How to Get Waist Length 3B - 4C hair

"Can my hair ever get to my waist?"

You must have asked this question a dozen times and now here you are searching the internet for answers. Well, you have come to the right place.

To start with, it is very possible to grow your natural hair to your waist length and even beyond that.

Let's dive right in!

Understanding the Structure of the African Black Hair

The first step to growing your natural hair is to understand the structure of your Afro hair. Why does it frizz? Why does it curl? How does it grow?

The curly nature of our hair makes it difficult for oil from the root of our hair to travel to the top. This is why our natural hair is prone to dryness and breakage. Dry hair is one of the reasons you always find strands of your hair sitting pretty on your comb after brushing your hair.

Myths About Growing Your Hair Faster

A lot of women have been conditioned to believe lies about growing their natural hair fast. Here are some common myths you are likely to hear about growing your natural hair fast.

1. "Cutting my hair often would guarantee longer hair": This is not true, sis. While it's important to trim your hair at intervals to avoid hair breakage and remove split ends, cutting your hair often won't cause rapid growth of hair.
2. "You should switch hair products every month so it would grow faster": This is a BIG lie. You should actually refrain from changing hair products frequently, as it could cause damage to your hair. If your hair isn't responding to treatments, the last thing you want to do is change products. You should first check if you are getting the application right. Then think about seasonal or climate changes. How about your state of health at that time? If none of this could be the reason, then you could move on to seek the advice of a hair specialist for new hair products.
3. "Natural hair does not grow": This is by far the biggest lie about natural hair. All hair grows no matter the type of hair. Most people who complain about their natural hair not growing are actually struggling with length retention. What your hair needs at this point is the right product, treatment, and care.
4. Water is the enemy: We would be right to say that this is the most damaging of all myths about growing natural hair. This is because the opposite is true. Your hair is about 13% water and like our body, our hair needs water to grow. Your hair needs water to keep it moisturized.

How Can I Grow My Natural Hair Faster

Now that you understand a bit of your hair's structure, the next step is to know how to achieve that length. See your natural hair as a budding maize plant that you need to nurture on its journey to becoming a tree. Growing anything requires that you have to follow rules and steps religiously. Here is how you can grow your hair to waist length.

1.  Moisturize (water)

Girl, your hair needs fluid to grow. Remember the analogy of a budding maize plant we used earlier. Your hair needs moisture to grow just the same way a maize plant needs water to grow. You should have a routine where you are constantly moisturizing your hair on a regular basis, say 3 times a week. However, with time and observation, you get to decide if your hair needs more days of water or less.

 2. Trims are super important

We know how hard this can be, but it is one of the best ways to attain that long length you've dreamt of forever. Trimming is super important for hair growth and if you have been shying away from doing so, today is the day you need to stop. Trimming the ends of your hair helps you to get rid of those parts that are liable to get damaged. We recommend that you trim your hair every 3-4 months to avoid split ends.

3. Wash (Shampoo)

Washing your hair on a regular basis would leave your hair free from product build-up, and also keep your scalp clean and healthy. There is no perfect hair wash routine to follow, but we recommend that you wash your hair every 1 -2 weeks, and keep it moisturized in between your wash days. One way to ensure that your hair stays moisturized after every wash is by using sulfate-free shampoos, as the regular ones contain chemicals that strip the hair of its natural oils. If you are unsure about choosing the right shampoo for your hair, you can always make your own shampoo at home.

4. Deep Conditioning

This is one secret weapon every naturalist should have. Regular deep conditioning keeps your hair hydrated and healthy. It also improves the length of your hair by providing it with the needed nutrition to avoid hair damage and breakage. Here are some of the best hair conditioners that would do the magic for your hair.

5. Try Extensions (but make hair your priority)

The next thing you should do is try to wear protective styles often. Protective styles help you to retain hair length and protect your hair from hair damage. This is because it saves you from the stress of over-styling and over-manipulating your hair - two things that can cause hair damage. You can choose from our collection of afro-protective hairstyles.

Can I still grow out my natural hair if I have heat damage?

If your hair has gone through heat damage, there is not much you can do. Holding on to heat-damaged hair would only cause more breakage and make it harder for you to achieve more hair length. In other words, you would need to cut off your split ends and allow your hair to have new growth. Here are some tips you can use to repair heat-damaged natural hair.

How long would it take for me to achieve waist-length hair?

This can vary from person to person depending on your hair type and how well you take care of it. However, you can try hair massages as they stimulate blood flow underneath your scalp and encourage hair growth.

While you practice all these steps we have highlighted above, we want you to be patient with your hair. A plant doesn't grow into a tree in 5 days. It would take some time, but would eventually be worth the wait. If your hair is a 4C, see this additional resource on how to grow and retain your hair length.