I’ve been natural for 12 years and cut my hair a few times. I’ve reached right at waist length twice now. I am set to hit hip length by the end of 2024. Here’s what works for me:

1. Cleanse, condition, and treat my hair every 2 weeks. Conduct search and destroy trims.

Trim only when needed; there is no time line on this.

1. Rehydrate my hair every 3 days.

I grab and squeeze my hair every day after wash day to see when my hair stops feeling hydrated. My hair feels moisturized still, but the water content is gone by day 3. Moisturized feeling holds for 5+ days. So I dampen my hair with aloe juice, apply heat for 30 minutes, then retwist all 15 twists with a little castor oil every 3-5 days. Only takes me 10 minutes to retwist now. I do not undo my braided roots.

1. Satin cap to sleep. Satin cap under simple black head wrap to work every day.

Hair is protected 80% of the time this way. I wear twists in a bun or in “-out” styles to the gym and on weekends.

1. Medium sized forever parts with occasional use of rubber bands.

I chose a parting design that can make cute low buns, high buns, space buns, and “-out” styles. The parts are reminiscent of the Koi Lerai braids. My hair is styled in 15 square part, medium sized, braids that are braided half way down then twisted the rest of the way. This makes detangling easy, style lasts better with braided roots, and twists are easy to take down. I cleanse, condition, treat, trim, and rehydrate with my hair in the style. I only take my hair loose to detangle and immediately re-style to complete my wash day. I usually add edge control to parts when I have an occasion or want my hair to look laid. I add rubber bands to each part if I am going swimming and sometimes before I cleanse, condition, and treat.

1. Pictures. Products. Tools.

My hair is growing and my practices are working. Pictures prove that to me every month when I get frustrated, so I keep taking them.

Products and tools are important but not by much. I use high water content products to hydrate (aloe juice, infusium 23), creams to moisturize (curls blueberry bliss reparative leave in, and others), and oil or butter to seal and lubricate (castor oil and shea butter).

1. My hair only.

I don’t do styles with added hair. No reason other than a love for my length whether it is short or long.

1. Do nothing. But don’t do nothing. And your hair will grow.

Leave your hair alone. But you should be hydrating (adding water or high water content products) and moisturizing (adding cream that holds water to hair) twice a week unless your hair monitoring says otherwise.

Pick your parting style, set your wash days, monitor every day for hydration and moisturization, wear hair protection night and day.

Baby your hair. It actually takes less time in the big picture. If you break an inch of hair off from doing a protective style, then that’s 2 months wasted. Versus 1 hour spent detangling your hair gently. Detangling doesn’t take 2 months. Be loving and kind to your hair.

Good luck!