When you are trying to grow out your natural hair, it can be very easy to feel defeated and unmotivated when your hair seemingly remains at the same length despite your best efforts. In fact, this is why the myth that natural hair does not grow still prevails. However, there is often an underlying reason for this lack of growth.
In this article, we'll be looking at a few reasons why your hair is not growing. By the way, it may be a mistake you don't realise you're making. Read ahead to find out.
1. Lack Of Moisture
If your hair is not getting enough moisture, it could be the main reason it is not growing. See, natural hair has coils and curls that make it hard for the natural oils in that scalp to travel down the hair shaft and moisturise your strands. This makes your hair extremely prone to dryness and when the hair is dry it breaks off in little sections, making it impossible for you to grow long.
Now, you may be thinking: but I moisturise my hair on wash day. Unfortunately, that is not enough. Given how prone to dryness natural hair is, you have to moisturise more than once a week. The best way to do this is to use a nourishing leave-in conditioner like our Manuka Honey Leave-in Conditioner and then seal the moisture with our Hair & Scalp Oil. You can do this 1-2 times a week and then spray the hair with our Curl Refresh Spray whenever your hair feels dry and rough.
2. You Won't Leave It Alone
Over-manipulation is one of the major causes of breakage in natural hair. It is fun to experiment and play around with your hair but if your hands are always in your hair or you are changing your hairstyle every few days, it may be a little too much for your delicate strands to handle. When your hair is constantly manipulated, it loses moisture faster and can accumulate knots and tangles that will get in the way of your hair goals.
3. You're Not Cleansing Enough
It is common knowledge in the natural hair community that you do not have to wash your hair as frequently as other hair types. However, not washing enough can also be a problem. If you do not wash your hair regularly or sometimes go several months between wash days, you may be getting in the way of your hair growth. If your scalp is not properly cleansed regularly, there will be a buildup of oil and sweat preventing it from absorbing all the nutrients needed to facilitate growth.
A dirty hair and scalp can also cause dandruff, itchiness, and dryness that can weaken the hair and lead to breakage. Although it is true that natural hair does not need to be washed every week, it is still very important to cleanse at least every two weeks. Be sure to use a non-stripping shampoo like our Hydration Shampoo so your curls can be properly cleansed without losing moisture. After washing, follow up with our Moisture-rich Conditioner to replenish the hair with moisture and smoothen your strands.
4. Scalp Irritation
If your scalp is irritated or inflamed, it can also prevent you from growing long hair. For optimal hair growth, it is important to maintain a healthy scalp with the right balance of oils and hydration. However, if you have scalp issues like itchiness, dandruff, dryness, or even PH imbalance, it will be extremely hard for your hair to go through its natural cycle. This is why it is important to ensure your scalp gets all the nutrients it needs to remain healthy by applying our Strengthening Oil 1-2 times a week. It will help nourish your follicles from the inside while promoting hair growth.
5. Your Detangling Routine Sucks
Detangling natural hair is very important for reducing knots and preventing breakage. However, if you are doing it wrong, you could be causing a myriad of problems for your hair. Many people make the mistake of either trying to detangle their hair from the roots, using a fine-tooth comb/brush, detangling the hair when it is dry, or even trying to detangle their hair all at once. All of these habits can weaken your hair and result in a lot of breakage. Over time, it will basically be impossible for you to grow long hair since you keep breaking off your hair every time you detangle it.
To properly detangle your hair, you must start from the ends and work your way up to the roots. You should also ensure the hair is damp before detangling and use a detangling tool like wide tooth combs and tangle teezers that can easily glide through your curls.
6. You're Choosing The Wrong Hairstyles
Protective styles are a common staple for many people with natural hair because they are often touted as a means of growing long hair. While it is true that certain hairstyles can help you retain more length, if you are constantly choosing tight protective styles that put a lot of tension on your scalp and your edges, you will not notice any hair growth.
The truth is, if a protective style is so painful and tight that it is causing you pain and headaches it is actually not protective. This is why many people lose hair around their edges after wearing certain braid styles. If you want to get the benefits of wearing your natural hairstyles, avoid tight ponytails and braids. Instead, opt for braids that are not installed too tightly. You can even try wash n go's, twist outs, braid outs and other low-manipulation hairstyles that don't put so much tension on your scalp.
7. You're Not Protecting Your Hair At Night
Another mistake that could be getting in the way of your hair growth is a lack of night-time protection. When you go to bed without covering your hair, you run the risk of causing breakage and dryness on your hair. Why? Because most beddings are made from cotton or linen material that pulls moisture out of your hair. They also have a slightly abrasive texture that rubs against your hair and increases friction. Over time, Continued exposure of your delicate strands to this friction and dryness can cause split ends, frizz, extreme dryness and breakage, all of which will prevent you from retaining length.
To avoid this, ensure you go to bed with a satin bonnet or silk scarf. You can also try putting your hair in a loose bun or pineapple to keep it in place while you sleep.
8. You're Skipping Trims
Incorporating trims into your hair care routine is very important for eliminating split ends and fairy knots that can result in breakage. However, most people love to put off trimming their hair for as long as possible. Some people even avoid trimming their hair completely because they do not want to lose their length. This is a big mistake that could be getting in the way of your hair goals.
See, when you don't trim your hair regularly, the damage and breakage on the ends of your hair will move further up the hair strand, wrecking more havoc and making your hair extremely unmanageable. It will also lead to an increase in tangles and knots and eventually your hair will start to break off as a result of these issues, preventing you from retaining length.
9. Diet
If your diet is out of balance, it could also be getting in the way of your hair growth. Consuming a rich and nutritionally balanced diet with a mix of essential proteins and vitamins is extremely important for hair growth as some of these nutrients will be transferred to your hair through your scalp to help maintain the health of your strands and promote growth.
However, if your diet does not contain these nutrients, you will be missing out on the chance to boost your hair growth internally. Instead of consuming only processed carbs, try to get a mix of fish, dairy, meats, vegetables, legumes, leafy greens, nuts, and other healthy fats. Be sure to also drink enough water to stay hydrated.
10. Stress
We all know stress is bad for your overall well-being but its negative effects on your hair are seriously underrated. Several scientific studies have shown a link between stress and hair loss as well as other forms of excessive shedding. Excessive stress can also affect the rate at which your hair grows. So it is important to reduce stress in your daily life or try stress management techniques like meditation, breathing, and getting enough rest.
Growing healthy and long natural hair is not as difficult as it seems. You just need to be patient, consistent and maintain a healthy routine. Now that you have an idea of why your hair is not growing, you can take steps to fix the problem and be on the path to an amazing growth journey. Don't worry, in no time, you'll be excited for your length checks and eager to show off your luscious long curls.