Is it not funny? Hair seems to have a habit of growing quickly in places where we don’t want it. But it can be an uphill task to grow it faster onto your head.
If you’re struggling with split hair or regretting having it trimmed too much, or it flakes as soon as it hits your shoulders, you may get desperate to find something to help speed up your hair growth. The problem is that one gets confused with many brands that promise the moon or miracle treatments that are too expensive and then under-deliver.
When it comes to promoting hair growth, much of it is linked to your genetics and lifestyle. However, some tips can help you accelerate your hair growth. Read on..
How fast does hair grow?
This varies from person to person. On average, hair grows 1.3cm [about half an inch] monthly. That comes to around 15cm (6 inches) per year.
Are there any miracle cures that actually help transform hair faster?
Beware of “treatments” that claim to grow your hair overnight.
Though there are effective treatments that help promote hair growth; however, beware that any cure or regime will take time. You can expect positive results at least after three to six weeks. This is partly because of the rate of hair growth (i.e., half an inch per month). It also depends on the individual growth cycles of hairs.
Moreover, it is important to remember that there is also no ‘one size fits all’ treatment. The results really depend on any individual’s internal environment and lifestyle. For example, general health, diet, hormone levels, stress levels, nutritional deficiencies, and genetics can influence hair growth. Therefore, you need to ascertain what areas need addressing and act accordingly.
Causes of hair loss
Lifestyle factors like alcohol, smoking, and high-sugar diets can cause scalp problems.
Crash diets, too, can be harmful. Hair is a non-essential tissue and is the first part of your body to be robbed of nutrients when your diet is deficient. Therefore, with restricted eating, your hair doesn’t get nutrients, which can lead to excessive hair loss.
Tying your ponytail too tight can cause traction breakage and even pull out hairs from their follicles.
How to grow hair faster?
In general, the healthier you are, the healthier your hair will be. So instead of straight away turning to so-called expensive miraculous treatments, first adopt a healthy lifestyle.
# 1
A well-balanced diet
“Poor, unbalanced diet doesn’t contribute anything to improving the hair growth rate. Hair requires adequate regular amounts of complete protein, vitamins, minerals, water, and omega-3 fatty acids. To get these, eat fish, eggs, lean meat, quinoa, low-fat dairy, pulses, beans, fruit, and vegetables. To provide energy to your hair, eat a portion of complex carbs with each meal, such as whole grains, brown rice, potatoes with skin-on, or oatmeal.
# 2
Quality sleep
Your body needs good sleep to recover and repair itself. Due to these days of stressful life, sleep has become more important for adrenal recovery.
# 3
Supplements and vitamins
The experts unanimously agree that a well-balanced, healthy diet should be your first line of defense. Vitamin supplements should be taken if your diet is unbalanced or if you are deficient in them.
That said, the hair especially needs high nutrition, which can sometimes be challenging to meet through diet alone. Supplements can be helpful in that they offer your hair easily accessible nutrients.
Focus on protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D, Omega 3, and Biotin. Biotin is particularly vital to maintaining hair health as it plays an important role in synthesizing hair proteins like keratin. A deficiency of biotin has also been linked to hair loss and breakage. B12 is particularly important for vegans because B12 is only contained naturally in animal products.
However, before you take any supplements, it’s suggested that you check with your doctor first.
# 4
Regular trims
Though a trim cannot make your hair grow faster, it will make it look better. Trim can help to maintain and improve the density and quality of the ends of your hair. In addition, regular trimming helps eliminate the old, weathered hair ends. The ends of the hair are the oldest, having gone through repeated washing, combing, and styling. If you want to maintain the length of the hair you are growing, then it is important to trim.
As for how often you should trim, every six to eight weeks is a good thumb rule.
# 5
Scalp scrubs and regular shampooing
For healthy hair growth, you would need a healthy scalp. So, it’s necessary to cleanse it regularly. Shampooing removes the dirt and debris on the scalp, including sweat, old skin cells, and pollutants.
It would be best to use an exfoliating scalp mask once a week to remove dead skin cells and keep your scalp healthy. Both exfoliating and cleansing will also eliminate blockages (like product build-up or dead skin cells), which otherwise can obstruct your hair from growing. You may use a scrub but be careful to scrub gently so it doesn’t cause breakages or use a liquid exfoliator like The INKEY List’s Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment (https://amzn.to/3KHjQOJ)
Natural scalp-friendly ingredients
Don’t carry the conception that natural is always better. But, yes, there are some natural ingredients that are really good.
Camelia oil is one that has been used as a hair and scalp treatment in Asia for centuries and has years of proof to back its efficacy. It contains antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals to help maintain the skin on your scalp healthy and strong.
Another effective natural ingredient is aloe vera, which can soothe scalps and moisturize hair strands while balancing sebum.
On the other hand, charcoal can absorb extra oils.
Olive oil is gentle and nourishing, and honey is antibacterial.
Conditioners and masks
Shampooing lifts the surface cuticle of the hair shaft; thus, conditioning is necessary for smoothing this down and protecting the hair shaft. A good conditioner helps restore moisture and makes the hair look and feel adorable – and, in some cases, more manageable.
Hair conditioning masks strengthen your hair and decrease breakage, improving hair thickness from mid-lengths to the ends. If your hair ends are breaking, it will hamper hair growth. They also help plump your hair shaft with moisture, imparting hair the look of more body.
Protection from heat styling
If you use hair styling tools, consider using heat protectors. These days hair dryers are powerful. Don’t set the temperature high; they get too hot. Instead, choose a low or medium-heat setting. Don’t hold the dryer too close to your hair to reduce the damage. Hold it about twelve inches away. And switch off the dryer as soon as your hair is just dry. Don’t apply heat to already dried hair because that will evaporate moisture from within your hair shaft, causing brittleness and breakage. Thus, try to limit using your straighteners and styling tools to once per week if possible.
Limit dying and bleaching.
Though hair color can do wonders for your confidence, it does cause damage. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce this as much as possible. Firstly, have a qualified professional look after your hair if you are going to get it bleached. This is a chemical process that should be done by a color technician.
Secondly, make sure the technician is hydrating the strands between the process. If you are getting your hair colored, use a shampoo and conditioner for this purpose. Also, regular deep conditioning treatments are recommended.
Lastly, keep enough time between your color appointments, preferably eight weeks). If you get the color done again too soon, it will likely overlap and cause damage.
Careful brushing
Your hair is weakest when wet. So, always make sure to be gentle when brushing it wet.
Detangle your hair from the ends and use a gentle hairbrush with rounded, plastic prongs and a vented cushioned base. Never use anything with harsh boar bristles because this can remove sections of your outer hair cuticle. Also, avoid brushes with metal prongs. These tend to get very hot when you heat style and can burn both your scalp and hair.
Gentle hair ties
As for hair bands, soft fabric ones are the best. Hard ties and clips in and out of the hair will likely cause breakage. Anything that ties the hair should have some flexibility so that if there is any pressure, it can loosen a bit around the hair shaft. Also, avoid the ones with hard metal edges as they can cut into your hair and lead to snapping. Your best bet is the fabric hair ties that hold the hair in place without causing kinks.