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. 

How to tell if your hair is hydrated

Your hair can be moisturized with product but still not have healthy hydration. Finding the right product to give your hair moisture is only half of the hydration battle. The goal to healthy hair is getting your hair to receive and hold moisture for long periods. 

3 things determine how well your hair holds moisture:

• How often you cleanse and condition your hair
• How healthy your hair cuticle is (porosity)
• The quality of products you use

How do I know if my hair is hydrated?

• Your hair stays soft, stretches without breaking.
• Hair holds moisture for 3 days. 
• Absence of single strand knots.
• You can separate your hair with no webbing.
• Your hair styles better.
• You have better coil definition.
• You have lots of shrinkage. 

How to get hydrated hair?

• Eliminate all products with harsh ingredients.
• Replace them with products as close to natural as possible.
• Follow a good  regimen, such as the CoilyQueens Regimen.
• A good regimen must include frequent cleansing and conditioning. 
• Do not use harsh heat. (flat irons, pressings etc.)
• Stay away from covering your hair in fake hair for at least 1 year after beginning a regimen.
• Be consistent, expect gradual improvements each week.
• Be patient it can take 6 months or more for healthy hydration. 

Make the above statements apply to your hair and regimen. 

Do not use products that contain these alcohols.

Denatured

SD alcohol 40

Witch hazel

Isopropanol

Ethanol

SD

Propanol

Propyl

HOW DO I BEGIN MY HYDRATION JOURNEY? 
Now you have an understanding of how hydrated hair performs. Start with the dry hair checklist. Make corrections according to the do's and don'ts listed.  Eliminate all products with not so natural ingredients in them.  Having a healthy head of hair can take 6 months to a year of being consistent. It all depends on the condition of your hair, when you begin. You will see the best results starting with natural hair at the TWA stage. Your hair is new and easier to hydrate. So when you are expecting results remember where you started. If you have damaged ends go ahead and cut them now. Do not waste anymore time holding onto those ugly ends just to maintain a certain length. You will be glad you did and it will grow back faster. 

Start the CoilyQueens Regimen today!

Coily Queens dry hair factors

Coily Queens™  dry hair checklist

Still fighting your dry hair issues?

Here is a checklist of things you can do:

• Check your porous issues. If your hair is overly porous then you will keep losing moisture.
• Check your products be sure they do not contain the bad alcohols.
• Are you oiling your hair daily? If not start today.
• Do you wash your hair at least once a week? If not start today.
• Always rinse your deep conditioner out with cool or cold water.
• If you are using chemicals then you may need to stop, depending on your hair goal.
• Take an inventory of your treatment products, be sure you are using them according to the directions on the bottle. Improper use of protein treatments can lead to dry hair issues.

Note: you may only need to implement one of these suggestions to correct your dry hair issue. Although all of these are good suggestions for healthy haircare.