The Down-Low On Hair Growth: 7 Tips for Longer, Healthier Hair
Tired of having short hair that never seems to grow? Are you totally over your ends breaking and splitting? Many clients walk through our door with lots of hair growth questions, like ‘how do I get longer hair’ or ‘how long will it take hair to grow back’ after years of bleaching? The truth is, no one oil fixes everything, the basic equation is Healthy Hair = Longer Hair.
How long does it take your hair to grow? Hair only grows a half-inch per month (and that’s if your hair is already healthy). Want the good news? We pulled together our expertise to come up with 7 Top Hair Growth Tips on how to get longer, healthier hair that is maintainable.
1.Check-In With Your Doctor
Let’s get this out of the way first – if you’re really concerned about your hair not growing fast enough or that you’re suffering from thinning/hair loss then we really suggest you speak to a Trichologist (hair expert) or a Dermatologist as they will be able to get down to the nitty-gritty details and can identify what is going on with your scalp and hair to set you on the right path to achieving longer, thicker hair. Let’s not forget on average we lose about 50 to 100 hairs per day, which is only about 0.1% of our total hair. So if you feel like you’re losing double or triple that, then that may be a sign that your hair growth cycle is a bit short, this could be due to diet, stress, hormones but your doctor should be able to help determine that for you.
2. Regular Trims – Yep, We Said It.
This may seem really counter-productive, but honestly booking in for regular trims has lots of benefits if your goal is to achieve optimum hair growth. Hair grows from the root but length is maintained at the ends, so if your hair is packed with split ends and breakage you will only be left with uneven, thin hair that never seems to grow past a certain point. Sound familiar?
The trick is to trim your hair before the split ends appear, even trimming half an inch every 10-12 weeks will prevent split ends from emerging, leaving you with longer, healthy-looking hair.
When’s the last time you had a haircut? Ages ago?! Book In Here.
3. Hydrate With Oils On A Regular Basis
There is no magical potion that will make your hair grow super long overnight however, there are oils that are packed with lots of hydrating ingredients which can be great if applied regularly.
One of the most popular hair growth oils is Castor Oil as it’s packed with Vitamin E, Fatty Acids & Minerals, the perfect meal for your scalp (the key to hair growth). “Castor oil is not only anti- inflammatory and anti-microbial, but it also helps maintain moisture.” Says Michelle Blaisure, a certified Trichologist from Bosley Professional Strength.
We recommend Kérastase Aura Botanica Hair Oil or Aveda Nutri Plenish Multi-Use Oil.
You can shop them here.
4. Give Your Hair A Caffeine Boost For Growth
Before you go pouring an espresso all over your head (pls don’t), you may want to consider purchasing a caffeine-infused hair product to add it to your styling routine. Not only is caffeine a brilliant and slept-on ingredient for hair growth, it also counteracts DHT, the hormone behind hair loss. Caffeine stimulates blood flow to the scalp (super-duper important for hair growth) which makes it a great addition to your hair care routine as far as hair growth tips go.
Disclaimer; caffeine takes about two to three months to kick in so we recommend starting using hair care products with caffeine ASAP to achieve optimal results.
5. Shift Your Focus to Scalp Care
Treating your scalp is kind of like tending to a garden’s soil, it helps the grass (a.k.a your hair) grow. Using a scalp scrub or mask will ensure that there is no product build-up that could negatively affect growth, while a scalp massage can help relieve tension and boost blood circulation to the hair follicles.
Quarantine Scalp – yes, it’s a thing! When you are stressed your cortisol levels spike, leading to excess sebum (aka oil) production on the scalp. Which makes sense right?! After months of lockdowns, I think we have all felt the extra anxiety and stress they brought with them. To make matters worse, excess oil build-up can trigger seborrheic dermatitis, an itchy, flakey scalp inflammation, which paired with days of applying dry shampoo (c’mon, we’re all guilty of it) is a concoction for scalp care disaster.
So how do you know what scalp care would best suit you? Well, If your main concern is product build-up then go for a great clarifying shampoo and If you’re dealing with excess oil, think hydrating and lightweight.
For a Clarifying Shampoo Try:
(Left to Right) Kérastase Bain Vital Dermo-Calm, Aveda Sap Moss, Aveda Pramasana Scalp Cleanser
For Hydrating & Lightweight Try:
(Left to Right) Kérastase Bain Vital Derma-Calm, Aveda Rosemary & Mint Purifying Shampoo
6. Shampoo Less on Wash Days
There are still so many people who wash their hair every day – this can be great for always looking fresh but it can strip the moisture from your hair as most shampoos have harsh soaps called sulphates which can be really damaging, especially to your ends. You should also think twice before you skip using conditioner on your wash day, this is absolutely essential if you’re looking to grow your hair and should be something you do every single time you wash your hair.
Tip: When washing your hair, try only apply & lather the shampoo on your root, then wash out. Why not opt for one of our sulphate-free shampoo’s:
Kérastase Bain Fluidealiste Gentle & Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo
7. Take a Cold Shower
Brrrrr…the thought alone gives us chills but your hair will LOVE it! Fear not, we aren’t suggesting using cold water for the whole duration of your shower – we recommend rinsing your hair with cold water at the very end to give your hair that much needed BOOST.
Cold water closes the cuticles on your hair and pores on your scalp, adding shine which is due to closed cuticles. Smoother hair prevents unnecessary moisture loss and snags, prolonging hair health and remember what we said earlier? Healthy Hair = Longer Hair.
So moral of the blog is, as much as we wish we could squeeze really hard and hair magically start to growing, there is a solution for longer hair, and it really starts with the scalp, and ends with hair care.
Ready to achieve longer hair? Book a hair consultation in here.
Got long hair and looking to show it off? Check out our blog on Everything You Need To Know about Balayage.
If you don’t see your product on our online shop, please contact us here as we may have it in stock in salon.