Most of us think that our hair doesn't grow or it grew and stopped but that is really not the case. Hair grows and for most people(human beings) at an average of 0.5 inches per month. 

The reason why we do not see a significant difference in the length of our hair is because of poor hair care practices that make our hair break faster than it grows. 

Proof that hair grows(for those who do braids with extensions it's easy to see that the braids get looser at the roots, that's not the braid getting loose it is your hair growing) the same thing applies to colored hair and relaxed hair because you can literally track how fast your hair grows.

Now that we know that hair grows we need to learn how to keep that growth. A good place to start is to understand that the ends of your hair are the oldest, weakest and at the same time what you need to pay most attention to if your aim is to retain length. The ends of your hair are your length, the longer you keep them on your head the longer your hair will grow.

Here is how to keep your ends healthy for length retention.

If your aim is to retain length you shouldn't over trim your ends but you should make sure that they are always in good shape. Trimming off 1/4 of an inch every 4 months is reasonable. But if you don't need a trim don't trim.

Do not wait for your ends to dry out in order to moisturize them. Make it a habit to keep them moisturized (at least every two days) 

After moisturizing please seal in the moisture with an oil or butter.

Wearing your hair in a shrunken state causes too much tangling and  knotting which eventually leads to breakage. 

  If you watched enough YouTube videos about natural hair journeys, you probably know how psyched you get right after seeing the natural hair beautys looking good with curly hair and perfect twist outs.
     That being said, I have to admit that I have been having some issues with my hair ever since I  reached the "in between, in between stage".​ The what?? - Yes, the in between in between.
    This is a stage where your hair is not short enough to be a TWA* anymore , not medium enough to be in the real "in between ​stage" and  far from being "hairbandable"*
   The thing with stage is that, a lot of times, it costs  patience and nerves, so if you aren't there yet, let me alert you on some of the problems I have been having recently and probably some solutions too.

1. Minimal style alternatives: Because with this kind of length there is just not much that can be done. Wash an Go's are perfect if you live in areas with the kind of humidity that favors you hair. Solution,Twist outs are also great if you have the time for it. If you don't have the above mentioned time and climate like I, protective styles like cornrows and braids can come in handy.
   
2.  Desperate moments: I'm learning the hard way that it is actually wise to always have a nice quality wig somewhere nicely stored because now that it's obvious that this stage needs time and commitment, which maybe most people like me don't really have, there will be moments where desperation will then kick in. This will be pushed up a notch if braids and cornrows are your saviors but then you hair stylists cancels on you and you only have one day of the week off! (True story). Solution, Hair accessories could come in handy here  in the absence of a wig.
   
3. Regrets: Remember how I mentioned that excitement and psyche you get after watching natural hair inspiration videos and pictures, so then you get all motivated and do the BC. Yeah, chances are, you just might actually have some moments of regrets here and there, especially if you have pictures of your previous hair around or cannot do that style you loved so much. Solution, Just remember the main reason why you BC, it might have been symbolic for something important in your life, new beginnings, fresh start e.t.c Take yourself back to that place and remember that it's hair and it will grow.
4. Impatience: Hair has it's natural way of growth and in this stage, that might be too slow for you. Remember, it will grow at it's own pace. Solution, do is your part, eat right, get some sleep, work out, drink plenty of water because the inner body regime is just as important for hair growth.
   
5. Revelation: After all is said done, it is at this stage that I feel most people really get to know just how ready they are to commit to a hair journey. As much as it is annoying, it can be a learning process to experiment on what works for you and what fits your personal lifestyle and character. Whatever decision made at this stage should be sorely personal because now you have had the revelation that everyones hair is different even if the texture matches. What you watch, read and see on social medias and blogs are mere ideas and guidelines but every journey is different and you should make yours one that works for just you and only you.

                                                               It's always a Pleasure,
                                                                            Zipporah.​​


*TWA= teeny weeny Afro
*Hairbandable= a word Joanne and I came up with for hair long enough to be tied with a hairband.​​

This is Gahl's First Hair Inspiration feature for 2014!
ladies meet Joyce of the blog Hairjunkie2011  

Apart from having gorgeous hair, Joyce is a passionate blogger who shares a lot about all she does to her hair on her Blog. I have literally watched Joyce’s hair grow longer and longer over the last two years since she joined our website. Ladies she is a true inspiration and her story just shows how possible it is to grow African hair healthier and longer whether relaxed or natural. Her hair looks beautiful and healthy. 
If you would like to find out more about her Hair please visit her blog or view her profile on the Gahl website
If you have missed out on older Hair inspiration features please click Here to find them


1. Are you relaxed or Natural?
Relaxed. Been relaxed for 2 years 8 days today - since 16th February 2012. Yep, I remember the date :D

2. What is your hair type? Describe your curl pattern.
I have type 3c/4a hair...or so I've been told. Am not too keen on hair typing. In some places my hair has curls/coils and in others it takes on an s-shape/wave.

