Dear Ma’Mocha,
I’ve been natural for about 8 months now. At first, my natural hair was growing great after my big chop. It was healthy and it was just doing really, really well. However, recently, I have begun noticing that my hair is starting to break off and it is also very dry. Lately, since my hair has grown longer, I have been doing more two-strand twist sets; whereas before, when my hair was shorter, I did more wash and go styles. I really want my hair to grow longer, be moisturized, and stop breaking. Help me!!!
Tianna
Hey Tianna,
So sorry to hear about your dilemma. The good news is though that the issue can definitely be fixed! Many times as our hair grows longer, we think it requires a new set of rules just because we have obtained a bit more length. However, this is NOT always the case! Oftentimes it is best to keep doing what we’ve been doing up to this point because after all, whatever we’ve been doing has actually gotten us to this point. Hope that made sense 
In other words, examine what has changed in your hair routine. You mentioned that you began two strand twisting your hair as opposed to wash and go styling. This may be one of the reasons you are dealing with dry hair. Generally when we wear wash and go styles, we are moisturizing our hair more often then when we wear other styles. This constant moisture keeps our hair soft and supple as well as healthy. When we cut down on the amount of daily moisture we give our hair, we will start to see and feel a difference. It’s just like drinking water. If we drink lots of it, we will just feel better, our skin will look better, we will feel more internally hydrated, have more energy, be more regular…just all kinds of good stuff. However, if we were to dramatically stop drinking the amount of water our bodies need on a daily basis, we would definitely feel a difference. Likewise, our hair needs constant moisture so always remember to moisturize your hair daily! Do this morning and night regardless of the style it’s in, if you are dealing with extreme dryness. And make sure you are moisturizing with an all natural water-based moisturizer that will really get in there and go to work for you. This could be a light spray leave-in conditioner or it could be a creamier leave-in moisturizer. Whatever the case use it daily and focus on applying it to your hair’s ends especially! To follow that up, make sure you seal the moisture in with a great natural hair oil as well. Believe me, it really makes a difference!
You may also want to consider HOW you are handling your hair while styling. Now that you are twisting your hair more, make sure you handle your hair with extreme care. I don’t mean massaging it strand-by-strand (really who has time for that?) but rather I mean not attacking it. Take your time when detangling your natural hair and use either your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to do the job. Also when sectioning your hair off for twisting, make sure the clips you use are curl friendly and not pulling and snagging hairs out of your scalp. Be aware of your own hands while twisting as well. Make sure you don’t have any hangnails that are wreaking damage.
Another point to remember in regards to minimizing breakage is to make sure your hair is being strengthened regularly. This start on the inside. Make sure your diet contains good sources of protein and also foods that are high in amino acids. This is important because our hair is made up of at least 19 different amino acids joined together. A really good seasoning that I use quite often is Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. It tastes like soy sauce but better. It also has A TON of amino acids in it. You can use it as a seasoning over breakfast foods, lunch, dinner, you can even use it in smoothies! It’s really good!
You can also focus on strengthening your hair from the outside too. This can be done by deep conditioning your hair at least once a week with an all natural moisturizing conditioning treatment. If you are having severe breakage, use a conditioner that is high in protein and then follow it up with a moisturizing treatment. Do this protein treatment every other week until you notice a decrease in breakage and shedding and then just use it once a month for maintenance.
By remembering to :
- Moisturize your hair daily
- Seal the moisture in with a natural oil
- Handle your hair with care
- Strengthen your hair from the inside and outside
you can help your hair to stop breaking, stay moisturized, and retain length!
If you have any natural hair questions you would like answered by our Professional Team of stylists at Ma’Mocha Naturals then please feel free to email us at DearMaMocha@MaMochaNaturals.com.
Also if you have anything to add that you feel like would be of assistance to Tianna and her hair then please share your comments. Thanks!
