Breakage: Why Your Hair Doesn’t Seem to Grow

Rough Handling

Never comb your hair from root to tip. Always start from the ends and work your way up
Using a wide-tooth comb and a detangler/conditioner, detangle your hair in sections
Do not comb through tangles. When you spot a tangle, take it apart with your fingers
When you wash your hair, do it in sections. Do not rub it all over your head like the girls in the commercials

Hairstyles

If it hurts to laugh, then your hairstyle is way too tight. This added stress to the hair will cause it to break. Make sure you let your stylist know when it hurts!

Fabric Friction

Silk and satin are your friends. If your hair is rubbing against anything else, you’re likely to experience split ends and breakage. Here are some tips to reduce friction with damaging fabrics:

Wrap your hair up at night with a silk or satin scarf
Use a satin pillowcase if you don’t want to wrap it up
Line your hats with silk or satin when you can
Wear protective styles to keep your ends from rubbing against your clothing

Over-manipulation

Maybe you’re just doing too much, ever thought about that? Let your hair rest. Low manipulation styles include:

Roller sets
Bantu knots
Twist/braid outs
Pin curls
Buns

Medical Conditions

In this situation, you would want to consult a licensed medical professional.

Please remember that everyone’s hair grows differently. If your hair is not growing as fast as the next girl, don’t fret! To know precisely how long your hair grows per month you can:

Measure your new growth (relaxed)
Braid your hair in singles and measure the new growth (naturals)
Straighten a part of your hair and compare it to the length from the previous month (naturals)

Also note that different sections of the hair grow at different rates. For instance, the front of my hair grows much slower than the back.

Hope this helps. Happy hair growing!

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