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Epitome Source: @cocosluxcurls

Why oasis't we been able to achieve healthier hair that grows and retains length successfully? Pilus breakage is 1 of the biggest enemies to growth, simply until nosotros sympathize the causes of breakage and take steps to command it, we will be unable to add visible length to our hair over time. Proactive care must begin with better education and accept conscious steps to help our hair if we desire it to abound.

Hair Length Depends On Three Things:

  • Hair growth rate
  • The length of the anagen growth phase (which can be anywhere from two to 7 years)
  • Pilus retention (how good y'all are at keeping your ends from snapping, splitting and breaking off)

The staff of life and butter to length retentiveness has a lot to do with how you care for your pilus afterwards information technology has grown out. Your ends are the oldest, thinnest, and weakest role of your hair. They are also higher in porosity. The best you can do to keep them as healthy as possible is to slow down the rate of damage.

Hither are 15 tips to aid you retain your length every bit it grows out.

  1. Avoid towel-drying your pilus.

    Towels cause friction, which tin can increase split up ends. Instead, use an old t-shirt, microfiber towel, or allow your hair air dry. Exercise not rub your hair considering this can cause the cuticles to open up and make your hair frizzy.

  2. Handle your ends with care.

    Keep them moisturized and lubricated before they dry out. The ends of your hair tend to be the most fragile since they are the oldest section of your hair shaft, and they need to be adequately hydrated to prevent breakage and splits. Water and water-based products are the all-time moisturizers; however, oils and butters are great for sealing in that wet. Coconut oil, Grapeseed oil, a combination of oils similar RighteousRootsOils and Shea Butter are the superlative sealants used past many.

  1. Pre-poo oil or pre-workout handling

    Pre-poo treatment volition assistance your hair preserve some of its natural oils and sally from the shampooing stage, less stripped and fragile. These treatments can be done with either warm conditioner, oils, or with a combination of both. Oils like coconut, olive, avocado, and Righteous Roots oils make perfect pre-poo treatments. Concentrate those oils on the ends of your hair and permit it to soak in for a few minutes to an hour (or however long you wish), and then wash your hair as usual. Recall, less is more.

  2. Protect your hair while yous sleep.

    Low thread count cotton pillowcases could exist the culprit behind your stagnant hair growth. Cotton is a highly absorptive material that robs your hair of moisture while you slumber. Furthermore, the weave of cotton fibers tin can cause individual strands to tangle and break. Satin/silk scarves, bonnets, and pillowcases provide a shine barrier that hair strands can glide across to reduce hair damage and friction.

  3. Use protective or low-maintenance styles

    When it comes to length retentivity, less manipulation is always best. Attempt to keep protective styles in for no longer than iv weeks, every bit your hair can get very tangled. Some examples of depression maintenance or protective styles are twist outs, braids, loose buns, etc. The key with these styles is to keep your hair stretched (a popular method of styling in which you lot perform specific techniques on your hair to maximize the length and to brand hair care easier and more efficient) to avoid knots and breakage.

  4. The L.O.C/L.C.O method.

    Styling methods that consists of hydrating the pilus with h2o or a water-based production, which is your liquid, sealing in the wet with oil or cream, so applying acream or oil product to smoothen down the pilus cuticle. The idea behind post-obit the steps laid out in the acronym is to lock in moisture and improve the manageability of your hair.
  5. Self intendance. Maintaining a balanced diet, using the right products for your hair type, finding a solid regimen that works, and sticking to it are essential to success in pilus retention. Hair health should e'er be elevation priority over compromised length.

  6. Know your ingredients

    Avoid ingredients that can strip your hair of the moisture information technology needs. The key is to use products specifically made for curly hair, which are sulfate and alcohol-gratis. These ingredients really dry out the pilus (and are too harmful in other ways), so you want to avoid them at all costs.

  7. Take inventory of your hair accessories.

    While clips and headbands tin add pizzaz to your hairstyle, these accessories can also pose a threat to your hair strands. If you notice any broken clips or teeth on your accessories or bobby pins, these sharp edges can literally tear your hair out or crusade nicks and scratches on your scalp which can pb to follicle impairment. Tight plastic headbands tin also cause hair loss around the edges, then be sure to apply cloth-covered headbands when possible.

  8. Beware of Too-Tight Styling Habits

    Braids and twists can be platonic equally length retention styles, but they defeat their purpose if they're done with backlog tension. You lot should never experience headaches or soreness during or after getting your pilus done. Another ruby flag is if you see bumps or take irritation along your hairline, these are tell-tale signs that your hairstyle is too tight and could lead to hair loss or breakage.

  9. Treat your scalp with TLC

    Good for you pilus growth starts with a salubrious scalp. While cleansing your hair, make sure to massage your scalp with your fingertips instead of using your nails. Y'all can also stimulate hair growth with weekly scalp massages using essential oils (used with a carrier oil) or your favorite combination of oils.

  10. Get rid of scraggly ends.

    If y'all're belongings on to scraggly ends for the sake of longer length, cease it. Separate ends volition keep to split up up the hair shaft and tin even brainstorm to tangle onto nearby hairs which will cause even more breakage. Don't buy into claims that separate ends can exist magically repaired by creams, pomades or conditioners. The but fashion to brand them disappear is to cut them off.

  11. Be gentle when detangling.

    Don't rush through detangling your hair. Detangle hair in sections if you have to, making sure to outset at the ends and work your way up to the roots. Using the proper tools to detangle is imperative, and so be sure to utilize a seamless broad-tooth comb, detangling castor, or your fingers.

  12. Protein/Moisture Balance.

    Likewise much of either poly peptide or moisture can crusade breakage. If your hair is overly moisturized, it tin can get weak and lifeless. If your hair is loaded with protein, it tin can become breakable, straw-like, dry, and may snap off easily. Establishing and maintaining an appropriate poly peptide/wet balance in the pilus is vital to the success of your haircare regimen and is key to fighting hair breakage. Making informed decisions on hair product choice is absolutely essential for making the poly peptide/moisture balancing process work. The right product philharmonic can make a major difference in your hair.

  13. Abandon the Rut.

    If you want to retain length, ditch the apartment irons for a while. Using excessive heat will strip your hair of moisture and can pb to breakage. If you utilize a blow dryer, endeavor to use medium to depression rut. It especially affects your ability to retain length if you accept rut damage and have to constantly cut your hair.

Bonus: Give it time. While this is not a 'pilus retention tip' per se, having patience during the grow-out process is imperative. Without it you may experience that your pilus is not growing fast enough.

Keep in listen that we all accept unlike rates of growth and your hair can and volition grow with proper intendance, so embrace each stage of your journey. Growing out our pilus to commendable length takes time.