I want my hair long now! What to do?

I want long healthy hair? Is it possible if I never had long hair and it is not in my family??? 

YES IT IS!
EVERYBODY hair grows, some slower or faster than some, but the average hair growth rate is 1/2 inch per month or 6 inches a year. Look at it this way, if your hair grows 0.5 inch per month but it breaks faster than it grows due to improper treatment or poor diet (which most of us have) then you will forever think your hair isn't growing.

So where should I start ?


Start by building a regimen that suits your hair (see post entitled regimen building). A hair regimen is a routine or a certain set way of things done to the  hair on a weekly, bi weekly or daily basis. Examine your hair before building a regimen and see what your hair needs. So for example, if you have plenty split ends, your hair is weak, and thin you may need to start by cutting off the damaged ends, and incorporate in your regimen, protein at least twice a month, followed by a moisture treatment, until  the hair condition has improved. Or a deep condition which contains light protein properties and moisture properties, maybe used on a weekly basis (see post for 'know your protein' to know what to look in your treatments'). Add more moisture to your regimen by moisturizing and sealing daily (everybody needs that), add a natural oil to a do pre poo (before shampoo) or hot oil treatment on a weekly basis or bi weekly basis and a growth aid may be added if your hair needs that extra boost to grow, for example, I take hair supplements which is correctly portioned with the right amount of individual vitamins needed for hair growth, or our very own castor oil itself is a growth aid and maybe used on the scalp daily or as a pre poo on  a weekly basis. An example of a hair regimen:


Example of Regimen :
Oil scalp daily with castor oil
Moisturize and seal with olive oil hair lotion and seal with coconut oil
Prepoo with a mixture of oils (for example olive oil, rosemary oil, coconut oil)
Followed by Shampooing with a moisture shampoo and using a protein conditioner afterwards (every week or bi weekly or both may be done alternatively on a weekly basis)
Clarify (removing all buildup) with a clarifying shampoo on a monthly basis





How long will it take?

Since hair grows 1/2 inch per month that equals 6 inches per year, for example, if you are shoulder length and you  want Bra Strap Length hair (see post 'different lengths' of hair) that usually takes  at most, 1 and 1/2 to two years, accounting for trims or minor set backs. Neck Length to Arm Pit length (an imaginary line drawn from where both arms meet on your back) usually takes a year and from full shoulder to arm pit length at most, seven months. All of which will ONLY be done with proper hair care routines. If you decide to grow out your hair, you have to learn the art of retention. Retaining hair length requires babying your hair ends, as it is the oldest part of the hair and the first to show damage, protecting styling, hiding away ends to preserves moisture and prevent damage, and moisturizing and sealing to prevent the hair ends from getting dry and thus preventing breakage, and doing protein treatments so that hair will be more resistant to hair damage, lessening the use of heat and how often you get a relaxer, are all ways of retaining hair length.