrating it.  Also, The hair cuticles are tightly packed and are resistant to moisture.There’s also product build up because they don’t penetrate the hair shaft and they don’t dry fast.  

To care for your low porosity hair:

Use lightweight, water based product to avoid product buildup without them getting absorbed into your hair.

Apply heat while deep conditioning to open the cuticles, thereby making it easier for moisture to penetrate. 

Use shampoos to wash off product buildup.

It’s best to to use aloe vera based moisturizer, liquid based hair mist and lightweight hair conditioner. 

Medium Hair Porosity.

This is the best hair porosity type. It holds moisture well but doesn’t get overly dry or greasy. 

The cuticles are slightly open, allowing moisture in and out at a balanced state and is easy to style and maintain. 

To take care of this hair type: 

Use protective styles to retain moisture and length.

Wash once every two weeks to prevent product buildup.

Avoid overloading with heavy products rather use lightweight products and oils. 

High Porosity Hair.

This hair has cuticles that are wide open which makes the hair absorb moisture a little bit too fast hence, leaving the hair always dry. 

The hair is prone to breakage and split ends, is always dry and tangles easily. It also dries fast after washing. 

To care for this hair: 

Wash hair once every week.

Use heavier butters and oils to lock in more moisture in the hair.

Use cold water rinses to close up the cuticles and seal in moisture.

Avoid excessive heat to prevent further damage to hair. 

How to Take Care of Your Natural Hair. 

There are quite a number of routines that you can maintain to keep your natural hair healthy, at all times. 

Just like every other part of our body, it takes intentionality to keep it at an optimal level of health. 

Below are a few things you can imbibe into your routine to take better care of your natural hair. 

Moisturize Your Hair. 

Whether you are combing your hair, or styling it or just rocking an Afro, ensuring that your hair is duely moisturized is key. This is because a dry hair is prone to excessive breakage. So, if you are looking forward to retain length, moisturizing your hair is a must. 

Here are a few tips to help you moisturize properly.

Ensure that your hair is never thirsty. By this, I mean using water/ or liquid on your hair goes a long way in keeping your hair moisture. The same way you cannot go a day without drinking water, is the same way your hair should not go three days without water. 

Use hair Oils. These hair oils go a long way in sealing in moisture. 

Use hair butter. Hair butters provide an extra layer of moisture and keep your hair silky all the time. 

Deep condition weekly. Ensure to feed your hair by regularly deep conditioning it with protein treatment and conditioners. This helps to strengthen your hair and reduce breakage thereby retaining length. 

Wear Protective HairStyles.

There are quite a number of hair styles that do not favour the growth and health of our hair. Protective hairstyles help to reduce manipulation and breakage of the hair, thereby allowing the hair to grow. 

A few protective hairstyles include: 

Braids. 

Twists.

Weaves and so on. 

Ensure to avoid hairstyles that are too tight and cause traction alopecia. Also, do not leave your hair in for too long to prevent breakage. 

Reduce Heat Usage.

While making use of heat on our hair helps us style it in better ways, it is necessary to note that constantly using heat on your natural hair damages your hair over time. It weakens your hair, leading to slow growth. 

Instead of always heating up your hair, go for heat free hairstyles. You can also use heat protectant to protect your hair from the effects of the heat. 

Read Also: 2 Braid Hair Style inspired by Frances Barbara

Use Natural Oils. 

The same way natural oils are good for our skin and makes them shiny and healthy, is the same way our hair needs them too. 

Not only do they make the hair healthy, they nourish the scalp and aid hair growth. 

Some of these oils include: 

Coconut oil

Castor oil

Rosemary oil

Olive oil

All you have to do is apply a generous amount on your hair and massage for 10-15 minutes. 

Conclusion.

Growing your hair is not rocket science- all it requires is an effort, doing all the right things. Know your hair and what works for it, moisture your hair properly and regularly, wear protective hairstyles, use natural oils and so on. 

With the right amount of these measures, your hair will grow and be all you have in your fantasies before you know it. I’m sure that by now, we already know what we have to do to keep our natural hair healthy, at all times. 

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