By Chinwe (pictured above) of Hair and Health
What do Cipriana, Francheska, Geniece and most other long-haired naturals have in common when it comes to regimens? Well, it is no secret that protective styling, low manipulation, minimum heat usage, and washing in sections are generally a must. But what other components of our regimens have helped us to achieve long, healthy hair? Here are four that are generally overlooked:
1. Washing: Conditioner washes or pre-shampoo treatments
When it comes to washing our hair, we either do an oil/conditioner treatment prior to shampooing (i.e., pre-poo) or we use conditioner as a shampoo substitute (i.e., co-wash). Why? Because pre-pooing and co-washing help us to avoid the drying effects of shampoo, which can lead to brittle, breaking hair. Additionally, certain pre-poo treatments, like coconut oil, can strengthen the hair and minimize hydral fatigue (i.e., stress on the hair due to water uptake and eventual evaporation). Those of us who do use shampoos generally go for sulfate-free ones, which can further decrease any drying effects. However, even with sulfate-free shampoos, many of us still pre-poo for added protection.
2. Trimming rarely or dusting instead
Many long-haired naturals go a year (yes, a year) between trims while a few go six months at the minimum. Some long-haired naturals do not trim at all and just “dust” or do a “search and destroy”. A “dust” involves trimming ¼ inch or less off the ends. Doing a “search and destroy” involves only trimming those strands that have visible split ends. What is the bottom line? Generally, we only trim when our hair absolutely needs it AND we keep our hair fairly healthy so that it does not need one often.
3. Staple Products: Oils and inexpensive conditioners
When it comes to staple products, we generally love oils and conditioners, and they do not have to be fancy, expensive brands either! Conditioners help to reduce dryness and breakage. Oils either replenish or seal in moisture, depending on the type. Additionally, oils help to minimize knots and tangles, which can be death to our length retention. Some of us long-haired naturals also love to add oils to our conditioners to provide extra slip for detangling.
4. Detangling: Wide-tooth, seamless comb or fingers
When it comes to detangling, we generally use our fingers and/or a wide-tooth, seamless comb. Those of us who use combs usually do so on conditioner-soaked hair and with the K-cutter or a bone (or resin) comb to avoid snagging and ripping. Those of us who finger detangle do so on wet or dry, lubricated hair depending on what works for us. Whether we detangle with our fingers or a wide-tooth, seamless comb depends heavily on our hair texture, density, type, and styling process. What about the brush and thin-tooth comb? Many of us steer clear of them.
Though these are the more common techniques of healthy, long-haired naturals, you will find that a few of us stray from these basics. Ultimately, what works for one individual may not work for another, so learn what works for YOU! Hopefully this can be a guide, but most importantly, keep in mind these three concepts:
Less is more! Keep it simple! And leave your hair alone!
Ladies, what have been your experiences with these practices? Do you have any more to share?
One thing I’ve seen is that most naturals with long hair have a very good health routine; i.e. they take care of their bodies as well. Most long haired naturals I’ve come across have very healthy diets rich in nutrients and exercise consistently. This is almost just as important, if not more, as good hair products and practices IMO.
So true!!!!
had i not had scissors in hair (sir) syndrome over the last year, i probably would have retained five inches of hair instead of four. lol.
I have mid-back length hair. Co-washing makes my hair very limp. As of yet, I can’t figure out why my hair doesn’t like co-washing. I have tried TRESemme Naturals Moisture Conditioner, Hello Hydration…etc. I really believe it’s the alochol.
What has helped me to save time and money by not using as much water is ….once a month on dry hair, I section wash my hair with a dye bottle that is filled with a shampoo (sulfate-free) and a water spray bottle. First, with my water spray bottle, I spray water onto my scalp then apply the shampoo. Using the dye bottle filled w/ shampoo helps me to really get to the twisted sections of my scalp that are hard to reach. For a deep cleansing, I massage the shampoo into my scalp. Then once my entire scalp is covered w/ shampoo. I proceed to the shower to rinse out the shampoo. My hair strands are able to get clean as the shampoo runs down my hair strands.
