First let me start off by saying that long hair doesn’t always equal healthy hair. If your hair is thinned out and filled with splits regardless of its length it is not healthy. In fact, I find that there’s nothing worse than someone hanging on to some beat up strands for the sake of length.
It’s almost like when men sport stadium cuts and try to swoop the little hair they have left over their receding hair line. It’s not cute. Let it go! Admittedly, I used to be one of those women who would rather cling to lifeless tresses but now if my hair needed it, I would cut my hair in a heartbeat.
To determine the health of your hair, rather than length alone you should be looking at these areas:
- Your hair’s elasticity or ability to bounce back
- The ends of your hair. Are they dried out or filled with splits?
- Do you have any curl pattern loss?
- It’s ability to hold up to manipulation (strength).
Your hair length alone would never be a basis for health. Now if your hair is long and you are good on all of the above mentioned factors, of course your hair is healthy.
Long hair that is in good condition, is a testament to healthy hair practices. Especially if you are a woman with a hair type on the more fragile side of things it is a sign that you are definitely doing something right.
Your hair is not a living fiber. It should be regarded as a delicate material. Once the ends of your hair break, they do not just regenerate (although it would be cool if hair could). After breakage occurs you must wait for new hair to grow from the root.
When you have been able to retain length and not break your hair off at the same rate as it’s growing, this is definitely a sign of hair health. However, length alone should never ever be the only thing that we view as a healthy hair. Otherwise this would be healthy hair just because it is long:
Photo taken from justgrowalready.com as an example.
I think most of us would agree that the right side of the photo is an example of healthy hair even the the left side is longer.
My hair had always been thick. I’ve had it short and long. My problem is I have always been a tender head so combing my thick hair is just painful. My scalp is also very sensitive and does not due well with almost all chemicals. No one does press and curls in my area anymore and this was my routine when I was young and only if the person doing my hair had a soft method. I am now 62 and my hair is still thick but has changed in my opinion to the type that is extremely coarse, dry(almost impossible to get a comb through). I’m ashamed to say I keep my hair covered all the time and barely comb it. I no longer have the income to have my natural hair professionally done. How can I get past the tenderness/pain and make my hair manageable in an economical manner and by using natural products. Sincerely Sylvia
I too have thick hair that always knots up. I found brushes on Ebay for thick hair. They work great. You gotta brush it to move the oils and stop the knots.
I have my guy trim my hair every other month to get the splits and keep the ends neat. I cut back on heating appliances, have my hair colored with henna, no toxic box or salon color to destroy my hair, and I spritz on the essential oils after every shower. I use sulfate free shampoo as well. My hair has gotten longer, looks shiny and feels soft and silky. I have been salon free for a few years now, while some may call it crazy, my hair has never looked better.. Good hair care practices do make a difference.
I seem to losing my battle with my hair. I keep getting it cut but the ends just want to keep splitting no matter what I do. Been natural since 2009 and tried all kinds of techniques. Tree splits, incomplete splits, regular split ends, and millions of fairy knots which I have noticed are also damaged ends because it is somehow another split end that caused it to knot up. I’m just about done with this journey.
Anitra I am sorry you are experiencing these problems with your natural hair. I have low density, thin, fine hair and I’m almost ready to give it up also.