Have you struggled with keeping your hair stretched? As you may know, this can be the most frustrating thing on curly natural hair especially if you want to keep your hair stretched all week without any heat. Curly hair can shrink up to 70 percent depending on the texture of your hair. When your hair is stretched, its less prone to knots and tangles. Here are a few methods that will help stretch your hair without heat and not experience heat damage.
Twisting / Braiding
Twists and braids are the most common methods of stretching natural hair. What you do is first wash your hair and when its about 70% dry, apply your leave in, moisturizer and twist or braid the hair. Then, unravel the next day to get pretty twist outs or braid outs.
For more definition and hold, use a gel while twisting. You can re-twist or braid your hair every night to keep your hair stretched and maintain the style.
Threading
This is another method that’s really great, especially for your little girl’s natural hair. And its also great as a protective hairstyle.
Get a weaving thread (the type that’s used for weaving hair) and tie your hair in a small pony tail and continue to thread the hair from root to the ends of the hair. Then unravel for a stretched out look. Check out how Nadine Stretches her daughters hair.
Banding
Works almost the same as threading. What you do is get a section of hair, put it in a ponytail, stretch the hair and band, then repeat on each section.
Curlformers
It gives amazing stretched out hair results. Curlformers come in different sizes so its advisable to get the long ones because your hair will grow overtime. To get great results, use curlformers on wet or damp hair and also use a setting lotion so that the hair can set well.
Flexi Rod
This is yet another great way of stretching natural hair and get amazing, beautiful curls. Wash hair, apply leave in conditioner, moisturize and get a section of hair and wrap it around a flexi rod. Unravel the next day or when dry.
Bantu knots:
Can be worn as a protective natural hair style or unravel the bantu knots and get beautiful curls and your hair will be stretched. To get the look: Wash hair, apply leave in conditioner, moisturize, two strand twist then coil the hair around in itself at the root. Continue to do so until you form a knot.
Hair Products To Use to Help Stretch Natural Hair
- Shea moisture raw shea butter heatless curl stretch gel
- Design essentials natural curl stretching cream
- DevaCurl Super Stretch Coconut Curl Elongator
