Waiting for that haircut to grow out? After a risk-ay haircut, the grass always seems greener on the other side. While it isn’t going to magically grow super long over night (unless you get extensions), we have some nifty little tips that will help speed up the process and encourage strong, beautiful hair growth. You’ll be Rapunzel in no time!
Exfoliate your scalp
We exfoliate our face and bodies, but the scalp? A healthy scalp means healthy hair and more chance of your hair growing quickly, so get scrubbing! Brushing your hair with a soft-bristle brush in the morning or at night will help exfoliate and stimulate the scalp, which encourages hair growth.
Massage your scalp
Who doesn’t love a good head massage? Not only do they feel amazing, but a dry scalp massage will help stimulate the blood flow to your scalp, helping nutrients get to your follicles more quickly.
Get regular trims – scissors are actually your friend!
Healthy hair grows faster. Regular trims will not only keep your hair looking healthy, but it will also prevent split ends from travelling their way up the strands, making it even shorter. Go for around just an eighth of an inch every 10 to 12 weeks to prevent extreme split ends before they start.
Hit up the vitamins
Taking an over-the counter vitamin every day that contains antioxidant blends and vitamin B derivatives can help strengthen strands and encourage healthy hair (and nails!). Again, healthy hair = better chance of growth.
Don’t skip your conditioner. Ever.
While shampoo takes all of the dirt and grime out of your hair, conditioner is essential to replenish the nutrients that your hair needs to be healthy and shiny. It also helps seal the cuticle to help prevent more damage from happening allowing your hair to grow longer and look healthier.
Try weekly hair masks or oils
When you think about it, the hair that touches your shoulders is actually several years old and may need a little more lovin’ than conditioner. Bring in some TLC and treat your hair to a moisture-based hair mask and oils weekly. Applying an oil treatment to damp hair (pre-shampoo) will allow the strands to fill up with fatty acids. Once rinsed out, use regular shampoo to help seal them inside the hair.
Be extra gentle with your hair
Tangles and knots can be a pain, but constant brushing can cause a lot of harm to your hair. When you detangle wet hair, start from the bottom and work your way up – it will result in less hair loss.
Stop wrapping your hair in a massive towel
Not only will the cotton make your hair frizz, but tying your hair up in a bath towel causes sooo much breakage. This is because your hair gets caught in the woven fibres and when wrapped tightly, they are prone to breakage. Just squeeze your hair dry with a towel once you step out of the shower, and then leave it to dry for 5-10 minutes before blow-drying.
Give the heat tools a break
We all know that the smell of burning hair when you straighten it just isn’t right. And it’s not – say hello to heat damage. Use your dryer, curling iron, and flat iron less and when you do, use heat protectant products to protect those precious tresses.
Do a cold-water rinse at the end of each shower
This is a really easy one to keep long hair healthy for longer. Cold water lays down the outer layer of hair more smoothly, preventing moisture loss and heat damage. Brave the chill, you only need to do it for a few seconds! Over time this extra step can make a big difference to your hair.
