Tips for Growing Long Hair
If you want to grow your hair long, the key is to keep it healthy, moisturized, and cut down the many things that can damage your hair. At best, hair will grow about a half inch per month… so you have plenty of time to integrate these healthy hair habits into your routine while your hair grows out.
Brush your hair.
Regularly brushing your hair with a good quality brush is a great way to maintain the natural balance of your hair and scalp as you grow your hair out. Gently brushing your hair distributes the oils from your scalp, keeping your hair soft, shiny, and moisturized. You don’t need to spend a long time brushing your hair (forget brushing 100 times!) – if you brush too much, you may damage your hair or pull out too many hairs in the process.
Wash your hair less.
To cut down on damage caused by dryness, try washing your hair less frequently. For the most part, people do not need to wash their hair every day. Usually, washing once every 2-3 days is sufficient, and some people can push the time in between washes even further. If your hair gets too greasy between washing, try using a dry shampoo to at least extend your style one day before washing again.
Take good care of your scalp.
You take good care of your hair, but are you pampering your scalp equally? One easy way to keep your scalp healthy is to exfoliate on a regular basis. Using a scalp scrub like Kevin Murphy’s SCALP SPA Scrub or Davines SOLU Sea Salt Scrub Cleanser can remove impurities from the scalp and hair follicle. These impurities can be due to residue from products, or your own dead skin cells. By exfoliating your scalp on a regular basis, you’ll help create a better environment for hair growth. A word of caution about exfoliating: when using these products, don’t scrub with your fingernails as the friction can be too intense, and damage your scalp. Also, don’t use an exfoliator too frequently. Depending on your particular needs, swapping it out with your shampoo once every 8-10 washes should be a good schedule.
Sleep on a satin pillowcase.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase eases the friction on your hair as you sleep. As a result, your hair will be less frizzy, less tangled, and experience less breakage from tugging. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase also allows your hair to retain more moisture, as it's less absorbent than a standard pillowcase material such as cotton. If you’re looking for a way to take care of your hair while you sleep, try the Aria Beauty Satin Sleep Set which includes a satin pillowcase to pamper your hair.
Use a heat protectant.
In addition to the heat styling considerations of frequency and temperature, you can also use a heat protectant on your hair when you’re heat styling. Heat protectants are sometimes blended into other hair care products, such as Kevin Murphy’s Young Again Oil, which also smooths and moisturizes your hair. You can also get products specifically made for heat protection, such as Davines’ MELU Hair Shield, made to protect longer or damaged hair from heat tools.
Keep your hair properly moisturized.
Maintaining moisture starts with shampoo, but conditioners and hair masks are the heavy hitters here! Select a hydrating conditioner that suits your hair type, and will properly nourish your hair each time you wash it. If you have fine or flat hair that you don’t want to weigh down with a heavy conditioner, try Kevin Murphy’s Angel Rinse, which is gentle, hydrating, and also contains moisture. If your hair is particularly dry, try an ultra nourishing conditioner like Davines’ MELU conditioner. On a regular basis, you can also treat your hair to a moisturizing mask, which will help the overall health of your hair in the long run.
Go easy on heat styling.
Blow drying and using hot tools like a flat iron or curling iron can be drying and damaging for your hair. To protect the lengths of your hair as it grows, you’ll want to cut back on the amount of heat styling you do. One way to do this is to wash hair less frequently (so that you don’t need to blow dry as often). Also, make sure you get high quality tools that allow you to control their temperature. Most people can properly use hot tools at only ½ or ¾ of the tool’s maximum temperature, and doing so will cause less damage to your hair.
Use a gentle shampoo.
As keeping your hair properly moisturized is key for maintaining the health of your longer hair, use a shampoo that is gentle and moisturizing on your hair. Use a salon quality formula, as other brands may contain damaging chemicals or parabens which can dry out your hair. If your hair tends to be on the dry side, consider a gentle shampoo that is formulated for dry hair, such as these four great options made by Kevin Murphy. Also, when shampooing, concentrate on cleaning your roots and scalp–you don’t need to shampoo the lengths of your hair.
Protect your hair from outside elements.
Sometimes, damage is caused to your hair by the elements, such as harsh cold, too much sun, or even chlorine from a pool. Aside from keeping your hair moisturized, you can also use products that specifically protect your hair against the elements. Eleven Australia’s Miracle Spray Hair Treatment helps prevent damage from sun and chlorine, and Davines’ OI Liquid Luster protects against damage from UV rays.
Get regular trims.
Even though it seems counter-intuitive, getting your hair trimmed on a regular basis (every 8-10 weeks) helps maintain the health of your hair. By doing this, you’ll be able to grow and keep lasting length. When you go for a trim, be sure to let your stylist know that you are wanting to grow your hair length. They will know to only trim the damaged parts of your hair and maintain the rest of the length.
Dry hair gently.
Hanging your head upside down and wrapping it up in a towel is what many people do, but this can actually damage your hair. Even though it seems innocent, the tugging and pulling involved in this drying method can damage your hair each time you do it. Instead, try gently drying hair section by section with a microfiber towel or t-shirt.
Eat a well-rounded diet.
Finally, eating a well rounded diet that includes proper protein and vegetables is another way to boost your hair health, and help your hair grow longer. Ensuring you get enough Vitamin D, zinc, Vitamin E, Vitamin B, and Iron is especially important for hair growth. If you’re not sure whether you're getting enough of the right foods for your hair and overall health, consult a doctor or nutritionist to see what will work best for you.