Tips for growing your hair out long
4 min read
Growing your hair long can feel like it’s taking forever. On average, our hair only grows about six inches (15 cm) a year, so it does take quite some time to go from bald to luscious shoulder-length locks. Many of us give up in those middle stages where our hair isn’t quite long enough but not short either, and it just looks wrong. To learn the best tips to get your hair to grow as fast as possible and how to not be completely without style in the process, click through this gallery.
Get a trim every few months
Although it may seem counterproductive, getting little trims every six weeks or so gets rid of split ends, making your hair healthier and allowing it to continue to grow.
Eliminating split ends
It doesn’t only allow the hair to continue growing, but also helps by keeping your hair thick because split ends cause hairs to die.
Bleach and color don’t contribute to healthy hair
When hair is bleached, it can become damaged with more split ends.
Brush before bed
To keep your scalp naturally moisturized while you’re sleeping, brush your hair a few times to efficiently distribute the natural oil around your scalp.
Cut the chemicals
In general, the fewer chemical treatments you put your hair through, the healthier it will be and the better it will grow.
Invest in a boar bristle hairbrush
Using a boar bristle hairbrush doesn’t only allow the oil to be distributed, but it’s also great for massaging the scalp, which assists circulation.
Diet
When we are looking to optimize hair growth, we need to consider the foods that we’re putting into our bodies.
Protein for growth and repair
When it comes to building muscle, growing hair, or building new tissue, our body requires protein. Increasing our intake of meat, fish, beans, and nuts will help grow hair. People who don’t have enough protein in their diets will shed more hair, too.
Avoid cleansing diets
Dietary fads like cleanses that require you to cut down on certain foods will most usually leave you deprived of certain nutrients and minerals, which can slow your hair growth.
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins A, C, and E, minerals like zinc and iron, and omega-3 fatty acids can also contribute to a healthy head of hair.
Give the natural oils time to work
Everybody has heard testimonials of people who have stopped using shampoo. The benefit is that the natural oils have a chance to penetrate the hair so it recovers from damage and is healthier.
Shampoo only a few times a week
However, the natural oils in our hair only need a few days to penetrate the hair, so it’s best to wait until this happens before washing your hair with shampoo two to three times a week.
Conditioning
Conditioning your hair is helpful not only in keeping it hydrated on those days you shampoo, but it also assists in detangling hair.
Keep the water temperature low
Hot showers dehydrate the skin and the scalp, and a dehydrated scalp doesn’t support hair growth as well.
Massage your scalp
Giving some extra love to your scalp by turning the shower temperature down a few notches as well as giving your scalp a little massage with shampoo may go a long way in speeding up hair growth.
Don’t comb soaking wet hair
When your hair is wet, it’s much more susceptible to being broken when it’s stretched.
Brush before it’s washed
Instead, it’s best to brush hair before it’s washed with shampoo, and if it needs to be detangled afterward, make sure it’s not dripping wet while brushing.
If it’s very tangled, brush it out with conditioner
If you’re having trouble with detangling the hair as it’s growing out, you can apply some leave-in conditioner and comb it out with a gentle wide-tooth comb.
Go easy with the drying
Some people find microfibre towels or t-shirts easier on the hair to dry after a shower. Drying aggressively can tear out those vulnerable hairs around the hairline.
Minoxidil
Rogaine has an active ingredient called minoxidil, Minoxidil is proven to prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
Don’t over style
Over styling is generally going to damage your hair. Your best bet is to minimize the products you use. If you’re using heat, then keep the heat low.
It won’t hurt to switch to a silk pillow
Growing your hair long is all about trying to avoid breakages, and switching your pillowcase to one made of silk decreases the number of breakages ever so slightly.