3. What was your starting length and what is your current one? And what inspired you to start a Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ) and when was it?
I started my healthy hair journey on the 1st of November 2011 with  collar-bone/shoulder length hair. Right now am at full APL. I believe I was a BSL before trimming my hair a week ago.
What inspired me? I had been trying to restore the health of my hair well before I discovered the 'hair journey world'. When I saw black women growing long healthy hair, I decided to kick things up a notch and start a hair journey.

4. How easy was getting into a regimen, knowing the right products etc? what´s your regimen?
I'd say it was easy for me because earlier that year (2011) I had already started doing my own hair at home (i just wasn't serious about it). Come November, i knew which products i would need on my hj. I had also done a lot of research on healthy hair care so that came in handy.
As for my hair regimen, it changes quite often depending on my lifestyle at the time. I try to keep it simple though. Currently, i moisturize and seal my hair daily. Once a week I do an oil prepoo (A before shampoo treatment), a shampoo wash and a deep conditioning treatment. Once a month I do a henna treatment. I self-relax my hair every 3-4 months. I also cowash my hair as needed (because I workout and need to get rid of all the sweat buildup thereby refreshing my scalp and hair).

5. Is this ‘regimen thing’ complicated?
No. It shouldn't be. Just find products that work great for you, set aside some time to do your hair and follow a working regimen. Don't do too much. And be consistent!

6. How soon into your Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ) did you start seeing results?
2 months into my hair journey I noticed that my new growth was coming in differently (use of oils I guess). As stated earlier, I had been taking care of my hair prior to my hair journey so there wasn't much difference in health. 6 months in, I noticed significant length retention and thickness.

7. How long has it taken you to reach your current length?
2 years 4 months, with 4 trims in between. During my last trim I clipped off more hair than usual. 

8.  Do you think what you achieved would be possible without learning the Proper techniques necessary to grow African hair long?
No. Before I learnt about healthy hair care, I never used to deep condition my hair, or do oil prepoos, trims, henna/protein treatments, detangle gently, use heat protectant,...all that. There was even a time I used to shampoo daily!

9.  Do you believe anyone who adapts the correct techniques can grow fabulous hair or is there such a thing as bad hair?
Everyone can grow healthy hair if they choose to, unless of course they have a medical condition hindering that or something of the sort. There is no such thing as bad hair, you just need to understand YOUR hair and know what it needs.

10.  How many people have been inspired by the length you have gained and decided to start a Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ)?
I don't have a definite number :) i have received a few emails and comments on my blog from people who have been inspired by the progress I've made. 

11.  What is the most heart-felt advice you would give to other African ladies thinking about but not so sure about starting a Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ)?
Go for it and discover your hairs' potential! Everybody's hair is different so just be patient and follow a working regimen consistently and you will be amazed by the results. You don't even need to spend a lot of money on products - expensive doesn't always mean better. It doesn't matter if your hair is natural, texlaxed, relaxed, colour-treated...it can grow to be healthy and long if that's what you want. You just have to put in the work.

12. What would you advice a Newbie NOT to do?
Don't focus too much on getting long hair. Get it healthy first and the length will surely follow. Remember, health over length. And you really don't need to be popping pills and using all sorts of hair growth aids (in my opinion). Keep it simple, sounds clichè but it works!
13.  So are you hoping to grow your hair to ankle length? what are your short term and long term goals?
Ankle length? No way :) My short term goal is full BSL (Bra strap length) by the end of this year (2014)
I plan to grow my hair to waist-length (WL) though am not entirely sure I'll want to keep it at that length. Who knows? We'll see when the time comes.

61 weeks of new growth at the back

Top: braids, curled at the bottom with perm rods.  Bottom: Braid out and major shrinkage

Dear Gahl Readers,

Hey there, I have not  blogged in quite a while, even though I have been meaning to do so for quite some time now. But i am here now and with an update of what has been has been going on with my hair lately. I am still on the Gahl length retention challenge even though i do break a few rules here and there sometimes.

1. I combed all the hair backwards and help it with a hair tie at the nape.
2. I added a second hair tie as a guide to how much I wanted to cut off and finally cut them off.

