Make Hair Grow Long Faster

Is long hair efficient? No. Sport friendly? Sometimes. Totally amazing and gorgeous? You know it! But hair only grows, on average, about a half inch a month, so it could take a while to get the lengthy tresses you desire. This guide should help speed up the process a little bit, including pretty much everything to make your hair grow faster, short of splurging on some costly hair growth shampoo.

Steps

Styling Damage

1. Beware of styling dangers. Too much styling can damage your hair. This is bad for growing your hair long. Certain chemical applications and cleansers may cause thinning, damage or even hair loss if used incorrectly. Try to find a chemical-free shampoo and conditioner.
2. Try not to repeatedly perm, crimp, chemically or mechanically straighten, curl, bleach or color hair. These processes can cause serious damage to your hair, altering the natural makeup of each strand and putting unnecessary strain on them. Excessive heat, in either a blow-dryer or straightener, can singe the hair, so try to air-dry your hair whenever possible.
3. Brush and comb sparingly. There used to be a myth out there that brushing your hair 100 times a day would promote hair growth. Not only is this false, brushing your hair to excess can actually pull hairs out of the scalp. Use a wide-toothed comb and never comb like a madman.
   • You can comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb while it's damp, but not soaking wet, but make sure to be gentle to your hair while combing it since your hair is very vulnerable when wet.
   • Try not to de-tangle or pull at your hair without the aid of a leave-in conditioner or de-tangling spray.
4. Don't use rubber bands to style or pin the hair back. If you need to pull your hair back and pin it up, use a hair tie. The hair tie won't cause the hair to get stuck on its surface as much, pulling it from its roots.
5. Avoid using styles that put unnecessary stress on hair. Cornrows and tight ponytails, for example, are no-nos because they pin the hair back, putting stress on the follicle. Instead, try to opt for a hairstyle that minimizes the stress on your follicles, so they can promote healthy growth.
6. Clean your hair carefully. Use the right products when cleaning your hair. Depending on how oily your hair is, shampoo and condition your hair only about 3-4 times per week. You don't need to shampoo and condition every day, as this will suck out the natural oils present in your hair.
   • Those with curly, coarse, or dry hair may want to wash their hair only 2-3 times weekly, as natural oils are key for strong and healthy hair. People who have greasy hair probably want to wash their hair more than the 3-4 per week average, as a buildup of grease can be harmful to growth. How often you wash your hair also depends on your hair's porosity level.
   • Choose products that contain ingredients that are healthy for hair. Ingredients like avocado, coconut, jojoba, and olive are all beneficial when used in moderation. They help retain moisture and oils while minimizing split ends and other hair damage.
7. Plan how often you get your hair cut. Cutting hair does not make hair grow faster from the roots. This is a myth. It does, however, stop loss of length from the tips, as it prevents breakages from split ends.
   • How often you should cut your hair depends on how healthy it is and how fast you want it to grow; it is totally up to your own judgement.
   • Normal hair grows anywhere from {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} - {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} per month. Most stylists recommend getting a hair cut every 6-10 weeks, meaning that if you cut off 1/4 - 1/2 inch (about 1/2 - 1 cm), your hair should still grow longer.

Condition treatments twice a week will help with making it stronger and have less split ends by hydrating it.

