Let's be honest: Almost every girlhas dreamed about having past-the-shoulder Barbie-length hair. Is longhair the most practical? Not exactly. Is long fun and flirty? You bet!Here's how to tap the Rapunzel in you!
Steps
1. Be very nice to your hair.Your hair falls out on its own, but you may be pulling it out fasterwith the things you do. The gentler you are with your hair, the less itwill fall out.
* Don't put your hair into tight ponytails or cornrows. Use butterfly clips and loose braids instead.
*Brush it carefully. If you have wavy or curly hair, there are probablytimes when you encounter resistance as you're brushing. Right beforebrushing, use your fingers to gently comb through your hair. And whenyou brush, start at the ends, and hold the strand that you're brushingwith your other hand so that if you pull on the hair with a brush, youdon't pull on the root (you pull from the grip of your hand instead).
*Brush your hair before you shower in the morning. Throughout the nightyour hair can knot up pretty bad. Brushing your hair before you showerreduces tangling in the shower. When using conditioner, try siftingyour fingers through your hair. This reduces extensive combing afteryour shower and helps distribute the conditioner evenly.
* Minimize tangles in other situations, such as on windy days, by containing your hair with buns, braids, hats, etc.
* Minimize how much you style your hair. Any kind of stylingthat involves pulling your hair at the root (blow drying straight,straight iron, curling iron, rollers) will contribute to hair loss.Heatstyling also can encourage hair to break. If you really need to dry your hair fast, use a blow dryer for 5 minutes only.
*Avoid or minimize harsh treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches,straighteners, and permanent waves. These weaken your hair and increasethe likelihood of breakage and loss.
2. Take a daily multivitamin. Yourbody needs several building blocks in order to produce a healthy headof hair, and you can easily meet your body's requirement by taking amultivitamin consistently. Keep in mind, however, that it can takeseveral months to notice the results, so don't get discouraged.
* Research suggests that iron deficiency makes hair loss worse. Womenwith heavy periods are at a higher risk of iron deficiency. However,unless you have an iron deficiency diagnosed by a doctor, you shouldn'ttake iron supplements. They canupset your stomach and cause severe constipation, and iron overload canbe dangerous. Taking a multivitamin and eating iron-rich foods (tofu,lentils, beans, oysters, spinach, prunes, raisins, lean beef) is morethan enough. * If you're avegetarian, eat foods rich in Vitamin C whenever you eat iron-richveggies. Vitamin C will help your body absorb the kind of iron that isfound in vegetables.
* Avoid purchasing unnecessary supplements such as biotin. Despite the many claims that biotin promotes hair growth,no studies have shown this to be the case. However, hair loss is a signof severe biotin deficiency; in these cases, the hair loss will beaccompanied by a scaly rash around the nose, mouth and genitals. Few people suffer this condition.
3.Avoid dramatic weight loss. As you shed pounds, you shed hair. Thedramatic changes that your body undergoes when it loses weight quickly(the change in nutrients, the stress involved) can cause your hair tothin. Diets low in protein and iron (e.g. very low-fat) and also those high in protein but low in fruits and vegetables (e.g. Atkins) that result in dramatic weight loss can also trigger significant hair loss. Instead, keep a balanced diet, and focus on gradual calorie reduction (one or two pounds a week).
* Each hair on your head growsfor 2-5 years, slows down for about six weeks, and rests for 3-5 monthsbefore falling out so a new hair can grow in its place. Normally, 15%of your hair is at the resting phase, but a sudden change in nutritioncan cause some hair follicles in the growing phase to switch into theresting phase prematurely, possibly raising the percentage to more than30%.
4. Relax. Stress is acommon cause of reversible hair loss. When you experience physical oremotional turmoil, it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months forthe results to show up in your hair. See How to Relieve Stress.
5.Address any pressing health issues. Hair is a strong indicator ofhealth. Many nutritional deficiencies can cause hair growth to slow,and can cause hair to thin. Hormonal problems such as hypothyroidismand PCOS can also cause thinning. If your hair has gotten seriouslythinner or stops growing for more than a few months, you should discussit with your doctor.
6.Naturally improve hair quality and growth. This can be done by warmingcoconut oil for 1-2 minutes in a microwave and apply to scalp. Allowthe oil to soak into scalp for an hour before washing. This increaseshair growth and strength and also adds a luster or shine to your hair.
Tips
* Your hair growth tends to increase during warmer months.
* Some medications might affect hair growth. Check with your doctor.
* Note that changes in hair growth caused by hormonal shifts (pregnancy, postpartum, nursing) can't be helped.
* If you are a swimmer, consider wearing a swimming cap to protect your hair from chlorine damage.
*Those with curly/frizzy hair will have to be patient. The texture ofyour hair means that length will take a while to show, it doesn't meanyour hair grows slower.
* Stillnot fast enough for you? Consider hair extensions, but exercisecaution. There are many drawbacks to the use of hair extensions. Youmust make sure that whoever is applying your extensions is aprofessional. If applied poorly, your extensions will both look fakeand severely damage your hair. Take your time selecting your extensionsas well. There are a variety of materials and extensions available onthe market, many of which can and will look horribly fake. The otherdrawback is that extensions must be periodically replaced every six toeight weeks. If you are willing to invest the time and money, then theymay be the right choice for you.
* Using Virgin Coconut oil is also a way to help your hair grow faster,Massaging it in to your scalp twice a week will make it grow. Also ifyour rub it on your forehead during stress, it will eliminate thestress.