There are numerous myths about Black women’s hair. The one at the top of the list is that which says we can’t grow long hair. It’s all a lie. The reality is that some people’s tresses grow faster than others. Some see a half-inch of growth a month while others see a bit less and most of the time this has genetics playing a part on its own. There is also a lot of evidence that shows a lot of Black women with super long natural hair.

No matter how hard we try, some of us just can’t seem to grow our hair past ear or shoulder-length? This has much more to do with how you treat your hair once it grows than with how much you grow out of your scalp. To put it another way, for many Black women, maintaining their hair’s length is the most difficult problem.

The truth is that you might be very deliberate about care for your hair and yet not be getting the finest results; this is the most difficult part, and it’s understandable.

This is why we are going to share 5 things that we’ve regularly encountered that prevent black hair from reaching its full potential. Perhaps one of these will be the last box to be checked in order for you to achieve your hair goal.

1. YOU DON’T DRINK ENOUGH WATER.

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If you want to heal damaged hair, it’s critical to moisturise from the inside out. Many people who struggle to maintain the length of their natural hair do so because they do not drink enough water. On the surface, this manifests as dry, brittle hair that is more likely to split and break. Drinking enough water and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will keep you nourished.

2. YOU ARE ALWAYS RUNNING YOUR FINGERS THROUGH YOUR HAIR

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Making a habit of over-using hair products and Intense manipulation of your hair, whether with your hands or combs and brushes, can lead to hair breakage due to stress. Try wearing your hair in protective styles if you find yourself constantly caressing it. A few weeks of wearing your hair in braids or twists will make you use your hands and your hair tools less. If your hair is too short to fit in any of the above alternatives, consider being extra conscious about how much you pick at it or use a comb or brush on it. There will be no touching. The less your hair breaks, the more length you’ll keep and the less hair you’ll lose.

3. YOUR HAIR MAY NEED A TRIM

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Damage such as split ends, severely damaged hair, and heat damage cannot be repaired. It doesn’t matter whether hair care products claim to “heal split ends” or “reverse severely damaged hair.” There’s no going back once the damage has been done.

This is where trimming comes in as the only solution, getting rid of the damaged hair and taking better care of the rest of your hair by switching to natural hair care methods, would bring about a big change in the health of your hair.

4. GENETICS

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The only thing that influences each person’s hair growth cycle is inherited. Hair grows in a cycle, and no two strands of hair are ever in the same phase at the same time. The growth phase lasts between two and six years and is largely genetically determined. There is nothing you can do to alter or lengthen the hair growth cycle. However, this does not rule out the possibility of retaining the length gained during the growth phase.

5. HEALTH ISSUEI

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Doing all of the above, but your hair still isn’t growing? You may have some undiagnosed health issues that need to be dealt with. Anything from a vitamin or hormone deficiency to problems with the scalp could be to blame.