How To Deal With Shrinkage!

One of the most fascinating things about being natural is watching your hair grow beautifully, without the need of harsh chemicals.

Another wonderful thing about natural kinky hair is it is deceiving.

Because kinky hair grows up and out, it is hard to tell when a natural has long locks or shorter tresses. Some naturals get a little frustrated that their shrinkage makes their hair look like it very short, even broken off.

But that’s not always the case. Because 4c-4a curl patterns are all very curly, the natural curvature of curly and kinky hair is not straight, so of course it will look more bundled than that of, say, a 3a haired person.

But there are ways to stretch your curly hair and keep it at it’s true length longer. Check out this lovely natural below with her hair straightened completely, free of visible shrinkage.

1. The first thing to managing shrinkage is to embrace it. Understand that while your hair is very tightly curled, it does not suggest it is not healthy. It means quite the opposite.

2. The second thing to do is invest in a good blow dryer. Refrain from using blow dryers with attachments and avoid using top heat from a blow dryer. This is how to keep shrinkage longer without breaking off.

3. Invest in a good flat iron or hot comb too. Avoid the use of any heating tool over 375 degrees.

4. Dry, wash and style your hair in sections. The thicker your hair the more you will have to section. This ensures all shrinkage is accounted for.

5. Stretch your hair out more. Lightly pulling on your hair more often encourages faster growth and discourages shrinkages more. It is also best to stretch the hair when using heat and curling rods. While you watching TV or a movie, just take sections of your hair that are shrunk and just get into the habit of mildly pulling on them. This encourages growth too.

6. NEVER try to work with shrinkage on dry hair. You are sure to break it off like that. Use coconut oil or your favorite leave-in conditioner.

7. Always used a wide tooth comb to get the kinks out of your shrinkage.

8. Try methods like banding to air dry stretched hair. Again, this discourages shrinkages.