OFFICIALLY BSL: 5 SIMPLE TIPS TO REACHING YOUR HAIR GOALS!!!

Hey darlings,

Happy new month!..we are literally 5 months away from the end of the year, and I must say this year has been pretty fast paced. How are we doing with our 2015 goals/resolutions? Any progess so far? I remember reading a couple of blogs/posts about some new year goals at the begining of the year and a few of them had some pretty nice hair goals to be achieved.

 If you consistently follow/read my blog, you’d remember my first hair post which basically explained my struggles from a low cut to the eye brow length, then to ear length, to neck length, to armpit length, and now, I've officially hit another milestone in this journey, and I can honestly say that I've made BSL (Bra Strap Length)!!

After wash

Before wash

After taking out my weaves or posting length check pictures on Instagram, I often get asked if I take hair vitamins or use hair products, and the answer is no. I also often get asked, “how did you grow your hair so long?” or “what can I use to make my hair grow?” I never have the answer that most people expect to hear. When asked this question in person, I sometimes get a look of disappointment, as if to say “is that ALL you’re going to tell me?” Well, unfortunately, I do not have a secret hair growth potion recipe to share. If I did, I would bottle it and distribute it worldwide. What I have been able to offer, however, are tips that can help you achieve your hair goals. So, before you go out to buy hair vitamins or magic hair growth potions, here are five tips to consider for growing long, healthy hair:


First off,

You really need to understand your hair:

Most times, we all want the best end result but we tend to apply the wrong approach.  You need to first understand your hair before knowing what works for it. People have different textures of hair and different genes, So what might work for you might not work for me. There is no point immersing your hair in loads of hair products when your hair doesn't do so well with chemicals or straightening it all the time in hopes of it getting longer, when it doesn't do so well with heat. Understanding your hair and what works best, would help set you in the right part to achieving your hair goals.

Stay healthy

As silly as that may sound, a healthy life style results in a healthy growth. So your not just growing but growing well. A healthy hair starts with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Do I eat healthy 100% of the time? Absolutely not. But, I do try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercises once in a while and a balanced diet. Your diet can affect your overall health, including your hair’s health. So, try to include more nutritious foods, especially proteins, vegetables and fruits. 

Take alot of water and water your hair.

Think of your hair as a plant..just like every thing that grows, water is a major requirement. Literally and figuratively, we need to water our hair. Increasing your daily water intake can improve your hair’s moisture and health. Also, since water is the best moisturizer, spritz your hair daily to prevent excessive dryness. Dry hair leads to breakage, especially afro-textured hair, which tends to be very dry.

Treat your hair with a lot of love.

This again may sound corny, but, if you love your hair, it will love you back. Be gentle with your strands. Vigorous combing, styling, harsh handling, and excessive pulling and tugging can lead to breakage. Hair that is constantly breaking is not retaining its length. So, if one of your hair goals is long hair, you are limiting your results by not treating your hair with love.

Protective styling

Don't leave out your hair for too long and when you decide to style, braid or fix, make sure to do the right styles. Constantly braiding and fixing the right styles really helped in the growth of my hair. Don't go using gums or glues to fix your hair and then eventually loosing a large chunk of it while trying to take out your weaves.

Let it grow!

One thing I noticed about my hair was that when I was so obsessed with growing it by stretching, heating, treating, egging (for lack of a better word), triming, moisturizing, measuring and all sorts, it never really grew until I decided to let it. If your hair is like mine, it sometimes just wants to be left alone. Sometimes we get too carried away by wanting to try every style or product or technique. But, while we are busy experimenting or wanting to switch things up constantly, our hair length and health may be suffering. Give your hair a break sometimes. Just leave it alone.

Patience

In addition to all of the above, the most important hair tip I can share is PATIENCE. Quick fixes are tempting but ultimately if you make healthy hair your priority, length can be achieved over time.

For those of you who have successfully grown out your hair without the use of vitamins or hair products, what tips would you give?