Regrow Hair Naturally
Hair loss is common among both men and women, and many seek to treat it using chemical solutions, hair plugs and even surgery. If you’d rather find ways to regrow your hair naturally, scalp massage, beneficial oils and dietary changes are chemical-free and inexpensive remedies that you can start using right away. Taking good care of your hair to prevent further loss is another great way to maintain a healthy head of hair.
Contents
Steps
Using Natural Treatments
- Massage your scalp daily. Scalp massage promotes good circulation around your hair follicles, creating the right environment for hair growth. Use the tips of your fingers to gently massage your scalp in a circular motion. Take your time and massage every part of your scalp so that you stimulate blood flow to all the areas where you want to new hair to grow in.
- Make massage a habit by doing it every time you wash your hair in the shower.
- Getting a professional head massage could be educational, since you’ll learn the best way to massage your scalp.
- Try an oil massage. Adding oil to the equation helps aid circulation even more than a standard head massage. The oil helps to unclog hair follicles and allow new growth to come in. Once or twice a week, plan to use oil to massage your head. It’s easiest to do it in the shower, then rinse away the oil when you’re finished. Here are a few popular oils you can try:
- Coconut oil. This rich, emollient oil is great for your body in so many ways, and some say it helps hair regrowth. Pre-heat a tablespoon of coconut oil using a microwave (15 seconds should be enough to melt the oil) rub it between your palms, then use your fingers to massage your scalp
- Jojoba oil. It’s very similar in texture to sebum, the natural oil produced by your scalp that lubricates your hair and keeps it healthy.
- Almond oil. This is traditionally used in India to foster healthy hair growth.
- Use therapeutic hair masks. A good hair mask performs the dual duty of keeping your hair moisturized and healthy while also stimulating growth. Household goods like honey, egg whites, avocados, aloe and apple cider vinegar are all quite beneficial to hair. Apply a mask for 15 minutes, making sure to cover your scalp as well, then shampoo your hair as normal. Make sure you do not use a shampoo with added sulfate. Try the following masks:
- For extra dry hair, combine equal parts honey, egg white, and argan oil.
- For normal hair, combine equal parts honey, aloe and olive oil.
- For oily hair, combine equal parts honey, apple cider vinegar and castor oil.
- Use essential oils. Certain essential oils have been said to promote healthy circulation and stimulate hair growth. Adding a few drops of these oils to your oil treatments, masks, and shampoo is a good way to give your scalp an extra boost. Try adding five drops of one of these beneficial oils:
- Lavender
- Tea tree oil
- Cedar wood
- Rosemary oil
- Argan oil
- Coconut oil
- Avoid using shampoo that contains sulfates and harsh ingredients. Many commercially-produced shampoos use sulfates as the primary cleanser. Sulfates strip the hair of its natural oils, causing it to become dry and brittle. This can lead to hair breakage and eventually hair loss. When you use a gentler, all-natural shampoo your hair has the chance to grow healthy and strong. Ditch the sulfates for a very gentle shampoo, and you should see results with a few months.
- Get treated for underlying medical problems. Sometimes hair loss results from an underlying problem that you might not even be aware of. If this is the case, regrowth won’t happen until you get the proper treatment. If you’re not sure why you’re experiencing hair loss, see a doctor to find out what’s going on. The following conditions commonly cause hair loss:
- Thyroid problems
- Hormonal imbalances
- Alopecia
Changing Your Diet
- Eat plenty of protein. Protein is the building block for healthy hair. Having a diet that’s very rich in protein will help your hair grow faster. Make sure you’re getting the daily recommended amount of protein each and every day.
- Protein-rich foods include eggs, meat, nuts, legumes, and leafy greens.
- Vegans and vegetarians commonly eat less protein than meat eaters, since there are fewer protein-heavy options. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, pay close attention to your protein intake to make sure you’re getting as much as you need.
- Add more omega 3 fatty acids to your diet. This healthy fat is integral to healthy hair growth, and without enough of it in your diet your hair can appear brittle and dull. Incorporate more omega 3 fatty acids into your diet on a daily basis. Your skin will also benefit from a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
- Avocados, nuts, eggs and fatty fish like salmon are the best sources of omega 3s.
- Consider taking fish oil or flaxseed oil supplements to up your daily dose.
