5 effective ways to reduce shrinkage in natural hair

If you have kinky, curly or coily hair you understand the struggle of shrinkage.

While the effects may not be as noticeable on certain natural hair subtypes, some women have claimed to experience shrinkage up to eight inches when their hair goes from wet to dry.

To those who may not be familiar with the hair lingo, shrinkage is a decrease in length when hair goes from wet to dry. While hair is wet, it is weighed down so the curls stretch and fall to their maximum length. As hair dries, inches of length disappear.

While shrinkage may be a pain in the butt, you can manipulate it although temporarily, there are tried and tested ways to prevent length loss.

Blow it out

For maximum length, the best option is to blow out your hair. Because excessive heat can weaken and damage the hair shaft, it is important to prep the hair with a heat protectant and a deep conditioner before blow drying. Once your hair is primed and prepped, blow away. But be careful not to make this a habit or it will eventually weaken your hair and breakage may also occur.

Roller set

This is one of the least damaging and best ways to stretch out curly natural hair and thus to prevent shrinkage. Mostly done on wet hair or damp hair, you can also use rollers on dry hair. This technique stretches out curls with a very small amount of effort.

Banding

Another great heatless alternative to stretch natural hair is banding. This is achieved by putting rubber bands on small sections of wet hair until you reach the end. Leave it to dry and voila you have straighter hair. However, banding should be done sparingly to avoid breakage especially when taking out the bands.

Bantu knots

This is the go to option for many naturalistas. Not only will it leave your hair stretched but done the right way it can give you some seriously popping curls. To create bantu knots section your hair off into squares keeping in mind that the smaller the section the tighter the curl. If done well, you can wear the knots as a style or unravel them to reveal tight curls.

Bunning

A fast approach to fight shrinkage is holding up your hair into a bun after a wash. While it may not promise a super straight stretch it will give you some desired length. Keep it on for one to two hours depending on how long or thick your hair is then comb it out.