Growing long, healthy hair can seem like a frustrating process. You would like to improve your look overnight, but you find yourself having to be patient if you want to protect your hair properly. By making sure your hair remains strong and healthy, you will allow it to grow naturally faster - but that doesn't mean you have to be patient. While having the ability to accelerate hair growth by protecting it from any harmful agents, time will remain the key ingredient that will allow you to reach your goal.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Wash Your Hair Properly
Step 1. Reduce how often you shampoo
When you rub the cleanser into your hair, you deprive them of their natural protective oils. The goal of the oils naturally produced by the skin is precisely to keep the scalp well hydrated and to wrap the hair shaft in a protective film.
- When you spread the chemicals in regular shampoos over your hair, you tend to damage it and prevent it from growing healthily. Compare the gesture to that of obsessively washing your hands: the more you wash them, the more they tend to dry out and crack.
- This of course doesn't mean that you have to completely refrain from washing your hair. Start by shampooing yourself every other day. Once you get used to the new rhythm, you can try washing them every three days. This beauty routine is absolutely recommended for anyone wishing to restore the good health of their hair.
Step 2. Make proper use of the shampoo
When you wash your hair, be very careful not to damage it. Excessive use of shampoo can tend to break the hair and make the split ends worse.
- Distribute the shampoo exclusively on the scalp, being careful not to rub the ends of the hair. During rinsing, the shampoo will run down the lengths, cleansing them in a non-aggressive way. Strongly rubbing the ends of the hair will only deteriorate them irreparably.
- Some people argue that it is best to change your shampoo often. In this regard, however, experts say that it is better to remain faithful to a product that we believe is suitable for our needs.
- If you have oily hair or make extensive use of styling products, it may be advisable to alternate regular shampoo with a purifying shampoo. The particular aggressiveness of these products allows to remove the accumulations of sebum and cosmetic products.
Step 3. Use conditioner after shampooing
Too frequent use of the shampoo tends to damage the hair, while the conditioner helps to restore the lipids and proteins you lose. It is advisable to use conditioner whenever you wet your hair.
- Dyes and heat deprive the hair of their essential lipids and proteins. Over time, the roots tend to weaken, giving life to more fragile hair; it is therefore important to act to reinforce them.
- The conditioner also allows you to seal any damaged cuticles in the area of the tips of the hair, preventing future deterioration. By being able to counteract such eventualities, you will allow your hair to stay healthy and strong for longer.
Step 4. Comb your hair carefully
Some studies have shown that any inflamed or irritated areas of the scalp can also seriously damage the health of the hair. Sometimes the damage only becomes apparent when you start losing your hair. To avoid such a catastrophe it is important to start taking care of your scalp immediately.
Aggressively combing or brushing your hair is always highly discouraged. However, it is important to specify that, when wet, the hair is even more vulnerable. By pulling them you would subject the fibers to high stress, also causing the breakdown of the protective cuticles
Step 5. Dry your hair naturally
Wanting to dry them quickly can seriously damage their health. The use of a hairdryer and any other similar tool will deprive the hair of much of its natural moisture, both in the superficial and internal layers, leaving it completely dehydrated.
- By extracting the moisture, the cuticles will become dry, rigid and brittle; consequently they will tend to break more easily, increasing the likelihood that the hair will break.
- Wrapping your hair in a towel is also not recommended. When you wrap them still wet inside the towel you tend to pull and rub your hair, damaging it. Even rubbing them with a towel to remove excess water risks jeopardizing their health.
- If you need to dry your hair quickly, wrap it in a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt.
Method 2 of 3: Improve Hair Care
Step 1. Eliminate split ends
Contrary to popular belief, trimming your hair to get rid of split ends does not allow it to grow faster. It is the follicles of the scalp that determine the speed at which hair grows. When removing split ends, however, ensure that the new strands of hair are as healthy as possible.
- Since they are subjected to a greater number of dyes, straightenings, curls, etc., the ends of the hair hold the sad distinction of having a greater quantity of damaged follicles. Trimming the hair allows you to eliminate these deteriorated parts and give ample space for the growth of new healthy hair.
- As the hair grows, the cuticles weaken and break. Consequently, the lengths remain unprotected and split ends extend upwards. To prevent this, take care of unhealthy ends regularly and remove split ends with the help of your hairdresser.
Step 2. Nourish your hair with an oil-based treatment
When it comes to treating hair with oils, there are many combinations and recipes available. Start by buying natural oils at a herbalist's shop, in a perfumery or at the supermarket. By applying a beauty mask weekly you will be able to increase the growth of new healthy hair.
- Coconut oil contains a significant amount of vitamin E. Vitamin E strengthens the hair roots as it improves the body's blood circulation: the hair will grow stronger and shinier.
- Argan oil, while a little expensive, contains a wide variety of nutrients that can improve the strength and elasticity of the hair.
- Extra virgin olive oil, the same one you usually use to dress the salad, improves the health of the scalp and fights bacteria.
- Make sure you apply your chosen treatment correctly. Massage a small amount of oil, at room temperature or slightly warm, into the scalp and roots. Let it flow to the roots as you would a regular conditioner.
- Wrap your hair in a shower cap and let the mask work for about half an hour, then rinse and shampoo as usual.
Step 3. Choose a softer pillowcase
Although most of us sleep on a cotton pillow, the uneven fibers of this fabric tend to dull the surface of the hair, making it rough and causing knots to form. By allowing your hair to rub against the cotton, you will allow it to become damaged and compromise its health.
- The fibers of silk are very similar to those of human hair: they contain 97% amino acids and 3% fatty and oily substances.
- Satin pillowcases are cheaper than silk pillowcases, but they bring the same health benefits to hair. The cotton pillowcases deprive the hair of its natural moisture making it more frizzy, dry and brittle.
Method 3 of 3: Improve Hair Health from the Inside
Step 1. Try taking a vitamin complex that promotes hair health
A healthy dose of vitamins will improve the health of the whole body. On the market there are also vitamin preparations specially formulated to restore the well-being of the hair. Most of these vitamins can also be easily obtained through proper food selection - do your research carefully.
- Biotin, otherwise known as vitamin H, improves hair health by increasing its elasticity and hydrating it where it is needed most. As a result, it allows you to prevent them from cracking. Biotin is contained for example in brown rice, lentils and oats.
- Vitamin A promotes healthy production of sebum, an oily substance released by the scalp. Sebum helps prevent skin and hair from drying out. It is important to emphasize that vitamin A should not be taken in excessive doses, as it could cause hair loss.
- Vitamin E promotes healthy skin by improving blood circulation in the body. It also increases the body's ability to take in oxygen. A constant flow of oxygen helps the body to produce new hair.
Step 2. Get more protein
In addition to helping to strengthen the hair, a diet that contains a higher amount of protein promotes the well-being of the whole body. During digestion, the body breaks down proteins into minor amino acids, which help build new cell tissues, antibodies, hormones, enzymes and blood cells.
- Chicken, beef and fish contain health-promoting proteins and amino acids. If you are a vegetarian, you can meet your need for protein by eating tofu, legumes, and nuts. These foods also help supply the body with essential vitamins for healthy hair growth.
- Proteins are a key building block for tissue repair. Cells need amino acids to stay intact and healthy. Proteins are the active substance that gives rise to the regeneration process of damaged cells; a diet that is rich in it therefore allows you to promote the renewal of skin and hair cells.
Step 3. Fill up on omega-3 fatty acids
Although difficult to find, omega-3 fatty acids are vital for our inner health; the good fatty acids are in fact able to reduce the levels of triglycerides in the blood, lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Researchers have found that a high level of omega-3 fatty acids can also promote an effective ability to fight depression. Fish oil may even be able to increase the usefulness of some antidepressant drugs.
- Although it is possible to take them through food supplements, omega-3 fatty acids should be largely assimilated through the diet. Many varieties of fish, including salmon, herring, and mackerel, contain high levels of healthy fatty acids.
- Vegetarians can get omega-3s through walnuts and flax seeds. Rapeseed and soybean oils also contain these valuable acids.
Step 4. Drink plenty of water
Since the body is largely made up of liquids, the amount of water consumed daily tends to affect the health of skin and hair. To make sure you don't get unwanted toxins, it's important to make sure the water you drink is perfectly pure.
- If you exercise regularly, you need to replace the fluids you lose through sweating. Pay attention to the color of your urine: a pale yellow or almost transparent tone indicates that you are drinking enough water to keep yourself healthy.
- When you drink water you promote the expulsion of toxins from the body. Aim to drink at least two liters of water per day (8 x 250ml glasses) or calculate one glass for every 10kg of body weight.
- A lack of water causes the hair to dry out. The result will be a frizzy hair and a slow and compromised regrowth.
