hair

hair frustration

Are you having difficulty growing your hair out?  Does it feel like it's taking forever?  Well, there's an easy way to improve your hair growth by improving your hair care and eating habits.  It really is that simple, folks.  You don't need any expensive products or treatments.  Just treat your hair (and your body) better and you will notice the difference.  The way we treat our hair – from the products that we use (including heat) to the food we eat – has a huge impact on how healthy and long it can be.  Like with anything else health related we talk about, it's all about self-care.

What Causes Slow Hair Growth?

Unhealthy Scalp

The strength, length and shine of your hair depend on the health of your scalp.  Your hair won't grow fast if you have imbalances affecting your hair follicles.  Itching, dandruff, irritation and excess oils are all signs your scalp is not allowing your hair to grow as quickly and as beautifully as it should.

Harsh Hair Products

A lot of the products on the market are filled with chemicals.  Which can have an impact on your scalp and hair.  Harsh cleansers can strip your scalp from the natural oils it needs to stay healthy.  This triggers itching, which weakens your hair strands and spikes an overproduction of oil in your roots.

Excess Heat

Heat from styling tools like curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers can burn and weaken your hair strands. Making them look dull and brittle.  Damaged ends will require you to cut your hair, which obviously has an impact on your hair growing efforts.

Nutrient Deficient Diet

This is a big one.  What we put into our bodies makes a difference.  The first signs of a poor diet are – dull looking hair, nails and skin.  Your scalp needs key nutrients that allow the follicles to create strong, thick and shiny hair.  When your body has a nutrient deficiency, your hair growth will slow down, and your strands will weaken because your body will redirect the nutrients toward vital organs instead of your hair.

What Can You Do to Speed Up Hair Growth?

massage hair

Massage Your Scalp

Massaging your scalp once a day will increase blood circulation around the hair follicles, which promotes hair growth.  It will also diminish stress, which is a key factor in hair loss. Here are some tips when it comes to massaging your scalp:

  • Massage your scalp with your fingertips in a circular motion for 5 minutes to increase relaxation and reduce stress. You can do this daily.
  • Massage in the shower. While you’re shampooing, massage your scalp with your fingertips in circular motion. Do this every time you wash your hair.
  • Massage with oils.  Try massaging with coconut, almond, olive, or jojoba oil to stimulate your hair follicles and relieve dryness.

hair trim

Trim Your Ends Once a Month

The more damaged your hair gets, the more you have to cut it.  Trimming split ends once a month will prevent further damage to your hair.

brush hair

Brush Your Hair at Least Twice a Day

Brushing your hair regularly stimulates your follicles, increases circulation in your scalp and distributes the oils from the roots towards the ends of your hair. Improved circulation leads to quick hair growth, and the distribution of the oil helps to hydrate your ends and get rid of excess oil in your scalp.

natural hair products

Replace Harsh Cleansers with Natural Products

Get rid of those shampoos and conditioners that are dripping with chemicals.  They are made with cleansers that strip the natural oils from your scalp, which disturbs your hair follicles and damages your hair.  Avoid products with sulfates, silicones, parabens and alcohol.  Instead, pick natural brands that use certified organic ingredients.

washing hair

Don't Wash Your Hair More than Twice a Week

Avoid washing your hair daily.  Your scalp needs time to produce the natural oils your hair needs to stay strong and hydrated.  Washing too often can lead to dry and brittle hair.  Wash your hair no more than twice a week.

wash your hair

Use Cold or Lukewarm Water to Wash Your Hair

A hot shower can remove many of the beneficial oils your scalp needs.  It can also increase irritation, dandruff and dry out your hair.  Shower with cold or lukewarm water for beautiful hair instead.  Cold water has many benefits for your skin and hair, including shinier hair and tightened pores, which prevents dirt form accumulating in your scalp.

hair straightener

Use Styling Tools Less Often

Minimize the use of styling tools that burn and dehydrate your hair.  Let your hair air-dry as often as possible, and use styling tools only on special occasions.  When you do use your iron or blow dryer, apply a heat protectant to minimize the damage.

brush wet

Don't Brush When Your Hair is Wet

Your hair is the most fragile when it's wet.  Instead of using a brush, try a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair once you get out of the shower.  This will help to minimize breakage. Brush once your hair is completely dry.

braid

Braid Your Hair Loosely Before Sleeping

To protect your hair from breakage due to the friction against your sheets during the night, tie it in a loose braid and secure it with a bobby pin or fabric hair tie before sleeping.

sleeping

Sleep with a Satin or Silk Pillow Case

Satin or silk are much gentler fabrics for your hair than your regular pillow cases.  Consider investing in one to reduce the damage caused by the friction against your sheets.

Salad

What Should You Eat To Speed Up Hair Growth?

  • Don't crash diet!  Extreme diets will deplete your body from essential nutrients, leaving your scalp without the minerals and vitamins it needs to grow your hair.
  • Drink at least 1.5 or 2 litres of water a day.  This will prevent dandruff and dryness and will allow your follicles to grow healthy hair.
  • Eat Plenty of Protein. Hair is made almost completely out of a protein called keratin.  This means you should be eating 46 g a day if you're a woman, and 56 g if you're a man. The best protein sourced include lean meats like chicken, turkey, tuna and salmon.
  • Eat foods rich in biotin.  Biotin is an essential B-complex.  A biotin deficiency could cause brittle hair and hair loss.  The best sources of biotin are peanuts, almonds, sweet potatoes, eggs, onions, oats, tomatoes, carrots, walnuts and salmon.
  • Eat foods rich in Vitamin A, C and E.
  • Eat foods that are rich in Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5).  Foods rich in pantothenic acid include mushrooms, avocado, sweet potatoes, lentils, peas, crimini mushrooms and chicken.

Eating a well balanced diet will definitely improve how fast your hair grows.  Taking care of your hair and scalp daily with massages, brushing and gentle cleansing methods will speed up your hair growth naturally.  Excessive styling can also hurt your hair.  So if you're trying to speed things up, you might want to lessen the amount of styling that you're doing. For more on this topic head over to Positive Health Wellness.

 

By Staff Writer

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