How To Make African American Hair Grow Longer And Thicker!

An important step to growing healthy Black hair is maintaining its cleanliness and ensuring that it’s properly conditioned.

Although many of us don’t wash our hair often due to styles and regimens, how often you should wash your hair is contingent on your hair needs.

Most of us may have dry hair but if you have naturally oily hair, you may need to wash it more often!

Keeping your hair and scalp clean is a critical part of your hair growth journey because water is a vital moisturizer as we mentioned in our previous post about hydration vs moisture.

When you wash your hair regularly you add moisture as well as prevent dirt and excess oils from blocking moisture absorption.

If you don’t let moisture in you will notice your hair turns to be brittle, which can lead to breakage.

What Shampoos for African-American Hair to pick?

When it comes to picking the right shampoo there are two options:

1. Get a Moisturizing shampoo
2. Or a Clarifying shampoo

Great so, What Is a Moisturizing Shampoo?

A moisturizing shampoo is a gentle type of shampoo that’s enough to use on a daily basis, once a week or twice a week.

It will cleanse while simultaneously moisturize your hair and promoting hair health and manageability.

The good thing is that it doesn’t severely strip your hair of its natural oils (which is something  I like about moisturizing shampoos).

What about a Clarifying Shampoo?

A clarifying shampoo is a bit harsh on the hair because it will strip your hair of its natural oils.

Your hair will feel pretty dry after you use a clarifying shampoo that’s why you should only use once a month to remove buildup from all the styling products and oils you use!

Many skips using a leave-in but using a leave-in is important.

Adding a leave-in conditioner after washing and conditioning your hair should be a part of your regimen for growing your hair because of it’s benefits.

Pick a leave-in conditioner that adds moisture, protein, and nutrients that your hair needs, and it will condition your hair throughout the day.

Dusting is simply a term for trimming less than a quarter-inch of your hair every four to six months to get rid of split ends and retain hair growth.

Dusting helps retain hair growth, but it doesn’t promote hair growth. It is a practice that’s used to help maintain the health of Black hair.

If you have split ends, which can be caused for a number of reasons, and you don’t cut them off, they can damage your hair.

Split ends will eventually snap off on their own, but the process of breaking can weaken your hair and lead to thinning strands.

Don’t go overboard when dusting. Some hair experts may suggest cutting off an inch of hair every time you dust, but if you’re trying to grow long hair, it wouldn’t be wise to do that because you will not see any growth.

Hair should be deep-conditioned once per week or as often as needed.

Do that to maintain the health of your hair and keep it strong.

After the first month of deep conditioning your hair, you will notice a change and your hair will be a lot healthier, thicker, and fuller.

How to Apply a Deep Conditioner

• Part your hair into four, six, or eight sections to prepare it for the application.
• Untie a section of your hair and apply the deep conditioner treatment on your hair from root to tip. Do this to each section of your hair.
• Once you have distributed the deep conditioning cream, let it sit in your hair for at least thirty minutes. The longer you leave the deep conditioning cream in your hair, the better the results will be. You can also sit under a dryer for better results. Typically, using a hooded dryer while deep conditioning will be helpful for people with low porosity hair. If your hair is high porosity, it won’t need heat to help it absorb the conditioner.
• After conditioning your hair for a significant amount of time, rinse it out and apply a leave-in conditioner.

Great Natural Ingredients for Deep Conditioning

• Avocado Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Shea Butter
• Organic Raw Honey
• Argan Oil
• Coconut Oil

Applying heat to your hair is a popular way to achieve straight hair, but regularly applying

Using less heat will prevent this from happening. Look for heat-free styling options and utilize low heat settings when you do apply heat to your hair.

Try wearing low-manipulation, heat-free, protective styles periodically to give your hair a break.

Moisturizing and sealing your hair on a daily basis is necessary to adequately meet the hydration needs of your hair. Without this two-step process, it can lead to split ends, breakage, or thinning of the hair.

How to Moisturize and Seal African-American Hair?

