Low Manipulation for Increased Length Retention - at least That's the Plan!


Hey There!
*Air Drying and Finger Detangled*

So.... ever since I trimmed I've been tempted to check if its grown back - overnight, and of course every time I check I find I am the same length I was the day before! DUH!

Seriously? Why do we torture ourselves like this? lol!

I finally came to terms with the very same thing I preach - Patience is key!

So I got back to first principles:


Less Manipulation = Less Breakage = More Length Retention

I have become a tad fed up with wearing braids/twist all the time,
I just wasn't enjoying it anymore...

but I still want to make sure I'm not manipulating my hair too much

So I've been...
Bunning daily as my Protective Style
Yeppers I've been wearing high buns, low buns followed by high buns again daily. My ends are tucked away neatly and away from the elements, and my buns are always loose so I don't put any undue strain on the strands I'm trying to protect.

Headbands and Hair Pins are my Friends!
I use the headbands to make sure the front looks neat, and hair pins to ensure that my buns stay in place. I don't use hair ties at the moment - the snags and snaps just cause me too much heartache.

Moisturizing and Sealing at nights
with either Water (tiny bit) or Profectiv Leave-in conditioner followed by Grape seed + Castor Oil Mix.

Finger Detangling ONLY - between washes
I try my darndest NOT to use combs or brushes in between washes.


FINGER DETANGLING in the SHOWER
this has been working out well for me because I've found that of late my hair has more breakage when I try to detangle it in its dry but moisturised state, so I tried the shower detangling with my fingers - I.e. one section at a time under running water, and its been working very well so far. The weight of the wet hair and the running water itself helps in the detangling process. 
After Finger detangling I follow with a wide tooth shower comb VERY GENTLY. So far so good.

Using a Satin pillow-case
Wow! this is fantastic - I've been using said pillow case without my satin scarf for the past few days as a mini experiment (I usually use both just in case the scarf falls off), SCORE! my hair feels quite fine in the morning - no dryness or frizzyness at all. So far so good. Good to know I can alternate between the 2.

Co-washing and Deep Conditioning whenever it feels dry
which is about every 4-5 days. If it ends of feeling dry less than 4 days after previous wash - I'll use a leave in conditioner and seal first, and if that doesn't work I'll proceed to co-washing.

The MAIN OBJECTIVEs:

Keep hair moisturised, keep ends tucked away

DECREASE MANIPULATION as much as Possible

HANDLE strands WITH CARE

RETAIN RETAIN RETAIN those STRANDS/LENGTH!!!

Are you guys on a length retention/lowmanipulation mission? Wanna join me?
I'd love the company!

Xoxo,
Rachie :-)



11 comments

  1. This is such a wonderful and helpful post. Headbands and bobby pins are my friends too. I love your plan.

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    1. Heya Nerline!! Thanks so much, yeah girl headbands and bobby pins area major staple - anything that pulls or causes little "snapping" noises when I take it out of my hair is a No No.

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  2. Natasha Williams15 May 2015 at 12:11

    Hi Rachie , I 'd love to join u .
    What is the best way to trim your split ends ?

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    1. Hey Natasha!! Thanks for joining me :-) :-) In terms of trimming: (1) I search my hair for split ends and cut those about once a month, (2) Once every 3-4 months (not rigid) I put my hair in plaits and cut off any thin looking ends (same length for each plait) - then to even it up I' have to go to a hairdresser (That I trust to NOT CHOP OF MY HAIR) LOL!
      Thanks so much for stopping by! hugz! :-)

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  3. I would love to join. I am currently in braids to help with retention. Planning to wear them at least 3 weeks at a time. I want my hair thickness to return so bad.

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    1. Yay Shantel - Thanks so much! I'm so happy for the company. I understand the desire for thickness, the hair just looks so much healthier when it has more volume. I'm routing for you! :-)

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  4. That plan is definitely bound to yield good results. Sans the past 2 weeks that's exactly what I've been doing since the start of 2015. Protecting my ends with twists in an updo bun. Castor oil has definitely worked to thicken up my air. You should try adding some to your DC.

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  5. Hi Rachie! I like your post on the low manipulation hairstyle and finger detangle which is very important. I don't have a satin pillow, but I have a satin hair cap, which works good for me.
    Please check out my new blog on my hair journey it's called : beautyofhairjourney.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Hey there girlie! Thanks so much for stopping by,, so sorry for my late reply. I will definitely check out your blog! :-)

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  6. Hi Rachel

    I'm a fine haired natural and have come very versed in low manipulation :-) may I suggest you try an oil rinse mid week vs a cowash. Your tangles will literally melt away and your hair is left very soft and moist. I've been using coconut oil but will try grapeseed oil soon.

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    1. Hi Michelle! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the tip, I'm definitely gonna give it a try as I have a lot of new growth right now and coconut oil is one of the few scents that I can tolerate! I'll let you know how it goes! :-)

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