10 ways I grew and managed my 4C hair after a big chop

After I had my “big chop” I can’t remember having much of a hair routine, except occasionally slapping on some Shea butter, Coconut or Amla oil, and hey, the struggle was real- I dealt with dandruff, scalp inflammation and a general struggle to comb and style. In the First Year, My hair did not grow so Much.

On one of my bad hair days- I snapped (will tell the full story much later) but I snapped real big and gave myself two options- use a chemical relaxer on my hair again, or try and find the beauty in it- glad to say I chose the later.

Determined to find the beauty in my tight coils, the science of hair became my new obsession. I studied every hair matrix from texture to density, curl patterns and Porosity. I also delved into hair PH and scalp management.

This obsession got me to start reading labels and studying every active ingredient. I applied my learnings to my own hair.  Glad to say my strands not only thrived, it finally started growing

Here are 10 ways I grew my 4C hair

1) Drink enough water

Water is the energy source for every cell in our body including hair growth cells. When the body is dehydrated from lack of drinking water, your hair will become extremely dry and pale because cells responsible for hair growth are not able to grow and multiply. This can negatively affect the natural growth cycle of your hair.

2- Vitamins are equally essential for hair growth; Here are some important hair growth minerals to take note of;

Vitamin A is important for cell rejuvenation, it’s also needed by the scalp to make sebum. Biotin (Vitamin B) is one of the most important Vitamins for hair loss. The absence of Zinc weakens the Keratin structure of the hair and Selenium is an important germ fighter (antioxidant)

Sometimes I get too busy to eat, and even when do, I barely have time to play nutrition counter, so occasionally, I take my Vitamins. ( I consulted with my doctor though, you should do the same)

3) Wash your hair Sis.

I know many of us with 4C strands avoids hair wash day because we believe it makes our hair dry out, but product build up is actually what dries out our hair and makes it Limp.  Overtime, the hair products and oils we apply on our hair,mix with dust particles in the air, dead skin cells on our scalp and sweat resulting in product build up.

Product build up affects our hair scalp and hair strands.

The scalp PH is compromised , the hair follicles are clogged and this leads to inflammation – scalp irritation and dandruff. The Hair strands on the other hand becomes dull, limp and lifeless because moisture can’t get through.

So now you get the picture – How often should we wash?

Hair Trichologist insist that our tight Afro coils needs to be washed weekly with a cleansing shampoo, but for me once in two weeks is a sweet spot.  In my hair routine cycle week 1, – I deep cleanse with a shampoo that has chelating agents (removes both dirt and mineral build up)

I like to use I like to use Tresemme Cleanse and Replenish Shampoo

4) Herbal rinses keep my scalp healthy and strands glowing

Herbal tea rinses are something I Like to do in between hair washes. So in my second week (post wash) I do a tea rinse with a few drops of ACV.

My favorite combination of herbs for a tea rinse are – Neem leaves, Witch hazel, Stinging Nettle with Green Tea. These herbal combinations have many benefits-

• Strong anti-bacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory actions that helps rid the scalp of buildup, dirt, and dandruff.
• Help to detoxify and balance the scalp PH.
• These herbs also have conditioning and growth stimulating metabolites beneficial to the hair.

5) I Keep my hair hydrated and moisturized with film forming humectants  

After washing my hair or having a herbal tea rinse, I moisturize with a water based conditioning treatment rich in film forming humectants.

Film-forming humectants are from plant gels like Okra or AloeVera. They work by creating a film over your strands to help your hair resist dehydration.

How about remoisturizing mid week, post wash day or while wearing braids?

When my hair is in Braids or protective styles, I avoid cream based conditioners to prevent build up. I rather opt for a water-based leave in product that can easily penetrate my hair while in braids

6) I learnt how to use Oils and Butters-the right way

Many Afro naturals reach for the oils to make their hair softer, but Oil alone cannot moisturize your hair. Slapping in oil because your strands feels dry is a lot like butter without the bread. Oil is just one part of the moisturizing mix.

