If you have chemically treated hair or have just started getting perms/relaxers, this article is a must read to help you grow your hair past the nape of your neck. Today, the majority of African American or Black women have chemically relaxed hair. This statement is made not to diminish the increase of African American women choosing to go natural. However, there remains a disconcerting truth that many African American or Black women continue to place an extensive amount of heat and chemicals on their hair. As a result, African American women find their hair looking and feeling "nice" for 1-2 weeks after their salon visit. Nevertheless, when they cannot reach their hair stylist or make it to the salon, African American women notice that their hair is dry, brittle, or shows signs of split ends. The excessively hot black hair straightening appliances, as well as the chemically based salon hair care products, ravage their African American hair. Why? Because African American hair requires more moisture, especially if it has been chemically relaxed for years and has weaker sulfur bonds. After getting their hair fried, died, and laid to the side, African American women discover that their hair is fried, has died, and has thinning sides --- not to mention split ends.

To grow long and strong African American hair, especially relaxed hair, you must keep the moisture content of your hair above 15% percent. The average person's hair moisture content ranges between 8% to 10%. Yet, due to the styling techniques used on African American hair everyday, such as curling irons, blow dryers, etc... African Americans' hair moisture content usually falls much lower than the 8% range. This leads to breakage and dryness and makes it difficult for African American hair to grow beyond the nape of the neck. To combat this and increase moisture, African Americans desiring longer hair must start using natural hair care products high in natural oils, that keep African American hair moisturized. Why can't you just use regular synthetic hair care products? Because once your hair attempts to grow past your neck or shoulders, it becomes extremely difficult for the ends of African American hair to obtain the natural oils and essential fatty acids it needs to stay moisturized and grow. Using natural hair care products counteracts this, doing for African American hair what vitamins and supplements do for the body. Natural hair care products provide vital nutrients to the hair shaft and scalp that it would not normally receive.

Here are the Best Steps to Grow Your African American Hair from Your Neck to Your Butt. I only recommend the products that I have tried or used on my clients and seen results, which are Ojon, Beauty 4 Ashes, and Carol's Daughter.