My 2nd Year NappyVersary | Caring For My Fine, Natural Hair And Retaining Length

2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

Spooo I got my natural hair flat ironed and I thought I check on that length! I am so excited to see awesome growth in the past 6 months! I mean hair grows right?

Well, of course BUT the trick is to RETAIN THE LENGTH GROWN!!

I am proud to say that the growth I have retained from May 2014 to November 2014 is... *drum roll please*

3 inches!!!!

I went from 12 inches to May to 15 inches in November! As you can see my hair is straight for May and my hair is curled in November 2014...so keep that in mind for my full length. When stretched, my hair now touches a little past my collar bone/back bone. Just check out the pictures below!!!



2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

I suppose my good side is my left, BUT hair
growth is there!

2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

See, told ya! My right side looks weird...but
hey, HAIR GROWTH!!




2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

My most inspirational picture to myself is showing off my
back-length, just to prove that my hair does
and can grow/retain length! 


Now for the fun-OMG-the-real-length-check pictures! As you can see back in January 2013, I had my first length check with my flat ironed TWA (became a naturalista October 2012). Wow!!!!! Look at the amazing length I have retained since:



2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

TWA - 5 inches (Jan '13)
SL -  12 inches (May '14)
SL/APL - 15inches (Nov '14)

What I'm really amazed about it that I usually retain about 0.5 inches each month. And that still holds true for my hair growth!


But let's really get down to it:

 



You want to know what my secrets are right?

Well, I don't use any pixie or fairy dust that's for certain. I definitely HAVE NOT used or WILL NOT use Monistat (yes, woman's antifungal cream) in my hair for growth. And I surely don't deep conditioned my hair in baby poop (no seriously! I saw a woman deep condition her hair with her baby's poop for hair growth...things that people would do smh).



2nd Year Naturalista Length Check
 

Of course, I use shampoo and a deep conditioner for my hair, but to care for my hair on a daily basis I use: water in spray bottle, oils, shea butter, and buns/twists (tucking ends away). And that's it!! All the other routines I would do:

• I take a regular multivitamin for health and not necessarily for hair growth.
• I massage my scalp with jojoba oil or castor oil (JBCO or cold pressed), only because it feels good. But massaging the scalp does help blood flow for growth. I massage maybe 3-4 times a week.
• I only trimmed once since May '14. This past October '14 I trimmed 1/4 with the search and destroy method. My stylist (the one who flat ironed my hair) said I did not need a trim. Success!!

  

  2nd Year Naturalista Length Check

I AM MY OWN HAIR GURU! YOU CAN BE TOO!!

I didn't focus so much on growing my hair, like I did when I had my TWA, by purchasing expensive vitamins, "growth advertised" hair products, and crazy hair rituals to grow my hair. I began to focus more on the health (deep condition, protein treatment, daily moisturizing, TLC for my hair) of my hair and length came!!! That's all it takes y'all!

Natural hair says: no magic potion stuff (unless you count my kitchenista concotions. Heck yea!!) But other than that, just a simple regimen. That's all it really takes. Just keep your regimen simple for healthy hair and growth will come.

Always Desire Your Natural,




Christina J