Diet

1. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish. Good food is good for your hair. Diet may seem unrelated to your hair, but it actually makes a huge difference. Food nourishes your body, and since your hair is part of your body, food also nourishes your hair.
   • Since hair is made of protein, make sure you're getting plenty of protein in your diet. Some proteins to consider incorporating into your diets: lean meats such as chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, soy products, beans, and nuts. These foods will help promote healthy keratin production, which are the building blocks of hair.
2. Eat the right kinds of fat. Certain fats are good for both a healthy lifestyle and healthy hair. Fats in moderation help maintain healthy hair and skin production.
   • Fats will help you process the vitamins and minerals in your diet — Vitamins A, D, E, and K — that are necessary for healthy hair production.
   • Eat the right kinds of fats. Saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats are examples of fats that you should definitely stay away from. Omega 3 fats, found in marine and plant oils, are good for healthy hair. Salmon, flaxseed oil, sardines, walnuts, and spinach are all high in omega 3 fats.
   • For this reason, B-complex tablets containing fish oils are helpful in speeding up the growth of hair follicles.
3. Make sure you're getting enough iron and zinc. Iron and zinc, along with other vitamins, are essential in creating great, healthy hair.
   • Iron is responsible for getting oxygen to your cells, from the blood in your toes all the way up to your hair follicles. (That's why blood smells like iron.) Lean animal meats are great ways to get iron, but if you're vegetarian, consider eating beans, lentils, and soy products such as edamame or tofu.
   • Zinc assists in the repair of your tissues, making sure that the oil glands around your follicles are working in the proper way. Get your zinc by eating oysters, low-fat roast beef, toasted wheat germ, roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, dark chocolate, and cocoa powder.
4. Get enough vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiencies can cause hair to be weak, lusterless, and prone to breakage. Vitamin C is also a great antioxidant, meaning it helps fight against free radicals, which are atoms or groups of atoms which can destroy certain cells and hasten the effects of aging.
   • Your body uses vitamin C to build collagen, which is crucial in developing hair growth. Vitamin C also assists in breaking down iron, another building block of hair, so maintaining good levels of vitamin C is necessary to absorb iron.
   • The body cannot make vitamin C on its own. It's therefore crucial that you eat and drink foods that have high concentrations of vitamin C. Cantaloupe, guava, citrus fruits, broccoli, bell peppers, and spinach are all fantastic and great-tasting foods that are packed with vitamin C.
   • The government recommends 45 mg/day of vitamin C for children ages 9-13; around 70 mg/day for teens aged 14-18; and in between 75 and 90 mg/day for adults.

Exercise and Stress

1. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will promote hair growth. Your body acts like a finely-tuned machine, and certain things, like sleep, can help regenerate cells and promote overall health.
   • Severe cases of stress, after the death of a loved one, for example, or extreme emotional isolation, can cause the body to go into a kind of survival mode in which it only produces things vital to bodily survival. During these times, hair production may stop.
   • On the other hand, when your body has enough nutrients and energy stored up so that it doesn't need to focus on simply keeping you alive, it can devote resources to build up and protect your hair. Maintain a good diet and healthy lifestyle to maximize your body's daily resources.
2. Clear physical stressors from your life. Surgeries, severe injuries, and other trauma can cause stunted hair growth or even hair loss. In these cases there may be a three month delay in hair growth while the body focuses on repairing other cells and injuries.
   • Identify stressors and let your body heal them. If you have just gone through intense physical trauma, give your body time to heal itself before expecting to see hair growth. Once your body is healed, you should begin to see hair growth again.
   • Anemia, low blood count and thyroid abnormalities also may be acting as physical stressors while directly contributing to halted hair growth. They can easily be detected with an inexpensive blood test. Talk to your doctor if you believe you might be suffering from any of them.
3. Clear emotional stress from your life. Learn how to manage the normal stress that your body produces as a result of daily activities and unexpected occurrences. In large quantities, stress can halt hair production, though it will not contribute to baldness in either males or females.
   • Exercise is a great way to release pent-up stress. Jogging, swimming, lifting light weights, or even walking is part of a healthy lifestyle. It will help your body process foods and vitamins, sleep better, and reduce large amounts of stress.

Health Concerns to Avoid

1. Make sure that any health concerns you may have aren't contributing to stunted growth. In both men and women, a host of medical issues can cause the slowing down of hair production. Addressing these medical issues, in some cases, causes hair production to return to normal.
   • Talk with your doctor if you have any diagnosed medical conditions, as these may contribute to hair loss or stunted hair growth. As mentioned above, low blood count and thyroid conditions, in addition to hormone imbalances, may contribute to decreased hair growth.
   • Ask your doctor whether any medications you are taking could be factors in hair loss or diminished hair production. Acne medication, birth control, steroids, anti-clotting drugs, and antidepressants have all been linked to hair loss in both males and females.
   • Talk with your doctor before beginning any over the counter hair growth products, as they may interfere with other medication you are taking. Consult with your doctor before beginning a strenuous diet. Improper nutrition is a factor in decreased hair growth.
2. Check for scalp infections. Scalp infections, caused by ringworm of folliculitis, can damage the scalp area, preventing follicles from growing in a healthy manner.
   • If you think you may have a scalp infection (and not simply dandruff), talk with your doctor about topical and anti-fungal medications that you can use to cure your scalp infection before discussing hair growth treatments. Much of the time, once the scalp infection is cured, normal hair growth continues.
3. Check for hormonal imbalances. In both men and women, hormonal imbalances caused by menopause, pregnancy, or elevated testosterone levels can affect steady hair growth. Talk with your doctor about whether this may be the case with you.
   • If a hormone imbalance is detected, doctors often use androgen receptor inhibitors for women. Androgen is typically considered a male hormone, as it is important in developing male reproductive organs and secondary male characteristics. An excess of androgen in females is linked with hair loss.
   • If a hormone imbalance is detected in men, doctors often use Finasteride (also called Propecia). Propecia works by blocking the enzyme that turns testosterone into the androgen, DHT. Propecia has been shown to reduce DHT levels in the scalp by as much as 60%.

