Does it seem as if your hair isn’t growing? Well, it is. But if your hair breaks off at an equal or higher rate than it grows, you’ll never see any length gains. Our hair is always growing, and we grow on average 1/2 inch of hair a month (6 inches a year). If you find that you are not retaining your length, this means that you have to change how you care for your hair. Here are some reasons why you may not be retaining length-
Your Ends Aren’t Sealed
Read On!>>>
You’re styling your hair dry.
If you are a natural who manipulates your hair when it is dry, you may be causing mechanical damage to your hair. It is better to manipulate your hair when it is wet or damp with water or a leave-in moisturizing conditioner. That water or a leave in moisturizing product will help reduce friction when detangling and also improve the hair’s elasticity. With the elasticity increased, your hair will be able to stretch further and handle more tension before breaking – which leads to less breakage overall.
You Heat Style
Honestly using heat will cause breakage, no matter how you slice it. Heat damage can sometimes occur with only one application and cannot be reversed. The hair will not return back to its curly state upon washing and the only way to fix heat damage is to cut it off – which none of us want to do! If you must use heat, try prolonging your heat styling from weekly to monthly if possible and always use a heat protectant!
You’re not moisturizing often enough.
Moisture is the MOST IMPORTANT part of healthy hair care. Keeping your hair moisturized minimizes breakage since it won’t be dry and brittle. Plain old water is fine, but if you’d rather use a product to moisturize then make sure water is one of the first 5 ingredients in the product. To ensure your hair is being moisturized properly, pay particular attention to the ends of your hair which are the oldest part of the strand and need more TLC. Happy, moisturized, strong ends means less breakage!
