My 6th Year Nappyversary | Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

I have reached 6 years natural!

So to commemorate this special day let's look at the growth of my hair over the year. .I am proud to say that the growth I have retained from October 2017 to October 2018  is... 

*drum roll please*

4 inches!!!!!



Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but there's a reason for that (abuse of out styles...see below)

 

I am so excited to share my regimen, products, and other things I have learned in order to keep my hair healthy and to continue to retain the length I have grown. Here are a few things I have done since growing my hair out from my mini chop in 2017 :

Triumphs:

Better Eating Lifestyle
Instead of my usually snacking and eating terrible foods, I have really tried to add healthy fruits and vegetables to my eating habits. It helps to meal prep for the week as well as have healthy foods/snack on hand. I also do not eat out or go to fast food places like I used to with this the meal prep ordeal in place. Not only am I healthy on the inside, but my hair is receiving great benefits from my eating habits.

Drinking Water


New Staple Alert! Mielle Organics Products

I love water! Yet, sometimes I would forget to drink the needed water intake daily. So I would always carry 5 bottles of water during the day to help remind me to drink my daily water intake (8 cups of water).
Purchased Mielle Organics
I purchased this entire bundle, along with the White Peony Leave-In; Pomegranate and Honey Leave-In; and the Pomegranate Twisting Soufflé, back in November 2017. This was my brand I decided to purchase for the year 2018, which I have stuck with the entire year! I HAD TO DO IT! I JUST HAD TO DO IT! This is the most huge purchase I have every made since using Shea Moisture products.  

Still Making DIY Products
Even though I have found the most awesome product line ever in Mielle Organics, I still make a few of my DIY products from time to time. I still make my Mango And Raw Cocoa Butter, Rhassoul Clay OR Mud Wash Standard Henna For Hair, Rice Water Rinse, Flaxseed Gel, and more! 

 Long Term Protective Styles


My Wedding Hair: Time For The Wedding!

When I commit to a protective style, they tend to stay in my head for a good 2-3 weeks. This year I have already done:  
Jamaican Bounce Crochet Braids With Bang
FreeTress Braid 2X Soft Faux Loc Wavy 12 Inch
Sensationnel African Collection Jumbo Braid Feat. Rubber Band Braids
Mega Brazilian Human Hair StyleMix One Pack Straight Weave

Mistakes Made:

Not Enough Weekly Protective Styles
When I do long term protective styles, I commit to them. However, when I say I'm going to do weekly protective styles, I definitely don't stick with them. My regimen I set up for myself is suppose to be 5 days protective style and 2 days out styles (twist out, wash n go, roller set, etc.). But after I would wash my hair, I go straight to the wash n go or puff. Even after I stretch my hair for a protective style, I would set for a twist out! So with this observation, I notice I don't retain as much length when wearing protective styles, as I would with out styles.

Need More Massage
Massaging the scalp is definitely soothing and relaxing. But, this practice also promotes blood flow for hair growth as well as enhance the strength of the roots. I need to do more massaging to my own scalp and not just during my wash day regimen. I'm in the market for purchasing a few massaging tools. I watched Naptural85's video Testing TOP RATED SCALP MASSAGERS on Amazon | WAS NOT Expecting THIS!!! to get an idea on what I would like my own hair care regimen.
More Trimming


Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

I'm not one to keep dead ends for length, but I would forget to trim my ends when I need to. I definitely would need to trim more because of the out styles I would do, but trimming ends definitely aid in healthy hair care.

Changes to my Regimen:

Rice Water
I definitely need to get back to rice water rinses. Rice water is great for improving hair elasticity, add natural sheen to the hair, and to repairs damages to the hair. I have used rice water regularly before, but I need to get back using it.
Healthy Hair Ingredient | Boiling Water/Fermented Method Rice Water Rinse, Take 1
Healthy Hair Ingredient | Non-Boiling Water/Fermented Method Rice Water Rinse, Take 2

Green Tea Rinses
I would use green tea as my natural protein conditioner, but I have fallen off from using this regularly as well. Green tea is great for treating dry scalp and dandruff, promote hair growth with reduced hair shed, and strengthen the hair strands.
Healthy Hair Ingredient | Going Green With Green Tea For Natural Hair

Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

About My Mini Chop (Big Chop #2):

Confessing My Own Thoughts | My Relaxed Hair, Transitioning, And Starting Fresh
My Hair Diary | My Mini Chop From Heat Damage
My Mane Speaks | Yasss Girl! Big Chop Number 2


Check out my Big Chops and Mistakes learned:

Hair Tips | My Hair Wont Grow! Huh? 9 Tips To Help You
Confessing My Own Thoughts | My Relaxed Hair, Transitioning, And Starting Fresh
My Hair Diary | My Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2015
My Mane Speaks | Yasss Girl! Big Chop Number 2
My Hair Diary | My Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2016
Confessing My Own Thoughts | From Big Chop #2 To Where My Hair Is At Now, Oct 2016
My Hair Diary | My Top 6 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2017

Fine Natural Hair Growth In A Year

Check out past NappyVersary articles:

My 2nd Year NappyVersary | Caring For My Fine, Natural Hair And Retaining Length
My 3rd Year NappyVersary | My Mini Chop From Heat Damage
My 4th Year Nappyversary | 1 Year Since Big Chop #2 And Retaining Length
My 5th Year Nappyversary | Mini Chop 3.0 And No More Heat

Natural hair says: there is no product to promote hair growth. It's all about retaining the length grown. Just keep your regimen simple for healthy hair!

Always Desire Your Natural,

Christina J