Earlier this year, right before summer arrived, I decided to cut my hair short in order to beat the heat. I originally went in to get an inch or two cut off, but in the process decided to donate a great length of my hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization provides wigs and hairpieces to children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. I walked out happily, eight inches of hair lighter, ready to face ninety-degree weather.
But now that summer is over, I yearn for waist-length tresses once more. My hair is currently at that awkward stage where it’s not short but it isn’t long either, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what to do with it! Unfortunately for me, there are no magic shampoos, hair masks, pills or spells (Turtle and hare, make my hair grow ‘til down there!) that will make my strands magically stretch out. But I’ve found some tips for growing hair in a healthy, safe way that have been extremely helpful:
- Avoid hot tools. But if you MUST use them, remember to use a heat protectant spray or lotion.
- Cover it up at the beach! Even if you shut out hot tools from your hair care routine, your tresses are still at the mercy of our hot climate. Protect your hair from the harsh sun while staying fashionable with a fab scarf or a floppy sunhat.
- Stay hydrated. Water flushes toxins out of your body, which will help strengthen each and every strand. Cutting back on other liquids and upping your water intake will definitely make a drastic change in your hair — and also your skin, nails, and overall health!
- Let your hair down, Rapunzel! Using elastic bands, pins, and clips stresses out your hair and makes it prone to breaking. I know it’s tough to beat the heat on campus, but whenever you can, it’s best to let your hair loose.
- One hundred brush strokes before bed will do the trick… Or will it? Maybe 100 strokes is overdoing it, but brushing the hair once or twice in the morning and once or twice at night will do the trick. Use a natural bristle brush to distribute the oils on your scalp down the hair shaft. Don’t say yuck! These oils are meant to naturally nourish your hair and help it to grow out long. But don’t brush your wet hair, which will most likely create breakage.
- Make it shorter to get it longer. Although it seems counterproductive, trim your ends —or dust them, which means cutting about 1/8 -1/4 of an inch— every four to six weeks. This will prevent any splitting from moving up the hair shaft, and will help you avoid having to chop off a significant damaged length.
- Treat your hair as you’d treat your salad. After shampooing, rinse your hair with equal parts apple cider vinegar and water to increase shine, clarify scalp buildup and strengthen hair. Leave on a few minutes and rinse with warm water. There’ll be no leftover smell once your hair dries!
- Get a hot oil massage — on your scalp! If your scalp is full of icky buildup causing poor circulation, hair growth slows down. If you can’t stand the vinegar smell, try heating up jojoba, coconut, or olive oil until warm, massage it into your scalp and let sit for about 15 minutes. And, hey, you can scroll through new Her Campus articles while you wait!
- Sleep like a princess would. Pillowcases made from cotton or linen are rough on your hair and cause unnecessary breakage. Switching over to silk pillowcases will stop friction on your hair while you sleep. The extra comfort and luxury is a plus!
The best way to make sure hair grows long and strong is to keep it healthy. Try out a few of these tips and see what works best for you!