8 Hair Growth Tips & Tricks
A few years ago, my hair was REALLY damaged from bleaching between blonde and dark brown - at one point my hair was literally like straw / cotton wool and luckily, my ex's mum was a hairdresser who fixed my hair like you wouldn't imagine. She turned it from the horrendous orange / bleach blonde straw into beautiful ashy blonde hair in a few hours... BUT, in the process of this, she cut most of my hair off and I was left with just about shoulder length hair. I always wanted long hair, because I had never been able to grow it past just below my shoulders. Now, I have stayed the same hair colour (dark purple) for nearly 3 years and my hair has never been in better condition. Here is a photo of my hair 3 years ago compared to what it is now. The condition of my hair back then was horrendous (although these photos are after the hair dresser sorted it out!) and now it is in much better condition, and it is very strong.
So that said, how did I grow my hair? Well here are some of the tips and tricks I've tried over the years that have actually made a difference.
1. Washing Your Hair Regularly - Every 2-3 Days
- This may seem like common knowledge now-a-days, but it's one of the most important tips in growing hair and maintaining it's condition. Don't wash your hair any more than every 2-3 days, but try not to leave it past 3 days. The more oily your hair gets, the more the hair follicles get clogged up - equally, if you use dry shampoo every few days, this can clog up your hair follicles and reduce the rate at which your hair grows. By keeping it clean, your hair will grow more, but by washing too often, you may end up stripping your hair of it's natural oils, making it more prone to damage. It's all about balance!
2. Keeping Your Hair In Good Condition
- It's all well and good growing your hair super long, but if it isn't in good condition, one - it will look frazzled and dry and two - when you go to a hair dresser, chances are they will just cut all of the damage off. It doesn't necessarily make your hair grow any quicker, but if the hair dressers cut it off, you won't have the beautiful, flowing Rapunzel locks that you desire! And if your hair is damaged, it may end up breaking off or snapping, making it an uneven length and thinner than it would be otherwise. I regularly use hair masks, oils and leave in conditioners to help with the condition of my hair. Here are two other blog posts I've written about my favourite products for this - Best Hair Masks For Dry / Damaged Hair & Best Hair Care Products
3. Taking Boots Skin Hair & Nail Tablets - £18.99 for 180 tablets (one a day)
- So I was sceptical about these tablets, as I'm sure most people are. I've been taking them for about 12 months now, on and off and I really do see the difference when I take them. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know I have acne prone skin and I don't feel like these tablets make any difference to my skin, but I do find that they make my nails grow like crazy and I think they make my hair grow longer too and it may well have helped with the condition of my hair. These tablets are not as expensive as a lot of the equivalent products so I would recommend these ones - they probably have the same ingredients as a lot of the other brands on the market.
4. Using Lee Stafford Hair Growth Products
- Again, I know a lot of people are very sceptical about these types of products, but I disagree with the majority of them. People say a product can't possibly make your hair grow faster, but studies have shown that certain chemicals can stimulate the hair follicles and encourage hair growth. I'm not saying that these are miracle treatments that turn you into Rapunzel over night, but I have found with continued use, they do make a difference for me. I don't think they will work for everyone, but they are nice products anyway and they are quite often on offer for 2 for £10 (even if the product is £11 on it's own!) or 3 for £15 so it can't hurt to try. The Lee Stafford ranges are very highly fragranced with a perfume scent, so if you don't like that, I would steer clear but I personally like the smell. My favourite two products from the range are the Hair Growth Mask (£8.49) and the Leave In Treatment Spray (£11.99). The Lee Stafford range is available in Boots stores and online.
5. Avoid Putting Hair Masks / Conditioners On The Roots
- As I mentioned before, clogging up the hair follicles could reduce the amount your hair grows and putting rich conditioners or hair masks on your roots can not only make your hair greasy quicker, it can also slow down the growth. The roots are the newest hair on your head, so they don't really need the conditioner or hair masks. I stopped conditioning or applying hair masks to my roots and it has helped my hair stay fresher between washes and I think it helps towards hair growth too. Not to mention, it takes less time to wash out and it saves you that bit of product!
6. Brush Your Hair Daily - With The Right Kind Of Brush
- Brushing your hair daily will not only leave your hair more manageable and softer, it will also help to stimulate the hair follicles - BUT you need to brush gently (don't pull your hair) and use the right kind of brush. If you need to brush it when it is wet, you can either use a comb or a wet brush (like the Tangle Teaser type brushes) that are designed to use on wet hair. Start from the bottom of the hair and work upwards, gently brushing out any knots or tangles. Your hair type will also have an effect on what type of brush you should be using when your hair is dry. My hair is thick and pretty straight so I use a large paddle brush as that's my preference. If you have extremely curly hair, you might want to research what type of brush works best for curly hair. Using the right kind of brush won't necessarily make your hair grow quicker, but it will avoid unnecessary damage.
7. Maintain A Healthy & Balanced Diet
- Yes you've heard it all before - a healthy balanced diet will make your skin better and your hair better. It's all about getting the right vitamins and nutrients - certain foods have been researched and found to promote hair condition and growth. For example, foods which are rich in good fats and oils, such as avocados, fish and nuts are supposed to give you shinier, healthier hair. Eating foods that are rich in grease and bad fats, might make your hair oilier and won't be providing you with the vitamins that you need for hair growth - such as Vitamin A and Vitamin E.
