By Hair grown between a half inch and an inch per month. But what can you do to make it grow faster? Unfortunately there’s no “magic bullet” or “overnight miracle” to make your hair grow. In fact, there’s very little you can do actually make it grow faster, you can only protect the hair that does grow. So how can you make your hair stronger and protect it from breaking? Here are ten easy ways to encourage healthy hair growth:
Baby Your Hair.
Pulling, twisting, yanking and brushing too hard can break individual hairs. Your hair will fall out naturally on it’s own, but treating it too rough will cause them to come out faster. Make sure you’re not too rough when brushing it, especially after a shower. Straightening, curling, crimping, and anything like that is also a major breaker of hair strands. If you have curly or wavy hair, use wide toothed combs. Narrow toothed combs and brushes can disrupt curl patterns and cause frizziness, which can lead to breakage.
Don’t Wash Every Day
Your scalp produces natural oils that are the best thing for protecting your hair. Brushing after a wash is also very harsh on your hair. Brushing your hair from root to tip before you shower can help to spread the protective oils to the tips.
Eat Healthy
A diet rich in beta-carotene is great for hair growth. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, which the body needs for healthy bones, nails, and hair. You can find beta-carotene in green and yellow vegetables and fruits. Protein is also vital for your hair growth. A diet too low in protein can actually cause thinning hair. Increasing your intake of protein will stimulate and improve your hair growth. You can find protein in fish, beans, eggs, yogurt, and soy products.
Get Active
Exercise! Getting out and exercising, whether just walking or something more vigorous has been shown to increase the health of not only your body, but your hair. Exercise combined with a good nights sleep, (at least 7 hours) and lower stress is going to lead to a major improvement in your hair’s length and body.
Take Vitamins
If a healthy diet isn’t enough, there are multivitamins available that can help even more. Vitamin E, B-6, Biotin, and Folic Acid have all been shown to increase hair growth. Be careful, though, if you have any preexisting medical conditions, please consult your doctor before starting any new vitamin regiment.
Try a New Shampoo
There are many types of fortifying shampoo that will keep your hair strong, and keep it from breaking. A lot of people swear by Mane N Tail. MnT is a horse shampoo, but it is excellent for protecting your hair. Garnier, Matrix, L’Oreal and most other brands also have whole lines of fortifying and protecting shampoos. You can find these at just about any store that sells shampoo.
Avoid Dramatic Weight Loss
Not only is dramatic weight loss horrible for your health, it’s equally horrible for your hair. Certain diets, such as low fat diets starve your hair of vital nutrients including protein and iron, as well as some diets, like Atkins, which are high in protein, but low in fruits and vegetables can also trigger hair trauma. If you’re losing weight, you should focus more on a reduction in calories rather than a certain type of food. If you’re losing more than 1 or 2 pounds a week, your hair, as well as your health is suffering.
Relax
Stress is a major cause of reversible hair loss. If you’re having problems with thinning hair, or slow hair growth, take time to calm down, meditate, or just relax more often. You may see a noticeable change in your hair in as little as three weeks or up to four months.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Bleaches, dyes, relaxers, chemical straighteners, and permanent waves are a major no-no! Any type of harsh chemical can damage your hair, and therefore increase the likelihood of breakage. If you absolutely have to, make sure you condition afterwards.
Watch Your Health
Often times, thinning hair can be a sign of poor health. Vitamin deficiencies, stress, heart problems, and gland problems can cause your hair to fall out. If you’ve noticed a significant increase in hair loss, please see a doctor. Not only will your doctor be able to stop that hair loss, but probably fix a much more major problem.
