Being told the ‘Natural Hair Journey is expensive’ is something that is widely accepted yet not true. If you’ve been doing it for a minute you’ll come to find investing in good practices is infinitely better than investing in the most expensive shampoos, conditioners and oils.
I don’t know where you are in your hair journey but I know that it is frustrating getting to where you want your hair to be. This list speaks to people who are in stagnation in their hair journey, those who don’t want to spend any money (because we all know it can be expensive) and those who want to learn tricks and tips to grow their hair in a way it is flourishing and healthy without spending that coin.
These were things I did and saw a massive change in the health of my hair, speed of growth, moisture and hair retention.
Healthier Diet
Our diet and nutrition is linked to our Skin, hair and nails and certain foods can inhibit your hair growth and health of your hair. Foods not rich in nutrients such as fast food lacking Iron, Zinc, Omega free don’t stand you in good steed to grow your hair. High blood sugar levels can impact the health of your hair as well. Your hair can dry out because it isn’t getting the nutrients from your bloodstream that it needs and again WE NEED THE MOISTURE. I will probably speak more on diet in the future so stay tuned for that!
Spraying your hair with water
I tend to rarely cover my hair in a shower cap because it is out most of the time. In the shower I let the steam make its way to my hair which refreshes my curls as well as hydrating my hair. If I don’t do that. I will have a spray bottle that I have recycled from something else and spray some water into my hair and scrunch it in. Scrunch it in? Does that make sense? Scrunch.
The number one reason you think your hair isn’t ‘growing’ is because it is breaking. Your hair grows trust me it does but if it breaks at the same rate it grows you will lose heart because you think your hair is stagnant. Dryness is the main cause of breakage so touch your hair right now. Does it feel dry. Spray some water in it and follow up with any moisturiser you have later. Never let your hair be dry. Just like you moisturise your body your hair needs the same energy.
Covering Your Hair at Night
I will admit I am trash with this one… but cover your head at night. In the rumble and tumble of the night your hair will face some friction which can lead to breakage. A satin/silk scarf is slippery enough that it allows your hair to move around. It also prevents moisture from being drawn out from your hair.
Massaging your scalp
Massaging your scalp increase blood circulation through your scalp. Apply gentle pressure in a circular motion to the head to stimulate nerve endings, muscles and blood vessels using your fingers or a scalp massager. This not only promotes hair growth through stimulation but also releases tension in your head making you more relaxed all around when you wake up and when you go to bed.
Finger detangling.
When initially detangling your hair go through and finger detangle your hair first. Your fingers feel the tug and knots of your hair better than the best detangling comb and allows you to gently detangle your hair minimising breakage. This requires patience as well so don’t pull at your hair. It’ll feel tedious at the start but it has become my favourite way of detangling my hair and removing shedding.
Trimming Split Ends
Everyone seems to get stuck on this one because it seems counter intuitive. Like I want longer hair so why would I make it shorter? However split ends should just be called dead ends because thats what they are. This will aid in hair retention because your hair will break less thus grow in a more optimal way.
I recently was getting annoyed with my hair tangling at the end and having what I now call ‘crispy tips’ (dry ends that no moisturiser could save). However as soon as I cut my hair it stopped tangling and the ends stopped breaking. Detangling my hair became easier and I had no more crispy tips. Also don’t try to revive split ends using whatever magic mumbo jumbo you read on the internet split ends are dead ends so cut it and save yourself the time and money.
Drying Your Hair with a T-Shirt.
Using a towel to dry your hair became a no go for me. It looks cute when people do it in movies but it will actually do what it is designed to do and that is soak up moisture again we need that moisture. Instead opt for a T- Shirt that will remove the surface water without drawing out the moisture in your hair strands.
Less Heat.
People out here act like any form of heat is like putting a poker rod on your head. Heat in moderation is fine and will not inhibit your hair growth. So I won’t say cancel out heat but less heat is fine. If you need a guideline. If it is too hot for your face it is to hot for your hair. This includes hot water as well.
Opt for a Luke warm temperature when rinsing out shampoo. If your hairdryer has a cooling function use that. If you want to use straighteners you need heat protectant. This is a list of free things you can do so if you don’t have heat protectant no extreme heat for you :).
Avoid tight styles.
I will go into more detail in future about protective styles but for now. Any style that takes a few days to get used to because it has your scalp feeling tight. Avoid. Any style that pulls on your edges. Avoid. Any style that causes tension and headache at anytime avoid.
Drink WATER!!!!!
It is free and it is what you need inside and out. Dehydration can also cause your hair to break because if your body doesn’t have any water guess where its gonna draw it from? That’s right your hair! Don’t do yourself like that. Drink water lots of it.
So there you have it. It is these small incremental changes that will have a long term affect on how quickly you get the hair you want and how to foster an environment your hair can thrive in. It doesn’t cost anything but a bit of time and care but you’ll thank yourself (and me hehehe) that you started doing these things?
Do you have any tips for haircare that don’t cost a penny? Comment below and share!
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