- Almond, carrots, yeast, walnuts and fish are among the food that contain the most biotin. Consider supplements if you're not eating any of these foods daily.
- Take biotin supplements. Biotin supplements are composed of B vitamins that contribute to hair health. Vitamin B12 is especially important when it comes to regrowing hair. Consider taking biotin supplements so you know you’re getting enough B vitamins every day. B vitamins are also commonly found in prenatal supplements.
- You can also get your daily vitamin B12 from eating organ meats, fatty fish and other animal products.
- Vegans and vegetarians have a harder time getting enough B12. Consider taking supplements if you’re a vegan or vegetarian.
- Eat food rich in iron. When you aren’t getting enough iron, your body produces fewer red blood cells, leading to a condition known as anemia. This can cause hair loss among many other symptoms. Add more iron to your diet by eating leafy greens, red meat and other iron-rich foods. Alternatively, consider taking iron supplements to meet your daily needs.
- If you’re concerned you may be anemic, it’s important to see a doctor. In many cases the recommended treatment will be taking iron supplements, but sometimes further treatment is needed.
- Stay well hydrated. Did you know that drinking water can help your hair grow more vibrant and healthy? Just like other parts of your body, your hair is greatly affected by dehydration. Make sure you’re drinking enough water every single day. Drink when you’re thirsty, and switch out coffee, soda and alcohol for water as often as possible. Recommended intake of water is 2L per day minimum.
Taking Care of Your Hair
- Don’t wash your hair every day. When you wash every day, you put unnecessary strain on your hair follicles. The nourishing oil your scalp naturally produces gets washed away, plus you pull and tug on your hair in the process of washing it, drying it and combing it out. When regrowth is your goal, you want to treat your hair and scalp as gently as you can and leave it alone as much as possible.
- Washing every three days or so, or going even longer without washing, is recommended by beauty experts as the best course of action.
- In between washing days, try using dry shampoo. It’s a powder you sprinkle on your hair and then comb through. Your hair will look clean and smell fresh for the day.
- Comb instead of brushing. When you step out of the shower, use a wide-toothed comb to gently comb out the tangles, starting at the tips and moving up toward the roots. When you yank a brush through your hair, you damage your hair from the roots down the shaft and all the way to the tips, causing hair loss, breakage and split ends.
- Be especially careful when your hair is wet, since it’s most easily damaged when it’s moist and stretchy.
- The thicker and curlier your hair is, the wider the teeth on your comb should be. If you have very kinky or curly hair, don’t comb any more than necessary.
- Don’t use heat on your hair. Heat is damaging to hair, plain and simple. Even if you use a heat protectant, your hair will still be affected when you apply heat from a hair dryer, curling iron or straightening iron. Use heat only when you absolutely have to for a special occasion. Otherwise, let your hair air dry and style it without using heat tools.
- Get trims, but not too often. When you’re trying to regrow your hair, trimming it off isn’t going to help the problem. It’s a good idea to trim off your split ends every few months, but don’t go overboard getting brand new styles. Having a stylist cut and style your hair using heat tools and heavy products could make matters worse. It’s better to do your daily massage, use oil treatments and mask, and otherwise try to leave your scalp alone so your hair can start growing in. trimming or cutting hair will help block the DHT hormone which is one of the main cause of hair loss
- When you do get your hair cut, opt out of getting a blowout. See if the stylist will use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to comb out your hair after washing.
- Avoid hair extensions and other damaging styles. Hair extensions are hard on your hair and your scalp. The weight of the extensions pulls on your hair causing breakage, and in the worse cases, bald patches. When you’re trying to grow your hair in, you want to let it be as natural as possible. Hair extensions, chemical straightening, bleaching and dyeing are extremely damaging and will not help your hair grow back in.
- Experiment with styles that look great and don’t require handling your hair too harshly.
- If you absolutely have to dye your hair, try a natural henna dye, which can actually nourish your hair instead of harming it.
Tips
- Get good sleep and reduce stress. Hair loss can be caused by lack of sleep and stressing out too much.
- Do not brush your hair when its wet. Your hair is more elastic when wet so your hair has a more likely chance to break off.
- Like with any hair loss solution, each one responds different to different people. What works for one may not work for another so if you are going to pay for any hair loss product, make sure there is a money back guarantee so you don't waste your money.