All of these are key points to reaching my hair length goal. My hair almost seems to smile at me after I prepoo/ finger detangle with coconut oil, cowash (using either Tresseme Naturals, Trader Joe’s Tingle Tree, or Suave Tropical Coconut), and deep condition with As I Am deep conditioner. I use Kimmaytube, leave-in recipe and viola!! :-). I am definitely going to try more protective styles with my natural hair to see if it makes a difference. I’m a nail tech and I work at a Salon with 13 stylist. There are only 3 I would let come close to my hair. Scratch that 2. I let one to a twist style on my hair and she did not listen to what I wanted and I came out looking like Snoop Dogg. #fail. Even my 13 yo said “ma, I know you not keeping that in your hair” and it was out with the quickness. However, NONE of them will come near me with scissors. Once hair is cut its cut no putting it back on the head so I will dust and search and destroy like usual and my ends are doing just fine. I have the Poetic Justice braids right now going on week 4 I’m missing my hair something terrible. Maybe another two weeks…. We shall see
Yeah, I’m definitely going back to co-washing only. Sometimes I think moisturizing shampoos are a myth.
I love this post, and soooo agree with everything that was written, in fact using these methods have made my hair grow the longest that it has ever been in my life! I thinking keeping ur hands out of hair, conditioning it alot! adding alot of water-which in the summer time I wet it almost every other day sometimes, and use sulfate free -shampoos and pre poo and bam-hair is down to BSL. My goal is to my hips. I admit I struggle with HIH syndrome, but I cover my hair due to religious reasons so that helps with my addiction, and I know longer have my hair dresser trim my hair, cause I feel like hairdressers, don’t know what that means. I now have my mother, dust my hair. So after all the you tubes, and products and advice out there about taking care of natural hair. This post pretty much keepi it’s simple and sums it up!!!
I must say I am very thankful for you gals!!! <3 on my way to my hair goals by going back to basics<3
I agree 120% with this article!
I always do a pre-shampoo treatments with conditioner/oil before cleansing my hair, I dust my ends about every 3 – 4 months, I finger-detangle exclusively and I use oils for haircare [coconut oil for pre-poos | castor oil for sealing and pre-poos].
I would like to add two more practices — detangling hair before shampooing and washing in two-strand twisted sections. These practices reduce breakage and thus help retain length.
I thought I was the only one who didnt trim my ends so much!!! I do all these!!!! :) and I LOVE CO- WASHING!!!! Thanks for sharing!
+100
While my hair isn’t long, it’s long for me. For most of my life, I could grow about a three inch natural — it would never grow beyond that. And as with most AA women of my generation, I abused my hair with relaxers, texturizers and hair coloring. Two years ago, I learned about co-washing, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Right now, my hair is a little longer than shoulder length. Even with that, I suffered quite a bit of hair loss — from the scalp, but no breakage. This has worried me to no end. I regularly condition, use my own hair butter concoction (which I credit my length to) and do not comb my hair much. When not “out” I wear protective styles. Still, I had a lot of hair loss…that is until Garnier Fructis came out with Fall Fight.
It works! Where I would get about 100-200 strand losses with co-washing I now lose only 20 or fewer strands! Using the Fall Fight spray has also minimized loss between cowashes. My hair feels and looks thicker and much healthier.
Don’t get me wrong — I still like to use other conditioners (and I have a drugstore full in my hair closet), my finishing conditioning rinse is the Fall Fight. I intend to stock up just in case lol
Thanks for the hair tips — I love reading the articles and the comments. Peace!
