5 Ways to Get Past a Growth Plateau

Almost all of us have experienced the frustrating growth plateau. You feel like your hair is flourishing, then finally it reaches a particular length and it seems to be stuck there. In the vast majority of cases, we need to reevaluate what we are doing to counteract length retention.

Yes, genetics determine your hair length but if you find yourself stuck at chin length hair, for example, this in all likelihood is NOT what you are genetically capable of.

Before you read you may want to check out: 7 Reasons Why Your Hair’s Not Growing or Doesn’t Look Like Its Growing

Here are some areas that you should check to get your hair back on track:

#5 Not Trimming Your Hair

There are so many differing opinions on this topic. There are some that say you can go 6 months to a year without trimming your hair to people who say you should trim your hair every 4 to 6 six weeks. One thing is for sure, you should be trimming your hair. When you do not trim your hair, it tangles easily. Your styles won’t look as great and if you have put trimming off way longer than you should have, it will appear as if your hair is not growing. Splits cause the hair to look thinned out and scraggly so even if you have retained some hair length, it will be hard to notice. Find a good balance to fit trimming into your schedule that is customized to you.  Every 4 to 6 weeks is probably way too often for most people while waiting 6 months is definitely pushing it.

#4 Going Overboard with Heat

I am definitely not an anti-heat person, because when used correctly it may make it easier to grow your hair. Stretched hair equates to less tangles, more styling options and aids in making it more easy to retain moisture for longer periods of time. You can read more about this in 3 Reasons Why I Started Blow Drying My Natural Hair.

See Also: 5 Tips To Get Your Hair To Dry Faster

The problem is when we use at home tools, it is relatively easy to fry your hair. You may have the heat setting up way too high or you may find yourself going over a section way too many times. This leads to dryness and split ends if you are a frequent user of the blow dryer or flat iron. Try to go long stretches without using heat and when you do use it make sure you are taking the necessary steps to avoid heat damage.

See Also: 5 Tips for Picking the Best Blow Dry for Natural Hair

#3 Over Manipulation

Detangling, combing and styling all contribute to some degree of damage. This is why we want to reduce the times we manipulate our hair and when we do manipulate it, we need to be as gentle as possible. Rule of Thumb: If detangling or styling hurts you are doing it wrong. Try creating a low manipulation hair regimen.

#2 Don’t Forget to Moisturize

There are many reasons that you may have forgotten to moisturize. Maybe you have been protective styling for a while so your hair has been out of sight and out of mind. If you forget to moisturize,  you are essentially letting all your hard work go to waste. Make sure you give the ends of your hair special attention they are the oldest portion of your hair and need the most TLC.

See Also: 10 Tips for the Most Moisturized Hair

#1 Your Consistency

Hair types on the more fragile side of things need consistency otherwise you will see your hair quickly succumb to neglectful treatment. What enabled me to retain as much length as I did was consistently practicing protective and low manipulation styling. I started straying away from this and doing more wash n go styling, which was fine. However, I ended up not using a protective/low manipulation style at night which caused tangles and split ends within a matter of a couple of months. This led me to the decision to cut my hair to start anew. Moral of the story here is, if you find something that works, stick to it.

More Tips for Growing Longer Natural Hair