Healthy Natural Ways to Grow Hair

Healthy Natural Ways to Grow Hair
Photo Credit Hair stylist image by Nina Hergarten from Fotolia.com

If you have experienced a bad haircut, you may be anxious to grow out your hair as quickly as possible. Or maybe your hair just doesn't grow very fast and you want to try to speed up its growth. Although certain treatment products, like minoxidil, can help stimulate hair growth, there are numerous natural methods as well. If you have difficulty growing your hair, speak to your doctor to rule out any medical conditions.

Trim Your Hair

Although cutting the hair may counter-intuitive, regular trims help get rid of damaged hair that could be preventing hair growth. Make it a point to trim off the ends of your hair every four to six weeks.

Limit Heat Exposure

Damage from heat-based styling tools can impede growth. To prevent hair loss, the Mayo Clinic recommends allowing your hair to air dry naturally as often as possible. Limit the use of hair dryers, flat irons, hot rollers and curling irons if you want to allow your hair to grow long naturally.

Protein Treatment

Many shampoos and conditioners add extra protein to their formulations to aid hair growth. You can make your own natural treatment at home by blending an egg and allowing the mixture to sit on your hair for five to 10 minutes before rinsing out.

Avoid Chemicals

Another way to help your hair grow longer naturally is to avoid exposing it to harsh chemicals. Perms and bleaching agents can damage the structure of the hair. There are natural dyes available on the market that you use instead, including henna-based colorants.

Gentle Handling

Hair breakage can affect how quickly the hair grows, so don't twist and pull your hair. You should also avoid placing your hair in restrictive styles, like buns, braids and ponytails.

Diet

A diet high in essential nutrients for hair growth can help as well. Eat a well-rounded diet that includes plenty of iron, protein, B vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Foods to include are fish, green, leafy vegetables, low-fat dairy products, poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains.

References

Article reviewed by Matt Olberding Last updated on: Mar 23, 2010

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