How do you keep your hands out of you hair? My biggest challenge to growing hair

[tryn2growmyhair]

My biggest problem, and, I think my biggest obstacle to growing my hair long, is that I like to play with my hair. Whenever I am thinking really hard, I touch my hair. And now that I have not relaxed since October and have tons of new growth (the girl at the Dominican BSS commented on it today. She was like, you need a relaxer, girl! Don't worry, I wasn't offended. She's right. You can see my new growth from miles away), I am constantly caressing my curls. My hair is much healthier than before, so I am not seeing as much breakage as when I was doing the Dominican method myself or going to the Dominican salons all the time, I am still worried about this bad habit.

I am convinced my hair would be superlong if I did not do this. Even with this bad habit, my hair is a few inches past my shoulders, so I just know if I kick this habit (and product switching pj-ism) I'd be almost there.

Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how have you solved it?

 

[Boadicea]

I have had the same problem. And I know for a fact that if I had left my hair alone and not played with it, it would be very long by now. If you'd like to test your will power there are two (among others) things you can do:

1. Put your hair in a ponytail or protective style
2. Find something else to do when you you feel the urge to touch your hair unnecessarily

I did the first one and have found that my hair does indeed flourish more when protected and not touched when it doesn't need to be.

 

[amy1234]

I can definantley relate. If I wear my hair down, I'll end up with my hands in my new growth!! -it's a bad habit, one way to stop this madness is to simply tie your hair in a low pony tail.

 

[WaterChylde]

Whether my hair is in a ponytail, a bun, or down I am always playing in it. I'm playing in it right now. LOL. I just can't help it.

 

[candibaby]

the only way you can bet that i wont play in my hair is if i'm in braids. even then i still play with it because i get the ends curled. what can i say? it's addictive!

 

[sweetpeadst]

mee toooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Peachtree]

I had occasional "hand in hair disease" during my transition. Sometimes I simply could not resist feeling my "curls & waves" grow in. I was relaxed for close to 20 yrs... It was exciting to "feel" a different texture emerge

I transitioned for 18 mths, so I had plenty of time to play with my new growth. Now that I'm natural, I rarely play with my hair.

 

[CandiceC]

I also have a problem with playing in my hair. I used to twirl my hair, but now I mostly just play with the new growth when I stretch relaxers, which isn't as bad. The more time I take caring for my hair the less the urge is to play in it. I don't want to mess up all this hard work. I'm also in braids right now so that helps.

 

[dreemssold]

How about instead of touching it, twirling it, whatever, give yourself a scalp massage? This should sate your touching jones and the massage will stimulate your scalp and boost your growth at once? It's worth a try if you find you really can't keep your hands away .

 

[AudraChanell]

What a great suggestion Dreem! I need to massage my scalp myself *wink*

How about instead of touching it, twirling it, whatever, give yourself a scalp massage? This should sate your touching jones and the massage will stimulate your scalp and boost your growth at once? It's worth a try if you find you really can't keep your hands away .

 

[Faith]

I had the problem but mine was worse....I was always pulling my hair out. Don't ask! I solved it through prayer (for real...I was pulling a lot out....)and covering my hair up at home since that's where I was doing the damage.

 

[Poohbear]

...Putit inna bun!

 

[lovelymissyoli]

If this is a problem while you are at home consider putting a wrap on headband (silk) on your hair so that you can't get to it. Once you try to go play with it your hand will be blocked because of the wrap you have on.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Thanks so much for all of your answers . The problem is that I love running my hands up and down my new growth and stretching it out. The problem also mostly happens at home. When I put a scarf on my hair, I feel that my scalp is not breathing and a scalp massage doesn't feel as good as caressing my new growth. Thanks again for all of your tips. I will try them and also continue washing my hair twice a week and giving myself stimulating hot oil treatments (with peppermint, tea tree and cinnamon oils, the works! ) and Vitale Reconstructor. If you want your scalp to tingle try this conditioner. Sometimes it tingles too much for me, but I think that this time I really need it. It has menthol in it! My scalp tingles even longer after I wash it out than when I use my homemade Cathy Howse conditioner.

 

[SouthernGirl]

I can't stop either. It's not so much that I have to constantly play in it, it's that I get sick of one style and I have to switch up. Or if I've tried to wait one week to shampoo, I just get the urge to do it sooner. Now I wash 2x per week, and I still get anxious to wash again!!

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Or if I've tried to wait one week to shampoo, I just get the urge to do it sooner. Now I wash 2x per week, and I still get anxious to wash again!!

:LOL:! This is my problem too, ! But another problem of mine is that my scalp itches a lot (I am hearing that biotin might cause this) even though I wash it twice a week.

I had a BAD episode last night where I just could not keep my hand out of my 14 weeks of new growth. I suffered so much breakage, because of the demarcation line, I will NEVER, NEVER, wait this long to relax again . Extending relaxers, this method does not work for me at all. As it was, I sometimes got my hair done every 8 to 10 weeks. With this more frequent washing and airdrying that I am doing now, I think that I am just going to have to continue getting a relaxer this often. I'm gonna start calling it DA ULTIMATE DETANGLA OR DUD, because after 8 weeks DUD is the only thing that works for me ayight?!.

 

[getmoore]

I had the exact same problem when I relaxed my hair. I now think that it was just me longing to have my natural texture because I always would play in my newgrowth and there was nothing that I could do to stop myself from doing it.When I went totally natural I stopped . I still like touching my hair from time to time for no reason but not at all like before when I relaxed!!!

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

I had the exact same problem when I relaxed my hair. I now think that it was just me longing to have my natural texture because I always would play in my newgrowth and there was nothing that I could do to stop myself from doing it.When I went totally natural I stopped . I still like touching my hair from time to time for no reason but not at all like before when I relaxed!!!

I am thinking this might be part of my problem. I love my curls! However, I think that I am too lazy to stop relaxing my tpye 4 hair, natural hair would take up much more time than I have right now.

 

[Wildflower]

...Putit inna bun!

ITA. that's the only way for me.

 

[lady_godiva]

I am having a hard time not playing in my hair now that it is in a short afro. I keep separating the curls with my fingers. Is this bad for my hair?

 

[Mami_Chula416]

I have that problem with not keeping my hands out of my hair. My hair is very coarse and thick with a little wave to it, but for some reason at the top front of my head my hair grows kinky, tight coils like wriggly lol I can't explain but its completely different from the rest of my hair and on top of that its kinda fine and breaks easily. I can't stand the way it feels so some times I tend to pull it out. I try not to pull it out cause before I did it a little to much that it left me with a little bald spot. It only looks ok if I straiten it, but then I think it just damages it more. Still looking for solutions.