There’s more to growing long, healthy hair than simply avoiding your hairdresser. Long hair requires extra care so that you can maintain your strands for a long time – usually years! On average, hair grows half an inch per month. At this rate, it takes one year to grow your hair just 6 inches, and that’s only with perfect hair retention. Without treating your long hair properly, your ends will split and you’ll be back in the stylist chair in no time. Being gentle with your hair and preventing breakage are key to growing out your hair. Following these tips and staying patient will eventually result in long, luscious locks.
Long Healthy Hair Care Tips
Tip #1. Eat a hair healthy diet
We’ve all heard the phrase “you are what you eat”, and that phrase applies to your hair as well. Your body considers your hair to be “non-essential”, so if you’re not getting the right mix of nutrients into your diet, your body will redirect the nutrients you do eat to more essential parts of your body. A healthy hair diet consists of plenty of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins from fruits and vegetables. Avoid cleanses and other extreme diets, as they can shock your body and cause your hair to fall out.
Tip #2. Take supplements
Even with a healthy diet, you may be missing vitamins that are helpful for hair growth and health. To fill in any gaps, try a supplement that’s specifically designed for improving hair growth rate and health. Our favorite is Viviscal, which contains biotin and other vitamins proven to improve the growth rate and quality of hair.
Tip #3. Shampoo Less
You don’t need to shampoo every day, even if you work out. After a gym session, simply rinse your hair with warm water and massage your scalp with your fingertips. If your hair is feeling oily in between washes, try a dry shampoo like Batiste. Spray into roots and blast with cool air from your blow dryer to absorb the oil and give your hair extra lift.
When you do wash your hair, always use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo. Focus your attention on your scalp where most buildup occurs, and avoid the lengths of your hair to prevent dryness.
Tip #4. No heat styling
If you want to grow longer, healthier hair, you’ll have to say goodbye to your heat tools, or at least save them for special occasions only. Heat tools make your hair look great temporarily, but in the long run they cause more damage than they’re worth.
There are a many different ways to style your hair without heat. Learn to French braid your hair or how to pull off a topknot. Invest in a sponge rollers or learn how to pin curl. Just be careful not to do the same hairstyle every single day, as this can also cause damage to your hair.
Tip #5. Assemble a team of conditioners
To prevent breakage, it’s essential that you keep hair moisturized. Remember, dry hair = breakage and split ends. To keep your hair lustrous, you will need a few different types of conditioners in your hair care arsenal.
“Everyday” Conditioner
Although we don’t recommend that you wash your hair every day, when you do wash it (or wet it down after the gym!) you’ll need a gentle, high-quality conditioner to add lightweight moisture to your hair.
Leave-In Conditioner
After shampooing and conditioning your hair, apply a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture. You might also try a hair-friendly oil on your wet hair, like coconut oil or argan oil.
Deep Conditioner
Once per week, swap out your everyday conditioner for a heavy duty deep conditioner or hair mask. This type of treatment is basically like a facial for your hair, and will make all the difference in your quest for long, healthy hair. For extra dry hair, apply conditioner the night before you wash your hair to allow extra time for the product to work its magic.
When assembling your team of conditioners, experiment to find the right products, application techniques, and timing for your unique hair. Everyone’s hair is different, so what works for your friend might not necessarily work for you.
Tip #6. Be gentle when brushing your hair
We can’t repeat this enough: be GENTLE with your hair. Be careful anytime you’re brushing your hair to prevent to breakage, and avoid combing wet hair as that’s when hair is its more fragile.
Tip #7. Change you bedtime routine
This simple bedtime routine will help you to grow longer, healthier hair if you follow it every night.
- Gently brush hair with a boar bristle brush to distribute oils from your scalp along the lengths.
- Apply dry shampoo or sprinkle corn starch into your roots to absorb any overnight oils.
- Apply argan oil or coconut oil to the ends of your hair to keep them moisturized overnight.
- Braid hair to prevent tangles during the night.
- Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase OR wrap your head in a silk or satin headscarf to prevent friction, which causes dryness and breakage.
It takes a long time go grow long healthy hair. However, if you are committed to the process and follow these tips, we predict that long, luscious locks are in your future!