Get Height: How to maintain your afro's real length - November 1, 2013

HAPPY NOVEMBER EVERYONE!

I hope the cool air is treating you well and I also hope Halloween was enjoyable. I'm still getting used to the chill winds here in the Northwest Territories but it definitely isn't as bad as I make it seem. My hair is also in great condition, nice and soft. One downfall is that I'm lazy and haven't detangled it since I've been here. How am I maintaining and protecting my hair in this cold weather? I am conditioning more than shampooing which is a must for curly girls! I have conditioned my hair three times since I've been here and have only shampooed my hair once. I make sure to moisturize with my hair butter and/or oil every few days in the morning or at night. I sleep on a silk pillowcase and wear my hat if it's really cold out. I also try VERY hard not to rip out the knots. It's not rocket science at all, just simple hair care!

This entry, however, is about my new discovery! HEIGHT and how to maintain it! We all know how horrid shrinkage is and we all wish we could combat it through the Teeny Weeny Afro and the Awkward Length stages. My hair is about shoulder length when stretched but it shrivels up to an afro once it dries. Here is the routine I created yesterday to get my afro to stay big even after my hair dried. You can do this on wet hair or freshly washed hair.

Wet or shampoo/condition hair.
Apply leave-in conditioner, hair butter or oil all over hair.
Rake product through hair gently to evenly distribute product and stretch curls.
Gently stretch hair and aim the blow dryer at the roots. Do this all over hair to help stretch the hair and keep the height.

This technique works great because by finger combing and stretching the roots, you've also detangled them. The next morning, you will find it easy to finger comb your hair and get a bigger afro as well because your roots are soft and detangled.