Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Many African American women use lots of harsh products on their hair which are very damaging and cause weakened hair that is prone to breaking. As a result, the hair grows more slowly making it difficult to achieve the results that you desire. I want to share with you a few tips on how to grow long natural hair for African Americans.
As with all types of hair, it is important to look after it and treat it well. Here I will help you choose the right products to grow long hair naturally for African American women (and men).
Easy Steps To Growing African American Hair Faster
First step is to look at your diet! As with all hair, it requires nutrients to grow properly. Below I will give you a few ideas of what foods to eat so your hair will feel and look better while you’re growing it out.
1. Avocado
Avocados are mostly made of goods fats which will help keep the hair soft and shiny. Some women produce very little oil on their scalp, and since African American Women tend to have curly hair, this can make dry hair an even bigger problem.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of vitamin A which is crucial for proper functioning of the skin and cell division. Consuming Sweet Potatoes with fat like extra virgin olive oil will help you absorb the beta-carotene.
3. Eggs
Eggs are a staple of the diet for many people. The white part of the egg provides quality protein that our hair needs to grow and the fat in the egg provides us with minerals and is a great source of choline.
4. KALE
Leafy Greens should be consumed every day as they are one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals. If there’s one food you shouldn’t skimp on it would leafy greens. A good alternative to kale would be spinach. These vegetables also contain different carotenoids which benefit our skin and hair.
5. SALMON
Salmon is a great source of Vitamin D. African American women who want to grow long hair should be especially careful to get adequate levels of vitamin D. This Vitamin is essential for hair growth, and a deficiency can cause hair loss. Salmon also provides a lot of protein and omega 3 which is an essential fatty acid.
By consuming these foods your body will give your hair what it needs to grow. Not only will you experience faster hair growth but your skin will also benefit from eating these foods.
Hair growth requires patience, but you can speed it up by doing the correct things. Hair length can be determined by genetics, but you want to reach your full potential. The only way you will do that is by providing the best condition within the body and to the scalp for optimal hair growth.
Growing long hair is all about having a good routine
Now that we’ve gotten diet out of the way, let’s look at what African American’s can do to grow out healthy hair faster. It’s all about the routine and what kind of products you use on your hair.
Pre-shampoo your hair
These shampoos basically help protect your hair and stop it losing all the essential oils when you wash it with a shampoo. Dry hair often leads to brittle and fragile hair and you don’t want that. Pre shampoos are recommended for all hair types, not just African American women.
The results of using a pre-shampoo will be that the hair feels silky and smooth after you wash it with a shampoo. And while it’s not necessary to use a pre-shampoo for great looking hair, it certainly does help.
One product that I highly recommend and has great reviews is: Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment
This is a great product as it contains natural oils which will help make your hair feel amazing.
Pick the right shampoo for you
We’ve all probably gone through several shampoos trying to find out which one best suits our hair. Some shampoos are just too heavy and weigh the hair down, and some don’t get the job done and leave our hair looking dull.
For African American hair, this is where you have to go gentle and not use anything that is too harsh and cause the hair to become dry and develop lots of split ends and breaking off.
When choosing the shampoo for your hair, make sure that the shampoo has many natural ingredients and is sulfate free. Sulfates are what can dry out the hair the most when using regular shampoos.
Products that I recommend are:
Arvazallia Advanced Hair Repair Shampoo and Conditioner Set – A professional grade treatment that will leave the hair feeling amazing. I highly recommend this one for someone who wants the best. Check out the reviews!
CREME OF NATURE Argan Oil Moisture Shine Shampoo & Intensive Treatment Set – This is less expensive but still a great choice.
Make sure that you condition your hair every time you wash it. People with naturally straight hair can sometimes get away with not conditioning their hair after every wash, but for African women and men, this will only lead to problems.
Hold off on washing too often
We all love the smell and feel of squeaky clean hair, but you have to make sure that you don’t wash it too frequently. Washing too much can lead to dry hair and cause it to break off. Try training yourself to washing it once a week or even once every 2 weeks if you can.
Avoid blow drying your hair
If you have to, then use a low heat setting or buy a high-quality hair dryer which doesn’t damage hair. The best way to grow out healthy hair is to let it air-dry as often as you can. I know that you might be rushed for time, so make sure you can allow enough time before getting ready to go out.
Comb your hair but be gentle!
You want to use a wide-tooth comb when combing your hair out. Start at the ends and work upwards. Combing the hair helps move the oils down the shaft of the hair.
When brushing or combing hair, it is always best to allow it to dry a little first. Hair becomes stretchy/bouncy when it’s when and it can easily snap and become deformed.
Other things that may help hair growth
Sleep – Make sure that you get enough rest. You want to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night so that your body can repair itself properly and divert its resources to less important things like your hair. Lack of sleep ages our skin and our hair because it’s extremely stressful on the body. If you’re not sleeping well, then you could try something like melatonin, l-theanine or buy a sleepy tea with some herbs to help you sleep.
Exercise – Exercise gets our blood pumping and improves blood flow to the entire body including the skin. The hair will grow better when there is good blow flow to the scalp providing the hair follicles with the nutrients it needs.
Relax – Try to deal with stress better. We all have stress in our lives but what makes the difference is how we deal with it. I find yoga is a great way to help me deal with stress and helps me feel more relaxed. Do what works for you (as long as it’s healthy!)
I hope these tips have been helpful to you! And I wish you success in growing your beautiful hair!
No Comments