Growing your hair out can be one hell of a task, and with the average person only growing half an inch of hair a month, it’s frustrating and time consuming. Here’s a few tips on how to encourage your hair to grow faster.

1. Regular trims

I feel like this is something your mother would say, but it is true. Getting regular trims every 8 weeks or so seems counter productive, but it will get rid of those dead ends that are stunting your hair growth. This is especially important for those of us who use heat and hair dye on our hair.

2. Load on the conditioner

https://www.instagram.com/p/By0Yd23B7aj/

In order for your hair to grow to a lustrous length, it needs to be healthy. To prevent breakage, it’s recommended by the professionals to use conditioner every single time your hair gets wet. Leave in conditioners, hair masks and oils are all going to be great in strengthening your hair and helping it to grow.

3. But go easy on the shampoo

https://www.instagram.com/p/By2VJr8lW8s/

Shampooing too frequently is stripping your hair of its natural oils that keep it healthy. Although it feels great to have fluffy clean hair, too much cleaning is going to make your hair brittle and prone to breakage. So for longer hair, limit the shampoo. Consider investing in a hair growth shampoo for when you do need to wash it. You can now get pre-shower water protectant hair sprays that are formulated to prevent moisture loss during showers, if you want to go that extra mile.

4. Towel drying

We all love the twisty towel on the head situation after a shower, its convenient and easy to get your wet hair out of the way. But not only can you be accidentally ripping strands of your hair apart when being too rough; tying it too tight can cause hairs from your hairline to weaken and break. Not helping the full head of long hair fantasy we all want to be living. You can get softer alternative hair wraps to stop this, or just use an old (but clean) tshirt and watch your hair grow.

5. Brushing

https://www.instagram.com/p/BynL0zllsRA/

There is nothing more terrifying than watching a woman brush her hair. We are all guilty of it, brushing our hair with reckless abandon, determined to get those knots out one way or another. It should only take one peek at your hair corpse filled hairbrush to know whether you are brushing too hard. It’s important to start brushing from the bottom, as when we brush from the top of our heads, we can be pushing small tangles into a large knot. So a gentle brush from the bottom up will ensure our hair stays intact so that it can continue growing. Be extra extra careful if you are brushing wet hair as it is even more susceptible to damage when it is damp.

6. Silky pillowcase

https://www.instagram.com/p/Byzqqrjlh4W/

On the note of tangled hair - Did you know sleeping on a cotton pillowcase is probably causing your bedhead? If you switch to a silk pillowcase, your hair is less likely to tangle itself up and more likely to just slip and slide around the pillow (even for restless sleepers). 

7. Consider vitamins

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzB4BW3ACbg/

You can get vitamins and tablets that claim to make your hair stronger and longer. There are a lot of hair supplements on the market, although many people swear by them, none are technically proven to help. There are also hair vitamin gummies for the tablet fearing of us out there, it’s worth looking into. The most important vitamins for encouraging hair growth are B Vitamins (such as Biotin), Vitamins A, C, D, iron and zinc. This also means if you’re not getting enough iron in your diet or are anaemic, your hair could be suffering. Taking care of your diet will in turn take care of your hair!

8. Scalp care

It’s important to treat your scalp skin as you would your face. The mix of oil from your scalp and dead skin cells (lovely) can clog your pores; clogged pores on your scalp can prevent your hair from growing. If you already have an oily scalp, avoid using super hydrating shampoos or harsh cleansers containing parabens that will encourage your hair to produce more oils. If your issue is hair loss, there are treatments you can get from certified Trichologists (specialists in scalp issues and hair loss) to stimulate regrowth.

9. Embrace your roots

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByvdnmxBqUx/

Thinking of bleaching your hair? Although now many salons offer rebuilding treatments for your hair after using bleach, if you’re trying to grow a long, healthy mane it’s best to stay away from the bleach for a while. The more dye and bleach you use, the more brittle your hair becomes. If you’re not taking care of it properly, say goodbye to below shoulder hair. So make friends with your roots and give your hair some time to breathe.

10. Go easy on the heat

We all know now; the healthier the hair, the longer it will grow. This means cutting out hot tools like curlers, straighteners, crimpers, will help your long hair goals. Try to keep your hair out of the sun or make sure you’re applying some UV protection to your hair in summer.

11. Restyle your hairstyle

https://www.instagram.com/p/By5quOyl1C5/

If you wear your hair in a tight ponytail everyday (Ari, we’re looking at you) you could risk repeated damage and breaks in your hair. Stick to a low pony, it is kinder to your hair and has been very popular on the runways this year (so you can pretend it’s for fashion reasons). If you’re willing to branch out a bit, invest in some slightly more expensive hair bands that won’t strangle your hair, such as invisibobbles. Let your hair breathe and run free as much as you can to encourage its growth.