About a year ago, I decided I wanted to grow my curly hair out.

If you have curly hair yourself, you know how long this can take.

Because of the curl, curly hair can take as least twice, if not three times, as long to reach a desired length compared to our straight-haired counterparts.

I was starting with my hair just at my shoulder.

My goal was to get it to the middle of my back.

In the past, this would have taken me at least two years. But this time around, it took me a little over a year.

Here are five things I did that I believe helped my hair grow faster, and why I think the Curly Girl Method played a role in this process.

(But keep in mind, I’m not a hair professional, this is just my personal experience and observations.)

Side note, this page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!

Scalp care

I’ve written in the past about my dry scalp. The Curly Girl Method helped me identify this problem and come up with some solutions to solve my dry flaky scalp.

Because the scalp is essentially responsible for hair growth, it makes sense to me that learning to take better care of it would result in faster growth.

As the Curly Girl Handbook points out, the hair and the scalp are two different things so they need to be cared for differently.

Here are three things I did to care for my scalp that I believe played a role in my hair’s growth.

Exfoliate

I started exfoliating my scalp, which helped get rid of product build-up and blockages that may have been preventing new hair from growing or slowing the growth of the hair I had.

I exfoliated by using this inexpensive shampoo brush when I wash or co-wash my hair. This helped my scalp get good an clean and it removed blockages and dead skin. It also helped with blood circulation, which is said to encourage hair growth.

And from time to time, I also used a brown sugar conditioner scrub from the Curly Girl Handbook.

Oil

I also found it really helpful to massage coconut and olive oils into my scalp every few nights or whenever my scalp feels dry.

This seemed to go a long way with both helping my dry scalp and helping my hair grow.

I started doing this because of dryness, but I found that the more I oiled my scalp, the faster my hair seemed to grow. Beyond that, other people I see often started noticing that my hair was growing.

This has never happened to me before. My hair growth is usually so gradual that the people I see on a regular basis never notice.

I tried both olive oil and coconut oil on their own and found that olive oil is more moisturizing for me, but the coconut oil seems to encourage growth.

I’ve read that coconut oil has vitamins and fatty acids that can help hair growth. I don’t have the background to know if that’s really the reason, or if it’s just an internet belief gone wild.

What I do know is I’m happy with the results. I also didn’t notice as much growth when I was using olive oil by itself.

Now, I use an oil mixture that’s half olive and half melted coconut oil. I massage the oils into my scalp as needed about an hour or so be for bed and rinse it out in the shower in the morning.

Scalp friendly shampoo

I also started using Cantu’s TXTR Apple Cider Vinegar + Tea Tree Soothing Shampoo. This shampoo soothes and moisturizes my dry scalp and has quickly become a favorite of mine!

Both Tea Tree Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar are said to be helpful in hydrating and exfoliating dry flaky scalps, and I’ve noticed that I don’t need to oil as much since I started using it.

Hair Care

I honestly think the scalp care contributed to most of my growth, but there were also changes to my hair care routine that I also believe played a role.

Following the Curly Girl Method

I started following the Curly Girl Method a few months before I decided to grow my hair out. This meant I was taking so much better care of my hair.

It was healthier and happier than it had been in a very long time, which I think led to a faster growth rate.

I also noticed less dead ends and less breakage, which made it possible for more of my hair to reach the desired length at a faster rate.

It also led to the next point which I also think really helped me hit my length in record time.

I cut my hair less often

This breaks a pretty big curly hair/curly girl rule, but honestly, it made a difference.

Most curl experts (including the Curly Girl Handbook) say curly hair should be cut every 6-8 weeks. This is said to oxygenize the hair which helps it curl and grow.

And most hair experts will tell you that regular cuts while you’re growing your hair out is actually better for growth, regardless of your hair’s texture.

In the past, I would religiously get my hair cut every 8 weeks, and typically it needed it. I kept up with this schedule at the beginning of my hair growth.

Then I saw a video from Curly Penny where she said she grew her hair out pretty quickly by not getting it cut regularly. She said she paid attention to her hair and her ends, and only got her hair cut when she noticed her ends were splitting.

Before this video, my hair growth seemed to be dragging. Then I started stretching my time between cuts to 12-16 weeks.

Like Penny suggested, I kept an eye on my ends. I found that since I started following the Curly Girl Method, my ends have taken longer to split and didn’t seem to actually need that 8 week cut I’d been giving it.

Once I started getting my hair cut less, I noticed even more measurable progress.

Regular Protein Treatments

I started doing more regular weekly or bi-weekly protein treatments on my hair as I needed them.

This was particularly helpful when I stretch the time between hair cuts. The one negative side effect I noticed from not cutting as regularly was a little bit of a weaker curl.

The protein treatments fixed that. They strengthened my hair and helped maintain a good strong curl as I extended my time between cuts.

I’ve used Mielle Organics Deep Conditioner Babassu and Mint and Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein-Strong Treatment. I like them both, but the Mielle Organics is my favorite.

For more on protein and curly hair, check out this post.

Overall, I think all of these elements really worked together to help my hair grow out stronger and more quickly than it ever has before.

Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?

For beginners

If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!

After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible. 

It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!

click to learn more

For more intermediate/advanced guidance

If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!

After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.

So that’s what I created!

Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.

click to learn more

Sound off: How have you grown out your curly hair? Are there any tips or tricks you found particularly helpful? Tell us about it in the comments! And be sure to tell us a little bit about your hair type.