Shrinkage is not one my favorite aspects of being natural. Especially since I have been wearing my hair pressed for a while having my hair shrink up was a big adjustment for me. As opposed to banding or blow drying my hair every time I wash my hair, there is one method that I prefer over anything else.

Shrinkage After Washing Hair

I like to cornrow, braid, or twist my hair while it is still wet and the next day if I desire to wear it out I take out my plaits and gently fluff it out. This stretches my hair without the long process of banding and it reduces my contact with heat so I can avoid heat damage.

It never stretches to its full extent without the use of heat, but it gives me enough working room so it isn't matted or too tight to my scalp. Due to the cold weather down in Jersey I will be implementing a lot of protective styling and I am considering yarn braids. Until I make my decision I will be rocking my cornrows.

For me shrinkage is definitely not fun. My hair gets extremely tight to my scalp and the matted look definitely annoys me. However, I have found that reducing my contact with heat keeps my hair healthier so I rather just use my braiding method and deal with the shrinkage.

Cornrows and Two Strand Twists