Here, eight science-backed tips to encourage hair growthno matter your length goals.
Keep the scalp clean.
If you’re looking for hair growth, start at the source: the scalp.
“This oxidative stress will affect the quality of your hair growth.
First up, double-check you are regularly washing your scalp withgentle washes.
It’s a win-win!”
(Check out ourfavorite shampoosfor thick hair here.)
Try scalp massages.
(Learn how to give yourself atension-relieving scalp massagehere.)
mbg pro tip
Take supplements.
Let’s get into it.
Biotin
Lets explore the essential micronutrient first.
Collagen
And what aboutcollagen peptides for hair health?
“But the main component of hair, about 95% of it, is the protein keratin.”
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Not sure if your particular collagen supplement is delivering on these amino acids?
“This will inform proline percentage and all the other amino acid contributions too.”
Do collagen and biotin work?
Protect it from physical stressors.
This doesn’t necessarily encourage growth, but it does protect the hair length you already have.
Physical stressorscaused by daily wear and tear, harsh brushing, or the showerleads tobreakage.
Avoid tight hair styles.
Wearone of these styleslike a braid for examplewhen working out to lessen the risk.
Detangle your hair properly.
And always use adetanglerwhen combing dry hair, especially for those withcurls and waves.
Finally, be mindful of how you areshampooingand showering ashair is most vulnerable when wet.
Often folks try and detangle during the shampoo stage, but you’re better off waiting for conditioner.
Conditioner can coat the hair fiber so there’s more slipmaking getting out tangles much easier and less damaging.
Keep it moisturized.
“If your texture is naturally drier, it is even more essential to keep hair hydrated.
Dry hair turns to brittle hair and brittle hair breaks.”
However, conditioning agents can actually help seal the cuticle down.
Summary
Consume plenty of antioxidants.
you might also leverage targeted antioxidantnutrient or bioactive supplementsto complement your healthful diet.
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Use topical antioxidant protection, too.
“The journey going from short to long hair can feel daunting,” says Branch.
A few examples she recommends:flat twists, cornrow ponytails, and box braids.
He also notes that the prep is just as important as the style.
If you have a looser curl pop in you could style the hair while damp.
Give daily heat styling a break.
If you are looking to strengthen and grow your hair, you cannot use hot tools daily.
And when you do this too much, it can lead to suboptimal moisture in the hair.
One study found that regular styling withhot tools significantly decreased moisture content16.
Use hair growth serums.
However, you gotta find ahigh-quality hair serumwith the right ingredients to expect any actual change.
Look for these ingredients
Try platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP).
While this may sound extreme,platelet-rich plasma injectionsare incredibly effective at hair growth.
The resulting platelet-rich plasma contains growth factors that promote hair growth in the base of the follicle.
If you’re interested, consult a board-certified dermatologist who can walk you through your options.
give a shot to reduce stress.
Yes, stress can cause hair loss.
If healthy hair growth is your goal, its vital that you prioritize stress management.
(Not just for your hair, but for you!)
Heres our beststress management tips.
Get regular trims.
However, what it does do is it helps keep breakage at bay.
Breakage, of course, will get in the way of your length goals.
Not sure what your trim schedule should be?Here’s some guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I speed up hair growth?
Why is my hair not growing?
If you are concerned about your hair growth, visit a dermatologist or hair professional, like a trichologist.
The takeaway
There are are a few key ways to promote healthy hair growth.
