Most of us tend to make the decision to go natural in anticipation of all the various stages our hair will go through. We pretty much know that there will be stages that we love, like the months just after the big chop and stages we absolutely hate like the stage naturals like to call the ‘awkward stage’ or “the terrible twos.”

The awkward stage is that period when your hair is too short for a ponytail and way too long to be considered a cute pixie. It is also the stage that most of us want to get through the fastest! In this post, we want to share 4 tips that can help you to speed up hair growth as much as you can and get you through the awkward stage a bit faster.

Focus on keeping your scalp healthy

The health of your scalp and the roots of your hair is the foundation for great healthy growth so we would want to encourage you to keep the roots of your hair and scalp clean and clear of debris.

Use techniques like scalp exfoliation and cleansing your scalp with sulfate-free shampoos will help to encourage hair growth because there will be nothing on your scalp to stifle growth.

Always remain engaged with how your scalp is feeling because it usually tells you when something is wrong. Dry, itchy scalps are not normal and should be avoided at all costs!

Protective styles

The best protective style for natural hair growth

Protective styles such as braids or twist extensions are a great way to hide your hair, and they help you to retain length because you won’t be touching your hair for an extended time.

Find a great stylist who can install your favorite protective style safely and leave your hair alone for a maximum of eight weeks. When you remove your protective style, you might notice that you retained, even more, length than expected.

Make a hair growth oil

If you are not much of a “mixtress”, I challenge you to start because growth oils that you can use as massage aids or in hot oil treatments can help to stimulate hair growth for the lifespan of your hair journey.

Make sure your hair growth oil is pure with ingredients like, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, grapeseed oil, and other oils that nourish the scalp and nourish your hair follicles.

Drink plenty of water and focus on your diet

Hair health starts from the inside, so if you want to encourage hair growth, you must focus on your diet and water intake. Water nourishes your hair from the inside out, adding moisture to your strands.

A healthy diet filled with green food, healthy nuts, and lean protein enriches the blood and gives your hair what it needs to grow.

The thing to remember is that everyone is different, so you have to do what is best for you as you get through every stage of your hair journey. Follow these tips, and you will get through the awkward stage in no time!