Relationships June 4, 2018
Growing hair to your booty isn't impossible!
If you’re here, you’re obviously looking to grow some long, beautiful locks.
However, unless you’ve left your hair untouched by heat your whole life, the process seems to take a million years. (And let’s be honest, sometimes going heat free doesn’t even work.) Thankfully, we’ve got some solutions for you.
From using castor oil to visiting your stylist more often than you do now (because we both know everyone’s a little guilty of this), here are ENTITY’s tips to growing your hair faster and making the process less frustrating.
I know “the big chop” is scary. I cried when I did it.
While it’s not necessarily needed to grow your hair faster (counterintuitive, even), it’s still a great way to monitor new hair growth. With a big chop, you see exactly what you’re working with at the beginning and get rid of any dead ends you may have.
If you don’t see the big chop happening anywhere in the near future, regular trims are still helpful when trying to grow your hair. While it doesn’t actually make your hair grow faster, it’s necessary maintenance.
“The benefits of regular trims are many and varied,” Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in NYC, tells The Huffington Post. “They will aid in keeping the ends from splitting and looking frayed, thereby giving the appearance of healthier and longer hair.” Many people forgo regular trims because they want to grow their hair longer, but Phillips says this is the time to really pay attention to hair care. If you want the length without the damage, stick to routine trims.
Basically, getting rid of dead or split ends helps keeps your hair shiny and healthy, and healthy hair is growing hair.
I know it sounds weird, but there are certain vitamins that help promote hair growth. Also, because Biotin and Vitamin E deficiencies have adverse effects on hair and nail strength, eating foods rich in these vitamins, such as spinach, broccoli and nuts, will help prevent those negative effects.
This oil is an underused treasure for both your hair and skin.
When applied to your scalp at night or in weekly hot oil treatments, black castor oil promotes hair growth and moisture. Also, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York tells InStyle that castor oil helps with dandruff, which, in turn, helps hair growth. “Dandruff is caused by high levels of yeast on the scalp,” explains Dr. Zeichner. “This results in inflammation of the skin with flaking, and the inflammation may also interfere with hair growth.”
Long story short? It’s truly a gem if you want to grow hair faster.
Like your skin, you should keep your hair moisturized as often as you can. As previously mentioned, dry, brittle hair can break and fall out, which is obviously not what you want. In addition to castor oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter are fantastic plant-based hair moisturizers.
Normal pillowcases can create friction against your hair while you sleep. This friction can result in hair breakage and damage. Instead, use satin pillows to reduce that unwanted friction. If you really like your pillowcase, though, you can also use a satin bonnet or cap.
Finding a shampoo with the right balance between moisturizing and cleansing can keep your hair strong and healthy. Shea Moisture has a gentle shampoo, and PureBiology even has a shampoo with biotin and keratin to promote follicle growth.
Regardless of how nice and gentle your shampoo is, shampooing every day strips your hair and scalp of natural oils that prevent dryness. How often you need to shampoo your hair is different for each person. It varies based on the amount of product you use, how often you work out and how dirty your hair gets based on your environment.
Usually, once a week, give or take a couple days, is good enough. But if you can’t fathom the thought of not washing your hair for more than four days, you can use a co-wash or “conditioner-only wash” for a semi-cleaning every couple days.
Black women use protective styles, such as braids and weaves, to protect the vulnerable ends and roots of our hair. It’s also an opportunity to try out new styles while we wait for our hair to grow.
If you opt for a weave, be careful to have it installed properly or it can have the adverse effects. There are also box braids, individuals, cornrows, twists, crochet hair or an assortment of options for Black women to try. If anything, you can always work towards growing out some long ass dreads.
Happy growing!
