What’s nape hair?
It’s the section of your head so infamous in the black community we have labeled as the kitchen. A bit of a weird one that, I’ve never understood why since everyone loves the kitchen. Well, in all accuracy we usually love what comes out of it: yummy cookies, cakes, stews, you know; sustenance.
Why then have we named one of the most challenging areas of our hair after one of the most beloved rooms in our homes? Serious question, if you know why that is then leave it in the comments below.
Usually when someone refers to their nape as the kitchen it’s to complain about how hard it is to tame what grows there. It usually doesn’t seem to want to co-operate with the rest of the hair on your head. Those little rolled up curls or the short broken off strands or fuzz that refuses to stay slicked down when you do your top knot.
The simple truth is that the nape area is often either last in line or entirely forgotten during the wash and conditioning part of the regimen but is then the first in line during the styling phase as we try and wrestle those strands into formation. In the end, something’s got to give and without getting the TLC the little area needs, the strands break off in protest.
Be honest with yourself. That little section is all the way down in the back where hardly anyone can see it unless you style your hair in an up-do. So, how much time and effort are you really putting in to properly maintaining it?
The nape area being the most fragile, tangles very easily often creating those wretched little fairy knots almost in the middle of your strands. If your hair is fine you know that fragility goes up times ten so breakage is inevitable if extra attention is not given to that section to prevent those single strand knots and inevitably, the breakage that goes along with it.
You will already have a hate hate relationship with single strand knots if you are natural but even if your hair is relaxed, you will know that any chemical damage is most often experienced and more pronouced at the nape.
If you have a broken nape, and you want to find ways to nurse it back to health we have a few suggestions for you that might just do the trick.
1. Separate your nape hair from the rest of your hair
When you are working on portions of your hair, it is better to separate it from the rest so that you can focus on it, handle it in a gentler fashion than the rest of your hair and assess your progress. Quite often we just lump it along with everything else, not giving thought to the adage that suggests that one size does not fit all.
It can be easy to forget that some areas need specialized attention by virtue of location. Chances are when your hair is not in a protective style you automatically swoop it into a bun or ponytail of some sort, pulling on the delicate areas to get the bomb slicked down look. Isolating the nape area allows you to remember that you need to be gentler in handling hair in that area.
2. Massage the damaged area with castor oil
Castor oil or Jamaican black castor oil is probably the most popular and recommended oil for any sort of mild alopecia or as a general aid for hair growth. Massaging your scalp is known to get your blood flowing and the follicles jump-started.
When you do the massage, focus on the areas that need the most help like the nape making sure the scalp and strands are well coated.
3. If you relax your hair, save the nape area for last
Typically you will notice that relaxers are usually applied from the nape forwards. However, if you are having problems with your nape area we would suggest processing that area last along with the edges so that the chemical is not sitting on there for the longest amount of time.
If you process these areas first, then your nape and edges will always be weaker and more vulnerable than the rest of your strands. Bottom line, if you want to avoid an impoverished looking nape, then leave the perimeter for last if you are relaxing.
4. Do not include the nape in any protective styles involving extensions
If you are sporting a braided protective style, do not add hair to the nape area. This way the nape has no additional weight added to it and remains protected and un-tampered with for the duration of the style.
Even if you are not into extensions*, your styling options can affect your nape hair. Buns have already been mentioned but other go to styles that force you to consistently place tension on your nape hair do apply.
5. Protect, Protect, Protect!
Keep your nape section braided either in single individual braids with no extensions* or in a single cornrow braided across for majority of the time. You can take the braids or cornrows down temporarily to moisturize and seal your hair but when you are done re-braid the section.
When you are wearing your hair down, the cornrow will be nicely hidden away but your nape will remain protected and be less likely to break. You can carry on with this technique of leaving that nape alone until you are satisfied with your growth progress.
6. Don’t use combs or brushes on the nape
In styling and detangling we commonly to use combs or brushes to help us manipulate the hair and train it in the direction we want it to go for the purpose of the style. My suggestion is to avoid taking a comb, brush or any styling tools or accessories to the hair at the nape that you are trying to grow out.
It is best that you use finger detangling only and avoid using anything that may cause further breakage in this sensitive area. Perhaps that bobby pin for the updo is not such a great idea after all. Aside from creating friction that can break off the hair while combing, you may risk causing breakage while removing pins or hair clips. That’s it! Hopefully these tips will help you tidy up your kitchen!
Check the video from KinkyStyles1980 below and see how she protects her nape.
Updated by Marsha Buchannan
wow
Awesome, my nape area grows faster than my front and sides, looks like I have it tapered or like a fro hawk, anyone know what I can do for the front and sides???
What’s nape area?
Back of head
Back of the neck area…
The very back
Right above ur neck
That’s what some folk called the Kitchen back in the day. The nape area. Lol.
Right @ Ms. Greer!! That kitchen….whooo
Always use jojoba oil too its good for our hair
my left back always grows longer than my right back. It’s been that way since I was a teen. Any suggestions on that ladies? Thanks and Happy Holidays!
My nape also grows faster than my sides. I was wondering how I could improve on that?