Moisture/moisturization (factually called conditioning)…

…is a combination of (water) Which hydrates our 4C hair and makes it pliable and easy to work with; Humectants – Which keeps the water in and makes the hair softer and positively charged conditioning ingredients which makes our cuticle lie flat / reduce frizz. Now after our hair has been hydrated with a conditioner containing these ingredients- then we can add oils.

Oil does two things – they can penetrate the hair strands to prevent internal damage i.e. monounsaturated oils like coconut oils, or they can coat the strands and prevent escape of moisture example Grapeseed and Hempseed oil

These sealing oils also reduce surface tension and make the hair glide easily across each other. So, before you reach for the oils, ask yourself- has your hair been hydrated and conditioned? If yes, then we good.

Some Afro naturals have Low porosity thin Hair. Low Porosity hair finds it difficult to absorb water and products. Hair Ingredients accumulate quickly, causing product buildup up that leads to dryness, especially with multiple applications that might be needed in between wash days

The less products added to low porosity hair, the better.

What if there was one product that would Moisturize, Provide styling hold, with sufficient butters / Oils to coat the hair cuticles and prevent Moisture Loss. This means the Low Porosity naturals would need just one product to serve multiple purposes.

7) Trim those split ends or your hair will Keep cutting.

So I had a little experiment with my hair, I parted it into two equal parts from the middle, I trimmed the split ends at the back, and left the front as is. One full year later, I observed my hair at the back is longer than the front. The portion of my hair that received a trim grew at an accelerated rate

What are split ends –?

The tips of your hair are more like the grannies, they have been on your scalp for such a long time going through the process of Styling, combing, heat damage or chemical products. So at some point, they get frayed. lets pretend its the cycle of life, your hair tips are old, so they fray. How often you get split ends depends on how much you style, use heat and your hair care routine basically

Our Afro textured hair are especially prone to split ends due to our spiral hair shafts and epileptically shaped hair follicles. Split ends can’t be repaired, the only reliable way to get rid of them is to cut them off or they will knot around healthy hair causing more damage.

8) Avoid stress when u can.

Stress can actually cause your hair to shed. Research shows that significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase (telogen effluvium). Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing your hair. This explains why cancer patients or Pregnant women experience shedding

Some natural remedies come in handy to restore hair loss caused by stress.

9) – I stopped making hairstyles that put tension my edges.

This includes Updos and tight braids. When worn too often or for too long, hairstyles that put a lot of tension on the scalp can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia.

In the early stages of Traction Alopecia, the hair shows signs of Trichomalacia (thinned out hair). If left untreated the situation develops into scarring Alopecia which just a big word for permanent damage of the hair follicles. The hair at this stage would be unable to grow.

10) I Added protein treatment to my hair routine

I remember one of the days I loosened my braids, after “protective styling”. I noticed clumps and clumps of breakage. I was so hurt, like where did I go wrong?

Research shows that shedding is normal, its part of the hair growth cycle (Exogen/Telogen Phase). But when your hair has Lost Its Elasticity, its Stringy and breaking off like crazy – its a sign that the protein structure of the hair has been compromised. The hair needs a protein treatment containing Amino Acids, to rebuild the Keratin structure of the hair

There are several DIY protein treatments with eggs and avocado, but the challenge is that many of them do not penetrate the hair shaft hence the effects are not long lasting. The solution is to try a hydrolyzed protein treatment like unseasoned Gelatin.

Born2fro hair healing and growth collection uses over 25 potent herbs high in amino acids like cysteine, Lysine, Methionine, Glutamine and Proline. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

Check out our full list of herbs, Here – List of Herbs we formulate with

My hair is growing & thriving, yours’s can too

Disclaimer !

If you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair, talk to your doctor. Sudden hair loss can signal an underlying medical condition that requires treatment. If needed, your doctor might also suggest treatment to heal the disease causing the hair loss