i’m not really a magic potion kind of girl. i don’t believe that pills and voodoo spells will make my hair grow and i’ll wake up like rapunzel, because it’s already growing, right now as i type this. i don’t care how much vaginal cream you slather on your scalp, or how many pounds of mane and tail “whatever” you use and you have nothing to show for it. the key in showing length is keeping length.
for many women, one of the hardest places to keep length is in your temple and nape. i’ve never had to worry about my temples or nape per se, but though my nape would grow, i found that it would not retain it’s length.
the hair on our temples and napes is very fragile and it’s very important that you handle it with care.
while i was protective styling a few years ago to get my hair back to a healthy state, i figured out a way to save my nape. instead of having my nape pulled into my cornrows, i would give my nape it’s own little soft and loose braid so that it would not end up being pulled up from the tension of my wig and subsequently break off from the repeated stress.
i wasn’t the only one doing this though. mook, a fellow natural had gone a step further and created a how-to of the exact same style, so of course i had to talk to her about it. i originally interviewed mook back in 2008 while she was transitioning to natural.
why do you feel the cornrow at the nape is beneficial?
many people have trouble with that area. this method keeps the hair away from clothing and helps with length retention.
i do this exact same braid method with much success. how did you come up with the idea to braid your nape?
i had some extensions and the back row kept slipping out. i grew tired of putting them back in, but i had to figure out something to do instead of just letting the hair hang. so I cornrowed it across and tucked in the end.
why does this work? it works because it alleviates braid and styling tension to the nape. when i wear my hair in cornrows during protective styling, i do this exact same braid. i wear my cornrows straight back and i leave about one inch out across the nape. i braid the nape first to get it out of the way and the proceed with braiding my cornrows. this has helped my nape tremendously and my growth in the photo above is proof of this. my nape still grows slower than the rest of my hair (as of this post, i’m almost bra strap length), though i feel that i will soon be arm pit length, but i am retaining the length i do gain which is what is most important to me.
to do the braid method, i prep my nape by spraying it with water, getting it soaking wet, and adding olive oil and mimosa hair honey to seal in the moisture and then i proceed to braid.
that’s it. during the week, i will mist the braid if need be and add a touch of oil on top. whenever i take my braid down once a week to detangle and re-braid, my hair is soft and supple.
if you are having trouble with nape growth, you can use this method to try to grow out your hair. even if you are not protective styling, if you have enough hair, you can wear your afro down over your nape with your nape braid covered.
for growth enhancing products to use while doing this method, you can try using dr. miracle’s temple & nape gro balm. though this product contains both mineral oil and petroleum jelly, i’ve heard from many women – relaxed and natural – that say this balm works. i think that has something to do with the eugenia caryophyllus ingredient with is simply clove leaf oil. i’ve also heard women say that organic root stimulator fertilizing temple balm also works well to stimulate hair growth.
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if you are having trouble with nape growth, try this method. if you stick with and are diligent in protecting your fragile nape, you will see results. if you find that after a couple of months you notice not difference, you may need to see a dermatologist as your growth problem could be due to damaged hair follicles from previous harsh handling leading to traction alopecia.
what say you ladies? how healthy is your nape? are you having trouble retaining length and what are you doing to try to grow out your kitchen?
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A friend of mine employed this same method for a long time to help grow in her nape, and it really worked for her. Great post!
so, where are the temples? are they the surrounding facial hairs of the face?
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