Grow African Hair Long GAHL: EVELYN

Who are you? Take a second to think about how you would answer this question.

Did you just think of your profession, marital status, responsibilities and so on? Well you are not the only one who thought along those lines. Faced with this question most people go like well, I am Kenyan, I am a mother, I am a wife, and I am a nurse and so on. But these really are things we do and responsibilities we have in life but they are not who we are. Society today places so much value on profession that those who do not have a recognisable profession seem to be referred to as nobodies. Ever heard of someone refer to themselves as being nobody? That is just so heartbreaking isn’t it? Because everybody is somebody! At the same time there are those who have achieved it all but they are still lost, full of anxiety and depressed. They are on constant search to find out who they really are and unfortunately most people have no idea where to go to find themselves. Many end up in unfulfilling relationships, drugs and alcohol, depression, low self esteem and other psychological problems.

You have been placed where you are for a reason and your father in heaven is the only one who knows for which purpose he created you. You are one of a kind, special in every way possible. Let God download your instruction manual to you by getting to know His heart for you. Have you ever had those moments where you had bought a gadget which seemed to be working well and then suddenly it didn’t? At these moments I tend to either look for the instruction manual on how to use the gadget by the gadget’s maker or I Google to find out what other people have already found out from the manufacturer. The same applies to you and God.

In the book of Matthew 16: 16-19 Jesus has a conversation with his disciples and asks them who do people say that he was? The disciples start giving all sorts of answers until Simon Peter speaks up and says “You are the Christ the son of the living God” Jesus blesses him and tells him that God the father had revealed that to him. Here comes my favourite part. Vs 18 Jesus says to Peter “And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” When you know who Jesus is He will tell you who you are and this is what we should strive to listen to. So the first step to knowing who you are is to know Jesus. The second step is to refuse to listen to what people say abut you if it is not in line with what God says about you. Never repeat any negative things that people say about you because words have power to create. Instead take this tip from Apostle Paul if something is NOT true, noble, just, pure, and lovely, of good report, virtuous or praiseworthy then don’t think about it. Philippians 4:8.

Lastly spend time with God and He will show you who you are and I promise you will love it. Next week I will share on how I spend time with God. Be sure to check out the post.

Do you want to know Jesus and you would like Him to show you who you are, then please contact me: growafricanhairlong@googlemail.com I would love to pray with you.

Stay blessed!

Joanne.

It has been about three months post my Big chop (on 14th March) at about 16months post relaxer.

I have been so silent trying to take it all in,trying to understand my new mane.

First thing first! I am definitely in love with my tresses. Some hair journey processes have been simplified big time! Detangling for instance, has become such a breeze! As long as its wet and saturated with conditioner or shampoo my Wide toothed comb just glides through. It literally takes less than 20 minutes to detangle my entire head in about 6 sections.
Detangling my hair was a real struggle while i was transitioning.

I have gone through emotions though and I have to admit that it has not been all rosy. Patience is one thing i have had to learn.

At times my Dear. Hubby goes like "your hair..are you going to straighten it for church tomorrow or something? "It takes a while for them to understand the whole reason behind it!

There are times I have felt like going back to the relaxing but at such times Joanne has always been my voice of reason. Reminding me why I went natural in the first place! I think new naturals all need such a person to hold their hand!Thanks Sis..

Initially I was trying to make my hair as sleek as possible for the office and that was where I went wrong. I was getting so frustrated. I was meant to understand Natural hair acts nothing like relaxed hair therefore they should never be treated alike. So, I embraced the fact that my natural hair does not lie flat neither will I try to do my hair each morning before leaving the house. It is just how it is.

I have learnt that less manipulation will always make life easier for anyone with natural hair and its exactly where I am at right now. I am wearing a high puff right now and chunky twists have become my signature style for the past several weeks. I wash, condition and style on Sunday evenings and wear the same hairstyle for 1-2weeks before re-doing/re-thinking.

There's so much to say...postpartum shedding,losing my hairline while breastfeeding,trying out regimens that will work for my life style and just going through all this new HHJ!(Healthy Hair Journey!)

I am very excited to share this journey with you and hope that you will drop by for the upcoming posts.

Have you just started your natural hair journey? what challenges are you facing with your hair? I would really love to hear from you.

Stay blessed!
Evelyn

How do you retain length? I get this question a lot but sometimes I realize that some ladies get disappointment at my answers because they expect some miracle working product. For me there is no miracle product, no miracle oils, pills or anything of the sort. Healthy hair is possible for everyone and with the right hair practices everyone can achieve healthy hair and healthy hair looks good no matter what length it is. If you are just starting your hair journey, then i encourage you to focus on health first and when you are happy with the health of the hair then start focusing on length retention. below are a few tips that have really helped me to keep my hair healthy and to retain length.

Protective style- high bun on flat ironed hair :)

Water your hair- Contrary to what we have grown up hearing and believing, water does not damage your hair it is actually very good for it because your hair needs moisture to thrive. Our hair is naturally dry and hair that is dry will break. You add water to your hair by either washing it or moisturizing it using a water based moisturizer. To add moisture to my hair I wash it once a week add a moisturizer(water) then seal in the moisture with an oil(Coconut oil) and then a butter(Raw Shea butter)
Be Gentle- Your hair is not as tough as you think. it just looks tough but african hair is actually the most fragile of all hair types. It helps to do your hair only when you have time. never start doing your hair when you have a commitment a few hours later. take your time to do your hair in small sections. The less breakage you have the more length you retain.
Low Manipulation- Did you know that you do not have to comb your hair everyday even if it is open? yes you can. This is one of my most important tips when it comes to retaining length and getting healthy hair altogether but it takes practice. Find ways to leave your hair alone. Like i said earlier I wash my hair once a week and on these wash days i already decide what hairstyle i will wear for the whole week. I then don´t mess around with my hair for the whole time, I just make sure that my edges look good and that is it. Depending on how you like to style your hair protective styling may be a better solution to low manipulation.
Protective styles- These are hairstyles that keep your hair hidden, these include braids, weaves, wigs, cornrows e.t.c you just need to be careful that these are not done too tight. and most importantly never forget to moisturize your hair even when they are in a protective style. I usually moisten (Not wet) my braids twice a week with water and then I apply oil onto them to keep them moisturised. Remember dry hair breaks.
Patience- It takes time to grow hair, take your time to find out what your hair likes this will really help you to know what it needs. I for instance had to learn that wash and goes look great on my hair but the tangles I get from rocking a wash and go are something else. So i hardly do wash and go´s. a hair journey is a learning process. please do not give up or give excuses. I have heard so many women say "well you know you have that good hair" for me there is no such thing. all hair is beautiful it is just different.
Avoid Comparisons- Just like you are unique, your hair is also very unique to you. I have been looking all over you tube to find someone who has hair like mine or a hair twin as the hair bloggers call them, but most of the time there are similarities but i haven´t found an identical twin. What i am trying to say is accept your own hair as it is, love it, nurture it and you will be surprised.
A Hair care routine does not need to be too complicated- I know how overwhelming it can be at first. don´t be carried away to buy a million products just because you saw someone else use them and get great results.There are so many good products in the market you just need to know how to pick them out.
Lastly pray to God to give you the kind of hair you want and guide you in your hair decisions. I pray about everything in my life, so why not my hair ;)

Relaxed ladies: While I was still relaxed my hair needed both moisture and protein. so I mixed a moisture and protein conditioner every week for my washes. Relaxed hair has been chemically altered and it needs more conditioning than natural hair.
If you would like a post on a sample hair care routine for relaxed/ texlaxed hair please comment below.
Natural Ladies: Unless your natural hair has been damaged by heat or color you will need less protein and a lot more moisture. A post on my current natural hair regimen is coming soon :)
Transitioning Ladies: I have already shared my tips on transitioning here My tips on transitioning to natural
I gathered all those tips from experience all through my transition.

There is still more to share but I don´t want this post to be too long. So the rest is carried forward. If you have any questions or if there is an issue you are having with your own hair please comment below and I will address it.

Thanks for reading and God bless you!
Joanne.

Hi ladies, i know that i have been gone for a long time but i´m glad to share with you my hair journey update. I relaxed my hair last week and i´m quite happy with the results. My ends have really improved after i declared war against split ends and gave myself a good trim a few months ago.
Since i got my relaxer done at a salon this time round, i asked my stylist to dust my ends for me and she did a good job :-) here is what my hair looks like now.
by the way i´m wearing my home made length shirt ;-)

please excuse me for sleeping lol!

As i have mentioned above i experienced a setback due to not trimming my ends regularly this led to my ends looking horrrible it was a disaster for me because i was so focused on retaining length. Now i know that both go hand in hand, after every relaxer i will be dusting my ends to maintain them. Here is a comparisson of what my ends looked like a few months ago and what they look like now.

My hair is just a little past APL but i´m ok with that, now that my ends are looking good i´m sure i will be retaining length.
All in all i am very pleased with my progress i remember starting my hair journey with barely shoulder length hair, since starting this journey i have seen a great difference in my hair not only in length but also in health. my hair is always soft, something i never thought would be possible because my hair is naturally very coarse. Daily moisturising and sealing have saved my hair! check out my hair care routine here evelyn´s hair care routine.

now i am more convinced than Ever that African hair can grow long, with a simple working regimen we can all achieve that great hair we have always wanted.

here you can see what an evolution my hair has made.

Ladies if you haven´t started a healthy hair journey yet please think about starting one, if you have been hiding your real hair underneath weaves, wigs and braids because it is simply damaged or you don´t know what to do with it, then a hair journey is definitely for you.

weaves and braids should be an option for our hair to change up styles if we feel like but our real crown of glory should always be healthy no matter what length it is. So give your hair a chance, give yourself sometime to get to know what your hair needs and likes and in no time you should be on your way to getting lovely healthy hair which you can protect with weaves and braids too.

Want to start a healthy hair journey and you don´t know where to start? here are a few links that will help you out:

Is this hair journey thing for me?

growing african hair healtheir and longer

Have any questions or hair issues post them on our newbie corner, Gahl facebook page or simply leave a comment here.
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join us today and Let us grow some healthy long african hair together!

Thanks for reading!

Evelyn.