Many of us dream of having long lustrous tresses, but growing your hair can be a frustratingly slow process. The average person will manage hair growth of about half an inch a month, but it’s also normal to shed between 50-100 hairs a day. The rate of
hair growth can also be affected by factors such as age, illness, stress, and diet.
However there are some steps you can take to boost your journey to lovely longer locks. Here are some top tips.
Get regular trims
Getting your hair trimmed won’t directly affect the rate of growth, but it will remove untidy split ends that can lead to breakages and loss of volume. Split ends that are left in place will eventually travel up the hair shaft, making your hair look frizzy and dull.
Eat a protein and vitamin rich diet
Protein is the building block of healthy hair, so it’s important to get plenty of nutritious foods such as eggs, oily fish, and lean meats in your diet. Beans, nuts, whole grains and pulses are good sources of protein for vegetarians and vegans.
Vitamins and minerals are also essential to maintain healthy hair growth, particularly vitamins A, C, E, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. You could consider taking a multivitamin supplement to boost your intake.
Keep heat styling to a minimum
Heat styling tools damage your hair, increasing the risk of breakage and making it look frizzy. When you do style your hair, always use a heat protecting product and set the styling tool at a lower temperature.
Avoid harsh colourants
Blonde highlights can be a mood-booster but lightening hair requires the use of harsh chemicals. These can cause damage to the hair cuticle, making it weak and brittle. If you want to change the colour of your hair, try going a shade or two darker instead.
Don’t over wash your hair
It’s best to only wash your hair two or three times a week at the most, because otherwise you will strip it of the natural oils that help to keep it healthy and hydrated. Once a week, use a deep conditioning mask for extra protection against dryness and breakages.
Stimulate your scalp
Stimulate your scalp through regular brushing and scalp massage. This stimulates the blood flow to the hair follicles, promoting faster growth.
Manage stress
Stress can cause the hair growth cycle to enter a dormant state as the body’s resources are diverted to other areas. This may result in noticeably thinning hair as the hairs we shed every day are not being replaced with new growth.
The good news is that this type of hair loss is usually temporary and normal growth should resume once the stressful episode has passed. Practising stress management techniques such as yoga or aerobic exercise can help to promote overall well-being as well as ensure consistent rates of hair growth.