Hair growth tips
You will hardly come across any person who does not want thick hair.
You will hardly come across any person who does not want thick hair. No wonder, there are so many hair-care products, such as shampoos, oils, serums, and even supplements, in the market that claim to reduce your hair fall and promise you beautiful and thick hair. Many times, you end up with no satisfactory improvement in your hair despite using these products and trying various remedies. This may happen when the underlying cause of hair fall is not addressed. The health of your hair is not limited to your scalp, there may be several conditions that can cause hair falls, such as hypothyroidism, pregnancy, and anemia.
If you think you suffer from hair loss and notice that your hair growth is stunted, you can try these 12 lifestyle tips that can help your hair grow faster and see if these work for you.
- Rinse your hair with cool water. Decrease the temperature of the shower by a few degrees and rinse off the hair finally with cool water. This reduces the amount of hair loss after hair wash.
- Skip shampooing. Shampooing every day can strip the natural oils from your scalp and hair. Unless your hair becomes very oily or you suffer from dandruff, resort to shampooing only twice or thrice a week. In between the washes, the natural oils get some time to build up again in the hair.
- Use conditioner. Make it a habit to condition your hair with a conditioner every time you shampoo your hair. Conditioner restores the natural oils in the scalp lost by shampooing.
- Be careful while detangling your hair. Use a wide-tooth brush to remove tangles from your hair and avoid tugging on the hair while combing.
- Tie your hair loosely. If you suffer from hair fall, avoid tying your hair too tightly, such as in the form of tight ponytails. Even if you want to carry a ponytail, keep it loose.
- Restrict the use of heat on your hair. Hairstyling products, such as hot air hairdryers, hot hairbrushes, and hair straighteners make the hair dry, increasing the risk of hair breakage. Use them only on special occasions, such as your birthday or weddings. Alternatively, you can use hair serums to protect your hair while using them.
- Trim your hair regularly. As your hair grows, the chances of split end also increase which can lead to hair breakage. Trimming your hair at least once in two or three months helps remove the split ends.
- Massage your scalp. Get a scalp oil massage from someone else or massage your scalp by yourself. Massaging increases the blood circulation into your scalp and promotes hair growth. Use oils, such as warm coconut oil, olive oil, for massaging.
- Avoid wrapping your hair in a cotton towel. Wrapping hair in a cotton towel for soaking the excess water pulls the hair that can lead to their breakage. Instead switch to a microfiber towel for wrapping. Better is to remove the excess water by squeezing the hair gently.
- Improve your nutrition.
- Have protein-rich foods. Chicken, eggs, fish, pulses, cheese, and yogurt are great sources of protein.
- Increase your iron intake. You can get iron naturally in foods like beans, jaggery, beets, dates, spinach, and seafood.
- Eat biotin-rich foods. Eggs, almonds, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cheese, mushrooms, and spinach are good sources of biotin. Soaking 5 to 10 almonds at night and consuming them the next day is a good option.
- Include foods containing Vitamin D and Vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is common in fruits, such as Indian Gooseberry (Amla), oranges, grapes, and limes. You can get ample Vitamin D from basking in the sun and food sources like fortified milk.
- Include good fats in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for hair growth. Fatty fishes, such as sardines, salmon, are rich sources of these healthy fatty acids. Vegetarians can get their omega-3 fatty acids intake from flaxseed oil, which is also available in the form of capsules.
- Try minoxidil: The application of an over-the-counter lotion containing minoxidil over the scalp is effective in reducing hair loss and improving hair growth.
- Learn to de-stress yourself: Stress can be a major factor that can slow your hair growth and cause hair fall. Practice activities that help you relax and act as stressbusters. These include taking long walks, deep breathing, yoga, exercising regularly amongst many others.
- Wait for at least a month to see the results. If incorporation of these lifestyle changes does not help in making your hair grow fast and hair fall remains the same, consider visiting a dermatologist or hair specialist. They can identify the root cause of the condition and advise the right treatments for you.