Natural Hair Growth Tips

Grow Hair faster and longer...

How do I get my hair to grow? faster? longer?

These are all common questions. Before we talk about any hair tips, it’s important for you to understand that your hair IS GROWING!!!

Take A Multivitamin for faster Hair Growth

I know there are a lot of hair supplements on the market but I don’t trust them. Many of the dosages are unregulated and way above the recommend daily dosage for these particular supplements.

If you’re using other hair growth supplements or prescription drugs, consider talking with your health care provider to determine if caffeine will cause any adverse reactions.

Ladies on social media and natural hair forums have been buzzing recently about the positive effects of caffeine on hair growth. Scientific research is inconclusive to date.

One research paper, from the International Journal of Dermatology, has garnered quite a bit of interest since many people interpret the results of the study as proof that caffeine increases hair growth.

Using Hibiscus for Fast Hair Growth

Recently I’ve been researching the use of herbal teas or rinses for hair growth. Some women advocate using hibiscus rosa-sinensis extract for growing hair.

It’s worth noting that in terms of herbal extracts, the majority of them have yet to be vetted by scientific researchers.

Hibiscus, for instance, is said by some to be useful for growing hair, but it’s also being studied by researchers as a potential contraceptive.

However, the men who took part in the study suffered from hair loss as a direct result of testosterone imbalance. The hair follicles extracted from the patients were treated with caffeine in a controlled, laboratory environment, and not directly on the patient’s scalps.

Caffeine was able to stimulate the growth of hair follicles in vitro. Since the experiment wasn’t conducted on a human’s head, we cannot directly assume that caffeine would have the same effect when applied directly on a human’s head.

Caffeine is a stimulant of cell metabolism, which could have led to the cell regrowth and multiplication in hair follicles. However, we haven’t found a study that directly connects caffeine to hair growth.

So, if you choose to try herbal remedies on your own, do your homework in regards to current medical research.

Ingesting nutrients that your body isn’t deficiency of can be disastrous. Hypervitaminosis or vitamin poisoning can lead to adverse side effects such as hair loss, acne, and even death…

Besides many nutrients rely on each other to actually get the job done. For example, biotin is almost ineffective if taken in the absence of zinc to inhibit shedding.

A simple multivitamin and well-balanced diet is all you need for healthy hair. Read more about vitamins for healthy hair.

Drink More Water for Hydrated Hair and Faster Hair Growth

When it comes to hair care it’s very easy to focus on the external. It’s the same way with your skin — when you have dry skin or hair, you look for the nearest moisturizer.

Doing this only covers up dryness (not the most effective way to treat it). Moisturize and nourish your hair and skin from the inside out by drinking water. I notice a huge difference in both my hair and skin when I’m drinking water daily.

There are 3 common reasons why you’re not seeing any hair growth. You can read them here.

In most cases, your hair is breaking at the same rate that it was growing, given the appearance of stunted hair growth.

You may also want to read the Differences Between Hair Growth and Breakage.

Why Does My Hair Grow Faster on One Side?

If you’ve noticed that the hair on the back of your head seems to grow faster than the hair on the front of your head, scientific research has shown that this is a completely normal phenomenon.

The European Journal of Dermatology published a study in which participants had their hair cut evenly. One month later, their hair growth was measured and the hair growth was slightly uneven.

However, even over the course of one year, the variations in hair length on different parts of the scalp were not very noticeable, only amounting to approximately one-quarter of an inch in difference.

Why Do Men Grow Hair Faster Than Females?

Males have a built-in genetic advantage when it comes to hair growth. Men grow hair faster than women due to testosterone, a naturally occurring steroid hormone.

While women also produce testosterone through their ovaries and adrenal glands, testosterone is produced in relatively small quantities.

One of the effects of testosterone in men is thicker, longer hair, according to the European Journal of Dermatology.

Despite all the scientific research, it is still uncertain whether men have a longer anagen phase (growth phase) than women. It’s also important to note that men tend to manipulate their hair much less than women and use fewer products.

Does Hair Grow Faster When You Sleep?

No, we haven’t found any studies that prove (or suggest) that your hair grows faster while your sleep. Although sleeping is an essential factor of the hair growth process, even if your hair doesn’t grow faster when you sleep.

Quality sleep is necessary for protein synthesis in the hair follicles and release of enzymes and growth hormones, which are required for healthy hair.

Whenever you don’t get enough sleep, the amount of melatonin (a hormone that regulates your sleep and wake cycle) secreted by your body will decrease. In turn, according to studies, this can reduce your rate of hair growth.

Ultimately, it seems that the thickness of your hair strands has far more to do with a more rapid hair growth rate than anything else. Additionally, your hair’s texture and your personal hairstyle habits (i.e., your regimen) can add to this effect.

Penetrating Oils Work Best for Hair Growth

The first few years of my natural hair journey I would slather on the Shealoe (shea butter+ aloe vera gel). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially in the winter. Shea butter is a natural moisturizer, great for sealing in the moisture.

The problem is, it only coats my hair. Lighter oils, like coconut or olive oil, actually absorb into the hair, giving it the ability to strengthen and reinforce the hair’s internal structure. Read more about the benefits of penetrating oils.

The Hooded Dryer is Your Friend

I’m not sure how the hooded dryer got a bad rep, although I think there’s confusion about heat damage. There’s actually a greater chance of heat damage with blow dryers than there ever will be with a hooded dryer, according to Audrey Davis-Sivasothy, author of The Science of Black Hair – hooded dryers are indirect or diffused heat source. With indirect heat, there is little or a zero chance of heat damage.

It’s worth noting that studies by the European Journal of Dermatology have shown that men’s hair grows more rapidly than women’s hair. This is due in part to the difference in the thickness of men’s hair.

Men have an advantage when it comes to hair growth due to their increased levels of testosterone. Testosterone is a naturally occurring steroid which causes more rapid, thicker hair growth.

Although women do produce testosterone as well, through the ovaries and adrenal glands, it is only in quantities which are comparably small to that of males.

Plus, most people will find that their hair behaves, and looks differently, on different parts of their head.

If you notice that your hair length on certain areas of your scalp varies by several inches, this is most likely caused by growth retention (see our protective styling article for more on growth retention).

If you have a patch of hair that is especially curly and kinky, take extra care when treating this area so that it can maintain a similar rate of growth (or length retention) as the rest of your hair.

The key to growing long, healthy hair is to follow a healthy hair regimen. Growing healthy hair requires proper care and maintenance, and without handling your hair delicately it could lead to serious breakage, hair loss or possible balding.

A healthy hair regimen is a balanced hair regimen that consists of cleansing with a sulfate-free shampoo that is free from harmful chemicals to remove build-up and grime. Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner, a deep conditioner and/or protein treatment as needed to help strengthen, repair and prevent damage of the hair.

Here are 10 Things that helped me see 6 inches of hair growth in a year or less