Short Hair Don't Care! Creating the path to success at the start of your Hair Journey

I'm so exited to bring this feature!  Most often I share inspiration stories of ladies with mid back,  low-mid back, waist length and even hip length hair.  But, along the way, I've received email messages from those who are starting their journey. They too would like to reach waist length but before then, the biggest question is how to maintain a healthy hair journey with shorter lengths.

Today we're featuring a young lady who we will call "Tam."  Our correspondence began when she emailed me a year ago at the start of her journey.  After testing various products and techniques she finally crafted a regimen that worked.  Now she's ready to take her journey to bra-strap length and beyond!  But before we go there, I was extremely interested to find out about what got her here.    Let's find out shall we?

How long have you been on your journey? I've been on my journey for one year and 1 month.

Tell us about your starting length and current length. My starting length was ear length, I am currently at neck length.

What was your regimen at the beginning of your journey? Pre-shampoo, shampoo deep condition, moisture and seal and occasionally co-wash.  I was a little all over the place in terms of products which is why I have an entire cupboard for my hair products as opposed to a shelf.

Has it changed? If so how? Over the year, my regimen has definitely changed, firstly it's more consistently and I'm more committed. I washed my hair once a week-prepoo, shampoo, deep condition with my steamer and I air dry more often then not.  I have re-introduced co-washing (co-wash Wednesday), I now baggy my ends, do regular scalp massages and ensure my new growth is kept moisturized. If I do anything different, I make a note of what I did and the effect it had on my hair.

How long do you stretch between relaxers? I have just started to stretch to 10 weeks. Previously, I relaxed every 8 weeks.

Do you use heat to maintain your short style? When my hair was shorter, I straightened on wash days only which was once a week.  I would maintain my style by wrapping at night.

Are you cutting/trimming often to maintain your look? If so how often? My hairdresser and I have a good understanding, as I'm growing out my hair we no longer cut it, we trim!  So my hair is trimmed when necessary, usually every other relaxer which works out every 5 months.

How do you wear your hair on a daily basis? Nowadays, my hair is always in a protective style. At the moment my ends rarely see the light of day.  Normally, the first week after my relaxer, I will wear my hair down for a few days after that, those ends are tucked away.  I'm loving non-bun styles and, as my hair continues to grow and I'm becoming more creating with my styling.

When my hair was shorter, I wore it out.  It was too short to wear in a bun or tie it up in any way. So for 5 months I wore my hair out.  After that time, I just wore it in a clip and used hair grips to secure stray pieces, not very exciting.   Recently though, I have experimenting with non bun styles. This includes the pompadour in the front of my hair with a french braid, braid or twist the crown and roll the back of my hair.

Have there been any struggles or set backs?  How did you overcome?  My set backs have been finding the right products, retaining moisture and being consistent and toward the end of last year, I had some breakage in the back/nape of area of my hair.  It was then I decided it was time to get serious.  I went through my cupboard and decided what my staples should be.  I made a vow to be consistent for 3 months and keep a diary.  Providing my hair reacted positively to my regimen, I would not change it until after the 3 month period.


What advice do you have for women with shorter lengths on a hair journey? Keep a record of the products you use and how they make your hair feel. It makes it easier to determine which products are working and which are not. Try to keep your regimen simple and suited to you to make it easier to maintain consistency.  Begin with the end in mind (one of my favorite quotes).  Think about what you will do to get there.  For instance, what length you want, growth aids alone won't be the answer.  You will need to ensure that you are retaining length.  Healthy hair is also about your health inside out.  Having a healthy lifestyle will be a contributor to creating healthy hair.  Research, research, research!  Read blogs, books, magazines, watch YouTube, join forums and ask questions. There is always at least one person that can offer some advice.


My thanks to Tam for sharing her journey with us.  I'm so proud of her progress and I look forward to featuring her once again in the future as she continues to reach her goals.  Even while writing this feature, I was reminded of how important a role consistency plays in our regimens.