Last year I wrote a short post explaining that our hair naturally grows faster during the Spring and Summer months and as such we should all be taking full advantage our Summer hair growth spurt.

I really wanted to revisit that theme again this year even though Ms. “Spring” seems to be having a rough time deciding if she is here to stay! BTW If you haven’t taken down your Christmas tree yet, you might as well just leave it out! #wenotjudgingthisyear.

When the Spring and the Summer season eventually make their debut I want you to be in the frame of mind that your hair will be flourishing and if you have hair growth goals, this is the time to get really disciplined about them.

I love the As I am Long and Luxe line because it is 100% focused on hair growth and in this post I am going to use those products and a few others to give you some suggestions on how to take full advantage of the warmest months of the year!

Why does your hair grow faster during the Spring and Summer?

Studies show that hair grows about 10% faster during the Summer and even though that might not seem like a lot, it’s enough for a girl to pay attention. The reason for the extra growth is simple really! Your hair follicles are at their peak within the anagen phase of hair growth and the warm weather leads to increased circulation all over the body.

We also change our behavior during the Summer! We eat healthier, we exercise more and we protective style naturally. Girl, it’s Summertime ain’t nobody got time to have hair everywhere and to be honest, even though we have goals we still want to have fun during this period of the year.

Here are 5 ways to take full advantage of your Summer growth spurt:

Deep condition often and efficiently

I deep condition on dry hair using my favorite deep conditioner every single week! The As I Am Hydration Elation is a perfect Spring and Summertime deep conditioner because it is rich in emollients without being too heavy.

I use the deep conditioner on dry hair before shampooing to help to loosen up my curls for detangling and partly because I just like to get deep conditioning out of the way early on wash day. Again, it’s Summer, we got stuff to do, long wash days are for the birds!

If you want to amp up you deep conditioner or “pre-shampoo’ even more– just add two tablespoons of Henna Happiness to it in a bowl and create a fab henna gloss. Read this post here and you will see just how to do it!

Henna is a great conditioner for weak fragile strands because it acts as a mild protein treatment penetrating the hair strand and patching broken areas from root to tip.

Cowash to avoid dryness

Have you tried the Long and Luxe GroWash yet? If you haven’t then now is the time to try it! I used to cowash all the time using shampoo maybe once every three or so months. Now I shampoo more often but on very hot days I am not opposed to pulling off a cowash midweek.

Cowashing is great for gym days when you want to get rid of excess sweat, great for midweek style changes and adding moisture to your hair when your strands seem particularly parched from the sun.

The GroWash contains water and Aloe Vera as ingredients one and two respectively and to be honest they had me at Aloe but the other ingredients are pretty stellar too. (Hydrolyzed protein, castor oil, and jojoba oil just to name a few!)

The way I personally maximize my cowash during the Summer is by doing a sleek wet bun! Many of you might go through the whole wash and go ritual adding gels and such which is perfectly fine but for me doing a bun reduces the time spent in the bathroom, and it keeps my hair moisturized and my ends out of the way.

Protective style

That was a perfect segway to my third tip! To maximize your Summer hair growth spurt it is imperative to keep the manipulation down to a minimum even if you cowash often. Use products that can help you to finger detangle and focus on styles that keep your ends tucked away and protected from the sun.

Other protective styles include, flat twists, cornrows, tuck’n’roll up do’s and anything simple that protects the ends of your hair completely. Oh and wear a hat or head wrap if you are headed to a festival in the park or the beach where your hair will be in direct contact with the sun! – Sun damage is very real!

Leave a little conditioner in your hair

I remember heading to the beach pretty much every two weeks back home and my mother insisting on adding conditioner to my hair before I got in the water. We would do the same thing before heading to the pool as well because the conditioner can act as a barrier to chemicals in the pool and the salt in the sea.

If you are swimming, by all means, get some conditioner and generously apply it to your hair before touching the water but there is nothing wrong with leaving a little conditioner in your hair daily as well during the hot Summer months.

I am not saying do not wash out the conditioner, I am saying if you leave a little bit in your hair you can help to boost moisture retention a little bit more.

This trick is great for children as well, because of how active they are and how dry their hair can get during the Summertime. The process is simple:

Step 1 – Deep condition – Hydration Elation
Step 2 – Shampoo – Long And Luxe Strengthening Shampoo
Step 3 – Condition – DETANGLING CONDITIONER Leave-In Tangle Releaser
Wash out the conditioner just enough to still feel a little slip in your hair.
Step 4 -Add an all-natural oil if you choose to do so
Step 5 – style

Worry less about your edges and more about your ends

That statement is metaphorical more than anything, what I really mean is keep the fuss to a minimum. Have fun, it’s hot, you might experience a little frizz and that’s ok!

Sleek buns are nice but if yours isn’t perfect make it up with some Fenty Gloss Bomb and cute Addidas. One of the most important ways to maximize your Summer growth spurt is to remain healthy and positive while doing the right thing for your hair. The moment we start tugging, pulling, bushing, tieing down, coloring, straightening and fussing about curls is when things go haywire and that can lead to unwanted frustration.

My final tip is to focus on using quality products on your hair and keeping your ends tucked away and everything will be just fine this season. For now, I guess we will keep the Winter stuff out just a little bit longer until mother nature says otherwise!