Do you crave long natural hair so bad but struggle with length retention? Do you constantly keep checking the mirror to see if your hair has gotten any longer? If that’s so, then this article is for you.
There are so many factors that could contribute to stunted hair growth, and a majority of them are our day to day activities. Oftentimes, we may not know that these activities are detrimental to our hair health, and that’s exactly the aim of this article! In this article, we’ll delve deep and talk about 10 activities (mistakes) that you could be committing on a daily basis that prevent you from having long hair. Let’s get into it!
10 mistakes preventing you from having long natural hair
1. Poor moisture routine
A poor moisture routine can contribute greatly to stunted hair growth. When your hair lacks moisture, it becomes dry, brittle and prone to breakage. This breakage hinders the length retention process, making hair growth appear slower.
Secondly when the scalp is dry and lacks proper hydration it can become dry, flaky, and itchy. These conditions can lead to inflammation which hinders the natural hair growth cycle. Hair follicles require proper hydration to function well, so insufficient moisture can make hair follicles enter a dormant phase, reducing the rate of hair production and prolonging the time it takes to grow.
To promote hair growth it is important to maintain a proper moisture routine. This involves using moisturizing hair products, deep conditioning treatments and washing the hair frequently.
2. Improper diet
A proper diet contains required body nutrients in appropriate proportions. Regular intake of foods with nutrients like protein, biotin, iron, vitamin E, and vitamin C can do alot for the growth and health of our hair. Iron most especially, helps to improve blood circulation to the scalp which speeds up the delivery of nutrients to hair follicles.
Insufficient intake of the essential nutrients could result in slower hair growth and weaker strands, which leads to more breakage and shorter hair in the long run.
3. Poor sleep routine
Hair care and hair growth aside, sleep is very important for proper functioning of the human body. Sleep keeps the body healthy and supports healthy brain functioning. It is also essential for growth and development in children and teens.
Sleeping helps with the production of melatonin which has been found to have a link to hair growth. Hair follicles have melatonin receptors which suggest that they play an important role in hair growth. A lab study also showed that the topical application of melatonin resulted in a longer anagen phase and faster hair growth. With that said, a well-regulated sleep routine will result in long natural hair over time.
Depriving yourself of sleep can also lead to an increase in stress levels which is known to cause hair loss or premature graying.
4. Over-styling
If long natural hair is your goal, over-styling is surely not the way to go! Over-styling can lower hair growth as the manipulation of the hair strands into a certain style can cause mechanical damage. The combing, braiding and the friction between strands causes breakage even in little amounts. The breakage compounds over time, and results in hair that looks like it just isn’t growing.
Getting braids done too often can also cause tension overload on the scalp. Prolonged tension can cause inflammation of the hair follicles, leading to a hindrance in growth.
5. Use of excessive heat and chemical products
Harsh chemicals found in some hair products such as dyes, relaxers and other styling products can cause hair thinning which leads to breakage and slower growth over time. On the flip side, use of excessive heat can Damage the hair shaft leading to dryness, split ends and breakage which slows the hair growth progress and leads to shorter hair over time.
6. Poor detangling routine
The way you detangle your hair can either make or mar your length retention efforts.
Here are some certain detangling mistakes that contribute to breakage;
- Detangling dry hair or without conditioner: Detangling dry hair without water and/or conditioner increases the chances of breakage. The water and conditioner helps to add slip and lubrication to the strands, making it easier to detangle, thereby preventing breakage, and increasing length retention.
- Detangling from roots up: When you detangle your hair from the roots, you may encounter more resistance and tangles causing excessive pulling that can break your hair and cause shorter hair over time. It is advisable to start at the tips and work your way up to the roots to minimize breakage and preserve length.
- Using a comb whose teeth are too small or too big: A comb too wide will not effectively separate tangles between strands which defeats the purpose of detangling in the first place while using a comb that’s too small will lead to increased breakage and damage as the comb may not be able to slide through the strands effectively.
7. Staying away from trims
Although trimming the hair doesn’t directly stimulate hair growth, staying away from trims can affect the hair in a lot of ways. Over time the ends of the hair become damaged which leads to split ends. If left untrimmed, the split ends can contribute to breakage which reduces our chances of length retention.
Trimming also helps to reduce knots and tangles which in the long run cause breakage too. Consistent trims make the detangling process smoother, which also enhances length retention efforts.
8. Not washing your hair enough or Washing too much
Washing the hair too frequently can potentially affect hair growth as too much washing strips the scalp and stands of the natural oils which moisturize it. Excessive use of shampoos can weaken the strands and make them more prone to breakage. Over-washing the hair can also cause a disruption in scalp pH levels, which can cause your scalp to overreact and produce more sebum as a result of drying. This sebum can clog the hair follicles and hinder growth of new strands.
On the other hand, excess sebum can also occur when the hair is not washed enough. Not washing the hair enough can lead to accumulation of dirt, oil and product buildup on the scalp, which can clog follicles and make hair growth slower. A dirty scalp could potentially cause bacterial or fungal infections which hinder the growth of healthy hair.
In the midst of all this, it is strongly advised to find a balance between hair wash sessions to avoid washing too much or too little.
9. Tying hair with an elastic rubber band
Using elastic hair ties is very detrimental to hair health. Rubber bands rub on the hair and cause friction which damages the cuticle layers. This could lead to hair breakage, traction alopecia and even baldness. Elastic bands have a tight grip that puts stress on hair strands. This weakens the hair shaft over time, making it more prone to snapping and appearing like slower growth.
If you’re someone that loves to use rubber bands on your hair, you should consider trying other substitutes like pieces of clothing, shoe laces, scrunchies and hair ruffles.
10. Towel-drying hair
After a wash, it is definitely wrong to dry your hair with a regular body towel. Our hair is in its most fragile state when wet, and vigorous rubbing of the towel on your hair can cause excessive breakage, frizz, and hair loss. I’m sure many of us have heard a snap or two when towel-drying.
The best alternative to using a regular body towel, is to use a microfibre towel, or an old cotton t-shirt. However, if you still choose to use a body towel, do not rub. Simply pat the hair dry gently with the towel.
Conclusion
The main thing causing your hair growth to be stunted is breakage. That’s the enemy! Instead of looking for a magic potion that will make our hair 10 times longer overnight, let’s look around us, see the bad habits that we’re practicing on a daily basis, and strive to break them. When we realize that consistency is the key, our hair will flourish without bounds.
Remember the ten mistakes:
- Poor moisture routine
- Improper diet
- Poor sleep routine
- Over-styling
- Use of excessive heat and chemical products
- Poor detangling routine
- Staying away from trims
- Not washing your hair enough or Washing too much
- Tying hair with elastic rubber bands
- Towel-drying hair
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