Natural hair care was lost centuries ago and we are still figuring it out. So please let’s all help each other grow long healthy hair by sharing tips that has been working for us.😉
Maybe in the US, but in the Caribbean, we were not allowed to press our hair until we were 18. So I had my hair natural until them. I cut it in an Afro (this was the 70s), when I grew it out, I would have it in cane rows. This was before braids and beads were a thing. I washed my hair every 3 weeks, and in the last week before I washed it, it was the softest because of the natural oils finally reaching the ends. I shampooed my hair while plaited, and rinsed it plait by plait so it would not get tangled. And, I plait it back to dry, not leave it open. To go out, I pulled it back in one, to the side or on top, and either let it out in pom poms or twisted it and pinned it in. And I just used a light bergamot 'grease' to keep it soft. The opposite of dry is oily, not wet. I don't understand people using water to 'moisterise' their hair. Water shrinks it and dries it out more, makes it stiffer if left open, and all those expensive products don't help. Natural oils from your scalp is what softens the hair, but water upsets that so you are making it worse. Anyways. This is how I learned to take care of my natural hair as a child in the Caribbean. My last big chop was in 1995 (before natural hair movement was a thing). I cut my hair off after relaxing it very often. I am in my 60s.
@@jouezmoi I've developed an allergy to oil, grease and butter so no oil for me. I don't use tap water though. I use a leave-in conditioner mist. I grew up in the Caribbean but I live in London. I agree with Black Americans leaving the hair open in wash and gos, braid outs and twist outs. My hair doesn't shrink that much but then I keep in stretched in twists. My scalp is always dry and never oil so I have to use a scalp mist and steam. I understand no why the old-time ladies in the Caribbean used to wear a plastic cap on their head around the house.
@@marleyhill34 All leave-in conditioners have some type of oils in them. So it is certain oils, not all, that you may be allergic too. What works better instead of water is glycerine.
@@jouezmoi yeah it's raw oils, butters or products that have thdm as the first, second or third ingredient. Some of my leave in mists have glycerin in them already too. No DIYs for me either. My trichologists told me to stop.
I agree, people use genetics as an excuse. If your genetics say that you are likely to get high blood pressure or diabetes or cancer, is that a reason not to care for your health? No, you still learn how to eat properly for your body and be healthy. Same for hair, and too many people use genetics as a reason not to learn about or care for their hair.
Correct. My hair went from neck length to mid-back in 2 years during Covid. It had never been that long in my entire life (the longest it had been when straightened was just past my shoulders). Reason? I did not go to the hairdresser. I kept it in two plaits most days as I was working from home. I stopped colouring it. I stopped using heat - curling and flat irons. I would wear it open only when going out, and use the waves created from the plaits to give it shape. It is even longer now - lower down my back. My sisters always had the hair when we were children, not me. Now I have long hair in my 'old age' (I am 60).
i am mixed, my hair basically barely grew after it reached shoulder length. Until i properly learned how to take care of my hair and stop breakage, I learned my hair grows 7 inches a year. Whether your hair grows slow or fast if you aren’t taking proper care of it you won’t see length.
As long as your hair is still growing from the scalp, you can retain as much length as you want!! When I started getting relaxers, flat ironing every morning, neglecting wash days, not moisturizing my hair and brushing when dry... I never saw any length being retained. It never grew past my shoulders. But when I prioritized keeping my hair moisturized and detangling with gentleness, my hair was able to reach waist length, and my goal is tailbone length. And I'm 4c!!
You are so pretty and keeo on making these videos because your videos had actually helped me out, and know I'm actually taking care of my hair thank you so much. God bless you ❤
This video was so helpful! Also, would you recommend wigs? Like having some kind of plaits or twists under to retain length? I've been feeling a little insecure about the length of my hair and have seen a lot of videos saying it's a good way to retain length. God bless!
My trichologists don't recommend wigs so....if you can try to minimize wearing wigs to 2 out of 7 days a week. They are ok with silk and satin head wraps and scarves as long as they are not too tight. You can pin the wrap/scarf in place.
