Any Merit? Naptural85's New Hair Growth Theory

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

For those who don't want to watch the video she thinks she can grow her hair out even faster than she did the first time by straying from the traditional "low manipulation, protective styling" method a lot of naturals follow and following "straight and wavy haired" people's method of frequent washing. She believes straight and wavy haired people's frequent washing results in increased scalp stimulation and the benefits of water/moisturizing.

Her Plan:

To wash her hair every 3 days
Replenish oils every three days using her hair and body oil, being sure to massage it down the strands
Curlformers (I'm guessing to stretch??) and then twisting
Twistouts to keep it stretched, prevent SSK and more easily distribute the oil

Honestly, I'm not sure how my hair would respond to this. I'm not sure how it'd react to the high amount of manipulation that frequent washes would require. I know you'd be detangling more frequently so maybe that problem would take care of itself, but I'm not sure. Additionally my hair is quite a bit coarser than hers and I can't imagine how this wouldn't be drying for me. I'm no expert though so I was hoping some of you hair intelligent ladies could weigh in.

What are your thoughts? Have any of you tried this theory or a similar method? How did it work for you?

AgeinATL · Jul 12, 2015

My hair grew fastest when I washed twice a week. I think maximizing your growth is all about scalp health. On the other hand, I was relaxed at the time, so the frequent manipulation wasn't that big of a deal. I would love to get back to twice a week washing, but the way my natural hair is set up....

SuchaLady · Jul 12, 2015

Washing and curl formering every 3 days? Yeah, she's gonna have negative progress.

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

AgeinATL said:
My hair grew fastest when I washed twice a week. I think maximizing your growth is all about scalp health. On the other hand, I was relaxed at the time, so the frequent manipulation wasn't that big of a deal. I would love to get back to twice a week washing, but the way my natural hair is set up....

SuchaLady said:
Washing and curl formering every 3 days? Yeah, she's gonna have negative progress.

That's what I'm wary of- the manipulation. I think it's definitely an interesting concept but I can't imagine how she's avoiding breakage from manipulation. I do like the scalp stimulation aspect of it though.

I'm guessing yall aren't willing to take one for the team and try it out :look:

? We'll send you a wig if it doesn't work out.

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

My other issue with this theory is attributing straight and wavy haired people's "faster hair growth" to the frequent washes. I cringed so hard at that part. I thought it was pretty well-accepted that the average person's hair grows at the same rate and many kinkier and tighter curled ladies issue i retention and not growth. Kinda makes the whole basis for the theory shaky to me.

shtow · Jul 12, 2015

I remember my coworker telling me about this video and me telling her that I didn't think it would necessarily work. "Their" hair is naturally oily and stringy, hence the need for them to wash more often. I think this will lead to more manipulation and breakage. I didn't watch but from what I was told, it had something to do with stimulating the scalp, and if that's the case, why not just massage the scalp instead of manipulating and drying the hair by washing?

moneychaser · Jul 12, 2015

When I first joined the boards this was mostly everyone's routine due to the popularity of Cathy Howse and Shamboosie who advocated washing every 3-4 days.

KinkyRN · Jul 12, 2015

This method is very similar to the coily queens regimen.

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

JunMom2Be said:
When I first joined the boards this was mostly everyone's routine due to the popularity of Cathy Howse and Shamboosie who advocated washing every 3-4 days.

Would you happen to remember how it turned out for them?

KinkyRN said:
This method is very similar to the coily queens regimen.

Let me look that up! Did you try it or know anyone who did?

overtherainbow · Jul 12, 2015

I actually had a very similar reggie for almost 3 years now. I washed and twisted my hair every 3 days, used oils and kept my hair stretched. I think I got some really good retention (I went from CBL to MBL in two years after my BC) I honestly chalk all of that up to constant washing and finger detangling exclusively. I only stopped now because my ends are older and need to be left alone. Also, I changed careers and I ain't got time for all of dat anymore.

Low manipulation works for me somewhat, but I have an oily scalp so I need to cleanse more frequently than most naturals. I never ever suffer from dry scalp unless I expose it to the canadian border's -45 degrees winter weather. Now for some reason this summer, my scalp is not producing as much oil as it used to so I can get away with once a week washing.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the most important part of this reggie is to pre poo with an oil (EVCO is my favorite, but any works). I have hi-po hair and it prevents the possibility of water clogging. I only do this for about 10 mintues or overnight.

moneychaser · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Would you happen to remember how it turned out for them?

Let me look that up! Did you try it or know anyone who did?

Excellent!!! I would go back to it but my hair takes too long to air dry and I didn't have kids back then lol
I remember both gurus stating that conditioners lose their effect after 4 days and I believe that to be true.

discodumpling · Jul 12, 2015

I dont see what so different or mind blowing about her new regimen. Washing every 3 days is old hat to those of us who wash daily!

