Combat the winter hair blues with the baggy method

Long time no hair post! 2016 not only marks the beginning of what is bound to be a fabulous New Year but it also marks the end of the thirty days of protective style challenge! Let me be the first to say that not only did I successfully protective style the entire thirty-one days of December but I also held firm to the challenges by taking my vitamins and applying my castor oil faithfully! I've achieved an evident increase in thickness and so far I'm pleased to see that I am finally getting beyond my set back. If you weren't able to complete all the #YGG challenge steps please add them into your regimen, I'm getting some great feedback from those who are staying true to course. Nourishing healthy hair is much like fitness, don't be disappointed by the work you didn't do, small steps taken daily can lead to big results.

If you haven't been following the challenge or you've just tuned in you can read more about the details of the You Grow Girl hair growth challenge here. Now onto the good stuff, if your living in the Midwest like myself then winter just officially hit, aren't we lucky? I literally had on sandals one day this past December! In Ohio!! Okay enough of that excitement that's far from the point I'm trying to make. In regards to black hair, which is dry by nature, the onslaught of winter is particularly hard on our strands. During the winter months I step up my hair care by moisturizing and sealing, protective styling to spare my ends from the harsh elements and I also increase my moisturizing deep conditioning and steaming routine. There's one more method that I want to introduce to you to promote moisture during these dry winter months and its called the baggy method. Not only would I like for you to try and implement it into your hair care routine, it's also the You Grow Girl mini challenge for the next two weeks!

The baggy method is a technique used to lock in moisture. It begins by applying moisture to your hair then utilizing a plastic baggy, saran wrap, Ziploc bag or processing cap to lock in the moisture. The application of moisture could be a light spritz of water, leave-in conditioner or a drop of conditioner. Once you've applied your moisture you have two options, you can choose to baggy your entire head or focus solely on those precious ends. Whatever option you choose, baggy your ends or entire head for two to four hours max. Baggying any longer than that is not beneficial to your hair, so use this method in moderation. I personally prefer to focus on my ends because I sweat profusely in my scalp. Doing this a few hours, in the evening about two nights a week and that's plenty for me to get a boost in moisture. I do this by applying a light amount of my favorite leave in conditioner to my ends, wrapping them with saran wrap or a small plastic bag and using an ouchless hair band to secure the plastic wrap in place. Practicing this two to three times a week really promotes moisture especially in the dry winter months. Your hair will emerge softer, also the moisture combined with your body heat, which is activated by the baggy, really promotes a dewy environment for growth. Finally, I typically utilize this method in the evening because your strands will be slightly damp and we don't want to expose your hair to the cool air.

Now allow me to reiterate that you should NOT baggy your ends or head and leave that in for a prolonged period of time, this method is to be used in small increments, not days on end! In fact, I once thought I was a pretty wise gal and I moisturized the length of my hair, wrapped it securely into a small bun, covered it in plastic and applied a phony pony on top of my little bun. I maintained this style for about a weeks time. Let me tell you,  in my case the results were disastrous, my hair smelled bad and the texture was terrible. My hair wasn't happy at all with my little experiment, so trust me just don't even go there.

For this mini challenge the goal is to moisturize and baggy your hair, two to four hours, two or three times a week for the next two weeks. Perhaps you want to alternate between your entire head and just your ends to test which method you prefer. While your experimenting take note of how your hair feels after the bag is removed. Is it softer with notable moisture? If so, good that's what we're shooting for with this challenge. We've got less than three weeks remaining in the #YGG growth challenge, increase your baggying and step up your growth!

Are you up for the challenge?