For some girls, growing out their hair is a piece of cake. One of my best friends got her hair cut into a shoulder length style about a year ago, and now her hair is almost chest-length. How is this possible?!
It honestly does depend on the person; however, there are definitely key things that everyone can do, today, that will assist with hair growth.
But, let’s be real here. We need our current hair to be in its best condition in order to look its best as it’s growing out.
First off, hair trims are ideal every 6-9 weeks. This differs for everyone, as some people put their hair through more heat than others. If your hair is relatively healthy, and you don’t notice as many split ends, you can stretch out the time between your hair trims. Hair trims are vital; think about it, if you had waist-length hair that had never been trimmed, it would be super thin and stringy at the ends. Sure, it may take longer to achieve waist-length hair if you got regular trims, but I guarantee you’ll be much more satisfied with the results. If you have hair that’s super damaged, and you want long hair, you should consider chopping off all of the dead hair off- yes, even if that’s a large portion of your length. You can then take better care of your hair so then when it grows out, it’ll be healthy. Also, a tip: make sure that you go to a stylist that you trust. I’ve personally gone to random hair salons to get a hair trim in the past, and my stylists had a different perception of “trim” than I did. They would cut off so much! From now on, I just ask for stylists to take a “dusting” off the end.
In order to revitalize hair that’s color/chemically treated, and also hair that goes through a lot of heat, it’s essential to use a deep conditioning mask. How often you should use a hair mask differs for everyone. People who color and heat-style their hair every day will definitely need a little more TLC, and I recommend using a hair mask twice a week. For people who do not color their hair as much, or don’t heat style it much, I would still say they should use a hair mask but once a week is fine. Some of my favorite hair masks include the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque and also the L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm. The Macadamia mask is about $30, while the L’Oreal mask is less than $10. They both are great, and I personally feel that the L’Oreal mask works just as well as the Macadamia one, despite the price difference. I like to use a hair mask when I use my weekly detox clarifying shampoo. Because clarifying shampoos can be drying to the hair, the hair mask will simply replenish the moisture.
One of the things that I think has personally helped my hair get back in a healthier state is cutting back almost completely on heat styling and learning how to enhance my natural texture. Avid straighteners and curlers out there, I feel you- I used to dry and straighten my hair every morning before school. One day, I was swimming in my pool, and I let my hair drip-dry. When I looked in the mirror, I strangely had ringlets! After realizing that my hair had some texture, I began to experiment with different products. After many trials and errors, I’ve settled on a couple of products that work WONDERS to my hair. I have fine, wavy hair, and sea salt spray is the best thing that I have ever put in my hair. Now that I have stopped heat styling my hair every day, it is noticeably healthier. Naturally curly girls- work those curls! Don’t straighten your hair all the time because 1) It’s terrible for your hair, and 2) Natural texture is fun! And girls with naturally straight hair- there are so many people out there who would love to trade heads with you. After all, we all want what we don’t have. We just have to make the most of what we’ve got. If you are an avid heat styler, give your hair a rest on Sundays or any other lazy day. Also, do experiment with dry shampoo and don’t wash your hair every day. Extend those blowouts!
Lastly, taking vitamins that contain biotin is key to having healthy hair. I personally take a hair, skin, and nails vitamin every night along with my multivitamin. People swear by these for hair growth.
If you get regular trims, invest in a hair mask, cut back on heat styling, and take biotin, I guarantee that you will notice major improvements in your hair. Happy growing!