101 Tips On How To Make Your Hair Grow Quicker
Dec
13
Proper hair growth depends on several factors such as diet, hair care regime, age, hormonal changes, pregnancy, certain diseases, medications, climate, genetic predisposition, etc.
In addition, your ethnic hair group also plays an important role in this regard because Asian/Oriental hair has the capacity to grow longer than Caucasian and Black-Afro/Caribbean hair.
Nevertheless, you can help your hair grow faster by taking a nutritious diet and taking good care of your hair. For example, if you have oily and greasy hair, then avoid washing your hair daily because it over stimulates the sebaceous glands.
Furthermore, regular washing strips the oil from the roots, thereby making them dry and brittle. Still, greasy hair needs to be washed more frequently than dry hair. Thick, long, and curly hair, in particular, need not be washed every day.
Those who cannot help shampoo daily can first apply conditioner to the ends and mid-section but away from the roots and then use a mild shampoo with more emphasis on the roots as it shall reach the ends while rinsing.
It has been observed that generally, strands of hair grow at a rate of about 0.3 to 0.4 mm in a day. Thus, they grow almost half an inch per month, or approximately six inches in a year.
101 Ways to Make Your Hair Grow Faster
Diet and Lifestyle
Incorporate foods high in vitamins and minerals in your diet. Fruits, vegetables, seeds, and whole grains rich in vitamin B complex (B3-niacin, B5, B6, B7-biotin, B9, and B12) are particularly useful for growing hair in a healthy way.
Thus, you can have soybeans, avocados, blueberries, tuna, peanuts, Brazil nuts, etc. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, zinc, magnesium, and silica, too, encourage hair growth.
Include dark-green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collard, spinach, mustard greens, green peas, and salmon, mackerel, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and so on in your diet because they contain omega-3 essential fatty acids that boost hair growth.
As hair is made of protein, include high-protein food items such as milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, poultry, soy tofu, turkey, oyster, beans, and lentils in your diet.
In addition, drink an adequate amount of water throughout the day to stay hydrated to sustain cell health. Needless to say, abstain from cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake as these unhealthy habits promote hair loss.
Apart from these, some other healthy foods recommended for hair growth are almonds, bell peppers, alfalfa sprouts, and oats.
Drink a mixture of alfalfa juice, carrot juice, and lettuce juice.
Consume beetroot juice because it is high in vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, protein, and amino acids.
Another juice recipe involves extracting the juice of half small beet, half a cucumber, and five large carrots.
Regularly consume a cup of yogurt mixed with one tablespoon each of wheat germ, soya lecithin, brewer’s yeast, and honey. You can include this in your breakfast.
Drink freshly brewed green tea or take green tea capsules to combat hair loss. Furthermore, you may rinse your scalp with a solution prepared by steeping two green tea bags in a cup of hot water.
Green tea is rich in polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and has anti-inflammatory properties that facilitate hair growth, and reduce hair loss.
Take proper rest and sleep; it is during sleep that the growth hormone is released and the body repairs itself. In fact, sleep deprivation is one of the most common factors associated with hair loss.
Hence, maintaining a good sleeping pattern not only keeps you healthy, energized, and emotionally stable, but also helps in hair growth.
Yoga can prove to be of great help in making your hair grow faster and longer. Certain yogic postures can improve circulation to the scalp and hence promote hair growth naturally.
Follow acupressure techniques to decrease hair loss and boost hair growth.
Regular aerobic and cardiovascular exercises improve circulation, lower cortisone levels, and reduce DHT (dihydrotestosterone), thereby encouraging hair growth and protecting against hair loss.
Reduce stress; it encourages hair loss. You could try meditation and relaxation techniques to manage stress. You need to eliminate both physical and emotional stress.
A chemical called Capsaicin, which is present in cayenne pepper is beneficial in alleviating stress-induced hair loss.
You can take about a teaspoon or a little less than a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder to promote hair growth and avoid hair loss. For convenience, you may add the powder in a glass of water or apple cider vinegar.
A combination of capsaicin and soy isoflavone extract (both in oral doses) is also considered useful. However, there is need for further research in this regard.
Hair Growth Supplements
Take multivitamins and vitamin supplements to increase your vitamin intake for healthy hair growth.
Folic acid pills, taken once or twice daily (almost 400 micrograms), assist in the synthesis of amino acids and aid in cell division to make your hair grow faster.
It is naturally present in fenugreek, spinach, flax seeds, black beans, pinto beans, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, milk, yogurt, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, strawberries, papaya, kiwi, orange juice, and so on.
FDA approved biotin pills, preferably taken orally along with other B vitamins, facilitates hair growth.
Take sea kelp supplements to speed up hair growth and reduce breakage. It is particularly good for individuals suffering from iodine deficiency. To apply it topically on the scalp, dilute one part of pure sea kelp extract in three parts of distilled water.
Consume fish-oil supplements. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids acids that provide nutrients to the hair follicles. Gelatin capsules, too, are considered effective for faster hair and nail growth. Vegans, however, may have to look for other alternatives.
Flaxseed oil pills are also effective in making hair grow faster. You may include flaxseed oil in your diet by adding it in salad dressings, smoothies, etc.
However, flax oil may not work for some people because it requires enough enzymes that can convert its ALA (alpha linolenic acid linolenic acid) into DHA and EPA that further break down into prostaglandins.
Taking nettle tablets (500 mg per day) works as a great remedy to stop hair loss. Needless to say, before taking any supplement, consult your doctor. If not interested in taking pills, drink stinging nettle tea three times in a day.
Propecia (finasteride) is another effective hair loss remedy. It has side effects, though. In addition, it is not recommended for women.
Saw Palmetto berry extract improves skin and scalp conditions, and helps reverse hair loss or Androgenic Alopecia. This herbal remedy can either be taken as a dietary supplement (320 to 480 mg) or used topically.
You can take this supplement twice daily. When applying it on the scalp, combine the extract with some oil and then leave it on your hair for at least one or two hours.
Besides, you may use a Saw Palmetto shampoo. It is advised to consult your physician before trying this method of hair growth. Plus, consider talking to an alternative medicine expert for suitable dosage.
Sulfur assists in metabolizing B vitamins, which in turn help grow your hair. Moreover, it provides strength to the hair. You can take sulfur supplements in the form of MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) capsules and apply sulfur mixes (sublimed sulfur powder) after mixing them in your hair oil.
Topically applying liquid melatonin on the scalp once daily has shown positive results in increasing hair growth and re-growth in women. However, further research is required to determine the long-terms effects of this treatment.
Ginseng is a popular Chinese herb that promotes hair growth and helps repair damaged hair cells.
Chinese angelica root or dong quai is another Chinese herb that works a natural cure for hair loss.
Ginkgo Biloba extract also works as an alternative medicine to boost hair growth.
Evening primrose oil can be taken internally (total 1,000 mg, three times per day) as well as applied externally on the scalp to stimulate hair growth. It is a good source of potent prostaglandins and omega-6 fatty acids.
Plus, it has GLA (Gamma-Linolenic Acid) that prevents hair loss. As this oil tends to go rancid soon, you may consider taking it in capsule form.