5 Ways to Retain Length and Grow Your Hair in 2026

New year, new natural! Did you decide to treat your hair better in 2026? Or did you wish for longer hair?

Healthy, longer hair is possible if you do the right things. To kick off the year, let’s talk about 5 things you need do to retain length and grow your hair.  

5 Ways to Retain Length in 2026

1. Treat your scalp like a queen

It’s no longer news that scalp care is important for hair growth. As a matter of fact, a healthy scalp is the basis for healthy hair.

Girlies, you know that character of washing or cleansing your scalp only when it’s itchy or visibly dirty? You’ll need to change it this year.

This year, make it your goal to clarify your scalp at least twice. Some people clarify their scalp frequently. Take note of your lifestyle and product use; this would help you determine how often to clarify your scalp.  

Remember to give your scalp the TLC it needs with scalp massages. Twice a week (or more when possible), massage your scalp with light oils that support follicle stimulation. Read more about oils.

Where possible, you might want to invest in a scalp massager.

2. Hydration and moisture are key to retain length

We already know that moisture plays a major role in hair health, so you don’t want to mess with it. 

Keeping your body and hair hydrated from the inside out is non-negotiable. Drink water girlies. The best way to keep every part of your body functioning, including your hair, is to hydrate from within.

Say this: I will drink water to hydrate my hair from within. Now that you’ve said it, make sure you do it. 

Moisturizing your hair should be done with water and/ or water-based products. If in 2025, you joined the trend of using oils to “moisturize”, 2026 is an opportunity to do it right.

Use the LOC or LCO methods to infuse your hair with moisture so your hair stays healthy. Keeping your hair moisturized and hydrated will help you retain length.  Learn more about maximum hydration and moisture. 

Deep conditioning should be a non-negotiable part of your routine if you want to retain length. Whether you use ready-made products or products from your kitchen, ensure you deep condition consistently. Read all about deep conditioners.

3. Never detangle dry hair

As we know, hair grows every month. The key to making sure you don’t lose that new growth is in detangling properly.

If the root of your hair has product lint and it seems matted, don’t just use a comb to separate it. Apply a water-based leave-in conditioner to your roots and allow it to sit for a few minutes to soften. Gradually, you can loosen the matte. 

A conditioner with good slip or a natural product like okra gel, aloe vera gel, or flaxseed gel can help you detangle your hair easily, reducing breakage from detangling, thus retaining the newly added length.

Whatever you do, don’t play with this tip; it’s a game-changer. Read more about detangling properly. 

4. Use protective hairstyles to retain length

Your protective hairstyle should do exactly that: protect your hair strands. For the ultimate length retention, make sure your protective style is gentle on your roots, edges and hair strands.

If you get a headache, braid bumps, or lose too much hair when you take down your protective style, then it wasn’t protective after all. Find out more about protective styling.

5. Practice good hair care to retain length

Your hair will retain its length if you incorporate all the information we've shared into good haircare practices. 

Use a satin or silk bonnet when you sleep; these materials keep your hair protected and supple. Use silk or satin scarves to protect your hair when you are outside.

Stick with a simple yet consistent hair care routine. 
Eat good food. Healthy food supplies your hair with the nutrients it needs for healthy growth. 

Wrapping up

Are these methods new? No. But they are the simple, basic haircare foundation you need to retain length in 2026. So, if you would like to be intentional about your hair growth, take these basics seriously.

Would you like an accountability partner as you navigate intentional haircare? Join The HairTalk community

Feature image credit: The HairTalk