Beauty Corner: “Why your hair isn’t growing” (Part 1)

"Black hair can't grow", "Pepper grain cya amount to much", "a ol' nayga hair she have" – All these simple things we may say or grew up hearing is where we should start unpacking. Get rid of it – Put some respect on your crown!

You see that hair, your crown that you wear each day? That is exactly what it is, your crown – and it's beautiful and meant to be viewed as such.

In order to move forward in this life and to change the negative mentality many of us were raised with, it must start with ourselves. 

Let's get into the nitty gritty of it all. As black women, our crown comes in different textures, shapes, sizes, density and lengths; However, one thing that remains the same across the board is the beauty of BLACK HAIR.

The reason your hair may not be growing may not be the same reason someone else's hair is also stuck; Products that may work for one may not work for all – you get the gist. However, here are some fool-proof tips that are guaranteed to work for all hair types.

The first step is learning your hair. One of the things that's important to know on your hair growth journey is the porosity of your hair. Hair porosity has to do with how well our hair accepts moisture which can boil down to even how well it accepts water. There are three hair porosity types – low, normal and high porosity.

Low porosity hair has a harder time accepting moisture because the follicles are tightly closed. As a result, it will need a little extra help such as warm water and using heat when deep conditioning. Using warm water to wash your hair gently allows your strands to open up and accept that moisture it needs during wash day.

Normal porosity hair is self-explanatory – there is no difficulty accepting moisture. I like to call this porosity type God's favourite J

High porosity hair is the opposite of low porosity. It soaks up all the product, if not too much of it which can cause build-up later on. The real downside to high porosity hair is that it also loses moisture as quickly as it accepts it because the holes and gaps in the hair cuticle are wide open. 

So, yes porosity is important, but how do you know what type of porosity your hair is? An easy way is the 'Float Test.' Get a few strands of your clean hair and place it in a bowl filled with water. Leave it in for around 5 minutes for the big reveal.

If your hair floats at the top of the water, it is low porosity – having a hard time accepting water; If the hair sinks to the middle of the bowl of water and stays there, it's normal porosity and if your hair sinks to the bottom of the bowl and did so quickly, you have a higher porosity of hair.

This may all sound complicated, but it really will make a difference in your hair growth. Knowing the porosity of your hair will guide you going forward as you will know how to treat it better, deep condition it better and more. Moisture is key to hair growth and retaining length!

Another important fact is your hair may be growing at a normal rate, however, it is also breaking at the same rate or even faster – hence why you will see no length.

To secure the ends of your hair, be sure to wear a satin bonnet to protect your curls and lock in moisture. You can also opt into getting a satin pillowcase if you don't like bonnets (especially in this tropical climate). Some of us are home more now, wear your bonnets all day – the less manipulation your hair gets, the better.

Oils such as avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, argan and black castor oil are great for our black hair – but they do not moisturize – they seal in the moisture. If you put oil on your already dry hair, you're locking in the dryness.

Therefore, be sure to put a leave in conditioner or cream in your hair before putting the oil in so you can get the best out of your products.

Until part two, try this with your hair. Your crown is yours - take care of her, do your research and try different products until you find what suits her best. Good luck!

Cover photo image credit: 

Photo credit: beautables.com