Relaxer Stretch Guide: How To Maintain New Growth

          As women we share one common goal. We all want longer hair! Natural gals have it a bit easier in the hair growth process. For us relaxed girls, however, things get a little more complicated after 6-8weeks. I always found it hard to manage my new growth.  Being a Caribbean girl, I am a mixture of multiple races. My mixture has resulted in me having extremely thick 4B/4C hair (Heck! If 4D were an option I'd place myself in that category).  For many years I couldn't figure out what to do to better manage my new growth. Then one day it hit me like a light bulb moment. New growth is natural hair, natural hair needs moisture, so treat it like natural hair! I have since recently incorporated a few new techniques and even some natural products into my hair regimen to help manage my new growth. It's so simple that I can't even believe I didn't try them sooner.

Apply moisturizing conditioner
Moisture is the most important ingredient on a healthy hair journey. With that said, we have to keep in mind that our new growth, although new and unharmed by chemical, needs to be replenished with moisture as well. Ensure that you're using a moisturizing conditioner and not a protein conditioner. The new growth contains enough protein naturally that has not been broken down by chemicals. Simply section hair, apply conditioner directly to new growth (while conditioning the rest of the hair shaft), and comb through while its wet. The hair becomes softer and less prone to breakage when styling.

Apply moisturizer/ leave in

Personally, I apply leave-in conditioner and moisturizer as in my normal moisturize & seal routine. This may seem like a lot, but I'm pretty sure my hair thanks me every time I do it. You don't need to apply a lot depending on the amount of new growth. I simply section my hair into four and work the products into each section. I follow this up by moisturizing the rest of my hair shaft, combing and sealing the ends. Sometimes, I would apply a cream or curl custard for extra moisture and to elongate the curls. This product also helps in creating a defined braid out style.

Protect the line of demarcation

Apart from moisturizing your new growth, it's super important to protect the line of demarcation. The line of demarcation is where the new growth meets the relaxed hair. This is the most fragile part of the hair. This step is also essential as it helps in length retention. I apply an anti-breakage leave-in conditioner from root to end or from root to line of demarcation.

Hot oil treatment

Hot oil treatments are like the Holy Grail treatment for your hair. Not only does it repair split ends but it also stimulates the scalp to promote hair growth. Thus, it promotes thick and healthy new growth. And who doesn't want that right?  

Use detangler spray

Detangler spray helps so much when that new growth kicks in. Because we're working with two different textures of hair, it becomes a little harder to comb the hair. You just have to be more careful in the detangling process. I don't know how they do it, but detangling sprays just go on the hair and work its magic. Combing through your hair becomes a breeze. Keep in mind that you should be detangling from end to root to remove any possible knots throughout the hair shaft.

By using these tips, I've seen a tremendous improvement in the manageability of my hair. It's easier to comb and style. The comb simply glides through from root to end (after carefully detangling). I also experience much less breakage from the root. Happy to say I'm on the right track in my healthy hair journey. I guess the next step is length retention...


Til Next Time. Xoxo, Shanz

STORY TIME: Inversion Method FAIL

       Like most women out there, if not all, I want longer hair. And I want it Now! Realistically, I know that's not possible because my hair grows about half an inch every two months. Since I never remember to take my vitamins, hair vitamins like Biotin was out of the question. Therefore, I decided the next best option would be the inversion method. I had been interested in this method for a couple years but never got around to trying it. It's fast and easy and claims to bring guaranteed results of an inch of growth in just 7 days.  So I did my research, watched tons of YouTube videos and when I got the gist of it, eventually tried it. I used pure, unrefined coconut oil to massage into my scalp for about 1-2 minutes. After this, I flipped my head over and held this position for exactly 4 minutes as recommended. I timed it to ensure that I didn't cross the time limit (as that can have harmful effects). Then, I slowly rose up and went about my day. This process was repeated for 7 days consecutively. 

When I tried the inversion method I was already 11 weeks post relaxer and had an inch of new growth. I had hoped that the extra inch of growth would give a decent increase in length at my next relaxer (which I planned to be in week 15). On the 7th day of the treatment, I followed the same procedure and waited until day 8 to properly check the results. Upon washing my hair on the 8th day I discovered, to my dismay, that I had no more than the growth of 11 weeks post relaxer. I measured with a ruler and even sent pictures to a friend but both proved I still only had 1 inch of new growth. I was quite disappointed since I had such faith in the method. It has been 2 weeks now since I attempted the inversion method. My hair has grown an extra half inch, however I cannot confirm if it was due to that. Typically, those who have done the inversion method saw the results of an inch of growth by the final day. Determined to know where I fell short, I considered my possible limitations (a step to which I thank my years of writing lab reports). 

First of all, I critiqued the action of flipping over my head. Some days I would just bend my head down (as if in deep prayer), whereas other days I'd sit at the edge of the bed and completely bend over. The success of this method weighs heavily on the ability of the blood to flow toward the scalp. Therefore, I recommend properly "inverting" your head to ensure proper blood flow to the scalp. Secondly, the oil was not heated prior to application. I'll admit I overlooked this step during my research as the massage should help warm the oil on the scalp. Also, some videos I watched did not specify the need to heat the oil. However, I highly recommend doing so as the warm oil helps promote hair growth by penetrating the scalp (as experienced by hot oil treatments). Lastly, the massage technique has great influence on the effects of this method. Because my scalp tends to be quite itchy, I sometimes unconsciously substituted gentle massaging with light scratching (and that's a big No-No!)There are many videos online on how to properly massage the scalp so I recommend checking them out before attempting this method. 

Although the inversion method was unsuccessful for me, I would like to try it again. Because I have seen positive results on others, I want to improve on my mistakes in attempt to achieve similar results. I do plan to do a relaxer pretty soon so I would have to wait about a month to try this method again. If you plan on doing the inversion method, please consider all the steps carefully. Unlike my experience, I hope it works out well for you. 

Til Next Time. Xoxo, Shanz