Good information here ! My 4a hair isn’t long yet; just about mid neck length if stretched out. I follow all of these practices: I’ve been using WEN Fig since June as a co wash/shampoo but sometimes,to save $$ I will co wash with Trader Joe’s Moisturizing condish…that stuff’s DA BOMB ! Has plenty of slip for easy detangling… & I might add a little baking soda if there’s buildup.I also prepoo with EVCO,ayurvedic oils,or other oils: jojoba, JBCO, avocado,etc.I’ve been doing trims & dusting to get rid of scab hair & now it’s all gone so no more dusting for a long time. For detangling I use a Tangle Teezer, Magic Star Rake, & Ouided Double Detangler. I’ve been using KinkyCurly & Knot Today as my summer staple for past 2 years &
used QhemetBiologics for fall & winter So far so good & I’ve had a lot of growth this summer. Hardly have any breakage on wash day.
I know some naturals are wholly against brushing the hair. But I think brushing has helped my 4b daughter’s hair greatly with length retention. My youngest daughter has bra-strap length hair stretched and she started from a boy short haircut because she had her locs cut off.
Her regimen:
I only brush my daughter’s roots – not through the length of her hair on a daily basis. I only comb on wash day. Her grandmother brushes her natural hair regularly and has hair that naturally rests a little bit below bra-strap unstretched. She told me that her mother taught her to do that because there are pockets of oil in the scalp. Don’t know if that’s scientifically true. Just quoting what she said and it seems to be working for her.
I only comb her hair with a wide-tooth when I shampoo it which is twice a month. Unless she’s been swimming in chlorinated water, I don’t see the need to shampoo more than that. I pre-poo with Aubrey Organics and coconut oil.
I shampoo with whatever sulfate-free shampoo is on sale or whatever I can find a coupon for. Apply conditioner, detangle while her hair is wet with water and conditioner. Rinse out conditioner. Allow to air dry.
I style her hair after shampooing and she keeps that style for at least two weeks.
I mist her hair with water only on a daily basis – no products. Sometimes I use gel on her edges but not often. I moisturize with a leave-in conditioner, a cheapie conditioner, and coconut oil only once a week to avoid product build-up.
I do a dc with an oil mix, shea butter, honey, and sometimes egg. Leave on for 30min-hour, and then wash with my african black soap. I finger detangle and sometimes use a denman? brush while my hair is wet. I havnt had a trim since i let my hair back out in jan and im still kinda confused on how to dust…i saw someone twist their hair and trim the hairs sticking out the twist but is that a good way to do it? Im shoulder length striving for butt length.
And the use of curl activator might be #5. LoL! Lots of us use old school curl activator aka jheri curl juice! It’s mostly water, aloe and glycerin. And moisturizes and defines curls like nobody’s business. :)
I just realized this is a recycled post, but still worthy of reading. I’ve had the best luck with this regimen”
1. Prepoo w/deep conditioning treatment mixed with various oils under my steamer each week.
2. Detangle with wide tooth comb and twisting hair in sections prior to washing.
3. Minimal heat and if I do use heat, I use the Moptop Maven method to blowdry my hair.
4. I trim once a year.
5. I wear my hair in twists under a wig ALL winter and since I’m in Michigan, that can be for 6 months. But, I do wash and retwist every week.
I do all of those. I’m between BSL and MBL(if not already there) and I think the most important of those is pre-pooing, finger detangling, and dusting. I hardly ever trim but I dust a lot because SSKs are still a battle for me. I’ve miraculously achieved length but I still struggle with breakage, even while adhering to all of those. What my journey has shown me so far is that I must continually assess the health of my hair periodically.
I mean stepping back and thinking about how my hair has been fairing, why, and what the next game plan is.
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I have to say I buck the co-washing only regimen. I don’t feel it gets the scalp as clean. now that’s not to say that I would use shampoo with sulfates. I alternate shampoo and co-washing weekly to ensure I get my scalp clean. Otherwise, it itches. Shea Moisture Raw Shea shampoo is my shampoo of choice and I alternate it with As I Am Cowash.
Now to grow out these darn layers. I hate them when I straighten my hair annually. They’re only becoming to me when my hair is in it’s naturally curly state.
