Extensions vs Natural
I have had a constant struggle with my hair, it always felt like it would never grow past a certain length and then I had the realisation that I was probably making it so much worse. You cannot force your hair to grow but there are a few things you can do to help it on its way.
Extensions
As with acrylic nails, hair extensions are a quick fix. They look great for a while but need to be replaced regularly if you want to avoid the ratty look. They are also really bad for your natural hair. Wearing extensions constantly puts pressure on your roots which causes hair to fall out and restricts growth. I found as soon as I stopped wearing my extensions my hair became so much healthier and has already started growing a lot more! If you feel you are not ready to stop wearing you extensions, try to reduce the amount of time you keep them in and take extra measures to keep your natural hair in good condition.
Brush & Massage
I think a lot of people have a real thing against brushing their hair, me included. There was the phase where the ‘bed hair look’ was very in and brushing just ruins this. I often feel mine goes frizzy and flat if I brush it too much. A lot of these issues can be down to the actual brush rather than the idea of brushing in general. For my birthday last year my two little brothers bought me a Denman brush and I suddenly noticed a huge difference. There is a lot of debate about whether brushing too much will damage you hair but I believe it is a good thing. Brushing stimulates the scalp and the production of sebum aswell as sharing the oils from the scalp with the rest of your hair. Hair dressers always say you should wash your hair as infrequently as possible, this is because washing strips your hair of the natural oils which keep it in good condition.
Similar to brushing, massaging your scalp is important. This will stimulate the hair follicles resulting in growth and the production of oil which keeps your hair healthy. You do not have to sit for hours just rubbing your scalp even something as similar as taking an extra minute to shampoo. Lee Stafford also has a Hair Growth Product. You are recommended to massage the product into your scalp after shampooing and leave for about 5 minutes. This reiterates the point about massaging your scalp. The product itself may not directly cause growth, however the combination of a product which keeps your hair in great condition and the stimulation of the scalp will together increase hair growth. Are you beginning to see the pattern here?
Products & Treatments
Products & Treatments
My hair dressers always asks about this and I have to admit I am not good at using a regular product. There are a few masks and deep conditioning treatments I have spotted so I think I may have to invest.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
Along with everyone and there mothers I use Moroccan oil on the ends of my hair and as all the reviews say it is amazing. I have nearly finished my sample sized bottle and am dreading having to pay for the larger size. Even though it is amazing it is still incredibly expensive. Has anyone found anything just as amazing but for a student budget?
Another product which I use is the VO5 Moisture Soak Hot Oil I have gone through a few variations of this product over the years and this is also great for keeping your ends in good condition. You heat up the tube with boiling water and then apply to your hair before shampooing. One word of warning, never ever get this in your eyes, it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced!
Does anyone have any recommendations?
Along with everyone and there mothers I use Moroccan oil on the ends of my hair and as all the reviews say it is amazing. I have nearly finished my sample sized bottle and am dreading having to pay for the larger size. Even though it is amazing it is still incredibly expensive. Has anyone found anything just as amazing but for a student budget?
Another product which I use is the VO5 Moisture Soak Hot Oil I have gone through a few variations of this product over the years and this is also great for keeping your ends in good condition. You heat up the tube with boiling water and then apply to your hair before shampooing. One word of warning, never ever get this in your eyes, it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced!
You Are What You Eat
My mums hairdresser swears by vitamins and the principle of ‘you are what you ear’. On her recommendation we tried the Perfectil Triple Active vitamins, the only downside is they are expensive unless you manage to find them on a 3 for 2 offer or something similar. I have recently found these vitamins in Holland & Barretts which seem to be a cheaper alternative. You take 3 tablets a day and they should improve your skin, nails and hair. I never really know how you are supposed to tell if they work or not but as they are 100% of all your vitamins need for healthy hair I do believe they work.
My mums hairdresser swears by vitamins and the principle of ‘you are what you ear’. On her recommendation we tried the Perfectil Triple Active vitamins, the only downside is they are expensive unless you manage to find them on a 3 for 2 offer or something similar. I have recently found these vitamins in Holland & Barretts which seem to be a cheaper alternative. You take 3 tablets a day and they should improve your skin, nails and hair. I never really know how you are supposed to tell if they work or not but as they are 100% of all your vitamins need for healthy hair I do believe they work.
Hairdressers
This seems ironic that cutting your hair shorter with make it grow longer. Having your hair cut does not directly effect the amount it grows but having the tinyest trim will keep it in good condition. Once you get a split ends there isn’t anything you can do other than trim them off so regular cuts will avoid this.
If any one has any other tips and tricks to growing your hair I would love to know! None of these are really a fast fix, patience is needed I am afraid.
