Almost every woman wishes she had long, flowing locks that she could show off to the world. But if your hair stubbornly remains shoulder-length, then you might feel like it’s time to throw in the towel. But don’t give up hope just yet because there could be plenty of things you’re not trying. Growing your hair out isn’t as simple as cancelling your haircut appointments and letting nature take its course. Long, healthy hair needs special attention. Here are eight things you need to start doing if you want your hair to grow.
1. Revamp Your Diet
Your hair can’t grow unless you’re feeding it right. An overall healthy diet is important for longer hair, but there are certain key nutrients you need to focus on. Protein needs to be a big part of your diet because your hair is made up almost entirely of it. Eggs are one of the best foods you can eat for longer hair because they contain high quality protein. Don’t throw out the yolks either, they contain biotin which is equally important for longer hair. You should also try to get iron into your diet because this makes your hair stronger. You can even start taking special hair supplements as insurance to make sure your hair is getting enough nutrients.
2. Trim Your Hair Frequently
There are two myths about trimming your hair; one, that trimming your hair stops it from growing and two, trimming your hair frequently makes it grow faster. Both these myths have completely opposite claims, but the one thing they do have in common is that they’re both false. However, trimming your hair is important when you’re trying to grow it out because it prevents split ends. Unless you trim split ends quickly, they split even further up the hair shaft, causing more damage. You don’t need to trim your hair every six weeks though, once in three months is perfectly fine.
3. Pay Special Attention To Your Scalp
Your scalp is where your hair starts growing, so it needs all the stimulation it can get. Give yourself a gentle scalp massage every single day for about three minutes. Press the tips of your fingers onto your scalp and move them around in circular motions. Doing this will increase circulation in your scalp, providing the follicles with all the oxygen they need to grow. Even when you’re shampooing your hair, massage it onto your scalp in gentle circular motions.
4. Deep Condition Once A Week
The longer your hair gets, the higher its chances of getting damaged are. Apart from the normal wear and tear long hair is subjected to, it can also become drier. Oils produced on your scalp are supposed to coat the hair shaft, nourishing and protecting it. However, when your hair grows longer, it becomes more difficult for this oil to reach the ends. To prevent it from getting damaged and to keep your ends moisturized, you need to deep condition it once a week. Wear a hair mask or oil your hair and leave it on overnight for an intense boost of moisture.
5. Stay Away From Heat
Heat is your biggest enemy when you’re trying to grow out your hair. You might want to put away your heat styling tools for a while because they can cause severe damage to your hair. Curling irons, straighteners and blow dryers can break your hair strands and leave the ends damaged. Even while you’re having a shower, try not to use scalding hot water as it can make your hair brittle.
6. You Don’t Need To Wash Every Day
If you’re washing your hair everyday, you’re inadvertently making it dry and damaged. The natural oils produced by your scalp are very beneficial for your hair. However, when you shampoo your hair every single day, you’re stripping these oils away. Try to wash your hair every alternate day at the most. If you hair gets very greasy, you can try co-washing, which is washing your hair only with conditioner.
7. Brush Your Hair More Often
Brushing your hair a hundred times each day might be more than just an old wives’ tale. When you brush your hair, you distribute your scalp’s natural oils all along the hair shaft, which makes your hair healthy and shiny. By starting at the scalp, brushing your hair also increases circulation, stimulates your follicles and helps your hair grow longer. But if you’re using the wrong kind of brush, you might be damaging your hair when you brush it. Boar bristle brushes are very gentle brushes and are your best bet if you want to avoid damage.
8. Use Silk Pillowcases
Silk pillowcases don’t just sound luxurious, they’re also important for healthy hair. While you toss and turn when you’re asleep, you might be causing damage to your hair. If you wake up to a pillow covered with your hair, then you need to make the switch to silk pillowcases. Silk pillowcases are very gentle and won’t cause your hair to break. Plus, they make you feel like you’re a queen, which is definitely a big plus.
