The New Lazy Method to Hair Growth

I am always in awe of naturals, who have grown their hair to long lengths without a bunch of gimmicks or seemingly hard work. I have several long haired naturals in my family and I've always asked them the burning question "how do you grow your hair so LONG?" Most of the time they will shrug their shoulders and give that cursatory "I just wash my hair and condition it" response. Hah! I thought. Well, I began to watch them more closely. Not satisfied with observing my long haired relatives (after all, we share some of the same genes), I observed other long haired naturals. What I found common in their practices, helped me to become a part of the lazy naturals club.

#1. Minimize your products. The majority of long haired naturals don't use a million and one different products. In fact, they mostly have just a minimal amount of staple products that they use. Piling a bunch of product on top of product all the time, is just not what I see long haired naturals doing. This is not to say that you shouldn't try new products. No, I'm saying don't go overboard putting a bunch of them in your head at one time then waiting to cleanse your hair forever. Some naturals can shampoo once a month but at some point you have to cleanse to keep your hair follicles from choking on all the gunk in your hair.

#2. Style your hair then keep your hands out of it for the rest of the day. Notice I said style but not protective style. Why? Because I've seen long haired naturals who wear their hair out most of the time. My niece wears her hair down and she has mid back length hair (mbl). There are times when some long haired naturals protective style, but it's up to the individual. I work in an extremely hot environment, so I protective style 99% of the time because having my hair out makes me feel like I am going to pass out. Just make sure you're not constantly tugging, pulling, and picking at your hair.

#3. Balance your moisture and protein. I know some people say they are protein sensitive, but avoiding all protein is not a good idea. Why? Because hair is mostly made up of keratin, which is a protein. Using light proteins can work well for those who feel they are protein sensitive. Long haired naturals know when they need to add moisture or protein back into their hair. Also, I notice a lot of them co wash. Now I can't do co washing, because of my scalp condition, but I use little shampoo to a greater amount of conditioner. This is like my own modified co wash. I use conditioner that has light protein in it, so I get the best of both worlds.

#4. Eat, drink, and be merry! I see a lot of long haired naturals drink water and other healthy drinks, such as natural juices and smoothies. Many of them eat well. After all, the lack of nutrients can rob your hair, skin, and nails resulting in brittle, breaking, and severe shedding. Finally, keeping your stress levels low is beneficial as stress affects hair fall. In other words, try to be as happy as you can!

#5. Avoid chasing after EVERY gimmick! I was SO guilty of doing this that my wallet was screaming in agony over all the money I had spent on gimmick after gimmick. The new growth shampoo, conditioner, vitamin, and oil is always tempting to buy. Now, don't get me wrong. I use an oil called Wild Growth Hair Oil, but I'm not sitting here thinking that it's my sole source of growth aid. It has great ingredients, but I know that it takes more than just a miracle product to encourage growth. Long haired naturals use simple ingredients and their hair grows, and grows, and grows. Whether you use petroletum or opt for more natural products, the key is consistency and good hair practices.

I haven't been length checking my hair in a while and at this point, I'm subscribing to the "lazy" naturals method. I've automated my hair regimen to the point where I'm not overly concerned with length. I want my hair to grow, but I'm putting my overall health first. After all, healthy on the inside means that it will also reflect on the outside. While I enjoy hair forums, they also contributed to me doing too much. I would see a new product or method and feel the need to try it. Don't get me wrong, hair forums are an awesome source of information and if you're newly natural then it can provide a great support system.

Now, this is my new commitment to laziness. What's yours?