This video is long overdue! Like a-year-and-a-half-long overdue! But better late than never! A lot of you have been wanting to know what changes I've noticed in my hair since its grown longer, so here it is! I hope it helps!
So you're done transitioning and spent the last year and a half growing out strong healthy natural hair. But now it seems like your growth rate has slowed down, or even worst, come to a complete halt! Well, don't fret, there could be a variety of reasons and solutions for your delay in growth...
The first reason could be that you're just due for a trim! Personally, I tend to go about 7 to 8 months between trims. Some people trim more often, some trim less, but it's about listening to your hair and what it needs. Indications that it's time for me to trim my hair, are split ends, loads of single strand knots, and "dents" in the hair shaft.
Split ends are self-explanatory. When your hair shaft splits and travels in more than one direction, you've got a split end! Also look for strands that look like they get thinner at the end, or feather out.
Single strand knots are inevitable with curly natural hair. When your hair is super coily, it has a mind of its own and twists and turns in all different directions. Sometimes it twists, turns, and locks up with another strand of hair, causing a knot. And sometimes it twists, turns, and locks up on itself, creating a small little ball, or a single strand knot!
When I say "dents" in the hair shaft, I'm referring to a strand of hair that varies in thickness. If you look closely at it, especially towards the ends, it looks like it goes from thick, to thin, and then thickens out again; like someone took a bite out the hair shaft!
If I have an abundance of any of the three issues above, or all three, I know it's definitely time for me to trim!
The second reason could be that you may not be moisturizing your hair enough, specifically the ends of your hair. Like I've stated before, your hair is no different from your body, it needs water to function. So you want to make sure that you're moisturizing your hair day and night and that you're sealing in the moisture with an oil-based, creamy product.
When I refer to moisture, I'm talking about water or anything water-based. In regards to the oil-based creamy product, that will depend on your hair texture and density. If you have really thick, dense, and coarse hair you'll want to stick with a thick and dense sealant. If you have thinner, less dense hair, you can also go with a thick and dense sealant, but you'll probably prefer a lighter, less heavy cream-based sealant, that won't weigh your hair down or cause build up.
The third reason could be that it's just time to change or step things up with your hair care routine. Maybe you should start increasing the amount of deep conditioning treatments you do during the month. Maybe you want to start washing your hair more… or less, if you find that your hair is becoming too dry. Perhaps you want to start adding different oils or aloe vera juice to your routine! Whatever the case, try something new or add something different! Increase or decrease steps in your current routine relating to what your hair needs most. When your hair growth comes to a halt, you usually just need to switch things up to give it a pleasant little shock and push in the right direction.
As some of you may know, I'm all about keeping it simple in my routine. But I also pay attention to the changes in my hair health and listen to what my hair is telling me it needs. So if I notice the ends of my hair getting rough and splitting, or an abundance of single strand knots, I know that my ends are in need of some "TLC," Tender Loving Care, and give it a trim! I'll also make sure to moisturize my hair daily, concentrating on my ends. If I'm moisturizing day and night, and it seems that it's not helping anymore, I know it's time to incorporate more deep conditioning treatments, steams, water bagging, or protective styles for a while until things balance back out.
So I hope these tips help! If you've hit that growth halt, have fun experimenting with new things! Your hair will love it and you'll see the results your looking for. I hope this helps guys!
Friday, May 17, 2013 at 04:08PM 
