How to grow your hair long and healthy naturally

How to grow your hair long and healthy naturally

Every woman longs for beautiful long, shiny and healthy hair; it enhances the beauty and the attractiveness of her outer beauty. So if you want long and healthy hair, you should take care of your hair as you care for your face.

This article is all about lots of ways to promote your hair to grow fast, healthy, and strong.  Most importantly, however, make sure that you treat your hair very well to prevent damage from occurring. Weak, damaged, unhealthy hair tends to break, split and fall, which won’t help at all if you’re trying to grow it out!

Here are 23 simple tricks that will help you know how to grow hair faster, thicker and stronger and get long and healthy hair naturally.

1. Massage your scalp

Massaging scalp or any part of your body not only feels great but it also increases blood circulation to the area and that stimulates your hair follicles to grow faster and healthier. This simple and easy technique has the additional benefit of reducing stress and tension and helping you feel calm.

Try to massage your scalp every day before shower or bedtime. Use your fingers tips to gently rub your scalp in a circular motion for 4-5 minutes.

a) Use a boar bristle brush

You can use a boar bristle brush; a special type of brush made with keratin or natural fibers that closely bear a resemblance to the texture of human hair. These scales absorb sebum; the natural oil produced by the scalp and distribute it gently down the hair shaft and it keeps your hair naturally moisturized, healthy and strong.

• Pull the brush from your scalp to the tips of your hair to mobilize natural oil.
• Keep on brushing until your hair looks shiny and smooth.
• Make sure you get a good quality boar bristle brush. 

b) Massage your scalp with essential oils

Many essential oils have been shown to help promote new hair growth. Make sure you take a small amount of essential oil to increase the effectiveness of your scalp massage. Pour five to ten drops of oil over your fingertips and massage the oil in a circular motion all over your scalp. Try one of these essential oils:

• Lavender essential oil, Lemongrass essential oil, which can speed up healthy hair growth.
• Peppermint essential oil, which stimulates blood circulation.
• Rosemary essential oil, which improves both hair thickness and hair growth.
• Tea tree essential oil, which can help unplug hair follicles, soothes the scalp and helps improve dandruff.

You can also use coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, sweet almond oil and so on for scalp massage as these oils are also packed with essential vitamins and nutrients and act as a natural hair conditioner.

Also read: Top 28 Benefits Of Eating Coconut Oil

2. Apply Hair Mask

UV rays, pollution, stress, junk food, weather all are responsible for making our hair dull, brittle and damaged. Various company products promise to work wonders on your hair but nothing works better than natural products for sure. Try these natural hair masks to get long, healthy, shiny and bouncy hair-

Egg, yogurt and honey hair mask:

• Beat one egg into a bowl
• Add 1tbsp of honey and 2tbsp of plain yogurt
• Mix them well and apply on wet hair and leave it on for 20 minutes.
• Wash out the mask with shampoo.

Banana hair mask for soft hair

• Blend one ripe banana 
• Add 4 tbsp of coconut oil, 1tbsp of glycerin and 2 tbsp honey 
• Mix all ingredients well to make a smooth paste 
• Apply the hair mask to your hair and cover it with a shower cap. 
• Wash off after 30 minutes.

Also read: Olive Oil Hair Mask

3. Have a healthy and balanced diet

A properly balanced diet contains all the vitamins, nutrients that are essential for promoting hair growth. As hair is basically composed of proteins, you need to nourish your hair from the inside by consuming plenty of protein as well as vitamins A, B, C, and E, minerals like zinc, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. Foods that can contribute to healthier hair are –

• Meats, fish, eggs and dairy products, beans, leafy greens( for protein)
• Nuts, salmon, avocados( for vitamin B)
• Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, butternut squash and pumpkin, broccoli, seasonal citrus fruits(vitamin A or C)
• Salmon, sardines, mackerel, flax seeds and walnuts ( for Omega 3 fatty acid).

4. Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water every day is good for your entire body as it flushes out toxins and other unnecessary things and helps our body to function properly. If your body is dehydrated as a result you will become dry weak and lifeless. Make sure you take enough fluid, coconut water, fruit juice and at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.

5. Do not shampoo your hair too much

Washing your hair is essential for hygiene and healthy hair growth. But using shampoo every day to clean your hair can strip away the natural oils that keep your hair shiny, healthy and moist. And as a result, you will end up getting dry, damaged and frizzy. 

When washing your hair, handle it gently. Don’t scrub/ rub it harshly. Rinse with normal water instead of hot. Maintain a schedule and wash your hair 2-3 times a week at the most.

6. Choose the right shampoo and conditioner

You should select your hair care product (such as shampoo, conditioner, etc) according to your hair type, as you choose your skincare products that suit your skin type. Make sure you read all the ingredients before using it.

7. Avoid heat styling tools, harsh hair treatments, and styles 

Bleaching, dyeing, curling, tight weaves or braids, chemically straightening and drying your hair with a hairdryer and other heat styling tools like curling / flat irons and hot rollers can cause a lot of damage to your hair so try to avoid these.

If you are keen to styling your hair then don’t use these too often or go for natural methods that don’t cause damage, such as henna for dyeing or honey for lightening your hair.

8. Distress

Too much stress is not good for our physical health, mental health and health and growth of hair as well. It can result in hair damage, hair loss (as it can damage hair follicles and act as a hindrance in producing new hair strands) and numerous issues. Say goodbye to stress and practice yoga, meditation stress-relieving exercise, proper sleep, healthy lifestyle and welcome long, healthy, silky and shiny hair.

9. Finish your shower with a cold rinse

Make sure you check the water temperature when cleansing and rinse with cool water which locks the hair cuticle which can seal and strengthen your hair and prevent it from damage before styling it.

10. Trim your hair frequently

Regularly trimming your hair removes unhealthy split ends, gives your hair a chance of growing and ensures good hair health. However, make sure you don’t trim your hair too regularly or cut it according to your hair type. Visit the salon once or twice every three months and get long and healthy hair and a new look too.

11. Do not brush wet hair

Wet hair is especially prone to breakage than when it is dry. That’s why brushing your wet hair leads to breakage, frizz, split ends, and hair loss. Instead of using traditional brushes, go for a wide-toothed comb. Combing technique is important as well. Start gently brushing near the tips and gradually work your way up to the roots.

12. Protect your Hair

UV rays, air pollution, harsh weather, pool chlorine, dust, and heat are among the environmental elements that are responsible for dry, damaged, frizzy hair and hair protein loss as well. So you should protect your hair just as you would protect your skin.

Wear a durable scarf or hat to cover your hair during those really sunny scorching hot days, to protect the scalp and hair from extra UV damage. Cover your hair to protect from air pollution, harsh weather or dusty conditions. When you are in the swimming pool, cover your hair with a swim cap to protect it from chlorine.

13. Switch your pillow covers

Replace your pillowcase from regular cotton pillow covers to silk covers. Silk is smoother and easier on hair and causes less friction, as a result, it helps avoid tangles, breakage, and split end.

14. Get some sunshine

As vitamin D is essential to create new follicles and to maintain cells’ ability to stimulate new hair growth you should get some sunshine especially if your vitamin D level is low.

15. Use supplemental vitamins

There are a variety of supplements like biotin and multivitamin tablets for long healthy and strong hair, but you should consult a specialist/ doctor to find what supplements will work best for your hair growth. But try to have a balanced diet instead of supplementation.

16. Consult your doctor

If you notice surprisingly hair loss or extremely slow growth, that can be an underlying cause. So take these problems seriously, make an appointment with your doctor right away, treat it and get long, healthy and strong.