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

overtherainbow said:
I actually had a very similar reggie for almost 3 years now. I washed and twisted my hair every 3 days, used oils and kept my hair stretched. I think I got some really good retention (I went from CBL to MBL in two years after my BC) I honestly chalk all of that up to constant washing and finger detangling exclusively. I only stopped now because my ends are older and need to be left alone. Also, I changed careers and I ain't got time for all of dat anymore.

Low manipulation works for me somewhat, but I have an oily scalp so I need to cleanse more frequently than most naturals. I never ever suffer from dry scalp unless I expose it to the canadian border's -45 degrees winter weather. Now for some reason this summer, my scalp is not producing as much oil as it used to so I can get away with once a week washing.

Thank you so much for sharing! Wow, finger detangling and washing and twisting, about how long did it take you? What about the washing do you think it was? Moisture, stimulation, overall scalp health?

I'm finally coming out of the APL slump and I want to try something new, but I'm also very busy and already live in a dry, mountainous environment. If there are aspects of this I could adopt that'd be great!

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

discodumpling said:
I dont see what so different or mind blowing about her new regimen. Washing every 3 days is old hat to those of us who wash daily!

Giiiirrrrllllllllll the way I was raised washing weekly was a feat lol. She touched on it a little in the video, but I'll be honest and admit a large part of my hair journey has been minimizing the amount of washes I need whether it be to save time, reduce manipulation, or save styles. Every three day would be a big change for me.

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

JunMom2Be said:
Excellent!!! I would go back to it but my hair takes too long to air dry and I didn't have kids back then lol
I remember both gurus stating that conditioners lose their effect after 4 days and I believe that to be true.

Hmmm, it's getting tempting. How did you style between washes? You as well @overtherainbow. Normally I'm in twists or buns (for work). My hair is at a length now where I don't need to stretch it in order to get a solid bun so that's a plus.

overtherainbow · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Thank you so much for sharing! Wow, finger detangling and washing and twisting, about how long did it take you? What about the washing do you think it was? Moisture, stimulation, overall scalp health?

I'm finally coming out of the APL slump and I want to try something new, but I'm also very busy and already live in a dry, mountainous environment. If there are aspects of this I could adopt that'd be great!

At first, it took a lot of time because my hair was shorter so I needed to work in smaller sections. Once I hit APL, it took me exactly 1.5hrs to wash, twist, detangle. However the longer my hair got, the shorter it took because it was able to weigh itself down and I could do bigger sections. So yesterday my hair took under an hour to wash and twist. I think it was the moisture from the water and the conditioners that helped keep dryness at bay. And scalp health was a big deal. Scalp buildup really hinders growth and that was actually one of the reasons why I increased washing in the first place. I also been washing my hair with a really mild shampoo (SM Moisture Rentention) for a couple of years now and that really helped create a balance of clean but still moisturized hair.

I usually did my hair at night after work/school. Sometimes in the morning before hand. It never really got in the way of my busy lifestyle, but I also used it as an hour of "me time".

moneychaser · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Hmmm, it's getting tempting. How did you style between washes? You as well @overtherainbow. Normally I'm in twists or buns (for work). My hair is at a length now where I don't need to stretch it in order to get a solid bun so that's a plus.

I was relaxed back then so wet bunning or rollersets. It works.

overtherainbow · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Hmmm, it's getting tempting. How did you style between washes? You as well @overtherainbow. Normally I'm in twists or buns (for work). My hair is at a length now where I don't need to stretch it in order to get a solid bun so that's a plus.

I did almost nothing to my hair in between. My twistouts stayed in place for about 2 days, then on the third day I would get bored and do a puff or a ponytail/bun. At night I kept my hair stretched in a very lose pony, pigtails, or two large french braids under a huge bonnet with a satin pillowcase. I am very boring when it comes to hairstyles

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

Haha, you ladies mentioning the Coily Queens Regimen were right! The creator of it even noticed the similarities!

Kookookiwi · Jul 12, 2015

JunMom2Be said:
I was relaxed back then so wet bunning or rollersets. It works.

Ok last question and I'll stop picking your brain. Did you experience any breakage with the wet bunning? Did you take any steps to mitigate having breakage?

overtherainbow said:
I did almost nothing to my hair in between. My twistouts stayed in place for about 2 days, then on the third day I would get bored and do a puff or a ponytail/bun. At night I kept my hair stretched in a very lose pony, pigtails, or two large french braids under a huge bonnet with a satin pillowcase. I am very boring when it comes to hairstyles

Me too lol. Last question for you both(maybe lol), did you just air dry in twists/braids? Did you ever do any additional stretching? And do you think this method could also be effective used in conjunction with a protective style like twists w/o extensions. Just washing, conditioning as regular in twists. This would lose the benefit of the frequent detangling, but do you think it'd still work? I can't kid myself, after installing twists I won't always want to take them out in three days.

