Since the beginning of my hair journey, back in 2008, my goal length has always been mid-back length. Why mid back length and not waist length you ask? ....Well, I always thought in the back of my mind that mid-back length was that "happy medium" length…not too short..not too long, just perfect in the middle cascading down my back! For that reason, I never had a desire to go passed MBL and I wasn’t comfortable being above that length either. MBL was where I wanted to be and stayed!
I reached my goal in 2010 (2 years later) and I’ve been maintaining my goal length ever since (a total of 7 years). I always say to ladies, it’s one thing to attain your goal but it’s another to maintain the goal you set out to achieve. Getting to MBL was a task full of its own challenges; however, maintaining it was another. It’s truly a lifestyle change!
Over the years, I've found 5 simple yet powerful hair laws, that I swear by, that have allowed me to maintain my hair length for years without a setback!
1. Consistently Consistent – Your list of hair do’s and don’ts become a part of your daily, weekly and monthly regimen and before you know it, it eventually becomes your lifestyle. I religiously stuck to my hair regimen and remained consistently committed to it - no matter what! The more my hair got nourishment and improved from deep treatments, prepoo’s and moisturizing the more I continued to do it until it became a natural habit. Maintaing a low experimental profile of products and techniques, after a phase of trial and error, helped tremendously. Though I may experiment with a few new products here and there, I remain loyal to my "tried and true" staple products and techniques that build my hair and produce consistent results. Your health hair habits attribute to heatlthier hair!
2. Simplicity – I refrain from extravagant hair styles or sowing in false hair constantly. I don't have an elaborate regimen and mixtures of potions for hair growth. I stick to the basics i.e. shampoo once a week, deep condition twice a week, co-wash once a week, moisturize and seal daily, bun daily etc. and remain stern on not deviating from that norm. I welcome the experimentation of new products, however, I focus on that one product and implement it slowly to gage results.
3. Say No To Damage! – I stay on top of my damage by incorporating a trimming schedule that works for me. By having a trimming schedule, it prevents further damage down the road which will lead to a setback. In between my semi-annual trims, I do mini trims or conduct a 'search and destroy' session when necessary. Trims keep my ends blunt, full and happy!
4. Remain Gentle – I choose to remain gentle whenever I interact with my hair, whether it be removing knots, detangling, moisturizing, deep conditioning, shampoo’ing etc. I allow my fingers to do the heavy work by removing knots rather than using a comb. When I use my fingers I can actually feel the knots and tangles making it easier to remove as I know how much pressure to apply. I use this process to detangle my hair 99% of the time to avoid unnecessary breakage. When using a wide tooth comb, I ensure I comb my hair with ease.
5. Protecting it – My ends remain protected! I keep them tucked away in the week and I wear my hair down on weekends, avoiding as much direct heat as possible. This balance has saved my hair from setbacks and it has allowed me to enjoy all of this hair I've worked so hard to grow!
Overall, the consistency and simplicity of my regimen is the foundation that has attributed to the maintenance of my MBL hair - without a setback. Through trial and error, I've discovered the needs and wants for my hair allowing me to maintain my desired length with very little effort.
Overall, the consistency and simplicity of my regimen is the foundation that has attributed to the maintenance of my MBL hair - without a setback. Through trial and error, I've discovered the needs and wants for my hair allowing me to maintain my desired length with very little effort.