For women who love following hair trends and trying out new hairstyles, it can be frustrating when their hair is too short or too thin to sport a hairstyle they wanted to try. It’s undeniable that many of the most beautiful hairstyles don’t work unless you have long hair, and many women also love the look of long hair in general.
If you’re experiencing hair envy when you spot a girl with luscious locks, and you yourself wish you hair was longer, you’re in luck: There are ways to grow longer, thicker and stronger hair without using expensive hair extensions. If you’re getting impatient with the speed at which your hair is growing, we have tips to make your hair grow faster.
Eating certain foods can promote hair growth, and special products and shampoos will also lead to faster hair growth because you’re feeding your hair the right nutrients this way. Reducing anxiety and massaging your scalp will also help if you want to grow longer hair. Below are 6 tips for growing longer hair:
- Massage Your Scalp
Giving yourself a scalp massage will improve circulation which promotes hair growth and helps distribute your hair’s oils. Distributing those natural oils on your scalp and hair will help keep your hair naturally moisturized, which is another reason why a scalp massage is good for hair health. This healthy habit is something you should try to do before bed every evening. As an added bonus, the head massage aspect of this habit will reduce stress, leading to a better night’s sleep.
- Feed Your Hair the Essential Nutrients
You can feed your hair the essential nutrients it needs to grow faster and longer using various strategies. You can eat the right foods that contain these hair-growing nutrients, you can take hair vitamins (yes, there are vitamins for sale that are specifically used for hair growth), and you can use hair growth shampoos. Eat more protein with foods like nuts, beans and fish. Healthy fats found in avocado, olive oil and cheese will promote hair growth. Omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to healthier hair as well, so eat lots of Salmon, spinach and walnuts.
Try to consume more vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A, C, and E are great for your hair, as well as minerals such as magnesium, zinc and iron. Many hair vitamins will have these ingredients to help grow your hair.
Organic hair growth shampoos will also contain the nutrients your hair needs to grow longer. Using hair products that are specifically formulated for growing longer, healthier hair are products you should immediately switch to if you’re looking to grow luscious hair.
- Reduce Your Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress can result in hair loss, which means that even if your hair was starting to grow longer, your efforts will have gone to waste when it begins to fall out. If you don’t want your hair to fall out, make sure to manage your stress level.
If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, you must find a way to remove the stressors in your life that are causing the stress. Alternatively, there are plenty of natural cures for anxiety that will help keep you relaxed and stress-free, thus preventing hair loss from stress.
- Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase
Sleep on a silk pillowcase, as the silk will be easier on your hair. When you’re tossing and turning at night on a smooth, silk pillowcase, your hair won’t get nearly as tangled or knotted as it will if you toss and turn on a cotton pillowcase. Less tangles means less breakage which results in a fuller head of hair. Silk is also a good material for your hair because of its moisture-wicking properties and because it is non-irritating. Silk won’t grab at or twist your hair like cotton will, and silk also doesn’t strip your hair of its essential oils.
- Gently Brush Your Hair
You must be gentle and patient with your hair if you want it to grow longer and stronger. At nighttime, treat your hair with care by gently brushing your hair with a good quality hairbrush. Use boar bristle brush every night before bed, slowly and carefully brushing your hair from roots to ends. This pulls and distributes the natural oils from your scalp down and throughout your hair. This leads to healthier and longer hair. The added benefit of patiently brushing your hair with a quality hairbrush is that you’re less likely to pull out or damage your hair if you brush gently and slowly.
- Don’t Style Your Hair Using Tight Updos or Hot Tools
Avoid wearing your hair in tight ponytails or buns, as these tight hairstyles will pull out your hair, ruining your efforts at growing long and luscious locks. Wearing your hair down or in a loose hairstyle such as a loose braid is what’s best for your hair, but don’t engage in the overuse of hot tools when you style your hair. If you can, air dry your hair without any hot tools. For example, you can put moisture-absorbing foam hair curlers into your hair while it’s still damp, and this way your hair will dry without heat and be styled without a hot curling iron.