Tips for Growing Natural Hair Long

Too many people have bought into the myth that heavily textured hair simply can’t grow long.  While some may have an easier or a harder time than other, most women can certainly grow their kinky hair quite long.

Use a water based moisturizer in your hair to help retain length.  Keeping your hair adequately moisturizer is so important because it reduces the amount of breakage that you’ll experience.  While almost everyone’s hair grows at about the same rate, it can be impossible to see that length if it’s not being retained.

Protecting your ends is another important way to retain length.  The ends of your hair are the oldest parts of your strands and are most prone to being damaged, tangled, or becoming split.  If split ends do happen, as painful as it might be, it really is best to trim them off.

Wearing your hair in protective styles is an effective way to retain length.  The more that heavily textured hair is manipulated, the more prone is it to be broken or damaged.  While natural and kinky hair may look strong, it is actually very delicate.  Wearing your hair in protective styles such as twists, braids, Bantu knots or corn rows will minimize the amount of handling that it will have to deal with.  Just don’t put too much tension of your scalp and don’t wear the protective styles for too long, which will lead to painful detangling.

Almost everyone in the world has heard it: you are what you eat.  Your diet will have a direct affect on the health of your hair, and unhealthy hair just won’t grow to its full potential, whether it is straight or kinky.  Eat a nutritious diet high in protein and not lacking in any essential minerals or vitamins, and for an extra boost, consider taking biotin, MSM, zinc and copper, but keep in mind that supplements work best when taken together with a healthy, balanced diet.  Some herbs that promote hair growth are horsetail, peppermint, rosemary, lavender and saw palmetto.