Retaining Length on Curly Hair: Techniques for Healthy Strands
Let’s be honest, curly/coily hair, with its unique texture and structure, is both a blessing and a challenge. While it can achieve enviable volume and bounce, retaining length can be tricky due to its tendency to break and shrink.
For years there has been a general misconception about natural hair, especially in the Nigerian community. The coilier your hair is, the harder the hair dressers pulled and tugged on it while combing, saying things like “you have stubborn hair, your hair is too strong”. The reality is the exact opposite as the curlier/coilier your hair is, the more delicate it is due to its very high tendency to curl/coil around each other. This curling/coiling ability greatly increases your hair’s chances to tangle and thus, should be handled as the delicate, beautiful crown it is.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to techniques that will help you retain length and keep your curly hair healthy and strong.
1. Moisture is Key
Just like plants, our hair needs moisture to grow and flourish. Curly/coily hair tends to be drier because natural oils from the scalp take longer to travel down the twists and turns of the curls. Ensuring your hair is well-moisturized is crucial to preventing breakage and maintaining length. Considering our goal (length retention), and the fact that our hair grows upwards, it is imperative you focus on moisturizing your ends and edges which are also prone to breakage when dry.
2. Deep Conditioning
Incorporate deep conditioning treatments into your routine at least once a month. Our tones conditioning hair butter contains hydrating ingredients like water, shea butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera. Use leave-in conditioners or moisturizing sprays daily to keep your curls hydrated and manageable. As always, be sure to include your ends during this treatment.
3. Gentle Detangling
Curly/coily hair can easily intertwine among each other leading to tangles, which could in turn lead to breakage during detangling if not done carefully. We suggest fine detangling first before running a comb or brush through your hair.
Finger detangling:
Gently section your hair to make the process easier and faster. Detangle your hair with your fingers to minimize breakage. Start from the ends and work your way up to the roots. Using a hair butter or custard, gently stroke from the roots to the ends in a downward motion to free the curls and further detangle. Always detangle when wet and/or with product. Detangling your hair when it's wet and saturated with conditioner makes the process easier and less damaging.
4. Protective Styling
Protective styles help reduce the amount of manipulation and stress on your hair, which can prevent breakage.
Opt for low manipulation styles like mini or midi twists, braids and cornrows. Try as much as you can that keep your ends tucked away and protected during these periods, otherwise, be sure to moisturize your ends and edges daily to avoid breakage.
5. Occasional Trims
It might seem counterintuitive, but trims are essential for *healthy* length retention.
Perhaps you have noticed that after a big chop, it seems our hair grows faster. One major contributor to that is that our ends are thicker, free of split ends and thus aren’t as prone to tangles and breakage.
No hair is the same so we would suggest occasional trims based on your observations and progress so far. Avoid constantly trimming your ends so as not to cut off new healthy length.
6. Nighttime Care
How you care for your hair at night can significantly impact its health and length retention.
Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase or use a silk or satin bonnet to reduce friction and prevent breakage.
Another helpful tip is to gather your hair into a loose, high ponytail (known as "pineappling") -if you can- to keep your curls intact and avoid flattening them while you sleep.
7. Minimize Heat and Chemical Damage
Heat and chemicals can severely damage curly hair, leading to breakage and loss of length.
By following these techniques, you can retain length and keep your curly hair healthy and beautiful. Remember, patience and consistency are key. With the right care, your curls will flourish, and you'll be able to enjoy long, luscious locks.