Three genetic reasons why my hair does not retain length because it's fine and weak and it falls out from the scalp: 1. I'm a thalassemia carrier which results in low haemoglobin and low ferritin. 2. I have a neurodivergent brain which means I've spent my whole life dealing with neurodivergent stress and taking medication for such. 3. I live somewhere with little sunlight being able to penetrate my dark skin so I'm low in vitamin D. People who have CCCA, Lupus and have to take blood pressure medication also suffer with hair loss either through breakage or falling out from the follicle. I lose my hair in the crown but my sister and my mother who have long hair lose it from their edges. We have different hair care routines and don't use heat or colour and have the same hair loss. My hair loss in my crown follows that of my dad and my paternal half-aunt.
@@joycelove2024 it is what it is. I'm just sharing a different perspective and experience. There's a RU-vidr call StarPuppy and every time she gets stress she gets bald alopecia patches...while the rest of her hair is long. She had to hid the patches and I can see that it does get her down and she like me spend a lot of time caring for our hair and scalp but we can't actually escape our internal factors.
@joycelove2024 your hair is beautiful! Could you show how you moisturize your hair in the twist protective style you have on throughout the week & all through the month, depending on how long you wear the twist for? What are your thoughts on 3 strands braid (no hair extensions) for a protective style rather than 2 strands twist? Also, share the step by step actions you did to your hair in the 1st and 2nd year of your hair journey (neck line to shoulder length) to retain length & volume; maintaining a healthy hair. Just watched and subscribed.
Thank you for the compliment and subscribing to my channel. I have this short video on my channel that shows how I moisturize my twist and here is the link ru-vid.comTlbi4UAExlU?si=6D0jcen5dYeWc1xl I pretty much moisturize it twice or thrice a week depending on how dry my hair feels. I like the 3 stands braid without extensions and I have done it couple of times but they are not my favorite just because it doesn’t look flattering on me but it’s a good protective style. I would definitely make a video on all the good things I did to my hair when it was short.
@@joycelove2024 I watched the short video already among others before you replied. Looking forward to the step by step actions/process you took/did while your hair length was short.
Yes, I agree that genetics counts but I guess we would never know if those Africans with short hair are caused by genetics or not taking good care of their hair.
I live in Africa and believed same cause I always wanted long hair since I was a kid. I felt because I am an African living in Africa, it wouldn't happen.This was during my teens. I was that eager, yes. But then I decided to give it a shot few months before my 20th birthday. After 5 years of returning natural I still had short hair. I almost gave up and decided to try for the very last time. ❤AND I hit Waist length. My hair did not become very thick But it GREW LONG. I got to waist length, and then Hip length. You can imagine the shock on the face of friends and family whenever they see my hair.Then they would ask how, and I would share. Any Lady can grow LONG hair. Genetics only controls thickness of hair strands, density and rate of growth. Growing it LONG is a personal decision and ANYONE can. If I could , anyone can❤
@@nkemnelo8524right!! My sister and I are bantu East African. Born in the USA. Her hair is thin while mine is full and thick naturally. Only until recently has it thinned a bit bc of a hair cut gone bad. My hair was a bit past my shoulders but my hairdresser cut it short for prom 😅 now I have to get that back and grow it even further
We never had long hair for centuries, and now knowing that there is a possibility to attain that, why not be curious 🧐. And at the same time, a woman’s hair is her glory.
All women tend to want long hair. It’s my goal. I already got passed shoulder length but now I have a chunk of hair missing on one side by a bad haircut from a stylist
@@joycelove2024there actually were African women who had long hair without any added for cultural/status purposes. But many African hair practices are NOT good for length retention. And a lack of routine hydration to hair is also a factor. My dad’s tribe ancestrally used to do rituals just for it to rain. Tight braiding practices are still pervasive and many Africans care about hair looking “neat”/“kept” rather than taking care of it as it naturally should be.