Same Kimberly Rice Dillard the whole of the back of my head grows about 2 inches faster than the rest and my sides are more delicate than the rest, I just keep them moist and braided and I don’t use tools on my sides only my hands and I’ve noticed length retention there now, I hope this helps
Love her curl pattern
Keep the hair moisturizer…use argan oil…Jamaican caster oil…Shea butter…olive oil or coconut oil…any of those will help with growth…
I want to grow my hair naturally bit I don’t want to wear braids. What can I do to achieve and keep my straight hair naturally?
Wow she has such beautiful skin!
Gloria Rand try hot oil treatments and things with “smoothing or straightening” on the label I use this while my hair is damp and comb in sections of 4-6 and I use clips. My hair combs out really straight. They also have a moccoran oil that I use in my conditioner that helps me get my hair nice hydrated and smooth.
I swim 2 to 4 times a week any ideas to help retain length??
Yes.. stop relaxing the edges
Look you put all kinds of products in your hair to make it grow. If constant maintenance of keeping your healthy such as; eating healthy, exercise, drinking PLENTY of water, moisturizing your hair, keeping your ends trim every 6-8weeks, and genetics is ALSO a key,etc…..none of how this lady does for her hair WON’T MATTER for yours…..EVERYONE growth of their hair is different. How your hair grows and thin out at the hairline, crown and nape area is base on….maintenance, eating right, and our health choices we make. Thinning hair (Alopecia)is cause by genetics and stressed to those areas mentioned above. And some ppl needs extra help to rejuvinate growth..But try to do those things and you will be fine
Thanks for sharing this video! It was right on time!
Keep wool garments from the nape (kitchen) area to prevent breakage. I’ve been an victim
Go natural. ..
Mine is growing better than my top. 😛
Well my front crown and sides grow way faster than the back. My hair always been that way. Smh.
Is that chris rock
U think so? Well she does have beautiful black skin, pretty white teeth! She could be, this made me smile. I would adore a sister that looked just like ME
those are not side burns, those are her front edges braided down/ im one of her subscribers. she does not braid her edges with single extensions. she protects her edges by cornrowing them to the the side. if you plan on making a stupid remark about how her hair looks, do your research first so you dont look ignorant making a flip comment about her braid coming down the side smh.. she explains why she does that on her channel.
I have the same problem, I’ve been using the extra black jamaican castor oil for 2 months. There’s a slight improvement!
Thank you @Stylist Thuthela 🙂
She looks absolutely NOTHING like Chris Rock!!!!
If you click on the link and watch the actual video, you’ll see that she is a really pretty girl. This picture doesn’t do her any justice. The nerve of some people to be so mean and say she looks like Chris Rock when she looks NOTHING like him!! This lady has a beautiful smooth complexion and nice, straight, white teeth!!!
Please do you know any affordable but good moisturizer I could use on my hair? I normally use water & Giovanni leave in conditioner and seal it with olive/ Castor oil. But my hair keeps growing Fuller due to that my Giovanni leave in conditioner finish quickly and it kinda not cheap So am looking for a moisturizer that comes in a big bottle
CANTU Shea Butter Leave In Condition is about $6 for 16 oz…sold o n Amazon, Drugstore.com, or Walgreens. I hope this helps 🙂
Nape/kitchen isn’t the issue at all. It’s the middle lol
she is absolutely beautiful.
Beautiful!!!! That’s what I need.
Idk what I did, but mine already does.
Thats my dream ! One day
Moroccon Argon Oil
my 4c hair loves Crème of Nature leave in conditioner with argan oil from Morocco
i love her vids. her tips on not braiding your edges when installing braids/twists was a life saver.
I’ve suffered from hair loss since a bad relaxer at the age of 19. I’ve been to cosmetologist after cosmetologist with no success. One suggested Rogaine & the other suggested a special shampoo that I use every three days. Ummm, as a black woman, washing my hair every 3 days wasn’t an option. Last year, my coworker who suffers from Alopecia told me about a product she used called Dominican Magic hair drops. When I first started using it I was completely bald in the back of my hair. Within a month, my hair started growing back, which hasn’t happened since I was 19 & I’m 35! I swear by this product! My son accidentally knocked over my bottle of it & I got so nervous I immediately went on Amazon & ordered 3 bottles so I would never run out again.
Anywho, sorry for the long post, but I have extremely coarse & hard to grow hair & this is the only thing that has EVER worked for me for healthy hair growth. My hair has gotten so long & healthy in such a short time.
Yeah mine is growing in very nicely I don’t really put any tension on it though so maybe that’s why.. seems to grow fast too, it was the part that I cut the shortest, yet it has caught up w all the rest of my hair.
Gwen this maybe helpful for you
Great post. I love the way she speaks so calming
My hair is longer then hers but its pretty.
Leslie Icanonly Beme This is a good read…
That’s deep. I was just thinking about her
Getting long
Mines is already long as the nape grows the fastest
I need to do this asap.
I really do need to do the same asap emergency
Scarry smile. Wow
The woman pictured has a pretty smile with beautiful white teeth.
Smh
Save those nasty comments for yourself. You are too old to spread hatred!
Since I’ve gone natural it started growing back out but when I was straightening it that’s when it wouldn’t grow
I love this! I’m currently in the process of growing my hair out. I use clip-ins and hey look so natural and beautiful and blend in perfectly with my hair. https://www.averahair.com/products/avera-curli-crush-clip-ins-type-4-curl
She looks like chris rock