Of course it does, all hair grows unless one has a medical condition leading to hair not growing. A good example to prove that hair really grows is for ladies who use relaxers. how do you know when to get a re-touch? Simple: the new hair that grows in is the new growth and needs to be straightened so that it looks like the rest of the hair. If the hair never grew you would never need a re-touch.
 If you want to grow you hair long you have to care for the hair that has already grown out of your scalp. This is the only way you can retain length and grow your hair longer. Here are some of the mistakes we make when it comes to caring for our hair.

       1. Not washing your hair and scalp regularly
For the scalp to produce hair like it should. It needs to be clean and moist. this can be achieved by regular  washing and conditioning at  least  once a week and not more than 2 weeks. i have heard of people who have cured their itchy scalp issues just by washing their scalp regularly. By the way drinking enough water will also ensure that your scalp stay moist.

       2. Using grease on the scalp & hair
For some people using grease on their hair is not a problem but for the majority it is. a good example of grease is Vaseline. These products tend to clog the scalp pores and do not allow the scalp to breathe. this reduces the normal rate at which the hair should actually grow.  Grease applied to the hair shaft coats the hair and this means that no other hair products can be absorbed by the hair as long as the grease is still there. opt for lighter oils such as coconut, sunflower, jojoba e.t.c

3. Misusing protective styles.
Protective styless such as braids, weaves & wigs can be a great way to retain length but only if the hair underneath is well cared for. However most ladies tend to forget all about their real hair when they have these styles on. Either the styles are left in for far too long or the hair underneath is left not cared for or even washed for a very long time. This causes a lot of breakage.

4. Too much heat.
This is one of the major causes of damage to any kind of hair whether natural or relaxed. All heat is bad but some forms of heat  cause much more damage than others. Avoid using direct heat on your hair e.g blow driers, curling irons, flat irons, hot combs e.t.c and if you have to use them please do this on very low settings. Safer forms of heat are hooded driers and the safest of them all is air drying your hair.

5. Misconception that African hair is strong.
African hair tends to look really strong and tough but in the real sense it is the most fragile of all races. When not well cared for it breaks very fast. This is why most women tend to have hair that is always the same length or even shorter. Even hair that has not been chemically treated is fragile and need to be cared for. Both kinds of hair need lots of moisture and proper styling techniques in order to grow healthy and long.

6. Misconception that there is a product that grows hair faster.
Good products will help you maintain your hair and retain your length, but there are no products out there no matter how much they cost or have been publicized that can actually make your hair grow faster than it should. There are medications that can help hair grow back and will still support the normal growth rate. Come to think of it if there was such a product we would all have hair down our backs without worrying how to grow it long.

7. Misusing hair products.
Avoid using certain products just because someone else is using them and praises them. We have different hair types and that´s why we can´t all use the same products. Find somebody whose hair texture looks like yours and maybe then it might work if you use the same products. But it is your duty to try out products and find out which ones actually work for your hair and you absolutely like.

8. Overlapping and over processing hair with relaxers
Overlapping is applying relaxer to already relaxed hair whereas over processing is leaving the relaxer in your hair for far too long. For those who relax their hair it is very important to read and literally implement the instructions on the box. If it says the relaxer should only be in for 10 minutes then you should not exceed that time. The reason is simple if you leave the relaxer on for too long it completely breaks down your hair and leaves it completely straight with no strength whatsoever. This means that your hair will look very thin and it will break off very fast since it is very weak. In the worst case relaxers can dissolve the hair. So be careful with relaxers. Another issue about relaxers it doesn´t have to burn for you to wash it out. You actually shouldn´t burn at all when the relaxer is applied correctly.
Scenario: Terry gets a relaxer every 6 weeks, she applies relaxer to all her hair every time she relaxes. As a result, terry´s ends look chewed up, her hair is very thin and it doesn´t gain any length because it keeps breaking.
Advice: Terry should wait at least 8 weeks to get a relaxer and she should apply the relaxer only to the roots/ new growth!!! this is very important or else she´ll keep losing hair.

9. braiding & styling too tight
All hairstyles should never be done too tight because this literally pulls hair from your scalp and this could lead to alopecia which could be serious. When hair is pulled out from the scalp it could sometimes take years to grow back. The most affected areas are the hairline, nape & edges. I have seen women who are ashamed to even show their own hair because of the damaged caused by weaves & braids.

10. Get to know your hair
Don´t leave all the work to your stylist, take your time to learn a little bit about your own hair remember that only you can care for your hair everyday. The stylist only once in a while. Learn to take care of your own hair at home. It is the small things that really count. Things like knowing that your hair is fragile and therefore you need to comb it with a wide toothed comb and gently will really make a difference in maintaining the health of your hair.

Everyone can have healthy hair, and healthy hair is attractive whether it is long or short, natural or relaxed it´s now your turn to get your dream hair. For those who want to grow their hair long, hair only grows at about half an inch per month(average rate) some of us get more than this and some a little less, so this means that growing hair takes time and therefore you will need to be patient and diligent as your hair grows.

The sides Dec 2011

Sides Comparison September 2011 After more than 1 inch trim

Finally I have been able to upload pics of my Dec relaxer.I am really happy about my progress.I have put pictures on the right just for comparison.I took those after a Trim in September 13th 2011....
 

Length check Dec 2011

September 2011 After more than 1 inch trim

After my last relaxer i realised that my ends just weren´t in good condition.

How do you know that your ends are not in good condition? well it´s quite easy , the ends of your hair are the oldest parts of your hair. and due to manual or other kinds of manipulation they are likely to wear off at some point, sometimes they just get damaged because they are too old.


Ponytail after the trim.

When you find that your ends do not look good even when your hair is straightened with heat, or if your comb keeps getting stuck at the ends and causing breakage. then you know that those ends need to be cut off. that´s how mine looked. even after flat ironing i still did not like how they looked. so i decided to trim them off. i kept trimming until i was satisfied with the ends at the end i lost at least and inch and a half but it was worth it. .


NOTE: Always use a nice sharp pair of scissors when trimming or dusting your hair. get yourself a pair of scissors for your hair only. when hair is cut with a blunt pair of scissors it may end up getting split again shortly afterwards.