Pictured: @todecrespa
If you’re like a lot of us, there’s a good chance that you’ve already broken a New Year’s Resolution or you procrastinated when it came to coming up with one in the first place. This means that you’re probably still trying to figure out which one you can make — and actually keep. Well, you already know that this site is about all-things-curly-hair-related, so how about I share with you six promises that you can make to yourself, regarding your tresses, that are actually pretty easy to keep?
And you know what? I’m willing to bet some pretty good money that if you stick with all of these, you should be able to see at least 4-6” of hair growth by the time the next holiday season rolls back around. So, are you ready to get your locks where you’ve always wanted them to be? Let’s do this.
1. I will study my hair and its needs, now more than ever
Isn’t it interesting that, if there’s one thing that we all can agree on, it’s the desire to have healthy hair? Yet how many of us can say that we actually study our locks? Its type (check out “Seriously. What Is Hair Type?!””>. Its texture (check out “Want to Understand Your Texture Type””>. Which products complement it and which ones don’t. If your hair responds fairly well to heat or if it’s something that you need to leave alone as much as possible. What your scalp’s pH balance is and what throws it off (check out “4 Reasons You Need to Balance Your Scalp’s pH””>. How often you personally need a cut or trim. Because here’s the thing — we all have hair and we all are individuals. This means that even if you share the same type, texture and porosity as some of your favorite YouTube naturalistas (for example”>, that doesn’t automatically mean what works for them is going to work for you. Bottom line, the more a student studies anything, the better they are at understanding it. And when it comes to achieving the best out of your hair, you can never go wrong about intentionally learning as much about it as you possibly can.
2. I will incorporate consistent hair pampering days
Self-care is important. That’s a full stop statement and I’m sure we all can agree on that. Yet isn’t it interesting that when it comes to pampering, our hair rarely makes the priority list? This year, switch that up by giving yourself a hair mask on every other wash (it will add even more moisture than conditioning alone”>; investing in a hair steamer (to give your hair more elasticity and manageability”>; giving yourself an apple cider rinse (to reduce frizz”>; creating DIY hair spritzes (to refresh your hair and scalp”>; applying essential oil hair blends like rose and jasmine and vanilla and lavender to make your tresses smell absolutely divine and sleeping on satin pillowcases and with a humidifier on (so that your hair can retain moisture during your sleeping hours”> — these are just some of the ways to indulge your hair, so that it and you can feel super luxuriant.
3. I will get more collagen into my diet
Long story short, collagen is a type of protein that pretty much all of your body needs. It’s necessary because it helps to make your bones and joints stronger; it adds elasticity to your skin; it hydrates your system, and it helps to keep your gut and heart healthy. Something else that collagen does is make your hair more resilient, thanks to the amino acids that are in it. Plus, since your tresses are made up of mostly protein (keratin”>, collagen serves as a great building block for your hair follicles. So, whether you choose to take a collagen supplement or simply eat more foods that have collagen in them (like citrus fruit, egg whites, fish, chicken, berries, white tea, garlic and bone broth”>, definitely up your intake of this important nutrient. As you can see, it’s not only great for your hair but the rest of you as well.
4. I will massage my scalp, no less than twice a week
When it comes to the stress relief that it provides alone, I recommend that you massage your scalp, no less than a couple of times each week. As far as the way that it specifically benefits your hair, it increases blood circulation to your scalp, it “stirs up” sebum so that your scalp is more moisturized and, if you choose to massage it with a carrier/essential oil blend, it can help to “feed your follicles” too. Great carrier oils for a scalp massage include jojoba (it soothes your scalp”>, pumpkin seed (it stimulates hair growth”> and avocado (it reduces dandruff”>. A few highly beneficial essential oils include lavender (it contains antimicrobial and antibacterial properties”>, cedarwood (it helps to reduce hair shedding and hair loss”> and thyme (it promotes hair growth”>. Add 5-7 drops of your preferred oil to ¼ cup of your favorite oil, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds and then either use your fingertips or a scalp massager to massage your scalp for 10-15 minutes. Absolute heaven, I’m telling you.
5. I will put my hair into protective styles, two seasons a year
Hands down, protective styles are a great way to go if you’re looking to gain some inches this year. And while we’re here, it’s a good idea to put on record that braids, twists, Bantu knots, updos (that you can keep up for more than just a couple of days”>, wigs and weaves all qualify because they help you to manipulate your hair (via styling it”> less. However, as with most things in life, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing” (especially if you want to keep your edges and nape from breaking off”>. That’s why it’s a good idea to use long-term protective styles (such as box braids, sew-ins and lace front wigs”> when you know that you don’t want to put a lot of thought into styling your hair (like maybe when you’re about to go on vacation or during the summer when you don’t want to think too much about shrinkage”>. Just make sure that whenever you do take your styles out that you give yourself no less than 3-4 weeks “off”, so that you can deep condition your hair, give it a protein treatment, trim your ends if need be and simply let your hair breathe. Otherwise, if you wear a protective style around the clock, the weight of the style, the build-up on your scalp and the lack of oxygen that it needs could end up doing your hair and scalp more harm than good.
6. I will nurture the “thinner” side
If you’re like me, you’ve got one side of your hair that easily flourishes while another is not thriving nearly as much. The long short of why this is the case is because, like our breasts, feet and pretty much every other part of our body, the sides of our hair are similar but not identical. Therefore, it’s completely normal to have one side be thinner or shorter than the other. The answer to this is to give the thinner side more TLC this year — use a leave-in conditioner, so that your hair is more manageable; apply less heat (if you blow dry your hair, let it air dry at least 70 percent before apply heat to that side”>; sleep on your opposite side more often (compressed hair follicles means they may not get all of the nutrients that they need”>; use your hands to style it as often as possible (the less manipulation the better”> and try to avoid hairstyles that will only add more tension to that side. And please, as much as possible, try to only trim your ends rather than constantly cut your hair to try and “even things up”. If you do all of this, you should notice more volume and some length sooner than later. I’m speaking of from personal experience, by the way. Happy new year and here’s to season of great (hair”> progress, y’all!
