One day in 2014, I looked in the mirror and discovered I was going bald. I had just taken out braids and planned on getting another immediately, but alas, my hairline had receded and my forehead now appeared endless. What to do?
Anyone who has ever had reason to worry about their hairline would acknowledge that this is a real struggle. Of course, this happens to mostly women because of the constant styling and, sometimes, harmful chemicals we put in our hair. For me, I resigned to cutting my hair short and 3 years down the line, my hairline is almost back to normal. Now, I’m not advising everyone to get a low cut like I did. Of cour, e you can still nurture your hair back to normal without getting a cut.
I’ve put together 7 major steps I took to
reviving my hair. I hope anyone caught in this struggle finds this helpful.
1. Find Out What You’re Doing Wrong:
The first thing to do when you find out you’re losing hair is to check where things went south. Is your protective style too taunt? Are you putting harmful chemicals in your hair? When you’re able to narrow it down, please get rid of the culprit immediately. Except the cause is beyond your control, e.g pregnancy or a health condition. In that case all you have to do is pamper your hair to reduce the loss as much as possible.
2. Change your shampoo:
While shampoo cannot miraculously grow your hair back, some of the good ones help in this journey of recovering your hair. I would recommend you use hair products made with organic ingredients. Always read the labels of hair products before you purchase them. Some can actually worsen the situation.
3. Moisturize:
Another important step is to keep your hair moisturized. I recommend coconut oil and/or olive oil. Gently massage the oil into your scalp section by section to ensure proper penetration. Also, you should deep condition your hair at least once a week. There are many awesome homemade deep conditioners you could use to treat your hair, but today I’ll share two very simple methods:
- Hot Oil Treatment: Heat the oil until it is warm. Apply to your scalp and cover your hair with a warm towel or shower cap. Leave for 30-45 minutes.
- Mayonnaise: Depending on the density and length of your hair, apply ½ cup of mayonnaise to your hair when it is dry. Cover with a shower cap and leave for 15-30 minutes. Wash your hair and then shampoo.
4. Satin is Your New Best Friend:
If you don’t already have a satin bonnet or scarf, please go get one as soon as possible. Wear the satin gear to bed to prevent your hair from tangling which can lead to breakage. If you can’t get a satin head cover, then at least change your cotton pillowcases to satin, your hair would appreciate the smoothness.
5. Choose your protective style carefully:
From now on, choose your hairstyles carefully. Avoid styles that pull at your edges, except you don’t mind going bald permanently. Even more importantly choose stylists that would handle your hair gently.
6. Be Patient:
So the first thing you want to do once you find out your edges are receding is to fix it. You want the hair to grow back in seconds. So you go on the internet and search for solutions. You see a headline ‘How to Grow Your Edges in 3 Days’, you click on it and try everything the fake hair advice tells you. Unfortunately, your hair doesn’t grow back in 3 days, so you jump to the next advice and the next and the next. 30 links later, your hairline is at your crown and you don’t know what else to do. Best advice, choose one tested and trusted advice and try it out for months. Yes months. Naturally, your hair grows 1-2 inches in a month, so do the math.
7. Consider Going Natural:
While I believe that every one should make their own choice concerning their hair, and should not be shamed over whatever they choose to do, I quite agree that not putting relaxer in your hair is the healthy choice. True, wearing your natural hair might seem a tedious task, but in the long run your hair would thank you for it. However, if you do not want to, then stand by your choice and don’t let anyone bully you out of your decision.
Good Luck!
