How To Grow Longer Hair – smartesthairstyles.com – Growing long, healthy hair takes care and patience. For example, while you can massage your scalp and take biotin to encourage new growth, the bigger challenge is preventing damage and breakage to your existing hair. Regular trimming, using the right hair products, and avoiding harsh treatments and hairstyles can go a long way in keeping your tresses healthy. Lifestyle changes, like eating a hair-healthy diet, are also important. It will take time and effort, but with a little determination, you can grow the long, luscious locks of your dreams.
1. Encourage new growth
Massage your scalp daily. Healthy hair starts at the scalp. Massaging your scalp for 5 minutes a day can help stimulate blood flow to your hair follicles. This in turn promotes new hair growth. You can massage your scalp while washing in the shower or whenever you have a few minutes.
Use your fingertips instead of your fingernails to massage your scalp. Your nails can cause irritation and breakage on your skin if you massage too hard.
Apply 3-4 drops of peppermint oil to your scalp daily. Peppermint essential oil can help stimulate hair growth when applied directly to the scalp. Apply a few drops to your scalp and massage in with your fingertips. Repeat this process at least once a day for at least 4 weeks to encourage new growth.
For best results, use a few drops of real peppermint essential oil mixed with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) coconut oil. Do not use peppermint scented oil. Fragrance oils smell like peppermint but don’t have the same stimulating effect.
Use shower products designed for hair growth. Some shampoos and conditioners are specially formulated to promote hair growth and help you achieve long hair. Look for a shampoo that claims to be designed for hair growth and that contains the following ingredients:
biotin
Minoxidil
niacin
tea tree oil
vitamin E
Take 5,000 mcg of biotin daily. Biotin or vitamin B7 is an essential B vitamin. It has long been used to encourage new hair growth and is often the main ingredient in other hair supplements. Consume at least 5,000 mcg each day to encourage your hair to grow long and thick.
Biotin supplements are available over the counter at most pharmacies and health food stores. You can also look for hair, skin, and nail vitamins that contain biotin.
Biotin is also available as a topical treatment. If you decide to use topical biotin, follow the directions on the package for use.
2. Preventing damage to existing hair
Wash your hair 3-4 times a week. Some people have reported longer hair after reducing the amount they wash with shampoo and conditioner. Consider washing your hair every 2-3 days. On days without washing, wear a shower cap when you shower and use dry shampoo to keep the oil under control.
If your hair gets tangled easily, you may need to wash it more frequently. Flushing daily or every other day can help keep away tangles that could otherwise lead to breakage.
Get a trim every 8-12 weeks. Damage often starts at the ends of the hair and moves up toward the roots. Regular trimming stops damage in its tracks and removes split ends, preserving your curls for the long haul. Visit your stylist every 2-3 months and ask them not to cut more than 13mm from your ends to keep the damage from spreading.
If your hair is unexpectedly damaged from an accident involving a hot tool or chemical treatment, see your stylist as soon as possible.
If you don’t have the time or money for regular salon appointments, you can also try cutting your hair yourself. Get some good hair scissors if you decide to do this. You make a big difference.
Use a weekly deep conditioning mask for a dose of hydration. Deep conditioning treatments can help protect your strands and keep tangles at bay. Look for a hair mask that is formulated for your hair type (e.g. thick, thin, curly, dry, color treated, etc.). If you’re not sure what works for you, ask your stylist for help in choosing the right product for you.
Apply the mask to your hair after shampooing and leave on for the time recommended on the package. Some masks can last 3-5 minutes, others 10-15 minutes. Then, rinse off your mask in the shower.
You can find hair masks at most cosmetics and beauty stores, as well as many pharmacies and drug stores.
Minimize the amount you brush your hair. Brushing can encourage hair breakage and pull on healthy hair, so reduce the amount you brush as much as possible. After you shower or when you style your hair, try to only brush to break up tangles.
When brushing your hair, be sure to use the right brush. A wide-toothed comb or shower comb works well on both wet and dry hair to remove tangles without pulling too hard. Boar bristles also work well, but are best for dry hair.
Limit the use of hot styling tools. Heat damages your hair from cuticle to tip. That’s why it’s best to stay away from hot tools as much as possible. These include blow dryers, straighteners, curling irons, hot brushes, crimpers and hot rollers.
If you need to blow dry your hair, use the low setting and stay on your ends.
Use a thermal spray if you absolutely must use a hot tool on your hair. Keep the spray arms away from your head and spray your hair before using the hot tool.
Avoid terry cloth and use a microfiber towel on wet hair. Certain materials, such as terry cloth, can damage wet hair. Avoid using terry towels to dry your hair. Instead, let it air dry as often as possible. If you need to soak up extra water from the shower, try a microfiber towel. Never wrap it up and leave it on your head. Instead, gently squeeze out the excess water.
Skip harsh chemical treatments to avoid damage. Treatments like coloring, highlighting, perming, chemical straightening, and lightening your hair all cause damage. If you want to grow long, luscious locks, you need to eliminate all of this from your routine.
If you have already colored or chemically treated hair, talk to your stylist about the best way to change up your style.
Go for loose hairstyles like low ponytails or messy buns. Many hairstyles and styles put a strain on the scalp and hair. Styles that pull your hair tight, like high or sleek ponytails and certain types of braids, encourage breakage. Avoid damage by wearing your hair down as much as possible or wearing loose hairstyles like low ponytails and messy buns.
Above all, avoid styles that place a lot of tension around the edges of your head and the nape of your neck.
Extensions may look nice right now, but your hair can be worse off when you take them out. Try to avoid these styles whenever possible, or use clip-in hair extensions to reduce the chance of them damaging your hair.
3. Make lifestyle changes
Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase to prevent hair damage. Silk and satin are considered softer on your hair than cotton. These materials can help prevent tangling, which in turn can lead to breakage. Invest in some good silk or satin pillowcases to keep your hair long and shiny.
You can find relatively inexpensive silk pillowcases at many home supply stores as well as online. Satin tends to be slightly cheaper than silk.
Eat a hair-healthy diet to encourage growth. To get the most out of your hair, you need to take proper care of it and drink plenty of water. Aim for a diet that prioritizes protein. Lean proteins should make up around 15% to 25% of your daily calories. Also, eat lots of green leafy vegetables and increase your water intake as well.
Feed your strands iron-rich foods like spinach, beans, and moderate amounts of lean red meat. In addition, your hair will benefit from increased iron, omega-3, zinc and biotin intake.
Whole grains, oysters, peanut butter, and seeds are good sources of zinc.
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. They contain vitamins A, C, and E, all of which can help maintain scalp and hair health. Vitamin C can be especially helpful if you have hair loss due to iron deficiency, as vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.
Eggs, meat, nuts, seeds, salmon, dairy, and avocados are all high in hair-healthy biotin.
Salmon, flax, chia seeds and walnuts are all high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Manage Your Stressors . A good diet, regular exercise, and a good night’s sleep are all important factors in staying stress-free. Intense stress of any kind can lead to all sorts of physical symptoms, including reduced or stunted hair growth.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week. A moderately brisk pace is one where you can still hold a conversation, but just barely. Not only is this healthy for your body, it can also help calm your mind.
Try meditation or deep breathing exercises to calm your mind when you’re particularly stressed.
Talk to your doctor if you notice hair loss. If you have noticeable slow hair growth or hair loss, you may have a medical problem. Make an appointment with your doctor to talk about your symptoms and run any diagnostic tests you may need.
Genetics or family history can also play a role in health and hair growth.
Women are particularly prone to hair loss when they have elevated androgen levels. This is common in conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome.