Natural Hair Growth Tips

When it comes to growing your hair, the first place people turn is the hair products aisle of the store. This only ends up costing you money and you are not always guaranteed to get the results you seek. Your hair is made of proteins so more natural approaches will work better than any chemicals and creams.

Hair loss is a normal part of the aging process and on top of that, factors such as diet, stress and medications or illness can all impact your locks. We automatically look for the quick fix but there are more natural, proven ways to grow your hair and to promote its health from within.

Hair Growth Tips

1. Shampoo as needed: A clean scalp promotes healthy hair growth because built up debris and dead skin is removed. You have to be careful not to overwash and if you need to wash your hair more than twice a week, be sure to use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo.

2. Take care of your ends: Granted, the strands of hair that you see are dead protein but you still need to take care of them. When ends are dry, they are likely to split and tear all the way up to the root. The ends of your hair tend to get neglected and are, therefore, the first part of your hair to go. No ends means no length. Always moisturize your ends and trim them regularly.

3. Less styling: Most people will not go to work, school or out to lunch without styling their hair. However, too much manipulation can weaken hair and damage your hair. Manipulation from styling products, blow dryers, and irons all reduce the natural strength and resilience of your hair. If you actually want to make your hair grow faster, let it be every now and then. If you must style, then try light manipulation techniques such as twisting or braids.

4. Do not take the direct approach: The more hair you have, the more attention it needs. This applies to washing as well as styling. Always work with your hair in sections to make sure every part from scalp to end gets attention. This strategy may take longer but it will be worth it in the long term; with each hair getting all the attention it needs, breakage is less likely, encouraging hair to grow stronger and faster.

5. Get a good oil: While certain oils or creams such as shea butter are nice and thick, providing a good coating to your hair, lighter oils are actually better. The lighter oils such as coconut or olive oil can absorb into the hair, reinforcing its strength from within.

6. Never leave your leave-in conditioner behind: Your hair is exposed to quite a lot each day with the elements of the office, stores, and outdoors. When you use a leave-in conditioner, the strands are protected for the whole day. This means you see less frizz, dryness, and flatness to your style and inside, your hair proteins are soothed and happy. Don’t let the stress of the environment stress out your hair.

7. Water, water, water: Water is good for one thing; preventing dehydration. This goes for your body as well as your hair. It really is as simple as this; if you don’t want dry, damaged hair, keep it hydrated. You can avoid expensive moisturizing products by hydrating from within. Plenty of water each day nourishes your scalp and hair.

Vitamins for hair growth

Outside of the various techniques you can employ to protect your hair and promote growth, one essential step is to nourish your hair. Just as you require food to be healthy, so does your hair. Yes, you can actually benefit from putting foods such as avocado directly on your hair, but it may be more feasible to take some vitamins or supplements. We’ve found some helpful guidelines for finding a good hair supplement here.

• Zinc: Zinc is an essential part of the hair follicle and not only prohibits follicle regression but can accelerate follicle recovery. As an essential co-factor for several enzymes involved in the functional activities of the hair follicle, you need to ensure you keep those levels up for healthy and long hair.

• Omega-3: These fatty acids deliver essential oils to your hair that will nourish the hair from within, reducing inflammation that causes hair loss and supporting the natural thickening of hair.

• B vitamins: Biotin and vitamin 5 (pantothenic acid) in particular have been used as alternative treatments for hair loss. Biotin is able to rebuild hair shingles that have been damaged from sun or treatments and B5 supports the adrenal glands, which stimulate hair growth.

• Vitamin C: This vitamin fights oxidative stress, which plays a major role in the aging process. Therefore, the antioxidant is able to fight against graying and breakage associated with aging.

• Iron: Iron deficiency has been linked to hair loss so a supplement is a good idea if you are looking to grow your hair. Be careful, however, not to overload because excessive iron can be dangerous.