Home Remedies To Help Hair Growth

The average rate of hair growth for most people is around 1/2 inch every month, or 6 inches in a year, according to the Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration. Although this rate can vary slightly from person to person, the rate at which your hair grows is genetically pre-determined and can't be changed. However, you can help to encourage new hair growth by helping your hair follicles stay clean and healthy and keeping your hair nourished and moisturized through the use of certain home remedies.

Aromatherapy Treatments

Aromatherapy is the practice of using specific essential oils to heal and create moods. Certain aromatherapy treatments can promote hair growth by stimulating the hair follicles and promoting blood flow to the scalp. Essential oils are typically mixed with carrier oils, such as olive or jojoba oil, and applied to the scalp using scalp massage techniques. According to Janice Cox in her book, "Natural Beauty at Home," rosemary oil is one of the most common oils used in aromatherapy treatments that is believed to stimulate hair growth. Other essential oils, including peppermint, sage and lavender, can also be used in scalp massage to promote hair growth.

Natural Oils

Natural oil treatments can help to promote hair growth by keeping the hair strong, nourished and moisturized. According to Daily Glow, coconut oil can be used as an effective treatment to promote longer hair growth. Coconut oil is heated gently and applied to the scalp before bedtime. The treatment is left in overnight and washed out in the morning. Hot oil treatments can also be useful for keeping hair healthy and preventing split ends. Split ends can give the appearance of slow or no hair growth, because they cause breakage and damage to the hair cuticle. You can use many common cooking oils, such as olive or canola oil, in homemade hot oil treatments. Janice Cox states that grapeseed oil is also believed to help with hair growth. You can gently heat the oil of your choice in the microwave or on the stove until it is just warm. Apply the oil to your hair and leave in for 15 to 20 minutes. Shampoo well to remove excess oil and residue.

Herbs

Certain herbs may help to speed up hair growth by increasing circulation to the scalp and promoting the delivery of nutrients to your hair follicles. According to Janice Cox, dried rosemary can be mixed with olive oil and applied to the scalp using scalp massage techniques to increase blood flow to the hair follicles and promote hair growth. Other herbs that are believed to increase hair growth include cayenne pepper and garlic. According to herbalist Jude C. Todd in her book "Herbal Home Remedies," a mixture of cayenne pepper and olive oil can help with thinning hair by increasing hair growth. Rubbing coriander juice into your scalp can also encourage hair growth.