Factors that influence natural hair growth vary from person to person. It can be anywhere from your diet to styling habits that can affect visible hair growth and / or length retention. However, our hair is always growing – approximately six inches a year or half an inch per month. Again, it is a matter of whether you are retaining this new growth. Here are 10 tips for natural hair growth that can help with length retention and other ways to stimulate hair growth:
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1) Complete routine scalp massages:
One of the most beneficial tips for natural hair growth is to do a scalp massage routinely, anytime throughout the day for at least two minutes. With the palms of your fingertips, gently yet firmly massage throughout your scalp, especially along the fragile areas like the edges. What this process does is provide a boost of stimulation at the roots. It helps to get blood flowing to those areas throughout the hair follicles and will aid in promoting hair growth. To add, it is in good practice to massage your edges routinely as well. This will help to keep them strong and healthy since these areas are prone to breakage with over manipulation.
2) Use a nourishing oil if desired to further promote hair growth:
In addition to doing routine scalp massages, it also helps to add an oil to your fingertips as you massage. Nourishing oils such as Jamaican black castor oil or peppermint oil, contain multiple healthful properties that in turn can help to promote growth at the root with the help of varying vitamins and minerals. Jamaican black castor oil for example, consists of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids that provide conditioning effects for the hair, aiding in moisture and helping to strengthen the strands.
So, completing your scalp massages with a natural oil is a simple way to get more benefit out of the process. It can be much attributed to the help of the vitamins and minerals from natural oils as such. Keep in mind that if you use a stimulating / essential oil like peppermint oil, make sure that you dilute it with a carrier oil beforehand due to their high concentration.
3) Make sure your scalp is healthy for unrestricted growth
Hair growth starts at the root, so it is essential that your scalp has plenty of room for unrestricted growth. This means maintaining good scalp health with the help of massages, natural oils, etc. It can also mean making sure your scalp is cleansed and moisturized. If there is too much product build-up on the scalp it can begin to interfere with hair growth since much of the hair follicle may be clogged. Ensuring this essential point of tips for natural hair growth is apart of your regimen will help to encourage healthy growth at the roots.
4) Look for stimulating ingredients on your hair product labels:
When shopping for natural hair products, be sure to check the product ingredient labels for stimulating ingredients for hair growth. Some ingredients that can help to promote hair growth include natural oil blends, biotin and other vitamins, shea butter, natural extracts, etc. Products that consist of ingredients as such will aid in providing your hair strands with a strong foundation for hair growth.
Take this conditioning treatment (one of our personal favorites) from The Roots Naturelle. It is formulated especially to help with hair growth. It features peppermint oil (a stimulating essential oil), vitamins, and proteins combined that provide plenty of nourishment for thinning or damaged hair that needs a boost. There are a variety of products designed just for the promotion of hair growth that are also worth the try.
Check out our full list of the best natural hair products for growth here:
5) The more moisture you apply, the better:
Excessively dry hair can lead to different problems including tangles and breakage. Water is an essential in life, and the same applies for our hair. The more moisture you provide your strands with, the better. The more moisture you apply to your strands, the healthier they are. And the healthier they are, the stronger they are. Just think of your hair as a plant which also love and need water to grow. Making sure that your strands are adequately moisturized (but not over-moisturized) will help to provide your hair with plenty of foundation for healthy hair growth.
6) Consume a healthful diet:
Hair growth and hair health can be affected by what is in our diet. For instance, if we do not get enough protein in our diet, this can affect the strength of the hair strand. The reason being is because our hair is comprised of a protein called keratin. Another common reason for hair loss is an iron deficiency. Iron also comes from foods like beans, green leafy vegetables, etc. Try to incorporate wholesome, healthy foods in your diet that will supply you with a plentiful amount of essential nutrition that can in turn benefit the health and growth of your hair strands.
7) Try an applicator bottle for better reach:
This point of tips for natural hair growth continues off the previous points. With the density of our hair strands as we massage, we can sometimes not thoroughly reach the scalp and the oils can sometimes just “sit” on top of the hair. Using an applicator bottle to distribute your oils will allow them to be applied directly to the scalp and other hard to reach areas. Additionally, mixing a combination of natural oils in an applicator bottle will provide many perks for the health of your hair. Apply your own oil blend to the ends of your hair for softer, stronger ends.
8) Change up to protective styles for length retention:
Another favorable choice of tips for natural hair growth is to wear protective styles occasionally. Protective styles do not necessarily promote growth, but they do help to retain it. Since you are not manipulating your hair as much with combing, these styles help to reduce unnecessary breakage. It additionally helps to massage your scalp with a stimulating oil while wearing protective styles to further promote growth at the roots. Many naturals have found that just letting their hair be is where they have seen the most growth and flourishing in their.
9) Deep condition weekly:
Deep conditioning should be a part of every natural’s hair regimen. Deep conditioners consist of a combination of multiple nourishing ingredients that help to restore the hair with moisture and strength. Over time, this improves the health of your hair and again provides a healthy foundation for natural hair growth. Those with damaged hair will also find an improvement in their hair with the help of deep conditioning and monthly protein treatments as well.
10) Avoid damaging habits:
Another important mention of tips for natural hair growth is to avoid damaging habits. There are sometimes habits in our hair care regimens / routines that may be causing breakage and affecting hair growth. One example is rushing through the detangling process. The combing can tear through tangles causing them to snap and break. Other habits that can affect hair growth is using chemicals or heat tools too frequently. Limiting the use and frequency of habits like these will benefit the health and growth of your hair in the long run.
Trying out vitamins for hair growth is another helpful point of tips for natural hair growth. But do they live up to the hype? Check out whether hair growth vitamins really work here:
