Greetings, everyone!!

I thought I would drop in and give the scoop on the question I receive quite often, which is 'How do you get your hair to grow so quickly?' Well, I can tell ya one thing..I don't take vitamins, I don't apply any miracle serum nor trendy promises of 'grow quick solution products' and my own products do not contain magical ingredients that would cause my hair to grow any quicker than what it is naturally intended to grow given that I give it a healthy environment to grow in.
So without further ado, Let's recap HEALTHY GROWTH and RETAINING LENGTH.. Now, keep in mind,  hair grows at a rate of about 1/4 - 1/2 INCH per month. The rate of our hair growth is determined by a few things, a few are: Genetics, Diet, Exercise and how we treat our hair overall. If we give our hair a nice platform/environment to grow, it will grow.  Here's some tips that ensure healthy hair growth, which is the main importance..HEALTHY

 HEALTHY HAIR TIPS: 

KEEP THE SCALP CLEAN .

Applying large amounts of oils and butters only clog the pores on our scalp. Our scalp produces natural oils and many times it has an over production or does not produce as much due to a few things. (a) Years of being clogged using clog poring ingredients (silicones, mineral oil, petroleum, oils, butters). (b) lack of water intake..It's very important that we drink plenty of water (c) Improper diet. Certain foods can have allergic reactions in our bodies and many times,we do not know it unless we keep a journal of foods that cause us to have reactions on our scalp, you will normally see scalp issues such as dermatitis, psoriasis, etc (dairy is known to be a major culprit, but not the only culprit)...Ok, so back on track, be sure to keep the scalp clean and healthy. Making sure to thoroughly cleanse at least once per month using a clarifying cleanser and herbal, tea or acv rinses and co-washing..So again, keep the scalp clean, it's a living breathing organ and is easily clogged which causes it to malfunction

 PROPER DIET AND WATER INTAKE IS IMPORTANT:

Again. Proper diet(clean healthy eating), Exercise and good water intake. Exercise is an excellent way to get blood circulation flowing which encourages healthy hair growth. For some helpful healthy eats info, check out our challenge we have going on now here

 MOISTURE.

Be sure to keep the hair moisturized properly. A wonderful way that has ensured that my tresses stay moisturized is..First, apply water or a water based product to the hair...Then, apply a butter or oil to lock/seal in the moisture. Be sure when detangling the hair, use products that give a good amount of slip (makes it easy for tangles to glide apart). Also, I've found finger detangling helps retain more length than using a brush or other detangling tool.

 TRIMMING/DUSTING:

Trim hair when needed. Because our ends can make or break our hair, it is of the utmost importance to keep them hydrated and trimmed when needed. For more information on achieving and maintaining healthy ends, check out my post here

HIH (HAND IN HAIR SYNDROME). 

Try at all possible to keep hands out of hair. I know we love love love our natural and want to rub on it, or our significant other loves to rub on it, but this can cause friction which leads to breakage. If it helps, keep hair in protective styles such as twists or braids/plaits, buns (not too often) so it's less tempting to caress our tresses.

PRODUCTS JUNKY-ISM.

Try, if possible, to remain faithful to a few products..When we indulge in many products, we have a harder time to know what may or may not create an issue with our hair. Giving a product time to work is one of the best ways to know if a product is truly working for your hair. What I have found for myself and other naturals who have achieved healthy hair and awesome growth is that we are faithful to the products we use and usually don't succumb to product junkyism..as tempting as it is. Secure a regimen that works for you and work those products that work for you.

NIGHT PROTECTION.

Protect your hair at night with a satin scarf, bonnet or satin pillowcase, whichever works best for you

DOCUMENTING YOUR JOURNEY..

Pictures are an awesome way to see your growth, if that is your goal. Because we see ourselves daily, it's hard to see our growth. On those days, weeks, months that I wasn't sure my hair was growing, I would look back on pics and see the growth. Those of us who have FB pages, we love for you to post your pics to our page..then revisit those pages a month or two later and look at those pics again.

 USE HEAT SPARINGLY OR NOT AT ALL.

The use of heat can create a host of issues on the hair. So if at all possible, use as sparingly as possible and should you choose to use heat, be sure to use on clean hair and apply a heat protectant each time. For the scoop on how I used heat on my tresses, check out my post here

PATIENCE..

No matter how many products promise this, that or the third, hair grows at the rate that it is naturally designed to grow..Have patience, love it, nourish it and take care of it and it will grow..but more importantly it will grow healthy!!
  

DAY 1:

INFORMATION BLASTS

MENU PLANNING:

FOOD EXAMPLES

BREAKFAST

SNACK IDEAS:

LUNCH IDEA:

30 MINUTE WORK OUTS

WHO'S READY FOR A CHALLENGE!!!!

Trimming Natural Hair. Very important throughout your journey and each person will vary for how often they choose to trim. For me, I now do small 1/4 mini trims every 2 months it keeps my tresses even more healthy, full and thriving.  Because our ends are the oldest part of the hair, it's the most fragile and like anything else, they do have a shelf life. Once ends need to be trimmed, no amount of product or maintenance will help..so to keep hair in optimum form, dust those ends. And as always, I Hope this step by step of how I trim helps.

STEP 1

 To soften hair, apply your favorite natural conditioner (I used my Natty Moist conditioner). Be sure to apply to edges and nape of the neck which are often neglected.

STEP 2:

To help with the process, place conditioned hair into sections. I either do 2 or 4 sections. Place a plastic cap onto hair for 30 minutes to allow the conditioner to soften and hydrate the hair.

STEP 3:

After allowing hair to condition. Remove plastic cap and prep for trimming. Starting with one section at a time, grab about an inch or more of hair, making sure to grab sections that are similar in length. Grabbing sections where the hair is uneven such as when you have layers may cause you to cut more hair than intended due to the length difference. Smaller sections makes it easier to work with and trim.

STEP 4:

Always keep the hair moist which makes it more pliable when manipulating the hair. Choose your favorite moisturizing mist or plain ole water and moisten the hair.

STEP 5:

Apply your favorite natural conditioner to the sectioned hair and be sure to thoroughly coat and work the conditioner through. Finger detangle to remove any knots. Again, the moisture helps with the process.

STEP 6:

Take your detangling tool of choice. I use my Denman detangling brush  Beginning with your ends, begin gently detangling your hair working your way up to the roots. Always begin detangling at the ends
while holding your hair with your free hand to minimize snags and pulling. (I don't use detangling tools often, so this is one of the rare times I will use a tool, such as a brush to detangle. I normally finger detangle)

STEP 7:

Once the hair is nicely moisturized and detangled, place your free hand right above the desired amount of hair to trim. Trim the desired amount of hair. I normally trim about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of hair.

STEP 8:

Once that section is done, I twist (you can braid or simply pin out of the way) and repeat the process until my entire head has been moisturized, detangled and trimmed

STEP 9:

Once my entire head is moisturized, detangled, trimmed and twisted, I hop in the shower and allow the water to rinse the conditioner out, giving me a light co-wash. The beauty is that my hair is already sectioned, pre detangled and twisted. Once out of the shower, I will simply spray my hair with my Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist to help close the cuticles (aids in imparting shine, minimizing frizz, protecting the hair and scalp from mineral deposits) then apply my Natty Butter to lock/seal in moisture and voila..

Enjoy your beautiful Natural!!

(Pic shows how the light reflected off of my twist out)

Greetings everyone!! Now I know everyone has their method of how they rock their twist out, but I wanted to share my step by step of how I achieve my twist out. As always, I hope this helps.

STEP 1:

I use 1 or sometimes 2 products: a moisturizer (either my Natty Creme (Styling Creme) alone or my Natty Moist) (Leave In Conditioner) and a sealant to LOCK in the moisture (my Hair + Body Butter ( Natty Butter).

STEP 2:

On slightly damp hair..or on dry hair, place hair in sections to make the process easier. NOTE: if I am twisting on freshly washed hair, I place an old tshirt on my hair to absorb the excess water until my hair is about 75-80% dry. This ensures my twists will be thoroughly dry when I untwist. Using an old tshirt minimizes frizz and friction that comes when using bath towels. 

STEP 3:

Take a small, medium or large section of hair (depending on the size you want your twists to be) and apply a generous amount of your moisturizer. Then apply your sealant of choice to lock in the moisture. I prefer natural butters or natural pomades to help the hair not only lock in moisture but also clump the hair together to create a smooth twist and twist out. 

STEP 4:

While not using a ton of the product, I always make sure my hair is thoroughly moisturized so you may see some of the moisturizer on my twists as I'm twisting, which my hair will nicely absorb ensuring moisturized hair. I twist very tightly to create a sort of memory foam effect so when I untwist the curls are super defined and last for quite awhile.  I make sure to MOISTURIZE my ends and edges especially to ensure they are healthy. I use the same moisture and seal technique on my ends and edges, that I use for my twists. 

STEP 5:

Once my twists are completely dry, I apply a little Natty Butter to my hands then proceed to unravel my twists. Applying the butter or pomade helps to minimize frizz and give hair a nice sheen. Be sure to use a wooden or plastic pick to fluff the hair at the roots (only) for added volume and a fuller look.

STEP 6:

Rock it out and Enjoy!

Key notes: I don't use a ton of products for any style. Understanding moisture is the key and making sure to seal/lock in the moisture with a butter, oil or pomade. 

My Results:

At night,

I simply pull my hair into a low bun and cover with a silk or satin scarf. This helps stretch the hair and keeps the hair less frizzy. You can also opt to do a pineapple. Where you gather all of your hair into a very high loose ponytail and then cover with a scarf.  

So, here's the scoop:

1 cup of Almond Milk

3 ripe bananas (the ones with the most benefit are the ones that have the brown on the outer peel)

1 cup of pure almonds or 3 tbsp of almond butter. (Peanut butter is an acidic food, almond butter is an alkalinic food. Alkaline foods are better for the body)

3 tbsp of Raw Cacao Powder (for the benefits of raw cacao see my blog post here 

3 dates to sweeten

Blend.

I used our #Vitamix blender because its powerful enough to blend almonds and does a wonderful job of blending everything together. And this mixture makes a wonderful frozen treat, so enjoy. Oh, and kids love it too!!!

STEP 2: CLEANSING

After 20 minutes of allowing her finger detangled hair to soften via the pre poo, it's time to complete the entire hair routine. For us, the sink is always easier to use than the tub, she sits much higher which makes it an easier task for me. I rinse the conditioner from the pre poo out of her hair working one section at a time. After the conditioner has been rinsed, again working one section at a time, I apply our Dudu Osum Shampoo and thoroughly work in. Once I have applied to one section, I repeat on the other sections until I have applied the shampoo to her entire head.

STEP 3:FOCUS ON SCALP

I make sure to thoroughly work the cleanser in, focusing most on her scalp..this is where the most buildup of dirt, debris and oils are, and in order to maintain healthy hair, it's optimum to keep the scalp clean. (tip) While working the cleanser in, I hold one section of the hair with one hand while massaging the cleanser into the scalp with the tips (not nails) of my fingers. This prevents the hair from re-tangling while cleansing. 

STEP 4: RINSING AND DEEP CONDITIONING

I make sure to thoroughly rinse the cleanser from her hair, again, working one section at a time. 

Just as it's important for us, as adults, to deep condition the hair, it's also important for our little ones to deep condition. Deep Conditioning helps to restore the moisture back into the hair that is removed during the cleansing process. I apply our Natty Cupuacu & Rhassoul Deep Conditioner to her hair for 5-10 minutes while allowing her to enjoy bath time. Working one section at a time, I finger the deep conditioner in to ensure that each strand is coated. Certain Deep Conditioners are pH balanced to help to close the hair's cuticle that is otherwise lifted during the cleansing routine. 

STEP 5: RINSING, DRYING, PROTECTING

Once the deep conditioner has conditioned the hair (5-10 minutes for her), I thoroughly rinse. Once I have thoroughly rinsed her hair, I then use an old T-Shirt to dry her hair. Towels can be drying and harsh to the hair aiding in dryness, frizz and split ends.  I then apply our Natty ACV Hair & Scalp Mist to help further balance the hair's pH, as well as protect the hair from mineral buildup, dirt and debris found in tap water. Helping to close the hair's cuticle also helps to minimize frizz and impart shine to the hair. 

STEP 6: MOISTURIZING, SEALING, STYLING

Once all of the cleansing, deep conditioning and protecting has been done, I apply our Natty Moist leave in conditioner to make sure her hair stays moisturized, then apply our Natty Butter to lock/seal in the moisture preventing the moisture from escaping. I then style as usual. Either buns or twists or braids. It's a very very rare occasion that I let her tresses flow freely, so I mostly keep it protected. I repeat this regimen about once per week and her hair has truly thrived. Whenever her hair needs remoisturizing throughout the week, I will apply our Natty ACV Mist to moisturize, then apply our Natty Butter to lock in the moisture..or I will apply our Natty Creme and style as usual. The important factors are: Ingredients, Clean Scalp, Moisture and Stress Free Styling. Here's a couple of ways I keep her hair. And as always, I hope this helps. 

And on rare occasions...