A few things a new natural should know

1. It is natural to have more than one curl type or texture on your head.
If you have 2 or 3 curl types on your head that is normal and not unique. It is common for the curl type to be loser above the nape area. It is also common for the curl to be tighter in the crown. It could also be the opposite for you. 

2. Shrinkage is natural. How much your hair shrinks is most likely not different from the next natural.
Shrinkage is a sign of healthy hair. Shrinkage is actually your curls filled with water. Shrinkage should not be viewed as a bad thing. It is just what happened to curly hair. Most do not like shrinkage because it takes their length. That is just the nature of curly hair. 

3. Two factors to growing longer hair.
UNDER THE SCALP IS HAIR GROWTH 
How much your hair sprouts from under the scalp each month. The average rate of hair growth per month is 1/2 inch. You might get more or less than the average. How much your hair grows each month is based partly on genetics, hair regimen and your health. 

HAIR ABOVE THE SCALP IS GROWTH RETENTION  
How much of that growth you keep on your head. How much growth you keep is called, length retention. You can greatly affect your length retention depending on how you handle your hair. Most people who feel their hair does not grow, are really having a problem with length retention, not the hair growth. Their hair regimen is not conducive to them retaining length. 


4. Know your normal hair growth rate
It would benefit you to know how much your hair normally grows each month.  Then your will notice the change, if  your hair begins to grow slower. Simply track your hair growth every 30 days, for 7 months. At the end of those 7 months calculate the average from each monthly rate. 

YES YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR NORMAL HAIR GROWTH RATE

5. Get use to finger combing 
The fastest way to retain length is to finger comb. When you do not comb or brush your hair you will retain more length and reach your length goals faster. Combs and brushes pop and break curly hair.  The top cause of breakage is raking a comb or brush through your curls. 

6. Just like food natural is always better
Buying products with the most natural ingredients is important. What you apply to the hair goes into the scalp. You want the ingredients to be healthy as they lay on your scalp and seep into your hair follicles. It is worth spending a few dollars extra for a better quality product. Than it is to use products with cheap ingredients. Those cheap ingredients work at first, but they lead to dry hair and breakage down the road. Avoid a setback, invest in healthy products. 

Stay away from

Aussie Moist

Garnier Frutus

Pantene

Hello Hydration

and most other brands with cheap harsh ingredients.

7. The deal with porosity     
You will see a lot said about hair porosity. Someone will recommend the water sink, float test. The popular sink float test for porosity is not accurate.  Do not get  tied up in trying to figure out your porosity. Most have it wrong. You can use any product you like that you are not allergic to. All hair absorbs water, some might take a few seconds  more to absorb it but they still absorb it nonetheless.  Those who claim to be low porosity still have shrinkage. Think about that. It is okay to know your current porosity, but that does not dictate which products you can or cannot use. Porosity is important for your stylist to figure out when giving your any type of chemical service. 

Beginners tips to increasing your hair growth

Do you feel like your hair is growing slow?

Have you been on a hair journey for at least a year, yet you are not gaining much length? Are you not reaching your length goals? Here is a list of basic tips you should follow in order to increase your hair growth rate and retention.  

Do not base your hair growth on anyone else but yourself. Never judge your hair journey based on another's journey. Hair grows on average 1/2 inch per month. Some people gain more and others less. In order to know whether your hair is truly growing slowly. You must know your HGR, hair growth rate. To learn how to determine your HRG, read here. 

Full details on each tip BELOW!

HAIR GROWTH CHECKLIST FOR BEGINNERS

1. Cleansing your hair once a week.

Do you know that clogged hair follicles is one of the top causes for slow hair growth? Many think their hair naturally grows slow. In reality, it is their hair care habits, not genetics, that is keeping them from their length goals. Hair collects dirt, germs, pollutants and product build up on a daily basis. Hair grows best from a clean scalp. Cleanse your hair with a non sulfate shampoo, clay wash or formulated cleanser on a weekly basis. Never let all those germs lay on your scalp longer than a week. 

THE BEST WAY TO WASH AFRO CURLY HAIR

2. Deep conditioning each time you wash your hair. 

Deep conditioning helps to keep your hair soft and with less tangles. This makes the hair easier to manage. Well conditioned hair does not break easily. Less breakage means you retain more length and reach your hair goals faster. Deep condition using heat for at least 20 minutes. 

Coily Queens deep conditioner recommendations: 

Shea Moisture intensive manuka honey DC

Shea Moisture 10 n 1 conditioner masque

TGIN honey deep conditioner

Mielle Babassu deep conditioner

As I am hydration elation 

HOW TO DEEP CONDITION RIGHT

3. Stop using combs and brushes.

Combs and brushes snap and break curly hair. Those tools might make styling easier but they are not necessarily needed to manage your curly hair. Stop using combs and brushes and you will see a big difference in 30 days. You will retain more length. 

4. Detangle hair using fingers only. 

Replace your combs and brushes with your fingers. Finger combing might take time to become use to, but the benefits will amaze you. Following all the tips here will give you healthy hair. Healthy hair is easy to finger detangle. 

Finger combing tips.

5. Stop flat ironing, heat straightening and blow drying. 

If you want to retain length and keep your hair hydrated, you must stop the direct heat. Direct heat includes: pressing, flat ironing, brush straighteners and blow dryers. 

Find alternatives to direct heat HERE.

6. Massage scalp for ten minutes every other day.

The scalp is a muscle and muscles become stiff. Muscles thrive on stimulation. Take your time and massage for at least 10 minutes in order to reap the benefits. Massage stimulates better blood circulation. The blood carries the nutrients into the hair roots. This makes hair growth happen at the hair root. Massage, exercise and healthy eating, make hair growth happen. 

 GIVE YOUR HAIR GROWTH A BOOST!! NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

7. Apply a stimulating oil blend onto scalp before each massage.

Stimulating oil blends greatly improves scalp circulation. When combined with massage it takes your stimulation to another level. Mix 3 to 7 drops of stimulating oil with one tablespoon of carrier oil. Smooth onto scalp with fingers and massage  for ten minutes. 

Get a stimulating oil blend recipe HERE.

8. Take a hair growth vitamin daily.

Most people do not receive the right amount of nutrients daily. When the body does not receive enough nutrients daily, many times, the hair being non vital will suffer. Supplements help to take up the slack, for what is lacking in one's diet. Thus taking the right hair growth supplement can keep your hair growth from being stagnant.

 GREAT HAIR GROWTH VITAMINS!!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HAIR VITAMINS WORK THEIR BEST.

9. Drink 64 ounces of water daily.

The body is made up of mostly water. We lose water daily. Therefore we must replenish the body of water so that it works at its optimum level. Water helps the body to produce sebum. Sebum greatly keeps the hair in optimum condition. 

10. Use a leave in conditioner, that contains all natural ingredients. 

The leave in conditioner is the most important product in your regimen. This is the product that sits on your hair all day. It gives you continuous conditioning throughout the day. What goes on your hair will eventually seep into the scalp. Therefore you want healthy ingredients to seep into your body. You receive more moisturizing benefits when you use products that are as natural as possible. 

  

Stay tuned for the advanced hair growth checklist. Before the advanced checklist tips can work, you must first be doing the above hair growth tips.