As most of you already know i am on a no heat challenge till september 2012, so i have been experimenting with different protective hair styles.
( protective styles are those that keep the ends of your hair from rubbing on clothes or simply keep your hair or ends of your hair hidden. these include: braids, weaves, wigs, buns, hats, scarves e.t.c).
Here is one i tried out and really liked, i applied flexi rods on my hair in a mohawk style in order to be able to sleep in peace and left them in overnight, i think i did the set on damp hair.
 This is what it looked like in the morning after removing the flexi rods and applying my banana clip.


Do you have any other tips on  heat free protective styles i could try out? I would really appreciate your ideas.
or do you want to join me on this challenge? then jump on i  could use some company just click here for the rules of the challenge. Even though i started on June 15th you can still join me and extend to october :-)

I deep conditioned my hair with my usual deep conditioner tea tree cholesterol mixed with ORS replenishing conditioner and my oil mix( safflower oil, olive oil, castor oil & coconut oil). after t shirt drying for 10 minutes i applied my  home made leave in conditioner and lastly i applied a serum.

 This makes detangling very easy for me and my hair is always very soft. I will be doing a review on that very soon. I am currently 13 weeks post but these pictures were taken at 12 weeks post, i have lots of new growth which is still easy to manage. i hope it stays like that since i am planning to texlax my hair again in September.I have also realised that my texlaxed hair and my new growth behave the same, these two textures love water( moisture) so i will be co washing at least once a week for extra moisture.



After applying my leave ins i detangled with my wide tooth comb and proceeded to apply my satin scarf to keep my edges tamed. this really works in getting my edges flat. and when my hair is dry i usualy just remove the scarf and bun my hair.

I am really loving my texlaxed hair, i have so much texture and since the natural hair and the texlaxed hair are almost the same texture i don´t have a problem with breakage at the line of demarcation where the two meet, however i do have to be careful with the line of demarcation between the relaxed and texlaxed hair. I will be so glad when i am fully texlaxed but that will take a couple a years.



Two days after air drying this is what my hair looked like. quite nice and soft but i do have major shrinkage of the texlaxed and natural hair.

To find out more about texlaxing & air drying please comment below.

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:
Have any questions or hair issues post them on our newbie corner, Gahl facebook page or simply leave a comment here.
if you are not a member of our website simply sign in with your facebook details.

join us today and Let us grow some healthy long african hair together!

Evelyn.

I was just looking at old pictures on my computer and i came across one picture, which i just had to share you. a picture of what my ponytail looked like in 2010. my hair was much shorter then, but my ponytail was really full and thick. i am working towards getting that thickness back.

I also noticed that back then i held my hair with a rubber band, something i would never think of doing today because they can be very damaging. This is just one of the many things i have learnt during this journey.





Are you on a hair journey or are you starting one then please make pictures of your hair as you go on, pictures will show you where you have come from and help you get to where you want to be.

Joanne

A few months ago i straightened my hair and to my surprise i had lost a good ammount of hair at the back of my head, honestly i was mad about it for a while and then it hit me that even though i had suffered this setback my hair had really come a long way and i should be proud of that. i realised that a hair journey is really a journey, sometimes we get to our destination on time, sometimes there´s too much traffic and it takes longer to get there and sometimes we take the wrong turn, but all in all it is possible to get to our destination. All we need is a lot of patience and consistency.
Here is a summary of my hair journey to help you understand better where i am coming from.

So after a failed hair journey (I retained no length for about 5months due to protein overload which led to dry, brittle, breaking hair) this was in august 2009. So i officially started another one in feb 2010

The progress was amazing, my hair was not only thicker but it had gotten a lot longer. 2011 was no different i noticed a increase in length with every relaxer. my ends looked great and i loved how the back looked.

And then 2012! i decided to stop relaxing my hair bone straight, this is called texlaxing unfortunately i didn´t do enough research on how to transition to texlaxing and this was a big mistake. As a result my hair was breaking off where the relaxed hair and texlaxed hair were meeting, unfortunately i realised what was happening too late! the damage was already done. I think it is so annoying how hair takes such a long time to grow but it takes only a few days to damage. so here is what it looked like in April.
The problem area is very visible :-(

Here is what i´m doing till my hair gets back on track, i will make sure that my hair is moisturised at all times especially the back to keep it from breaking even more and i am trimming my hair every four weeks until the middle catches up with the rest of the hair, so this means i will keep my hair at this length until the problem has been solved, this is my new goal.

 I hope this encourages you too not to give up on your hair even when you face a setback. And one last thing if your regimen is successful and you finaly reach your goal don´t stop doing the things you did to get you where you are. For example if you feel moisturising and sealing daily helped you reach your goal, don´t stop doing it even after reaching your goal, otherwise you might learn the hard way.

Joanne.