For most Black women, the process of trying to grow your hair thicker and longer may be tedious.
According to research, hair grows about six inches each year on average, but oftentimes that growth feels minimal, especially when most folks lose 50-100 hairs each day.
While it seems that for some women, enviably long hair just happens, for the rest of us, tweaking certain aspects of our day-to-day haircare regimen must be made.
In this guide, we’ll explore an effective home remedy that harnesses the power of natural ways to grow your hair. From scalp health to moisture retention, these remedies are designed to enhance your hair growth journey while celebrating your beautiful heritage. Here are simple hair care routines and the secrets to luscious, thriving hair:
Be gentle when detangling
Nothing will test your patience like properly detangling the knots in your hair, but it’s an important step in growing your strands faster and one that definitely shouldn’t be rushed. If you have a tendency to quickly and haphazardly rip a brush through your hair and call it quits, you might want to reconsider. Not taking proper care when brushing can cause your strands to break off and split—pretty much the opposite of hair growth. When it comes to brushing your hair, do it slowly and gently.
Trim your split ends regularly
It might sound counterproductive when you want your hair to grow longer, but regular trims get rid of dry, damaged split ends and are necessary for natural, healthy growth. If left untreated, split ends can work their way up the shafts of your hair strands and cause even more breakage, which means the only thing growing will be your frustration.
But if your stylist takes off too much length every time you go in for a visit, your hair won’t get longer, so make sure you clearly communicate your hair goals. Depending on the condition of your hair, your hairstyle, and your daily routine, you could need a trim anywhere from every six weeks to six months. That said, the better you care for your hair on a day-to-day basis, the less often you’ll need trims, and the longer your hair can grow naturally.
Avoid using excessive heat on your hair
You probably know this already, but any hairstylist will tell you the most obvious way to help your hair grow faster is to ditch your routine of hot tools. Blow dryers and styling irons can certainly damage your hair by making it dry and brittle, which can lead to breakage and shorter hair length.
Trade hair growth supplements for healthy fats
Sure, you can easily pop a hair growth supplement, but honestly, the word’s still out on whether or not they’re an effective way to help your hair grow faster. Plus, they can contain unnecessarily large amounts of minerals and vitamins (ahem, biotin), which can wreak havoc in other ways (ahem, breakouts). For this reason, eating your way to longer hair is actually a smarter, nutritionist-approved way to make your hair grow faster. Vitamins and minerals occurring naturally in foods are easier for your body to utilize, and they’ll naturally deliver a healthier ratio of nutrients.
Try to avoid over-shampooing
Experts say that over-shampooing can lead to broken, dry, and brittle locks, due to the cleanser stripping the hair of its natural oils. Depending on your hair type, the number of times you should shampoo your hair per week varies. Thicker, coarser hair types can get away without washing their hair for a few days, while thinner hair types may find their hair feels greasy even after one day. In such cases, dry shampoo can work wonders in soaking up excess grease as you await longer strands.
