1Blessed Natural Mag

Q: Dear 1BlessedNatural,  I wear protective styles, but my natural hair is still not growing. What could I be doing wrong?   A: It is a popular misconception that if you wear your hair in protective styles, it will automatically grow. While, part of that is true...It will grow, but you might not retain length if you don't take care of your hair. You have to care for it before, during, and after protective styling. Before you install a protective style, be sure your hair is in good condition . Ask yourself these questions: 1. Are my ends healthy? If they are damaged, you may need to trim them before installing a protective style. An exception to this rule would be if you trim your hair while it is in twists, like I do. 2. Is my hair dry? I like to wash, deep condition, moisturize, and seal (with an oil) my hair before installing any protective style.  3. How long will I keep my protective style? It is a good idea to take breaks between styles to let...

1BlessedNatural: Ways to Retain Length When we talk about natural hair, we often talk about long hair and length retention. Many of us naturals struggle with length retention. We may feel like our hair is growing very slow or not growing at all. You may ask, "What products can I use to make my hair grow?" The truth is unless you have an underlying health issue, your hair is growing. Hair grows 1/2 inch or more per month. That number may increase due to genes, diet, and lifestyle. You may just be having problems retaining length. Here are the ways to retain length: 1. Moisturize and seal. Our strands tend to be dry. Because our ends are the oldest part of our hair, they are more prone to dryness. When you moisturize and seal your hair, focus on the ends. The most inexpensive moisturizer is water.  My favorite moisturizer to use is Cantu Creamy Hair Lotion. My favorite oil to seal in the moisture is coconut oil. Oils help to lock in he moisture in your h...