Photo Credit: AyeCiara

Natural hair is a beautiful thing. Without the right tools, it can be a frustrating, yet beautiful thing. Regardless of the frustration, natural hair does not require much for healthier lengths. With minimal work, it is quite simple. Minimal work does not mean neglecting your hair. It means the right strategies that work for your hair. Your hair needs your cooperation, not your help for healthier lengths.The following steps will help you personalize a successful hair care routine and surpass the stumbling blocks for healthier long locks.

Moisturize your hair daily

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Just as your body needs moisture, your hair needs moisture. Water is the moisturizing agent for natural hair. Without moisture, the hair dries, brittles, and results in breakage, single-stranded knots, or split-ends. Spritz your hair with a water bottle regularly. Lock in the moisture with water-based products (creams, leave-in conditioners, oils) for daily use. Water-based products should list water as the first ingredient. Based on your hair’s porosity, use the LCO (liquid, cream, oil) or LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method. Use the LCO method if you are low-porosity. Use the LOC method if you are high-porosity. If you do not know your hair porosity take a porosity test. Porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. To determine your hair’s porosity, you will need a hair strand and a cup of water. Find a loose hair strand and place it in a cup of water. If the hair soaks, it is high-porosity. If it floats, it is low-porosity. High porosity hair quickly absorbs moisture. Low porosity hair slowly absorbs moisture. The moisturizing process becomes easier after your hair porosity results.

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Deep conditioners add extra moisture than regular moisturizers. You will need a hooded dryer, steamer, heating cap, plastic cap, or a plastic grocery bag with a warm towel. Heat is not the enemy. It is an essential tool for a successful deep conditioning routine. Heat opens your hair’s cuticle layers to receive the moisture your hair needs. Without heat, your hair cannot get the proper moisture you need, especially if you are low-porosity. Regular moisture will not retain moisture if you do not properly deep condition with heat. Depending how dry your hair is, deep condition for 20 minutes to an hour.  Your hair becomes softer and more manageable.

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Remove product build-up with a sulfate-free shampoo. It will not dry or strip the hair as rumored. Shampoos clarify and cleanse the scalp, but do not condition it. Co-wash cleansers do not equal a shampoo. They do not remove product build-up as a shampoo. After a few days, your scalp becomes itchy and dirty, resulting in hair loss. Of course, your hair is moisturized, but is still dirty from product build-up. Product build-up keeps the hair from retaining moisture. Regular shampooing keeps the hair moisturized, yet clean. Clarifying shampoos are available at Sallys, Target, Wal-Mart, and beauty supply stores. If a clarifying shampoo becomes too drying, use a moisturizing shampoo for a clean scalp instead. A clean scalp is a healthy scalp.

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Length does not mean healthy hair. Do not be afraid to trim your ends. Health should be the primary focus of your hair. Your hair will still grow over time. Split-ends, see through ends, or single-strand knots should be cut immediately. Avoiding them will split the hair strand towards the top. Straighten the hair after a shampoo wash, deep conditioner, and a blow dry. Cut your ends evenly with a sharp pair of scissors. Even cuts prevents unevened layers unless you desire the layered look. A regular trim should be every three months.

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Ambrosia Malbrough

According to CurlCentric, hair grows half an inch monthly. This means your hair grows six inches per year. Protective styles retains length throughout the year. They should be worn every 5-7 days. Braids, twists, wigs, or weaves should not surpass 4 weeks. Protective styles also prevent constant touching or styling the hair. Constant combing, styling, brushing causes breakage, hairloss, and split-ends. Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and require the most attention. Tuck them away and leave your hair alone. During protective styles, you are still accountable for your hair. Braids will not give you longer hair if you neglect it. Your hair will be more prone to dryness and breakage.

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Holy grain products are stable products that work best for your hair. They provide the best results and cater to your hair’s needs. Once you’ve found them, stick with them. Do not change them, unless they stop working. Holy grain products are called that for a reason. Your hair responds extremely well without issues. Do not switch products based on millions of YouTube product reviews. Through trial and error, you will find the right product. It takes time, but not forever. Products are reviewed through daily YouTube videos. Read the comment sections and remember similar pro’s and con’s. Google and read product reviews before purchasing it. Once you purchase the product, focus on your hair’s reaction. If the hair responds well, keep it. If the hair responds bad, return it.

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You will not know everything about natural hair. With daily research, you will learn certain methods regarding your hair type, curl pattern, texture, and porosity. YouTube and blogs are the perfect places for learning natural hair care. They provide specific instructions for each individual’s natural hair care needs. Each individual will also learn beyond the basics. YouTuber, GreenBeauty teaches natural hair visual learners scientific facts through 3D cartoons videos and regular photos. Viewers understand better concepts behind split-ends, natural hair myths, protective styles, and proper hair care.

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A hair twin matches your hair type, texture, and curl pattern. You can easily spot them through YouTube and social media. If you have a 4a/4b hair curl pattern, follow someone with a 4a/4b hair curl pattern. It makes your hair journey easier to understand based on their experiences. Do not take advice from someone above a 4a hair type. Their hair journey will not be relatable as the 4a/4b hair guru. Millions of natural, curly-haired gurus post YouTube videos social media hashtags. This gives you plenty of choices to follow. Keep in mind, you cannot follow everyone with the same 4a/4b hair. You might have the same 4a/4b hair curl pattern, however, you might not have the same texture, or porosity level. Plus, you will not learn proper natural hair care with too many options. It becomes frustrating and confusing. Narrow down your choices and follow your top favorite. This person should be well-experienced, especially if they have successful healthy hair. Focus more on their health, than length. Their hair did not grow healthy overnight. They experienced set backs and failures like everyone else.  Keep in mind, your hair twin are not hair gods. No need to follow everything she says. She will change routines or products often. You do not have to purchase an item every time they review a product. Stick with what you know and apply what you have learned.

Photo Credit: NickyBNatural

No one knows your hair better than you. If something goes wrong, your hair will let you know first. For example, if your hair does not respond to a product your favorite YouTube guru raved about, do not force yourself to love it. Immediately, stop using it and return it. Do not compromise your hair based on another person’s opinion. It causes unhealthy, destructible results. Another example, if your hair seems drier than usual, re-moisturize your hair. Do not stress about a scheduled routine. It’s better to respond to your hair’s needs, than a set of rules. Never ignore what your hair tells you and consider better solutions to your problems.