10 Obvious but Neglected Ways to Grow Your Hair Longer

When my afro gets this big, I'm going to throw a  party.

I’ve heard it all. I had a friend who rarely washed her hair because she thought that dirt made it grow faster. Another friend wore ponytails for an entire year in an attempt to lengthen her strands. I even heard of a girl who saturated her hair in pickle juice with the promise of faster growth. (Rumor has it that her hair fell out soon after. Oops.) My point is that we women go through a lot in efforts to lengthen our hair, or at least make our hair appear longer. We spend copious amounts of money, energy, and time on weaves, growth treatments, and the testing of wives tales. Sometimes we are successful. Other times we are not. Great odds, right? (She said sarcastically)

Well today I’m here to give you 10 surefire ways to grow your hair. These steps require patience, above all. Even the healthiest of hair doesn’t just shoot out of your head. And stop comparing your hair growth to your friend’s hair growth.  Her hair is not your hair, and your hair is beautiful like it is! Enjoy it at every stage of growth so that you are not continuously lusting after length. Not only will the time fly, but you will learn to really, really love your hair.

 Ok, enough already. Let’s get started!

1.        Start with healthy hair. This is IMPERATIVE. Healthy hair grows stronger and more beautiful, and healthier strands are more likely to retain their length when they aren’t breaking or brittle. Plus, healthy hair just looks better, at any length. We’ve all see the girl with the super long hair and the 5-inch split ends….and cringed. It’s just not cute. If you have to get a fresh cut in order to start, so be it. It will be worth it!

2.       Be very gentle with your hair.  As was fore mentioned, healthy hair retains it's length, which is what growing long hair is all about. And once hair is damaged, it will not only NOT repair itself, but instead  become even more damaged. A drag, huh? So be gentle with your hair. Be gentle with your ends. Don’t twirl them, or pull on them, or run your fingers through them. Try to pick protective, low-manipulation styles that protect your ends. Here’s a good rule of thumb: treat your entire head of hair as if you were dealing with one strand at a time.

3.       Trim your hair often. But be careful! Methods are different for those who want to maintain their length and for those want more length. Those who are trying to grow longer hair should trim about ½ inch once every three months or so, while those maintaining their length should trim about ½ inch every six weeks. If you are following steps 1 and 2, your hair will be able to handle a good trim every three months. Make sure that when you trim you are using very sharp hair trimming scissors. Don’t use them for anything else!  Also, if time permits, go through and trim individual hairs that seem damaged; this is another way to prolong time between trimmings.

4.       Avoid harsh treatments, chemicals, and heat. Especially ones that permanently change the chemical composition of your hair, whether is straightening, curling, or coloring. Treatments like these must BREAK DOWN the hair strand in order to be effective and then YOU must rebuild it. No other chemicals meant for hair is quite as damaging. High heat, through temporary, must permeate the protective layers of the hair follicle AND alter the chemical structure, also potentially damaging to your delicate hair. If possible, avoid these things. Look for less damaging alternatives, like protective extensions or semi-permanent dye to welt your appetite for a new look.

5.       Avoid chlorine and saltwater. This part is so tough on the swimmers, surfers, and beach babes out there, I know. But saltwater and chlorine can be very drying to your hair, so invest in a good swim cap  in order to protect your hair. Here's one made especially for long or big hair: http://amzn.to/nzt4iu. Another option would be to wash and deep condition your hair every time and immediately after you swim in order to lessen damaging effects. It also helps to saturate your hair with clear water before diving in to keep your hair from absorbing too much salt or chlorine.

6.       Avoid extreme diets. Your hair is what you eat, literately. You’ve heard of the drug tests where they can test a strand of your hair and see if you’ve used drug up to several years back? Hair is like the sum of the chemical makeup of what we ingest, meaning that if we eat a lot of crap, guess what? Your hair will grow crappy too. So leave the all grapefruit, or all watermelon, or all water diet alone.  And if you can’t seem to get all the nutrients you need, investing in a good multivitamin may be especially helpful.

7.       Rinse your hair with the coldest water that you can stand. This causes the cuticles to lie flat, reducing snags and tangles, meaning less pulling, smoother hair…you get the picture. You’ll leave your shower with your hair feeling refreshed, and the rest of your body too! Of course, if cold showers just aren’t your forte a good rinse of 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 c of purified water can also to the trick.

8.       Deep condition at least once a month. More often if your hair is very dry or damaged.  Deep conditioning can help to maintain healthy hair, or prevent damaged hair from becoming more damaged. I love home recipes for deep conditioning. Here  are some of my favorite ingredients and basic uses for all of them:

§  Honey- Moisture, lightens and cleanses hair

§  Olive Oil- Moisture

§  Yogurt- Moisture and light protein, strengthens

§  Coconut oil-light moisture, great smell

§  Lemon Juice- clarifying

§  Brown Sugar- Scrubs and clarifies scalp, and feels AMAZING.

9.       Choose styling tools carefully. There are so many hair tools out there that it’s important to know your hair in order for you to choose correctly. Avoid anything with fine teeth, metal teeth, or a weak handle (leverage is important, especially when detangling hair. You want a utensil that will give you a good grip).  A good boar bristle brush is also good to have. Go for 100% boar bristles. There are some that blended with nylon, which can be tough on hair, so please avoid. Sand down pointy seams in your wide-toothed combs, and style with your fingers and often as possible.

10.   Be very gentle with wet hair, especially. NEVER brush wet hair. Load it up with conditioner and detangle with a wide toothed comb or a brush made especially for detangling. This is no time for the boar!  Also, avoid rubbing your hair vigorously with a towel; squeeze sections of your hair gently to remove extra water, or dry your hair with a T-shirt. Its smoother surface is less likely to grab at individual strands.

Now, I am no doctor. I’m not a hair specialist and these methods may not necessarily give your hair magic growing powers. But they should help! Enjoy your beautiful hair and take great care of it, and growth will soon follow.  ;-)