Thank you two so much for sharing your experience and answering my questions!

discodumpling · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Giiiirrrrllllllllll the way I was raised washing weekly was a feat lol. She touched on it a little in the video, but I'll be honest and admit a large part of my hair journey has been minimizing the amount of washes I need whether it be to save time, reduce manipulation, or save styles. Every three day would be a big change for me.

This is a Black hair board most of us are familiar with the infrequent washes of our childhoods. Being a member of LHCF enables you to sample many different methods & techniques. All in an effort to find whats right for your own unique head of hair!

Ive found success with frequent washing over the years. Sometimes with twists or braids lately im a wash n go girl. There are many ways to grow out and its always fun to experiment,learn and contribute to the new way of Black haircare.

AtlantaJJ · Jul 12, 2015

overtherainbow said:
I actually had a very similar reggie for almost 3 years now. I washed and twisted my hair every 3 days, used oils and kept my hair stretched. I think I got some really good retention (I went from CBL to MBL in two years after my BC) I honestly chalk all of that up to constant washing and finger detangling exclusively. I only stopped now because my ends are older and need to be left alone. Also, I changed careers and I ain't got time for all of dat anymore.

Low manipulation works for me somewhat, but I have an oily scalp so I need to cleanse more frequently than most naturals. I never ever suffer from dry scalp unless I expose it to the canadian border's -45 degrees winter weather. Now for some reason this summer, my scalp is not producing as much oil as it used to so I can get away with once a week washing.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the most important part of this reggie is to pre poo with an oil (EVCO is my favorite, but any works). I have hi-po hair and it prevents the possibility of water clogging. I only do this for about 10 mintues or overnight.

I have hi-po hair as well, what do you mean by "water clogging"? Thanks!

faithVA · Jul 12, 2015

I've been doing every 3 days for the past 4 or 5 months and I am having the best retention I've had during my natural hair journey. For me a dry scalp leads to dry hair which leads to very little retention. Even with the additional manipulation I retain more and I have less breakage because my hair stays more moisturized.

Honey Bee · Jul 12, 2015

I've washed my hair twice a week ever since I took over my own hair care when I was little. I didn't realize that was a 'method'. The 'Max Hydration Method' requires that you wash at least that often, fyi, if you want examples.

Mahogony7 · Jul 12, 2015

Not for me. It takes two days for my hair to dry. I wish her luck.

bronzephoenix · Jul 12, 2015

I was just planning to get back to this. It works. I had the best growth & retention when I cowashed daily after my last bc. I didn't go more than 3 days without drenching my hair in the shower and coating it generously in conditioner. I was also finger detangling. Once it got longer, I got lazier & started stretching my washes to once a week. Right now I feel my hair is in a bit of a rut. I know in my soul I need to get back to this.

NaturallyATLPCH · Jul 12, 2015

I've started back doing this. Well, for a couple of weeks lol...I was doing protective styles every week and washing once a week and I didn't really see any miraculous retention. I am going to just cleanse every Sunday and Wednesday like I used to and see what happens.

almond eyes · Jul 12, 2015

This is not a new theory as others have pointed out and this has been talked about on this forum so many times. A clean scalp plus the stimulation from the shower head helps to promote growth.

However for women with fine hair the over manipulation, over moisturizing can lead to breakage.

One can still get a pretty good amount of hair growth with a good diet, exercise, water and washing and DC once a week and not neglecting protein treatments.

As my hair gets longer, I don't have the time to be up in my hair more than once a week.

Best,
Almond Eyes

mssoconfused · Jul 12, 2015

My regimen is similar in that I co-wash every 3 days or so. I wash and go 99% of the time though. I'm curious to see how she is going to be curl forming and twisting and whatnot. My hair is fine and couldn't take that much manipulation.

overtherainbow · Jul 12, 2015

Kookookiwi said:
Ok last question and I'll stop picking your brain. Did you experience any breakage with the wet bunning? Did you take any steps to mitigate having breakage?

Me too lol. Last question for you both(maybe lol), did you just air dry in twists/braids? Did you ever do any additional stretching? And do you think this method could also be effective used in conjunction with a protective style like twists w/o extensions. Just washing, conditioning as regular in twists. This would lose the benefit of the frequent detangling, but do you think it'd still work? I can't kid myself, after installing twists I won't always want to take them out in three days.

Thank you two so much for sharing your experience and answering my questions!

I never did any additional stretching out of pure laziness and I was worried about over manipulation since I was washing my hair at least twice a week. I think this method works really well with twists/extensions if you're not concerned about frizzies. I had havana twists after I BCd, still washed frequently and it was awesome because I didn't have to detangle. Upon take down, my hair was really moisturized and I did minimum maintenance aside from washing. One drawback is that I did had to retwist frequently to combat frizz. I have yet to wash my hair in twists without extensions though. I was supposed to do that this summer but I just ended up giving myself and my hair a break from styling.

Any Merit? Naptural85's New Hair Growth Theory

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