Unverified Home Remedies

1. Promote hair growth with natural home remedies. Be careful, however, when applying home remedies, as they may damage your hair instead of stimulating growth.
   • A mix of aloe vera and honey. Mix the flesh of three leaves of aloe vera with honey and apply it over the scalp. Wait 20 minutes and wash hair out as usual.
   • An energy-packed breakfast. Mix together a spoonful of soya lecithin, a spoonful of wheatgerm, a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of brewer’s yeast, and a yogurt. Try this homemade recipe every day for breakfast.
   • Tomatoes, olive oil and aloe vera. Blend a tomato with a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat until warm and apply the mixture to the scalp, letting stand as long as possible. This mixture can be enhanced by adding aloe vera.
   • Rosemary water. Wash your hair every day with rosemary water. You can buy rosemary shampoo or make rosemary water on own.
2. Promote hair growth with store-bought remedies. Certain store bought remedies, while not proven to stimulate hair growth, may work in some instances.
   • Biotin may work. Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin. It's supposed to increase hair and nail growth, also helping with acne, slow-healing skin and stronger hair. Advised dosage is 300 mcg.
   • MSM may also work. MSM stands for methyl-sulfonyl-methane. It's a naturally-occurring sulfate found in some plant species, and is reputed to help build collagen and repair tissue. For hair, it's supposed to slow shed, speed growth, and increase shine and thickness.

Tips

• When you wash your hair, massage your scalp to encourage blood circulation to the roots.
• For shinier hair, wash your hair with the coldest water that you can handle.
• Avoid stress: stress can make your hair fall out or trigger trichotillomania (trik-oh-til-oh-MAY-nee-uh) which is a hair pulling disorder that causes an irresistible urge to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body. Hair pulling can be a way of coping with negative or uncomfortable feelings such as stress, among other emotions such as angst, frustration, depression, or loneliness.
• Clip-In Extensions are good while you are growing your hair, you can just pop them in and out without any damage to your natural hair.
• Drink a lot of water. It's good if you drink about 6-8 glasses of water each day. Water keeps you hydrated throughout the day and that also means it keeps your hair hydrated as well.
• Eat healthy food so you can make your hair stronger and shinier.
• If you need to comb your hair while it's wet use a wide tooth comb or a wet brush. A wet brush works an amazing on all hair and also works as a normal hair brush.
• Use oils such as Argan oils or coconut oil.
• Try using coconut oil or olive oil for you're hair. It helps keep hair shiny and healthy!! Also eat a lot of spinach because it has the vitamins for your hair to grow faster and healthier.
• Tilt your head 90 degrees forward and massage your scalp for four minutes or longer. This creates blood flow to your cuticles. In this fact, your hair wil grow longer.
• If you wear any hair styles, wear the loose ones. Because the hair styles that prevent a lot of stress on hair and hair pulling, will cause your hair to grow quicker.
• If you want to use Argan oil or any oil, use it sparingly on your scalp, because it can make it very oily and your hair will be very greasy. Oils are really more meant for your ends of your hair.
• Get regular hair trims to get rid of split ends and make your hair grow longer.
• Do not sleep or lay down letting the tip of your hair scratch the bed. It may make some strands of hair break and your hair will not grow.You can sleep by clipping your hair such that it will not break.

Warnings

• Do not brush your hair while it's wet. Your hair is very vulnerable while wet, and so combing your hair with a wide-toothed comb would be better than brushing your hair, but be very gentle to your hair.

Related wikiHow

• Make Your Hair Grow Faster
• Make Your Hair Look and Smell Good
• Know the Natural Look of Your Hair
• Braid Your Hair Across Your Head
• Measure Hair Thickness

Sources and Citations

See also

• Create a Good Hair Care Routine (for Men)
• Grow Nape Hair
• Use Hair Gloss
• Reduce Frizz on Relaxed Hair
• Dye Hair Sherbet Colors
• Perfume Your Hair
• Add Texture to Your Hair
• Encourage Hair Growth
• Clean Hairspray off of a Curling Iron
• Grow Your Hair Faster Naturally

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