Repost: How to Grow Your Nape aka "Kitchen"

Now that I'm natural, the same rules (except for the relaxer part) still apply. I must say my 'natural nape' looks so full & thick. It's the first thing I noticed in my latest YouTube video. Even doing all of the "right" things, it was such a struggle achieving this with my 'relaxed nape.'

(Originally posted 3/1/2010)
Have you ever wondered where the term kitchen came from? Apparently, it derives from African American women and little girls getting their hair done in the kitchen. I can vouch for this because it was in the kitchen where my mother would straighten my hair with a hot comb. She needed to be near the stove for the hot comb. My nape or kitchen was the toughest part to straighten and I had the burns to prove it. Ha! I've been growing my hair for a little over 2 years and I've learned how to grow my nape long just like the rest of my hair. Same rules-just apply it to your nape! Here are some things that are helping me grow my nape longer and stronger!

*that's a birthmark on my neck* 

1. Wash the scalp & hair in your nape. This area can be easily neglected while washing your hair. Remember to wash the scalp & hair in this area to create a clean growing environment! 

2. Condition that kitchen! This may seem like common sense to a lot of women, but some ladies are still not adding ANY deep conditioner to this section of the hair. It's easy to forget as you're slapping that conditioner all over your hair. Deep conditioning this area strengthens it! (especially protein conditioners *smile*) 

3. Moisturize your nape DAILY. Also, seal the moisture in with some kind of oil. The nape tends to be shorter & drier that the rest of the hair so it's very important to do this. My nape is definitely a 4B texture. It's very coarse and it's drier than the rest of my hair. I have to moisturize it any time it's feeling dry or it breaks off. Simple as that. The rest of my hair is 4A. (I'll post more on hair types later.) 

4. When applying a relaxer, do this area last OR try relaxing it every other relaxer. By relaxing this area last, the chemicals will only have a short amount of contact time with the hair. The longer a relaxer is in your hair, the more damaging it is. So help your nape out by doing this area last or skipping it altogether sometimes. You will definitely have a healthier nape. :-) 

5. Don't add unnecessary tension to this area. No TIGHT PONYTAILS. Tension pulls the hair and this leads to the hair breaking off in that area. *raises hand* I'm was guilty of doing this in past!

6. Cover the nape with a silk or satin scarf before bed. Now I realize you may not be able to cover the entire nape, but that's okay. Just make sure you are covering the majority of it. 

What tips have helped you grow your nape? It's always great to learn more. :-) Let's give our nape the attention it deserves!

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