Hair Growth, Length Retention and Good Hair Regimens: A Three Way Love Affair!

"I want something that will make my hair grow longer " is probably one of the most popular requests I get when people come into the store. With a smile, I always say to them that our hair is always growing so if you're not seeing length, the issue is not that the hair isn't growing but that length is not being retained.

Even if there was some magic pill or potion that would make the hair grow 3 inches or more a month, if the hair isn't being properly taken care of  and it is breaking off at pretty much the same rate at which it is growing, then it would seem like the hair isn't growing at all!

Building a good hair regimen is key in getting hair past any length plateaus one may have experienced in the past and also in getting hair healthy and strong. It's just like trying to get that dream body - no matter what miracle diet or pill is being touted, ultimately one discovers that a CONSISTENT regime of burning more calories than is being consumed is healthier and more sustainable.

Our hair grows on average about half an inch per month which means at the end of the year, we should be rocking 6 inches of extra length - thing is most times, we never get to see those extra inches because we either have no healthy hair regimens that ensure that our length is being retained or we have regimens that are actually counterproductive to our hair goals.


Treating the hair gently; taking particular care with the ends of the hair which are the oldest part of the hair and therefore the most fragile; moisturizing and sealing daily, deep conditioning weekly, protective styling and sleeping with a satin/silk scarf/cap every night, will go a long way in ensuring that the precious inches we grow every year are actually retained.

I came across this hair pyramid which simplifies the regularity with which certain hair processes should be carried out and I think it's a brilliant way to get at a glance; a good idea of what you should be doing and how often. You can then tailor each process to suit your hair's needs because at the end of the day no 2 heads of hair are the same!

An example of tailoring processes to suit your hair's needs could be the protein treatments - some people find that they are very protein sensitive and so if they think their hair needs some strengthening, they opt for a henna treatment which gives the same effect as a protein treatment in that it strengthens the hair shaft and as a plus, has regenerative properties.

Another example is the hair coloring ( as you guys know, I'm not a great fan of hair color so that bit doesn't even apply to me) if you color your hair then that's something you can adopt and if you don't, you can just skip it altogether.

Yet another example is clarifying - if  you tend to be heavy handed with products or use a lot of heavy butters and styling gels on your hair; you will probably need to clarify more often (twice a month) while others will just need to clarify once a month.

Ultimately, the key is finding that which is right for YOUR hair depending on what you're doing with it, how it responds to products and your texture(s).

Most importantly, consistency is key - small daily disciplines will give you the success you want!

Happy Hair Growing!