Hair

2 years of natural hair growth journey

2 years of natural hair growth journey

Hello, my dears! I hope you are all well. I’m back with a new post, which is about my 2 years natural hair growth journey. As my hair is the most popular topic on my blog, I am convinced that you will enjoy reading this new article.

If you are one of my loyal readers, then you already know the horrible experience that I went through with my hair on December 2013. On the other hand, if you are new to my blog and you have no idea what I’m talking about, I recommend that you read my previous articles about my hair journey. It’ll help you to have a better understanding of this article. However, to summarise the little story, I made the mistake to leave my hair in the wrong hands, and I ended up with no edges, hair loss, and traction alopecia.

Thank God my hair grew back and I could celebrate my 2 years of natural hair growth.

I’ve already shared with you articles about my hair routine and how I grew my edges back, so don’t hesitate to read them if needed.

Some of you have already seen my 2 years’ natural hair growth picture on my social media accounts, and I received a lot of compliments and questions that I will try to reply through this article.

My hair routine

I didn’t really change my hair routine since I started my hair journey simply because it does work well so far. I haven’t used any heat since I went natural, and I let my hair air dry after every wash.

Honestly, I didn’t moisturise my hair every single day; otherwise, it quickly became too oily. However, the frequency of moisturising really depends on your hair. I only moisturised my hair every 2-3 days. I divided my hair into 4 sections and applied my hair lotion on each section. Then I put a tiny bit of coconut oil or castor oil on my hair to seal the moisture. I also took the time to massage my scalp for 5 to 10 minutes. The whole process took me 40 minutes on average.

I only combed my hair 3 times per week maximum. The other days of the week, I detangled it with my fingers if needed, even when I wanted to style my hair. I always made sure to dampen my hair before combing, and I used a big tooth comb. I personally feel that there is no need to use a fine-toothed comb on natural hair.

Before sleeping, I did 4 or 6 Bantu knots and wrapped my hair in a satin scarf afterwards.

How do I feel about my hair?

The second half of 2015, I did neglect my hair a little bit. I was tired of taking care of my hair, so I just got my hair done every 1.5 months. I barely sprayed my braids, and I truly believe that this slowed down my hair growth. I know my hair could have been longer, but I won’t complain. I am still happy with my natural hair growth.

2 years of natural hair growth journey

I can now do more hairstyles. My hair volume is fine, even though I want more (we always want more). My hair is still growing. My scalp is always clean and not itchy at all. In other words, my hair is strong and healthy.

I also forgot to mention that I did cut my hair after this picture lol. I cut about 3-4 cm (1-1.5 inches). I had to trim my ends as the last time I did it was for my “big chop” after transitioning. I was supposed to trim less than that, but I decided to cut a little bit more. I don’t really know why I did that; however, my hair will quickly grow back, so I am not really worried about that.

Some advice for your natural hair growth journey

  • Moisturising, moisturising, and moisturising. Dry hair = hair breakage!
  • Avoid manipulating and combing your hair too often. It’s not good and can cause hair loss.
  • Protect your hair with a silk or satin scarf/bonnet before sleeping. A lot of people don’t protect their hair or use an inadequate fabric. Silk and satin both keep the moisture of your hair. Other materials tend to make your hair dry and then break your hair. If you really don’t like sleeping with a scarf on your head, you can buy or make some satin or silk pillowcases. Please note that if you don’t protect your hair when you sleep, all your efforts for your hair will be pointless.
  • Never comb your hair when it is dry. Always dampen it before combing. Why? Simply because if you don’t, it is painful and it breaks your hair. Try to always start combing your hair from the end and then go progressively to the roots.
  • Drink a lot of water. Believe me or not, I didn’t like to drink water until I was 19. I was a “Fanta addict.” Now I drink at least 1L of water per day. It is really important for your health, your skin, and your hair growth.
  • Keep taking care of your hair, no matter what. Never give up. We all have bad hair days. If you feel discouraged or have the impression that your hair doesn’t grow, just take a picture of it and compare it to your old hair pictures. You will see the difference. Remember as well that your hair needs to be healthy first. As soon as your hair is healthy, length will follow.
  • Your hair reacts in the same way you treat it, so love your hair and be proud of it!

If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and I will be happy to answer.

I hope you enjoy the article, guys.

See you soon!