Tips for Length Retention
Are you ready for your length retention tips so you can start gaining inches and stop seeing your hair breaking off? Hi, I'm Scarlett, the founder of Wonder Curl, a natural hair care line for all textures of natural hair that keeps your hair hydrated so that you can retain length. I also offer hair care tips and advice right here on this blog.
Proof of Success
And just for a little bit of proof, let me introduce you to Natè. She was my hair model back in December 2023. She came to me with extreme heat damage and a lot of breakage. Her hair was very uneven.
We didn't trim her hair. But you can see after we put the Wonder Curl products in her hair, just how hydrated and juicy her hair looked. So you can tell that already, these are products that are going to help her retain length by keeping her hair hydrated.
Understanding Hydration
The first thing, as I've mentioned, is hydration. Hydration is key to length retention. Hydrated hair maintains its elasticity so it doesn't become brittle and break. So how you do that is by shampooing your hair using a cleansing shampoo, not those hydrating, low-poo, or moisturizing shampoos. That only makes your hair drier because it causes product buildup. What you want are cleansing shampoos, something that's going to remove all the products, the oils, the gunk from your hair.
Steps for Hydration
- Use Cleansing Shampoos: Cleansing shampoos are essential as they help your cuticle, the outermost layer of your hair, to lift so it can absorb moisture. This is how we get hydration. Notice, like if we just splash water on our faces, we're wet, but when we drink water, we feel hydrated. That is your hair. You want to get hydration into your hair.
- Always Follow up with Conditioner: Conditioners are meant to lubricate the strands. People who co-wash—don't do that because co-washing is not washing your hair. That's like using lotion to wash your body. That doesn't make sense.
"Conditioners do not clean your hair, and they're going to just coat the strands and give you more product buildup."
So you want to shampoo first and then follow up with a conditioner because the conditioners are going to help start to smooth the cuticle down. Smoothing the cuticle is how you lock that moisture into your hair.
- Use a Separate Leave-In: I always recommend using a separate leave-in from your styler, because the leave-in is going to, like your conditioner, lock that moisture into your hair by coating the strands and helping the cuticle to seal. The difference with a rinse-out conditioner is that it rinses out, so it just softens your hair. But a leave-in conditioner stays on your hair.
- Optional Styler: Applying a styler to your hair is optional. For example, we used the Moisturizing Hair Pudding and Get Set Hair Jelly on Natè for her wash-n-go. But if you don't do that, like if you maybe just leave your hair in twists or braids and don't do defined styles, you can just stop with the leave-in. But if you like to let your hair out and it’s humid, then you want to add a styler to it.
Importance of Heat Drying
The final step is heat drying. I cannot express how important this is. I never, ever, ever, ever air dry my hair because you can get hygral fatigue. This is when your hair is over-moisturized. Now, you might be like, "But I always air dry, and I've never noticed a difference."
Here's the thing. If you find that you start to have stringy pieces of hair, parts of your hair that are just straight and stringy, it's limp—that is a sign of high hygral fatigue. Especially if you don't have heat damage but it looks like it.
Methods of Heat Drying
- Hooded Dryer: This gives you gentle, ambient heat. It helps your hair absorb your products better, and your hair dries smoother. I recommend using this method for hair types 3C to 4C
- Diffuser: Similar to a hooded dryer, diffusers also give gentle heat. I recommend diffusers for hair types 2- 3B and for spot drying your hair after sitting under the hooded dryer.
Let’s go back to Natè because I showed you what her hair looked like before. This past Friday, September 28, 2024, here’s what her hair looks like today.
Additional Resources
So if you're like, "Oh my God, I want more," there are two things you can do. You can take the curly hair quiz, which will give you product recommendations and tips on how you should be caring for your particular hair. Or if you want to dive deeper, you can always book a hair consultation with me.
Conclusion
In conclusion, length retention is all about keeping your hair hydrated and properly cared for. By following these steps—using cleansing shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins, and optionally stylers, and making sure to heat-dry your hair—you can start seeing real improvement. Don't forget, proper hair care is a journey, and with the right products and techniques, you can achieve your hair goals.
Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or tips of your own, feel free to drop a comment below.
Remember to always look after your hair, and it will look after you!
FAQ
Q: What is hygral fatigue?
A: Hygral fatigue occurs when your hair becomes over-moisturized, leading to limp, stringy hair strands.
Q: Can I just air-dry my hair?
A: While you can, it's not recommended because it can lead to hygral fatigue. Using heat drying methods like a hooded dryer or a diffuser is better.
Q: What is co-washing, and is it good for my hair?
A: Co-washing is using conditioner instead of shampoo to wash your hair. It's not recommended because it doesn’t properly clean your scalp and hair, leading to product buildup.
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