Five Actions I will take to regrow my nape

I've been allowing an issue to go on too long and now it's time to get serious.  For the past year or so, my nape area has been struggling bad.  I'm putting it nicely when I say struggling. Actually, my nape area is severely challenged.  I've allowed too much time to pass without taking any action to reverse the issue.  Today, I've decided to draw the line and begin a plan of action to reverse the situation for good.


Before I can do anything about it, I must first understand what I did (or didn't do) to cause the damage.  In my case, I am very clear about what happened.  Out of stress or boredom, I tend to play with my nape. Another reason why I do it is because my nape is the only access to my hair I have when it's in a protective style.  I'm confident that my own hands are to blame because only my left side is impacted (I'm a lefty).  The right hand side is doing just fine.   Since I'm pretty confident about the cause, I can confidently begin working on my strategy.

Here are the rules of the game until I can get my nape back in check.

Rule #1.  Show my nape some love

Before, whenever I moisturized and sealed, I would mainly focus on my ends and various other sections.  My nape was rarely on the top of mind.  That is why it was so susceptible to damage whenever I manipulated it during the day.  I've since learned better and began a practice of beginning my conditioner application with my nape.  Whenever I moisturize, I make sure to mist my nape using Evian Facial spray before applying moisturizer and sealing.  From now own, my nape area gets special treatment.

Rule #2. Protection

When I was much younger I had a pretty bad issue with my entire nape area.  It had become thin and most of the length broke off.  My mom stepped in a recommended that I braid that section and apply a stinky oil (Haitian castor oil) to it a few times a week.  She claimed the oil would grow my hair back.  Truthfully, it probably had more to do with the fact that my fragile nape was now protected from manipulation which would allow it to return to health.  Unfortunately, my hair has broken off to the point where it's too short to braid (think twa) so I've got to come up with a different plan.  My hand still instinctively goes straight for that area when I'm bored so instead of fondling my nape, I'll massage that area instead. Hopefully that works.

Rule #3. Heavy Sealing

Mom applied heavy oil to my damaged nape until the point of saturation.  Maybe she was on to something.  I realize now that I've got to step my game up. I'll save the light oils for the rest of my length and seal my nape heavily.  From now on, I'll opt for oils like vitamin E, castor or perhaps even shea butter when sealing in moisture in the nape area.

Rule #4.  No more relaxing

In the past, I would wait until the end to apply relaxer to my nape.  In most cases, this is the right thing to do.  But, unfortunately, my nape is too far gone.  In order to pamper my nape to the utmost, I must forgo applying any chemical relaxer to that area until I am certain it is strong enough to endure.
But for now,  I've got to take extra precautions to ensure my nape has a fighting chance so no more relaxers there until further notice.

Rule #5. Patience

One thing I have to remember during this process is that time and patience is an asset.  By patience, I mean being diligent with Rule(s) 1-4.  Doing it over and over again, knowing that my efforts will be multiplied with the addition time.  Patience is not just allowing time to pass.  Patience is about being purposeful with my time.  I'll do the right things day after day and, before I know it, my nape will be back to normal again.