HOW TO RETAIN LENGTH: LONGER NATURAL HAIR IN ONE YEAR IS YOUR HAIR LONGER AT THE END OF THE YEAR COMPARED TO THE BEGINNING? NO
YES
Are you happy with the length gain taking into account any trims & cuts?
YES
Did you intentionally cut your hair? NO
NO
YES
Did you heat treat or dye your hair? NO
STATUS QUO
YES
Keep doing what you are doing, it works! Rev isit this chart if you experience a stagnant phase .
DRY HAIR SOLUTIONS Heat/hair dye use can reduce the amount of water within hair. This may make hair dry and break even under low stress. Solutions: 1. Reduce /eliminate heat and hair dye. 2. Extra v igilance on hair feeling dry. 3. Customise a regular
moisturising routine. 4. Protein treatments. 5. Select minimal stress styles as hair is prone to breaking.
DETANGLING BREAKAGE SOLUTIONS Do you normally see a lot of hair (shed & breakage) during detangling? NO
YES
Do you normally see a lot of hair (shed & breakage) when styling, i.e creating or taking down a style? NO
YES
Do you regularly see knots, split ends or mid-shaft splits? NO
YES
Has this chart guided you to at least one solution (green box)? YES
NO
As a first step, disregard whether the hair you see during detangling is breakage or shed hair and just aim to reduce loss of hair in general. Solutions: 1. Pre-oil hair before detangling/washing. 2. Wash hair in loose braids or use section clips to control tangling and shrinking. 3. Detangle with the method that yields the least hair loss e.g. fingers first then a wide tooth comb and finally a brush or smaller comb. 4. Skip unnecessary detangling steps with the aim of using as few tools as possible.
STYLING BREAKAGE SOLUTIONS During styling, hair can be repeatedly combed and tugged making it a point of high manipulation with hair vulnerable to breakage Solutions: 1. Select a style that gives you the overall least manipulation time from start to finish. 2. Curls that clump can be protective, IF, the effort required to achieve clumping is low. 3. Increase flexibility of hair at braid/twist take down by washing/conditioning it 1-2 days prior. 4. Add slip during take down by applying an excess amount of oil or butter to the tips of hair.
SPLIT ENDS SOLUTIONS Some people have hair that can knot easily or split easily even with the best of care. In order to gain length, hair splitting has to be controlled. Solutions: 1. Strategic trimming - pick one method and one frequency of cutting and stick with it. 2. Dusting or search and destroy once a month. 3. Do not cut off more than an inch over 4 months unless hair is stagnant for a prolonged time. 4. For mid-shaft splits, reduce comb/brush strokes when detangling or finger detangle only. 5. Select tucked in styles to protect hair ends.
THE GENTLE ALL THE TIME SOLUTION There is no immediately identifiable unique reason or sets of reasons as to why you may not be gaining length. Solutions: 1. For the coming year, set a realistic goal e.g. a length gain 3 - 4 inches allowing for length loss due to regular trims. 2. Follow all the solutions (all green boxes) listed above to maximise your potential to gain length by being gentle to your hair all the time. Refer to the solution or solutions that you received as it/they directly addresses your potential stumbling block.