Starting a Healthy Hair Journey

1. Understand that one person's regimen may not work for you. Someone washing their hair 4xs/week may need that for their hair and you won't. Look at hair care forums, YouTube videos, blogs, etc. These are all informational venues filled with tons of tips, tricks, and inspiration.
2. Start off with basic products. Don't overwhelm yourself by buying everything you've seen others use. Try products for 3 months at a time to know if they work with your hair unless you know for sure it doesn't.
1. Shampoo
2. Conditioner
1. Moisturizing
2. Protein
3. Deep Conditioner
4. Moisturizer
5. Oils/Sealants
3. Start to learn your hair. (dryness, itchy scalp, issues with buildup, etc.) This will help you determine how many days a week you need to wash and cowash your hair. For starters pick a wash day (shampoo) and a cowash day (conditioner). Deep conditioning is recommended after each wash but almost ALWAYS after you use a shampoo or do a  protein treatment. Our hair is stripped of its natural oils and needs moisture put back in it.
4. Moisturizing and sealing is key. This decreases breakage. Some people moisturize and seal daily while others only do it as they feel their hair needs it. For women with thinner hair, moisturizing and sealing daily may be too much while women with thicker hair may feel the need to do this daily.
5. Get a fresh trim. Prior to starting a hair journey get a good trim. Don't hold on to dead ends. You want healthy hair before long hair. It will grow back.
6. Understand the importance of protective styling and low manipulation styles. These styles help with length retention. Protective styles are styles where ends are completely tucked away (buns, braids, twists, etc.). Low manipulation styles are styles that allow for quick styling without constant combing/brushing of the hair (braid outs, twist outs, bantu knot out, etc.).
7. Minimum heat usage. If you are planning to keep the use of direct heat in your regimen know the damage can be crucial if not done with proper planning. Slowly cut down the amount of direct heat used on your hair so that you can give your hair a break. Ideally it is best to limit direct heat to once a month but if you can go longer that is better. Find alternative heat styling (roller setting) Blow dry on a low heat setting after hair has been almost completely air dried. ALWAYS use a heat protectant! Grapeseed oil makes for a great protectant as well.
8. Keep a diary or blog of your hair journey. This will help you see what products are working for your hair, what styles you liked, any changes in your regimen that impacted your hair, etc. Taking pictures every 3-6 months will help you see your progress and shows the greatest change in your hair.
9. Tips on growth aides. They don't "grow" your hair. They may speed up growth but your overall hair care practices will aide 10 times more in using whatever growth aide you're using. Slapping a growth aide on your scalp daily without doing the other necessary things involved with healthy hair care will not give you the results you're seeking.
10. Be consistent. Once you have solidified your regimen BE CONSISTENT! Your hair will respond and let you know that you're on the right track.

~HAPPY HAIR GROWING!~