Some women feel their most feminine with a cropped pixie, while others love the feeling of long hair flowing down their back. If length is your hair goal right now, then there are a few tried and true methods and suggestions to keep in mind. It is important to keep in mind that there are no guaranteed quick fixes to stimulate hair growth. The key to hair growth is maintaining a healthy head of hair, as well as a healthy scalp. Long hair is a long-term commitment, but the good news is all of these habits are as good for your body as they are for your hair.
Tip 1. Eat Right!
When it comes to how to stimulate hair growth, there is no denying the impact of nutrition. Many people think hair care is only about what is on the outside. The truth is the inside matters much more. If you are eating a diet void of the necessary nutrient your hair needs, you will have unhealthy hair. Unhealthy hair struggles to increase length.
- It is recommended to eat foods rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients stimulate hair growth by providing strands the protein and keratin they need to stay healthy and strong.
- Avoid excessive amounts of sugar, salt, and alcohol. They can leave hair unhealthy and impede growth.
- Stay away from fad diets. The sudden change in eating habits can impact strands for the worst.
Tip 2. Stay Hydrated!
Water is your friend. People who do not drink water daily are at risk for dehydration. This can impact your hair and scalp. When you are dehydrated, cell growth stops meaning hair simply won’t grow.
- Make sure you drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
- If you are performing activities that make you sweat, up your intake of H2O.
- Avoid carbonated beverages, coffee, sugary drinks, and sports drinks. They can actually dehydrate you further.
Tip 3. Get Your Beauty Rest!
We all know sleep is essential to our health and beauty rest has a huge impact on our skin in particular. Did you know lack of beauty sleep also affects your strands? Sleep helps our bodies regulate stress and hormones. Without proper sleep, our stress levels rise and hormones go haywire. These factors can disrupt hair growth by affecting the growth cycle.
- Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
- Avoid sleeping in on weekends. This can disrupt your natural sleep cycle the rest of the week.
Tip 4. Proper Hair Care
Caring for your hair on the inside doesn’t mean you can avoid proper care on the outside. Hair still needs to washed and conditioned regularly to keep the scalp clean and moisturized. Here are a few other tips to keep in mind to stimulate hair growth.
Regularly treat your scalp with a scalp treatment. Make sure you massage the scalp while applying to aid in cell turnover.
Get regular haircuts. Trimmed hair tends to be healthier than hair with split ends.
Never brush hair when it is wet without using a conditioner. This keeps hair fortified against breakage and damage that may impede growth.
Avoid hairstyles that are very tight as they can weaken strands and make it harder for them to grow.