6 Steps To Long, Healthy Hair
1. Start with your scalp.
Start with your scalp. It's easy to get caught up in the length of your hair, but you can't have a truly healthy head of hair unless you start at the source. Ensure that your scalp is free from debris and buildup by massaging it for two minutes every other day with an all-natural oil blend like coconut mixed with jojoba. This helps to nourish and restore your scalp so that it will produce stronger, healthier strands.
2. Wash your hair, not your scalp.
Washing your hair is a no-brainer for almost everyone, but it’s important to realize that you should be washing your hair and not your scalp. Hair naturally has a pH of 4 to 5.5, which makes it acidic and helps maintain its integrity.
Good pH balance also keeps natural oils (like sebum) from spreading throughout the hair. If your scalp isn’t too dirty, you can skip the shampoo altogether, or at least on some days of the week! When washing, use the pads of your fingertips to gently massage into the scalp instead of scrubbing vigorously.
3. Condition in the right way.
Condition in the right way. Conditioner is a secret weapon for making your hair look like you just stepped out of a salon, but if you’re putting it on the wrong way you might as well be throwing money down the drain. Conditioners are meant to hydrate and protect your hair from damage, not make it greasy or weighed down. Apply conditioner from the middle of your hair to the ends; avoid applying product straight to your scalp, which has its own natural oils that condition your hair without the extra help. Leave on for one minute (or whatever time is recommended by your conditioner), then rinse thoroughly with cool water.
Use a wide tooth comb. If you have naturally curly or kinky hair, using a brush to detangle will do more harm than good because brushes push through knots rather than slip past them, causing breakage and frizziness along with split ends. Instead of brushing, use a wide tooth wood comb (plastic and metal combs can cause static). Start combing at the bottom and work up toward the roots in small sections so that each part of your hair gets attention rather than being brushed over repeatedly until it breaks off completely.
4. Put down the flat iron and blow dryer.
Flat irons, blow dryers, and curling irons can all damage your hair if they are used improperly.
Avoid using these tools on hair that is still wet, as this will cause heat damage.
Air drying is best for the health of the cuticle layer on your hair shafts. If you must use a blow dryer, set it to low heat or use a diffuser.
Don't use hot tools every day to minimize the damage done to your tresses over time.
Don't use hot tools when you know you'll be outdoors in the sun, as this can cause additional stress on your delicate strands that are already compromised by heat from styling tools.
5. Take a supplement or multivitamin with Biotin.
Take a supplement or multivitamin with Biotin.
Biotin is a B vitamin that helps the body convert food into energy and synthesize fatty acids, which are crucial for hair growth. While it’s rare to have a biotin deficiency, there are some health conditions that can cause one such as alcoholism, pregnancy and rapid weight loss. Supplementing with biotin has also been shown to help with digestion, which may lead to improved nutrient absorption.
What else should I know about biotin?
While it’s true that taking too much biotin can result in skin rashes (which is common with any excess vitamin intake), there aren’t any other known side effects associated with taking biotin supplements. So if you think you may not be getting enough of this nutrient through your diet alone, we would highly recommend taking a supplement or finding a multivitamin that includes Biotin. If supplementation isn’t your thing, you can also incorporate more foods rich in Biotin into your diet like: eggs, nuts, and whole grains.
6. You can get long healthy hair by taking care of it from the inside, not just the outside.
Eat foods that promote hair growth.
Take vitamins and supplements.
Exercise regularly.
Reduce stress, because stress may inhibit hair growth (or even make your hair fall out).
