Whether you're trying to grow out your bangs, or you're ready to switch it up from a blunt bob or pixie cut, growing out the hair often feels like a process that moves at a snail's pace. Sure, hair growth supplements like biotin may help to speed things up, but there are so many other factors that can help or hinder hair growth.
Celebrity hairstylist Lana Grand explains: "First and foremost, what you have to understand is that your hair grows from the inside. You have to make sure that you are healthy and maintain a balanced diet. Then you have to be sure that outside factors such as heat, chemicals, the ocean, pools, and the sun are not breaking or 'snapping' your hair making it feel like it's not growing.”
Below, we're sharing 10 ways you can help hair grow faster. Rapunzel's about to have nothing on you.
1. Avoid heat–and bleach.
As fun as a full head of bleach blonde looks, it comes at a cost. Bleach and lighteners take a hefty toll on the strength of your hair. To lift away dark pigment, bleach also has to break down the natural fatty acids in your hair shaft which often results in dry, brittle hair. If you want to try coloring your hair without creating as much damage, you can always opt for a balayage style or grow out your bleached color with an ombre look, which requires less bleach sessions.
Hot tools like hair dryers, hair straighteners, and curling irons can also stunt hair growth. Heat styling can fry the strands, making hair more prone to breakage and split ends. To keep hair healthier and help it grow faster, always apply a heat protectant before using hot tools.
2. Get regular trims.
Split ends happen to the best of us. They can be caused by anything from hot tools to chemical treatments to UV damage. Grand explains, "Once hair starts splitting, the split can travel up the hair strand causing it to keep breaking off." While it may seem counterintuitive, trimming your hair regularly will help to eliminate split ends and to prevent damaging your hair length."
3. Exfoliate your scalp regularly.
Over time, shampoos, conditioners, and stylying products can cause buildup on the scalp that can clog hair follicles, which can inhibit the growth of healthy hair and potentially even lead to hair thinning or hair loss. Scalp exfoliation removes scalp buildup, stimulates blood flow, and allows the natural oils in the scalp to distribute properly to keep hair nourished and well-hydrated–from the root all the way down to the ends. Just like facial exfoliants, an exfoliating scalp massage should really only be an occasional hair treatment. Too much scalp exfoliation can irritate the scalp and adversely affect hair health.
4. Invest in hair masks.
"Using good hair masks helps to add nutrition to the hair, keeping it strong and moisturized, just like how masks work on your skin," Grand says. However, she advises people to be mindful of using too much repair or protein-rich hair care products as overdoing it can actually cause hair to get brittle.
5. Sleep on silk.
Silk pillowcases are your hair's BFF. They're hypoallergenic, good for the skin, they even help hairstyles like braids and blowouts last longer. Silk helps to reduce the amount of friction between your hair and the fabric. Less friction will result in better-looking hair when you wake up, but more importantly, it will help prevent hair damage like split ends, ultimately helping you achieve longer hair even while you sleep.
6. Eat lots of healthy fats.
Foods like salmon, flax seeds, avocado, and walnuts can assist with hair growth because they're rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids can prevent a dry, flaky scalp and can help keep hair strands well-hydrated. Fully moisturized hair is stronger hair and strong hair grows faster.
7. Don’t wash your hair every day.
"Our scalp needs the oils it naturally produces," Grand says. She explains that too much shampooing can strip the scalp of its protective moisture barrier, making hair drier in the long run.
8. Brush wet hair carefully–or skip it altogether.
Aggressively using a hair brush on wet hair can break hair strands and even sometimes pull hairs out from the root. In extreme circumstances, this could result in thinning hair. More likely, too much brushing will cause noticeable breakage. Be sure to use a paraben and sulfate-free conditioner to help loosen tangles in long hair. You can also try brushing with a brush specifically made for wet hair. Or, if your hair type can go without brushing, try skipping it altogether.
9. Wash hair with soft water.
Pay attention to whether the water in your home is hard or soft water. "Unless you live in the mountains and use spring water [soft water], city water [typically hard water] contains more chemicals and tends to be more drying. Investing in a shower water filter is a great way to keep your hair and skin healthy and protect it from over-drying," Grand says.
10. Incorporate oils into your routine.
From coconut oil to castor oil to olive oil, adding an oil hair mask to your routine could help your strands grow. Most of these oils are high in fatty acids which will restore moisture to the hair, creating healthier hair that's less likely to become brittle, dry, and broken.
Some hair oils like argan oil or jojoba oil can also be used as a leave-in conditioner, meaning you can apply a small amount to wet hair after a shower and let them work their protective, hydrating magic as the hair dries. Jojoba oil can be particularly great for hair growth as it contains high concentrations of B vitamins, vitamin E, and zinc, all of which may help to stimulate hair growth.
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