8. Be Patient
- And finally, be patient. You can't expect any product to work miracles overnight, these things take time but with the products and tips above, you should start seeing results. I didn't even notice how long my hair had got until all of my friends started pointing it out and I looked at old photos and saw how short my hair used to be!
Hope this helps! If you have any other tips, tricks or products that you have found work wonders for hair growth, leave them in the comments section below to help others out!
Sarah (aka. Pale Princess) x
So that said, how did I grow my hair? Well here are some of the tips and tricks I've tried over the years that have actually made a difference.
1. Washing Your Hair Regularly - Every 2-3 Days
- This may seem like common knowledge now-a-days, but it's one of the most important tips in growing hair and maintaining it's condition. Don't wash your hair any more than every 2-3 days, but try not to leave it past 3 days. The more oily your hair gets, the more the hair follicles get clogged up - equally, if you use dry shampoo every few days, this can clog up your hair follicles and reduce the rate at which your hair grows. By keeping it clean, your hair will grow more, but by washing too often, you may end up stripping your hair of it's natural oils, making it more prone to damage. It's all about balance!
2. Keeping Your Hair In Good Condition
- It's all well and good growing your hair super long, but if it isn't in good condition, one - it will look frazzled and dry and two - when you go to a hair dresser, chances are they will just cut all of the damage off. It doesn't necessarily make your hair grow any quicker, but if the hair dressers cut it off, you won't have the beautiful, flowing Rapunzel locks that you desire! And if your hair is damaged, it may end up breaking off or snapping, making it an uneven length and thinner than it would be otherwise. I regularly use hair masks, oils and leave in conditioners to help with the condition of my hair. Here are two other blog posts I've written about my favourite products for this - Best Hair Masks For Dry / Damaged Hair & Best Hair Care Products
3. Taking Boots Skin Hair & Nail Tablets - £18.99 for 180 tablets (one a day)
- So I was sceptical about these tablets, as I'm sure most people are. I've been taking them for about 12 months now, on and off and I really do see the difference when I take them. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know I have acne prone skin and I don't feel like these tablets make any difference to my skin, but I do find that they make my nails grow like crazy and I think they make my hair grow longer too and it may well have helped with the condition of my hair. These tablets are not as expensive as a lot of the equivalent products so I would recommend these ones - they probably have the same ingredients as a lot of the other brands on the market.
4. Using Lee Stafford Hair Growth Products
- Again, I know a lot of people are very sceptical about these types of products, but I disagree with the majority of them. People say a product can't possibly make your hair grow faster, but studies have shown that certain chemicals can stimulate the hair follicles and encourage hair growth. I'm not saying that these are miracle treatments that turn you into Rapunzel over night, but I have found with continued use, they do make a difference for me. I don't think they will work for everyone, but they are nice products anyway and they are quite often on offer for 2 for £10 (even if the product is £11 on it's own!) or 3 for £15 so it can't hurt to try. The Lee Stafford ranges are very highly fragranced with a perfume scent, so if you don't like that, I would steer clear but I personally like the smell. My favourite two products from the range are the Hair Growth Mask (£8.49) and the Leave In Treatment Spray (£11.99). The Lee Stafford range is available in Boots stores and online.
5. Avoid Putting Hair Masks / Conditioners On The Roots
- As I mentioned before, clogging up the hair follicles could reduce the amount your hair grows and putting rich conditioners or hair masks on your roots can not only make your hair greasy quicker, it can also slow down the growth. The roots are the newest hair on your head, so they don't really need the conditioner or hair masks. I stopped conditioning or applying hair masks to my roots and it has helped my hair stay fresher between washes and I think it helps towards hair growth too. Not to mention, it takes less time to wash out and it saves you that bit of product!
6. Brush Your Hair Daily - With The Right Kind Of Brush
- Brushing your hair daily will not only leave your hair more manageable and softer, it will also help to stimulate the hair follicles - BUT you need to brush gently (don't pull your hair) and use the right kind of brush. If you need to brush it when it is wet, you can either use a comb or a wet brush (like the Tangle Teaser type brushes) that are designed to use on wet hair. Start from the bottom of the hair and work upwards, gently brushing out any knots or tangles. Your hair type will also have an effect on what type of brush you should be using when your hair is dry. My hair is thick and pretty straight so I use a large paddle brush as that's my preference. If you have extremely curly hair, you might want to research what type of brush works best for curly hair. Using the right kind of brush won't necessarily make your hair grow quicker, but it will avoid unnecessary damage.
7. Maintain A Healthy & Balanced Diet
- Yes you've heard it all before - a healthy balanced diet will make your skin better and your hair better. It's all about getting the right vitamins and nutrients - certain foods have been researched and found to promote hair condition and growth. For example, foods which are rich in good fats and oils, such as avocados, fish and nuts are supposed to give you shinier, healthier hair. Eating foods that are rich in grease and bad fats, might make your hair oilier and won't be providing you with the vitamins that you need for hair growth - such as Vitamin A and Vitamin E.
8. Be Patient
- And finally, be patient. You can't expect any product to work miracles overnight, these things take time but with the products and tips above, you should start seeing results. I didn't even notice how long my hair had got until all of my friends started pointing it out and I looked at old photos and saw how short my hair used to be!
Hope this helps! If you have any other tips, tricks or products that you have found work wonders for hair growth, leave them in the comments section below to help others out!
Sarah (aka. Pale Princess) x
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