October 31, 2016

12 Tips for Growing Long, Strong and Healthy Hair

Growing your hair can take time but it doesn't have to be difficult. Follow our 12 tips and you'll have long, healthy locks in no time!

1. Stick with your natural color for a while
Dying your hair every month sounds fun but it can really damage your hair. Take a break from harmful dyes and stick with a color natural to your own so that when it grows out, it won't tempt you to dye it again. Stick to your natural color for a while to reduce the damage on your hair.

2. Be careful with heat
If you're blow drying, straightening, or curling your hair, you MUST use heat protectant! If you don't, you're risking not only strand damage but breakage as well and no one wants uneven hair.

3. Try not to wash your hair every day
For some this is common sense but for others it's not preffered . Washing your hair daily can strip your hair of its natural oils and even if you're using replenishing products, you're putting your hair at a disadvantage every day.

If this is a new concept for you, try skipping one hair wash a week.

Remember, you're not skipping your shower every day. Just skipping the process of washing your hair. For the days that you're not washing your hair, try taking a nice relaxing bath to prevent getting your hair wet. You can also wear a shower cap in the shower for a quick clean. Trust us, once you start skipping a day or two of washing your hair, you'll be surprised as to how much time this frees up.

Pro Tip: Don't forget that your hair is more susceptible to heat damage when its wet. Invest in a wet brush to reduce damage.

4. Don't skip the trim
When we finally start to see results of our hair growing, the last thing we want to do is trim our precious strands. However, when you skip out on the trim, you're risking split end growth. Once a hair strand splits, the split will grow and grow the more time that goes by.

If the ends of your strands are starting to stick out and you find yourself having to straighten them down, it's probably time to trim your ends.

Pro Tip: You should trim your hair every 8-12 weeks to prevent split ends, even on long hair!

If you have short hair and want to maintain it, every 4-6 weeks is more likely the timeline you need to keep the shape of your current style.

5. Rinse your hair with cold water before getting out of the shower.
Like the pores on your skin, hair follicles open up when your hair comes in contact with hot water and steam, close the follicles by rinsing your hair with cold water as the last step of your shower routine. This also helps prevent frizz because your hair follicles are physically closed and laying flat vs. open and pointed in different directions.

6. Maintain a healthy diet

You don't have to buy hair supplements to grow healthy hair. You can achieve health through increasing your veggie consumption and eating more natural foods. Pay more attention to your food labels, consult your doctor, and do your research on the best diet to help you get the natural vitamins and minerals you need for your age, height and weight.

Incorporate healthy fats
Fish and Fish Oil are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are not only beneficial to your body but your mind too. Omega-3 fatty acids have been proved to reduce depression, lower the risk of heart disease and keep your brain healthy. (webmd.com)

If you're a vegetarian, you can obtain healthy fats from avocados, flaxseed, peanut butter and walnuts.

7. Use protective hair styles

Consider wearing your hair in a loose bun or in braids in order to reduce damage and unnecessary pulling of your strands.

8. Consider investing in better bedding or silk pillowcases

There are plenty of reasons as to why silk pillowcases are better for you than cotton ones, but the most important reason because it reduces bed head, aka protects your style, which will reduce tangles, damage and creases.

Silk is better than cotton because cotton is absorbent, and soaks up all natural oils up and away from your hair and face. Cotton pillowcases and sheets can actually be drying you and your hair out.

9. Use only the best products

Did you know our Hair Shield line protects your hair with heat tools up to 450 degrees? Not only do our products protect your hair and prevent heat damage, but they also detangle, add shine and keep your hair healthy and soft (never crunchy!).

10. Apply a hair mask once a week

This is especially important in the colder months, as your hair is already drier than usual. You can either incorporate a hair mask into your shower routine in place of your conditioner OR apply on dry hair.

This doesn't have to be an all day affair. The Agadir Argan Oil Moisture Masque can treat your hair in just 3-5 minutes!

11. Switch up where you part your hair and daily hairstyle.

If you're wearing the same hairstyle every day, you'll risk your hair thinning in certain spots. Try mixing up where you part your hair and experiment with different sides.

Watch this video from Sigourney Cantelo for helpful tips on the most flattering way to part your hair:

12. Try a style schedule in between wash days to enhance the life of your clean hair.

Day 1 - Hair style is usually my hair blown out Straight with a blow dryer
Day 2 - Using heat tools, add curls/waves in for more texture - this becomes more important the more days you go without washing your hair. Depending on your hair type, it may begin to get too oily and looses volume.
Day 3 - Either wash day or consider a protective style like a loose bun or braid.