A friend recently asked if I would share my tips and tricks of how I grew my hair out so quickly. This summer will mark 3 years.
Love me some unicorns 😉
Here are some things I started doing to grow out my hair:
1. Never use the same shampoo/conditioner back to back. Meaning when you run out, switch it up. Your hair will eventually get used to the chemicals and revert to a natural state of producing oil. Research good products for your hair type. There are tons of reviews online! I love Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship and Tresemme Naturals. Feel free to alternate between two, but once you’re out use something different. I typically wash my hair once a week; I know that sounds gross, but it works for me. For those of you that wash your hair everyday- SHAME ON YOU.
That’s right. And don’t give me that “it gets so greasy!” excuse. It gets greasy because you wash it so much. Your hair feels like it needs to produce extra oils to compensate for being stripped of everything actually healthy.
2. Use as little product as possible. There are tons of products out there…help straighten, curl, diffuse, spike, color, yadda yadda your hair. The more natural you can treat your hair the better. Allie showed me Tresemme Split End Remedy about 4 months ago. I’ll admit it’s a miracle worker, however I don’t wash my hair enough to use it. Coconut oil also does the same thing–no harsh chemicals! If you think your hair needs it, choose organic products first.
We use LouAna, but there are lots of other brands. Just hit up the Walmart or something.
3. Use as little heat as possible. I straighten my hair now about once a month. Mostly because I like to wake up as late as humanly possible. The plus side being my hair isn’t getting fried as often. I also curl my hair (with an iron) and use a blow dryer less than that. Try different hair styles! I let my hair go wavy for a couple of days, maybe put it in a side pony or braid for a day, up in a pony/bun for a while then wash when it gets really gross. I also rinse with cold water after washing. As little heat as possible here, people! (Here’s a tutorial to curling your hair without heat-makes for a cute hairstyle, too!)
4. Brush gently. Try your best not to hack your hair with a brush. I struggle with this sometimes. My hair turns into a rat’s nest in minutes. It’s also good to brush all the knots from your hair before you shower.
5. Don’t brush or put up after you shower. Your hair is very fragile when wet. Baby it as much as you can. Brushing and putting up in a pony tail or bun can cause your hair to break off. If you like to blow dry, try to let it air dry first as much as you can.
–To help your hair grow, massage your scalp everyday for ~5 minutes. Blood flow to your scalp is crucial when trying to get length!
–MYTH: trimming your hair helps it grow. Let’s think about this for a minute…you have something that grows from a root. Why would trimming an end help the root grow? Because a part distant from the source of growth is dead? I will agree it makes your hair look healthier, but it does not play a major roll in hair growth. I haven’t cut my hair in two years, not even a trim, and it’s grown about 12 inches.
–Understand hair has a terminal length. Your hair might not grow longer than your collar-bone or maybe it will grow down to your feet! Who knows?! It’s all left up to genetics, honestly. Don’t be upset if you can’t seem to grow your hair out super long. Try pre-natal vitamins!
Sorry for such a wordy post today! But I hope this helps you 🙂 What kind of hair tips do you have? Would you ever ween yourself off of shampoo and conditioner and just wash with water?
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