Have you struggled with growing long relaxed hair in the past? You’re not alone. For many of us, growing our relaxed hair beyond neck length has been a struggle. Therefore, today’s post cover some basics for growing long relaxed hair.
Understanding Your Hair Growth Rate
Assuming you hair grows at an average rate of 1/2″ per month and you retain every inch you grow, you’re looking at gaining about 6 inches per year. Now, I hate to burst your bubble but the likelihood of retaining every inch you’ve grown is doable, sure but is it reality? I say no although some may disagree. However, let’s factor you retain about 5 inches per year. If you do the math, you will see that it will take quite some time to reach your ultimate hair goal. Therefore, patience is key.
Related: Best Relaxed Hair Products
Tips for Growing Long Relaxed Hair
Many have been successful with accelerating growth with some of the products and techniques listed below:
Drink Plenty of Water
Exercise and drink plenty of water. Many reported an increase in growth when hydrated. I try to drink at least half my body weight of water measured in ounces. As an example, someone weighing 190 lbs. would drink 95 ounces of water daily.
RELATED: Eat Clean and Exercise Dirty
Stimulate Your Hair Follicles
Using stimulating oils like emu oil and peppermint oil is a great way to stimulate and awaken your hair follicles.
Related: Natural Products for Relaxed Hair
Increase the Blood Flow to Your Scalp
Finding ways to increase the blood flow to your scalp is an awesome way to promote hair growth. My favorite is scalp massaging. I gently massage the scalp for two to five minutes a few times per week.
Many reported great results with the inversion method. This method requires you to invert the body so blood flows to your head. When I tried it, I let my head hang off the bed. Within seconds, I got a migraine and haven’t tried the technique since.
Keep Your Scalp Clean
Exfoliating the scalp removes unwanted product and residue that can slow or stop hair growth. Keeping your scalp clean is important to scalp health and hair growth.
RELATED: Komaza Pona Hair and Scalp Exofoliater
Hair Retention
Finding methods and ways to retain length that works for you is important. I love protective styling with wigs and hair buns. However, this might not work for you. Therefore, you need to find a few hairstyles that you love that can be your go-to hairstyles to protect your hair from rubbing against your clothing and being exposed to the environment.
Minimize Hair Breakage
Achieving zero hair breakage is impossible but you can drastically reduce the amount of hair breakage you get by changing up some of the techniques and methods used for your hair. Finger combing works really well as a pre-detangling technique to remove shed hair, tangles and knots. Removing these pesky problems before running a comb through your hair will minimize hair breakage.
If you suffer with excessive breakage when manipulating your hair, try using a hair detangling spray to provide the hair with elasticity. This should lessen the friction caused by manipulation and reduce the amount of hair breakage you’re experiencing.
RELATED: Awesome Detangling Sprays for Your Relaxed Hair
If you’re combing your hair from root to tip – stop! This causes more breakage and makes knots and tangles tighter when you stumble upon then. It will also cause you to rip through your hair because it’s not properly detangled along the strand. Combing from tip to root will generate less breakage because the hair remains detangled as you work your way up to the roots.
Using protein every 4 to 6 weeks will help fill in the gaps and holes along the hair to strengthen it and make it resilient.
Keep Ends Healthy and Hair Hydrated
You should moisturize with a water based moisturizer and seal with an oil based product to keep your hair protected from the environment. And, when your ends start showing signs of aging, let them go!
Quick Overview: 11 Tips for Growing Long Relaxed Hair
What’s your tips for growing long relaxed hair?
Candra Evans says
May 24, 2016 at 12:19 pmGreat tips! I need to get back to many of these. I have been stuck at arm pit length for a long time. I’ve had to cut my ends more than my rate of growth.
Candra Evans recently posted…What Cooking Oil Is Best For Skin + Giveaway Winner
Jay | relaxedthairapy.com says
May 31, 2016 at 9:02 amHi Candra, TY. Do you know what’s causing the issue?
Candra Evans says
June 1, 2016 at 7:22 amLast summer I went to the salon to get my hair flat ironed. I rarely use direct heat so I didn’t think it would be an issue. But I think she did one too many passes in the back. My hair looked good for the first two days and then I noticed about 3 inches of damage in one area in the back.. It was split and extremely frizzy in the back while the rest of my hair was still sleek. My sides weren’t damaged at all.
I should have bit the bullet and cut it all off but that would have put me to shoulder length and I just couldn’t do it. 🙁 Plus I hated the idea of cutting my hair for the sake of one small area in the back. So I gradually trimmed every month and but I could never get ahead of the splitting. So that was a huge lesson learned. When I go for my next relaxer I will have to lose a good 1 1/2″ to finally end it all. Then I’ll try again for BSL. I’m currently grazing APL.
This is getting a bit off topic, but I think the pressure of having a blog and YouTube channel has gotten to me. There is expectations of growth and I was a little embarrassed to show up on the Tube again with shorter hair. How silly huh? 🙂 But I want a fresh cut for myself… and my own sanity. My split ends haunt me! Lol
Candra Evans recently posted…Interstitial Cystitis and Lemongrass Essential Oil
Jay | relaxedthairapy.com says
June 1, 2016 at 10:38 amHi Candra Girl!
First off, don’t be embarrassed. You’ve seen my photos – the progress, the setbacks, the even more setbacks. It happens. And, although we hate that it happens, it shows that we are real and ppl rock with that. I give major side eye to the unicorns on YouTube that never have setbacks, that always have good hair days. Like wait, what? Come on. That’s not life. Therefore, I think you should take this moment to connect with your fans and followers. Show them you’ve had a setback and how you will rally back. That’s where the magic happens — how you rally back from the setback. You should also do some segments on protecting your hair before and after a salon. So, take your lessons learned and use them to spread awareness.
I’ve tried gradual cuts and that mess doesn’t work for me. My hair thrives with a big cut. Before I know it, I’m back to where I started. When I baby my hair, I never can get ahead of the problem — the same issue you are / were having.
Thank you for sharing your situation and I hope my 2 cents of wisdom has helped.
Now go be great like I know you are! Muah….
Nerline says
June 2, 2016 at 5:26 amGreat post. Detangling from roots to ends can cause excessive shedding too, especially for those with sensitive scalp. I had to learn the hard way. Thanks for sharing, Jay!
Nerline recently posted…Wash Day Featuring OGX Hair Products | #WashDayExperience | #BadAssHairDay
Jay | relaxedthairapy.com says
June 7, 2016 at 7:13 amTY for the tip! I didn’t realize it could cause excessive shedding. I knew it could cause breakage. Do you know how / why does it causes excessive shedding for those with sensitive scalps?
Jennifer Adams says
June 13, 2016 at 11:52 amWow, nice tips indeed! and trust me I did not know all of those great tips. I must say for all women who loves h\their hair must follow those tips.
Once again thank you for sharing such beautiful as well as useful tips with us.
Jay | relaxedthairapy.com says
June 14, 2016 at 9:10 amHi Jennifer! Thank you for swinging by. So glad this article helped.