How to retain length if you're a obssessive hair manipulator (like me).

Retaining length is pretty much the essence of a successful hair journey.  Sure, we focus a lot on growth, but I think this is a by product of trying to compensate for all the progress lost from breakage.  If we retain our length, no matter how slow our growth, we move towards our goal.  This works out beautifully if you are a master at stretching relaxers and protective styling like a boss, but what if you're like me and also have some harmful habits that actually work against you?

I'm a compulsive hair handler. Worse yet, I man-handle my hair as a way of dealing with stress. It's somewhat subconscious, but when I'm overwhelmed with work, I rake my fingers through my hair incessantly.  It's a problem.  Sometimes, when I awake from my trance, I look down and see a ton of hairs on the floor in the wake of my destruction.  I'm also not as gentle as I could be while roller setting.  Again, lots of things can go wrong in this scenario.  Lastly, when I wore daily buns to work, I would allow days to go by without moisturizing.  I thought, "as long as I left my hair alone, I'd be fine."  Boy was I wrong.

Even with all these horrible habits (and multiple setbacks), I've still manged to retain length. I think it's good for me to talk about it out loud so I can be reminded of what works and continue to do more of it.  I think a big contributor to my length retention was when I invited Pure Protein into my hair journey.  Yes the product is great but even beyond that, I know had a way of adding strength, little by little, on a weekly basis.  I was no longer afraid of the protein because it blended beautifully with my moisturizing conditioners. As we know, consistency will give you all the results you desire.  For the first time ever, I was consistent with my protein.  Which meant that I was less likely to experience setbacks related to gradual breakage.

I still manipulate more than I should but now, the number of broken hairs at the end of my rampage is far fewer than before.  What has helped me more than anything is the addition of  the Evain Facial spray into my moisturizing routine.   You should see me when I use it, I lift sections of hair up and mist deep down in the parts that never previously would receive any daily moisturizing love.  My hair is transforming right before my very eyes.  I mist, rub in a watery moisturizer, and finish off with Gleau.  The difference in the elasticity of my hair is undeniable.

My hair products have now become a collection of soldiers, hand selected to seek out weakness and address it. Because I'm my own enemy, I work diligently to put safeguards in place to protect me from my own destruction.  That's why I'm always on the lookout for breakthrough ingredients like natural keratin, 18-MEA, ceramides, Ions that can repair split ends.  There's a method to my madness.  I'm trying to cure my own disease.  These products  have helped me tremendously.  Again, my previous setbacks were catastrophic, but now, I may lose a little here and there but overall, I'm still in the game.

Hair tools can rob you of all your progress and do it without a care in world.  That is why I invest in the highest quality possible.  I don't even use flat irons that much, but when I do, I need it to be awesome.  I need it to love my hair as much as I do.  Lastly, I eat healthy and drink things like bamboo tea &  green smoothies not necessarily for hair growth, but because I believe that having naturally stronger (nourished) hair will give me a slight edge.  So when I'm over manipulating, the hair is tougher and better able to withstand the extra stress I constantly put on it.

It's all about safeguards in place to make sure that whatever it takes, we will reach our hair goals. Nothing is an obstacle, not even ourselves.