Natural Hair Growth Rules

Rules Apply To:
Both genders
All races
All ages, from infants to elderly
All hair types and textures, from straight to curly to coily/wooly
All baldness patterns and degrees of hair thickness, from very bald to full head of hair

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General Rule:
Do nothing.

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Specific Rules (in no particular order):
Head Hair
1. Do not cut head hair. Let it grow to its ultimate, fullest length, until it grows no longer. This length is determined by genetics, ethnic group, individual variations, and other factors.

2. Do not trim split ends. Do not use 'twist and trim' methods designed for very long hair.

3. Start now from where you are. Do not make hair 'perfect' before you start growing it. As hairs fall out at the roots, the altered hairs (permed, colored, straightened, badly damaged, etc) will gradually thin out and be replaced by new hair.

4. Do not perm, straighten, or color the hair. Do not alter it.

5. Dreadlocks: This rule is not yet settled, due to lack of knowledge about this hair type. Some coily textures form dreadlocks naturally, and this is accepted and valued. Avoid 'high-maintenance' dreadlocks that have to be permed and treated artificially. If dreadlocks are low-maintenance and if they form naturally they are okay. More information is needed about how they form and how they grow over time. Also, dreadlocks do not have a finite length, but instead will grow forever, and this could be a problem.

6. Combing and brushing is optional. However, certain methods of combing and brushing will badly damage the hair. Never 'tease' hair by backcombing. Start detangling the ends first, then work out the tangles up above them. Do not yank out knots. A wide-toothed comb or pick is recommended. Brushes are not recommended because they can damage the ends, but some people may be able to use them without causing damage.

7. Tapering: Accept the tapering of the ends of the hair as hair approaches its fullest length. Tapering to a thin point is normal and does not mean hair is 'breaking off.' Tapering does not result from split ends or hair breakage, but instead is a natural growth pattern. Do not use 'twist and trim' to remove split ends throughout the tapered area. All split end trimming causes significant loss of hair length, no matter how little is removed.

8. Different Lengths and Layers: Do not cut hair to make it all the same length before growing it long. Instead, start from where you are, and leave the long hair long. Grow bangs, or other short areas, and let them merge in gradually on their own. Do not 'cut the mullet' but instead keep the long hair and grow the rest of it, letting it gradually catch up.

9. Braids, buns, and other hair restraint methods are permitted, and it is very helpful to learn how to do them. Hair restraints must not cause permanent damage. Cornrow braids must be loose and gentle, not pulling, because pulling hair at the roots causes permanent root damage and hair will not ever grow back as thick as it was before. When long hair is very thick and heavy, it might help to put the bun directly on top of the head where its weight is supported, or it can be divided into separate parts to reduce the weight of each area. Dreadlocks: I do not have experience with tying or restraining dreadlocks, and need more information.

10. Do not use hair sprays, gel, grease, mousse, or other cosmetics on the hair. Some chemicals, such as hair spray, may cause permanent damage to both the hair and the root. I am currently testing and observing what happens when you do not use shampoo or conditioner (on a thin, straight, greasy, Caucasian hair type); this rule is not yet settled as to what types of washing are okay.

11. Gray or White Hair: Do not color the hair even if it is becoming white with age. Do not try to color some of your hair while leaving some of it gray, but instead, let all of it be whatever color it is. Gray hair is a positive, not a negative. Looking your age, looking as old as you are, is a good thing.

12. Center part. Do not part hair on the side. Afro textured hair may not part, because it is standing up off the head. If it cannot part, that is okay, but keep it center-oriented instead of side-oriented, when you brush, braid, or tie it up in any way.

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Baldness and Thinning
1. Balding long hair on men is normal and attractive. Do not 'embrace baldness' by shaving off all of the hair. Baldness is not a reason to avoid growing long hair. Baldness is an even stronger reason to grow the rest of the hair and the beard long. Baldness does not exclude people from using the option of growing long hair. Balding men are expected to follow all of the hair growth rules.

2. Balding afro-textured hair should also be long, but I lack experience with this hair pattern and need to find out more information.

3. Baldness with dreadlocks is a pattern that I have no experience with. It should be acceptable, but there might be problems while the hair is falling out, because the ends of the locks will still be thicker and heavier than the lock near the roots. It might possibly pull too hard on the roots during this stage, which could damage them. I need more information about this.

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Facial Hair
1. Do not shave, wax, or trim the beard or mustache on any part of the face. Do not shave off some parts of the beard while growing other parts long. If you already have a partial beard, start growing now from where you are - do not cut some of the beard off to make it all the same length. Partial beards or short beards are better than nothing at all. Some ethnic groups do not grow beards.

2. Grow beard to its fullest length until it grows no longer. Do not keep the beard at some particular length. Do not trim the edges to make them neat and tidy, but instead, allow the edges to become ragged as they will.

3. Beards may be braided, pinned up, or twisted into some kind of 'bun' just like head hair, when they need to be kept out of the way, or for modesty.

4. Do not remove female facial hair. Most female facial hair is thin and short. Female facial hair is not necessarily a symptom of illness. Full beards on women are more rare and therefore this rule is not yet settled due to lack of information. I personally welcome and accept this hair pattern on women as yet another wonderful variation. It is hardly ever seen and would take getting used to, but I am committed to accepting this. However, I understand that this would not be accepted in the workplace at most jobs.

5. Eyebrows: Do not pluck any parts of the eyebrows at all. Do not shave or trim them. Do not thin them. Do not remove individual hairs. Do not make them symmetrical if they are somewhat different on each side. Do not use electrolysis or any other method of permanent hair removal. Do not remove eyebrow hair growing over the bridge of the nose. The 'unibrow' or 'monobrow' is another wonderful variation in hair patterns, on both men and women. While all methods of hair removal are forbidden, some methods are worse than others: Plucking eyebrows causes permanent hair loss. The roots become scarred and damaged, and the hair never grows back as it was before the plucking, but instead grows back sparse and irregular. All methods of waxing or plucking cause permanent root damage and scarring.

6. Eyelashes: Not usually a problem, but, do not alter them, curl them, or trim them. Do not use mascara or other eye makeup.

7. Isolated Hairs: Do not remove isolated, individual hairs merely because they are separated from other thick areas of hair.

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Body Hair
1. Do not shave or remove any body hair, at all, regardless of whether you are male or female.

2. Variations - Too Much, Too Little: All patterns and variations are valued and accepted. Keep all of the hair, regardless of where it is located. Having hair on some particular body area is not better or worse than having it on some other body area. Do not make an exception for hair located on an 'unusual' or 'abnormal' area. There is no such thing as 'too much hair,' or 'too little hair,' on either women or men, on any part of the body. No area of hair is better or worse than any other.

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