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How to Grow Your Hair Long and Healthy

This guide shows you how to actually grow your hair!

By Emily PagePublished 5 years ago 6 min read
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It’s summer, and you’re halfway through the holidays. Your friends returned from an exotic island, Instagram is full of orange tans and envious locks. But your hair seems stuck at its current length—not long, not short, but an awkward length in the middle. You’ve looked everywhere for hair treatments but nothing seems to work. You’ve stumbled across this page, a last, hopeless resort…

In this page, you can learn all the ways to successfully grow your own luscious locks. Hair growth doesn’t just come from Sugar Bear Hair chews or a one-off “growth shampoo,” but numerous factors that contribute simultaneously to longer hair.

First, you need to know the basics…

Step 1: Embrace your natural hair.

Everyone is unique, and when it comes to hair, everyone’s is different. Some people’s hair grows fast naturally. Some seems like it will never grow. Identifying your hair’s strengths and weaknesses is key to nourishing it properly to ensure maximum growth.

Finding the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair texture, state, and scalp helps give it the help it needs to be healthy and able to grow.

The scalp is the powerhouse for creating new hair follicles, so keep it healthy and stimulated.

Hair grows half an inch each month, or around six inches per year. If you follow these steps, you can nourish your hair to reach maximum growth.

Hair growth is also something that doesn’t happen overnight. There is no miracle shampoo that can grow your hair several inches each month. It’s a long-term process that takes patience (ugh!) and commitment.

Step 2: Feed your hair.

Food High in Protein

Hair is mostly comprised of keratin—a tough protein also found in your nails and skin. Hair keratin is formed from amino acids that come from the protein in our food, which is why it is vital to eat foods with high levels of keratin and protein.

An egg yolk has the highest concentration of keratin than any other food. Other foods containing high levels of keratin include:

  • Oily fish (for example salmon)
  • Beans and lentils
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Meat
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Avocado/avocado oil

Having these types of foods multiple times a week helps the hair become healthier and will therefore grow more!

Biotin is also extremely important for healthy hair growth. It helps hair growth by metabolising amino acids, forming keratin. It improves hair strength and resilience, and defends it against environmental damage.

You can also have hair supplements that have vitamin C, keratin, biotin, zinc, iron, and viacin—all which are beneficial for building new healthy hair follicles.

Step 3: Protect your hair when wet.

When hair is wet, it is very susceptible to damage.

When your hair is wet, it is at its most vulnerable. It is much weaker and can break or be damaged easily.

When hair is rubbed vigorously with a towel, the weakened strands of hair can break and split ends can occur as the material of the towel is harsh and coarse. Instead, use a softer hair towel, specifically for drying. Try absorbent towel wraps made of organic cotton or bamboo. Additionally, be sure to squeeze excess water out of your hair frequently.

If you use a harsh brush on your hair, your hair can break easily, resulting in hair loss. Split your hair in sections and use a wide-toothed comb instead. Start from the ends and work upwards so you don’t pull down knots and tangles from the roots of your hair to the ends.

Allowing your hair to air-dry at least 30 percent allows your hair to become more resilient to heat or environmental damage. If you use a hair dryer, don’t use temperatures above 180°C or 350°F and be sure to use heat protection.

Step 4: Avoid heat at all costs!

When hair is exposed to heat, the hair fibres can be damaged.

Using heat to style your hair everyday can leave your hair dry and brittle and over time you can burn your hair.

Whenever you use flat irons, blow dryers, curling irons, etc., be sure to use heat protectant in your hair.

If you must use heat, try using these steps:

  1. Use silicone: Looking for a heat protectant with silicone adds an extra protective coat. Any ingredients ending in “-cone”, for example dimethicone.
  2. Adjust your heat settings and use ceramic plates: Ceramic plates help distribute the heat, allowing the least amount of damage to your hair. Adjusting heat settings to your hair type avoids unnecessary damage to your hair.
  3. Moisturise: Applying hair moisturiser hydrates hair and adds shine. Sealants like cicamide instantly works to reduce hair damage.

Step 5: Get regular trims.

Although trimming your hair doesn’t directly result in longer hair (it does the opposite), it maintains healthy hair. Cutting your hair every three months ensures your split ends don’t travel up your hair, which would result in serious hair breakage.

Step 6: Use hair masks and exfoliators.

To nourish your hair and give it extra TLC, try using a hair mask or exfoliator once a week.

Hair masks can help repair damaged hair and provide extra protein, especially if you have bleached or coloured hair. They can add shine or give your a hair a boost in growth.You can make your own at home; some are listed below:

  • Brown sugar and olive oil (exfoliating mask); mix and apply to scalp. Massage into the scalp with circular motions. Rub excess into your hair and leave tied up and covered for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash hair normally after.
  • Honey and coconut oil (moisturising mask); combine and heat until melted. Massage into ends of hair and distribute evenly. Leave for 15 minutes and wash out with warm water.
  • Coconut oil, avocado, honey, two eggs (for damaged hair); mash the avocado and put in a mixing bowl. Add the honey, eggs and coconut oil and mix thoroughly. Apply throughout your hair and leave for 15 minutes. Wash out with warm water.

You can also buy hair masks and exfoliators. Here are a few of my personal favourites:

Hair Growth Scalp Scrub by Lee Stafford

I use this once a week before shampoo. It helps remove excess skin cells and allows new follicles in the scalp to develop and grow—resulting in a healthier hair growth.

Ultimate Blends 3-in-1 Mask by Garnier

I can leave this in when I don’t have time to use a mask. It adds shine and is a deep conditioner. I use it after conditioner to help pack in all the moisture and the goodness of the wash. It has never failed to keep my hair healthy!

Hair Growth Treatment by Lee Stafford

Using this a few times each month allows my hair to be nourished. It encourages hair growth and reduces hair loss. It has a lovely scent and leaves my hair looking amazing.

Scalp Tonic by Charles Worthington

This scalp tonic is easy to use and apply. It has a fresh aroma and works meticulously to replace dead skin cells to allow hair growth. It is also full of protein for your hair to allow hair growth.

Strength Cure Fabulous Lengths by Pureology

Sometimes expensive can be better, especially with Pureology. It costs for the hair, making it resilient to damage. It encourages growth and contains heat protectant, beneficial for reasons I explained above.

Now that you’ve read my top tips for hair growth, you can help your hair become healthier and longer. These steps are perfect for having generally healthier hair too, and will leave your hair looking and feeling better than ever.

Please be patient with your hair. It can’t grow any quicker than it naturally does, but these steps ensure it reaches maximum growth.

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