6 Ways to Stretch Your Natural Hair
The idea of stretching your natural hair may seem a little confusing at first. After all, the point of having natural hair is for the curls, right?
Well, yes. But stretching your hair will help increase manageability, lengthen the curls, and reduce frizz.
Stretching natural hair is a way of temporarily loosening the curl pattern to control tangles and shrinkage.
You may find that it helps you moisturize and style too because you can get your fingers through it quicker.
When your hair isn’t manageable, it can be time-consuming and lead to breakage.
You might even enjoy your natural hair journey more because your hair is much easier to deal with when it’s stretched.
Plus, stretching it will allow you to retain length and avoid damage to your ends.
But how do you do it, and which stretching methods will best suit your lifestyle?
It’s a good idea to get an overview of the techniques so you can see which one you want to add to your routine.
Here is a list of six of the most useful ways to stretch natural hair, including one you may have never considered.
Each method has instructions too, so you can decide which ones you want to try for your regimen.
Way #1: Use a Low-Heat Hair Dryer
Using a low-heat hair dryer, like SwirlyCurly's own CurlDefiner, is the fastest way to stretch your curls and reduce frizz on wash day.
If you're shocked I’m recommending to use a hair dryer on natural curls, just know that low-heat blow dryers don't typically damage hair. Flat irons do.
Flat irons are the true villains of heat damage. Flat irons require you to place your hair between two hot plates.
Blow dryers are much safer than flat irons because they use indirect heat.
Plus, if you're using the low-heat CurlDefiner Natural Hair Dryer, you can rest assured your curls won't get damaged.
Use your blow dryer + Mango Moringa Styling Cream and Gel to set twists or use this combo to finish your wash 'n go.
Using a blow dryer on your wash ‘n go is also known as the Wash 'n Dry.
The Wash ‘n Dry Method is the fastest way to dry and set your style so you're not spending hours on wash day.
Here are the steps for the Wash 'n Dry:
Step #1:
Section washed hair into loose twists.
Step #2
Layer Mango Moringa Styling Cream and Gel into each section.
Step #3
Retwist each section to avoid shrinkage.
Step #4
(Optional) Make "little buns" with each section and pin to hold.
Step #5:
Dry and stretch each section gently with your CurlDefiner Natural Hair Dryer.
DONE
Enjoy reduced frizz and defined curls -- without the damage!
Way #2: Do Twists to Stretch Natural Hair
Twists are probably the easiest of stretching methods because you only need to weave two strands at a time.
You can part your hair in as many sections as you want, depending on how you want it to look and how much time you have.
Big sections will be faster to do, and the manipulated curl pattern will be bigger. However, larger twists will give you less control over frizz.
To do the twists, part a small section of hair and separate it with your fingers.
Apply Mango Moringa Styling Cream and Gel and twist the two strands together until you reach the end. Repeat the technique with more sections.
Getting a frizz-free manipulated curl pattern after the hair dries is one of the best things about twists.
They turn into twist-outs, and you can easily have a curly hairstyle to wear for 2-3 days. Remove the twists when they’re fully dry to make the twist-out.
Tired of waiting around for your hair to dry with a twist-out? Use the CurlDefiner Natural Hair Dryer after twisting so you can remove the twists much faster.
Way #3: Do Braids to Stretch Natural Hair
Braids are slightly more difficult to do than twists because they require three strands instead of two.
However, braiding will stretch your natural hair more than twists since the pattern is tighter and more controlled.
In fact, your hair will probably look longer with braids than it does with twists.
Like twist-outs, braids will also give you a braid-out style to wear for a few days.
However, braid-outs won’t give you a uniformed look because the strands are facing several directions.
So, if you’re looking for a uniformed coil pattern, you may want to choose twists for your stretching method instead.
To do braids, part a small section of hair. Apply curl cream or leave-in conditioner, then separate the section into three, and make a braid.
Continue with more sections of hair.
Remove the braids when they’re dry to make the braid-out hairstyle. Again, use the CurlDefiner Natural Hair Dryer to speed up the dry time on your braid-out.
This stretching method is an ideal starter for low and high buns.
Way #4: Try Banding to Elongate the Curl
Banding is a popular way to stretch natural hair. It involves placing several bands around each section of hair. You may find that this stretching method takes longer to dry than twisting and braiding because you’re using an additional item—the band.
The band tends to absorb moisture during the process, and you’ll need to wait for it to dry to finish the stretching. Also, the thicker the band, the longer it will take to dry.
To do banding, part a small section of hair, and wrap a band around your hair at the root. Then place a second, third, and maybe a fourth band lower down on the section.
You may need more or less bands, depending on the length of your hair. Continue this method until your entire head is done.
Banding allows you to stretch the hair, but it is not without drawbacks.
Using bands to stretch your hair frequently may lead to breakage as you’ll need to pull them from your hair.
Aim to avoid using elastic bands, as these could lead to breakage. Instead, make sure your bands are made of a soft, stretchy material.
Try using Snappee Hair Ties for your banding technique.
Snappees are made of a nylon material that is similar to the texture of yoga pants.
They’re soft, and you’ll be able to snap them on and off instead of pulling them from your hair.
Way #5: Go Bone-Straight with the African Threading Method
This stretching method is probably the most effective of all techniques.
In fact, it has even been touted as a way to straighten natural hair without using a flat iron or chemicals.
This method can stretch natural hair well, but it also requires the most time and effort.
To do the African threading method, you’ll need either a spool of thread or several strips of pantyhose.
Part your hair into a small section and apply curl cream or a leave-in conditioner. Then, wrap the thread or pantyhose around the section until it is completely covered.
Tie or tuck the material at the end to make sure it won’t unravel.
The African Threading method requires a lot of drying time because you’re covering every section of hair with material.
While this method is the effective, it also takes the longest to dry and set. In fact, it could take a full 48 hours before you can unwrap the hair.
But be careful about unwrapping too early. Removing the thread while the hair is still damp will mean that the stretching is not quite finished.
Way #6: Do Bantu Knots to Stretch Natural Hair
Bantu knots are probably the most protective of all stretching methods because you get to tuck the ends into the rest of your hair. Guarding the ends will allow you to grow your hair longer and healthier.
Plus, they don’t require bands or any other material, so they’ll cause less friction than both banding and the African threading method.
To make bantu knots, part a section of hair and apply Mango Moringa Styling Cream and Gel. Twist the entire section with your fingertips until it coils onto itself.
Then tuck the end into the rest of the hair to form the knot. Continue with more sections until done.
Doing these stretching styles on natural frequently will allow you to manage your hair better and keep it less tangled during the week.
Want a fantastic natural hair regimen where you can stretch your hair while knocking hours off your routine?