• Part your hair into four, six, or eight sections. You can use bobby pins or hair ties to keep each section separate.
• Untie a section of your hair and thoroughly apply the moisturizer. Afterward, take a hair oil and apply it on top of the moisturizer to seal in the moisture. Make sure to use a dime-size amount of both the moisturizer and the oil.

If your hair is wet after you moisturize and seal your hair, then that is an indication that you have applied too much of either product. Applying the right amount will help your hair maintain its volume and bounce.

You can wear protective styles to reduce the risk of breakage and be mindful of your hair when you’re asleep.

Don’t forget to ensure that your pillowcase and sheets will not create friction and cause breakage by wearing a silk or satin bonnet or scarf before bedtime.

Bandanas are great too but remember that cotton materials can cause breakage or damage too.

So go for Satin which is the best fabric to use to maintain healthy hair because it will not cause breakage.

Few Protective Hairstyle Ideas:

1. Box Braids
2. Sew-In Weave
3. Phony Pony
4. Updo Hairstyles
5. Wigs

8. Co-Wash

It is vital to co-wash your hair to ensure that moisture is locked in because let’s face it, our hair gets dry on a daily basis.

Co-washing is when you use a cleansing conditioner to wash your hair.

By this way you keep your hair clean while keeping the moisture in because of the use of a conditioner instead of a shampoo.

Using chemicals every two months will be very hard on your hair.

Our hair usually grows half an inch per month, and having a small amount of hair to work with can lead to over-processing.

When the hair is over-processed, there is nothing you can do to restore its vitality and health other than cut it off and wait till it grows back. Keep your hair on the right track by avoiding these types of products!

When it comes to growing your hair it is important to use the appropriate tools that will prevent your hair from getting unnecessarily damaged.

Here are some pretty good options for you:

• A ceramic flat iron
• Wide-toothed combs.
• Satin Bonnets
• Snag-free clips and hair ties

 

Quick Last tips for Growing your hair

1. Try using Castor Oil for hair growth

Castor oil has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties and is high in Vitamin E, minerals, proteins, and Omega 6 and 9 beneficial fatty acids.

Its unusually high ricinoleic acid ratio makes it beneficial to your skin and your hair.

2. Use Products That Boost Thicker Hair

Take a look at few natural ingredients that boost up hair growth and avoid harming the hair with harmful chemicals.

3. Drink Green tea to re-grow thicker hair

Green tea has antioxidants and caffeine which help stimulate your hair follicles and encourage growth.

4. Try some Eggs pretty girl!

Egg is great for hair and skin because its full of proteins which your hair needs to keep it thicker and promote new hair growth.

5. Stop using hair dryers, gels and wax

Put away any type of chemicals and reduce the use of heat. This will help you encourage hair growth

6. Avocados (Yummy tho!)

You can apply on your freshly washed hair some mashed avocado that has been mixed with a tablespoon of olive oil and applied to the hair as a mask.

You can keep it in for twenty minutes and wash away.

7. Exercise Regularly!

Yeah i also need to hear this but exercise is good for your hair in many ways, including thickening the hair and encouraging the hair growth.

8. Take Biotin!
Biotin is one of the best vitamins for hair thickness.

Vitamin B7 enables the body to metabolize fats and carbs, and helps the body convert the amino acids in protein into sugar for energy.

9. Don’t skip trims!
Trimming your hair when needed is the best things you could do because the ends of your hair strands are the oldest so it’s always good to keep them fresh and healthy!

There you have it, How To Make African American Hair Grow Longer And Thicker!

What has worked for you by growing your hair?

What to read next? I’ve got you, girl!

• Why Deep Conditioning 4c Hair Can Rock Your World!
• Natural Hair Tips For Beginners | Deep Conditioning? Start From the Bottom Up!
• Easy Diy Deep Conditioner For Low Porosity Hair
• 15 Best Diy Deep Conditioner For Damaged Hair
• 20 Insanely Amazing Deep Conditioner DIY You Have to Try Next!
• 12 Deep Conditioners for Natural Hair Under $15

Xo, Queen