10 Tips For Hair Growth

Let me start by saying I absolutely love short hair. It's liberating to chop all of your hair off- not to mention really cute. I used to have pretty short hair, albeit always straightened. What can I say, watching America's Next Top Model circa 2006 really influenced me.

However, I also love long hair. I haven't had super long hair in over 15 years. I figured I'd finally give it a go right before quarantine started. I am still chugging along, even though I was pretty close to cutting it all off in the beginning.

Before I give my ten tips to successful hair growth, I would like to give a disclaimer that long hair is not necessarily the best option for everyone (although don't let me stop you from doing what you want to your hair). If you have super low density hair that's also fine- it may start looking raggedy very quickly.

That being said, here are my ten tips for growing curly hair long:

1. GET REGULAR TRIMS

Now don't freak out, I don't mean a major cut. I'm talking 1/4 inch max. I also don't mean constantly. I wouldn't wait longer than six months, though. At that point, you are bound to start seeing some serious split ends, and split ends mean death to beautiful long hair. You can even save a lot of money and trim it yourself. I'm not suggesting you ever give yourself a major cut, but maintenance trimming is not too hard. There are a ton of YouTube videos demonstrating this. Again, though, when you need a complete reshaping- it's best to see a professional.

2. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DETANGLING

Only detangle with a conditioner or pre-shampoo in it that has a lot of 'slip' and comb or brush from the bottom up. Your fingers are great detanglers, as well! I would stay away from silicones, though, unless they are water soluble. You can usually spot a water soluble silicone if the ingredient ends in -cone and has a PEG before or after it.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SCALP

Do regular scalp massages with or without oils. Clarify your hair with a sulfate free clarifying shampoo at least once a week or every two weeks. Cowash or use a very gentle shampoo in between. I love to use a shampoo brush to further stimulate my hair follicles. It also feels nice especially if you have an itchy scalp!

4. SEAL YOUR ENDS

On wash day, once your hair is totally dry, seal your ends with a very small amount of oil.

5. AVOID FAD DIETS

Diets can very often lead to nutrient deficiencies, especially if you are completely avoiding certain food groups. As a result, the few nutrients you are getting will go straight to vital organs to keep you alive. Since your hair isn't necessary to survival, it will naturally suffer. Make sure you are eating from ALL food groups, and ENOUGH, as well.

6. CONSIDER HAIR VITAMINS

Understandably, we may not eat our greens or some other necessary nutrient every single day. So, vitamins might help in this area. A vitamin I've been loving is Bouncecurl hair vitamins. They seem to give me the most bang for my buck- and I've looked up a lot of hair vitamins! I also absolutely LOVE adding this super greens powder into my smoothies to make sure I am getting the nutrition I need. It also helps keep my acne under control and gives me energy, which is a huge plus.

7. REGULARLY DEEP CONDITION

I already talked about deep conditioning in my last post, but just to reiterate- make sure you are deep conditioning as often as your hair can handle. This can be weekly, biweekly- or if your hair gets over-moisturized easily- once a month.

8. EXERCISE

Okay, who am I kidding, it's not like I exercise super regularly. But, we all know exercise is beneficial to our overall health- which will include our hair health, as well.

9. DRINK WATER

I probably don't have to tell you this, but being dehydrated is going to seriously halt our hair growth. That being said- most of us aren't dehydrated. But, just a reminder to keep that water bottle nearby.

10. PATIENCE

This might be the most important of all. Your hair will not grow overnight. Even a few months might go by, and you may feel you hardly got any growth. However, if you keep up these tips, you will see growth eventually! Just like you don't watch your pasta water as you put it to boil, don't worry too much about your hair growth. Try to enjoy every length you are at on the way. It's kind of like you're going through different hairstyles every few months!!

*BONUS TIP- this goes without saying, but AVOID HEAT!! But if you must straighten your hair OCCASIONALLY, make sure you use a heat protection serum or spray.

This is a comparison of me right after I got a haircut ten months ago, next to me right now. I've even done two little trims in between!

Let me know in the comments if you are growing your hair out and how the process is going for you. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments!