Has my hair stopped growing?

Technically, the answer is no but let's not be too quick to give a generic answer. Let's take a few steps back. Have you ever gotten to a point where you felt your hair had stopped growing? That no matter what you did, your hair was just not growing? Or perhaps, your hair is currently very thick but has refused to grow longer? Here's why

Genetics

To a large extent, the growth of your hair depends on your genes. Every person has his/her own hair cycle growth. The terminal length (the longest your hair could ever grow) is heavily reliant on your genes. How you maintain your hair also has a huge impact on the length of your hair. Hair grows about half an inch every month in general. Your ability to maintain your hair properly would make you retain length or otherwise.

Stress

Psychological, physical and emotional stress takes a toll on our hair. It interferes with the hair growth cycle. Do yourself a favour and engage in some relaxing activities. Your hair would definitely bounce back.

Poor hair care practices

Earlier on, we talked about how hair grows at least half an inch every month. If you do not properly maintain your hair, your hair is likely to break. In other words, you would not be able to retain length. Technically, your hair hasn't stopped growing but you're not able to retain your length. 

Ditch your regular towel and replace it with a micro fibre towel after shampooing. Cotton towels pull on your hair. Detangle gently with your fingers or a wide tooth comb. You're likely to damage your hair if you don't detangle the right way. Try as much as possible to reduce using heat on your hair. If you're fond of experimenting with dyes and harsh chemicals, you might want to slow down a bit. If not, then deep condition regularly.

Hormones

Women, especially, go through a lot of hormonal changes. It affects our hair growth cycle. Some pregnant women for example experience rapid hair growth. Other lactating mothers experience post partum shedding. They're all normal. Don't panic when this happens. It shall pass and your hair will grow back.

Stretch your hair

Due to how coily and curly our hair is, especially for 4C hair, you would have to stretch it to be able to see your true length. You can blow dry it with minimal heat and a heat protectant. You can alternatively use chunky twists, hair bands or go in for African threading. 

It's important to have good hair practices to retain length. Don't be too hard on yourself if you aren't seeing any growth. Be patient. For further hair consultation, please contact +233 204 600 464 or @eyanaturals on Facebook and Instagram