Shrinking for what?

When I first started my hair journey length was EVERYTHING!! It was the be all and end all of success in going natural. Why? Because I went natural to stop having short damaged, stagnant hair.  I thought that the longer my hair was, the more successful I am at this natural hair thing. So, whenever my hair would curl up on itself after hours of trying to stretch it out, I would hate it. It made my hair look shorter. It was only once I started my research on how naturally curly hair worked that I started to appreciate the once deemed ‘enemy of progress’, shrinkage.

What Causes Shrinkage.

What shrinkage essentially is your hair reverting back into its natural pattern. The more coil to your hair the more it will revert, the shorter your hair will appear. Natural hair curls and coils, meaning that shrinkage is actually a good thing.  It means that your hair is healthy and growing. 

Truth be told, you are actually causing your hair more damage than helping it grow by constant stretching. 

That is not to say that you shouldn’t stretch your hair but rather to know how to do so safely to help keep the integrity of your stands strong. Last thing you want when you’re trying to grow your hair long is to accidently stunt its growth by over manipulation and or heat damage. 

So instead use these tips on what to do and what to avoid when dealing with the aforementioned shrinkage.

What not to do.

The worst mistake you can make in your natural hair journey is try and defeat shrinkage. Even though you would like to see the length of your hair, its not good for hair retention. Nor is it a battle you can win. 

1. Over stretching your hair will lead to thinning, and breakage. You will weaken the hair follicles which can also slow down growth. 

2. Do not skip on moisturizing or re-moisturising your hair in order to avoid your hair reverting. Dry hair leads to unhealthy hair that is more prone to breaking and this will land you with stagnant hair. Basically, it’s double-homicide as it also stops you from getting the longer hair you so desire to see. 

3. The last thing I have seen people try to do in order to avoid shrinkage is blow-dry and straighten hair. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but long-term use of heat can cause heat damage, which will ultimately destroy not only your curl pattern but compromise the hair stands thus leading to damaged hair. 

How to minimize shrinkage safely.

1. Try incorporating hair styles that stretch hair without compromising on moisturising. The styles should also be low maintenance styles which means you restyle less. For example, doing a twist out on your hair. You can leave your hair in twist for a few days before twisting out for a more stretched out curl style. Same with bantu knots and braid outs.

2. Detangle hair well. When you detangle your hair well it doesn’t directly limit how much your hair shrinks but it does help you in the styling process. It also ensures that when your hair does shrink it doesn’t entangle upon itself thus avoiding excess knots. Again, it doesn’t stop shrinkage but it does promote length retention in the long run.

3. Moisturise your hair well. Yes, that’s right! When styling your hair it’s good to moisturise your hair well enough that it will stay hydrated the whole time you have the low maintenance style. Why because it allows your hair to stay healthy while you get to stretch it out to see length. It’s the best of both worlds. You will also have to restyle less, adding to the low manipulation value and you will also save yourself from losing length to reversion every time you have to re-style.

Remember that your hair’s health should come first and everything else will follow.

Jacinta Caleb.