Sometimes it just feels like your hair will not grow past a certain point. You are so ecxited when your hair is a little bit longer, until you remember you have to go to the hair dresser again. Or you look at your split ends and know: ‘Yeah it’s time to go to the hairdresser’. Every time you are in that terrible seat you will say: ‘Only the tips of my ends, I want to let my hair grow’. But every time your at home you can just cry because your hair is the exact same length as it was the last time you came back from a haircut.
I recognize this all so well! Been there and done that! At one point, I thought that the length of your hair was genetically. ‘This is it, it will not get longer’.
I would look at my sisters hair and I just would just not understand how her hair could be so long, and mine just would not grow. But now, after 1,5 years of reading and learning about natural haircare, I think I know what your hair needs and how you can make it grow faster and keep your hair healthy so you don’t have to go to the hairdresser that often. And sorry, but Hair Jazz is definitly not it! My tips and advices below are all personal tips! It is my intention to inform you and help you further. Please remember that I don’t want to lay any restrictions on you.
Wash your hair with a natural product or a low-poo product
In my very first blog I have described why shampoo is so bad for your hair and your scalp. Shortly: Shampoo contains a number of aggressive cleansing ingredients, which will dry out your hair and scalp and damage your hair. This is the reason why your hair will not grow. Your hair can become dehydrated, fragile and the ends will break faster. Beside your hair, your scalp is also really important. A dehydrated scalp is not really helping your hair. Maybe your hair does not feel dry or brittle, that’s because the shampoo manufacturers put silicones in your products. Silicones will put a layer around your hair so your hair will be smooth and silky. But because of these silicones you can not see what your hair really needs and you don’t notice what shampoo really does to your hair. My advice: Use a shampoo that does not contain silicones and look at your hair when it is completely dry.
Maybe your thinking now:’With which product should I then wash my hair?’
There are many different natural products that you can use to wash your hair with. There is something for everyone. The advantage of natural hair care is that your hair will be cleaned in a very mild way. As a result your hair will not be stripped from all the natural oils. Because natural products do not damage your hair, your hair will stay healthy for a longer period and any breakage or hair loss will be reduced. Because of this you will retain the desired length of your hair for a longer period!Examples of mild natural products that cleanse your hair:
- The Ayurvedic hair Herbs
- Chestnuts
- Soap Nuts
- Egg
- Rye flour
- Ziziphus Spina Christi
- Clay
- Fenugreek
- Honey
- A natural hair soap
Beside these options, you can also choose to wash your hair with only water or don’t wash your hair at all! That last option is called ‘the sebum only method’. If you stil want to use a shampoo or a conditioner, then my advice would be to choose a low-poo shampoo or conditioner. A low-poo shampoo or conditioner is free from sulfates, silicones and parabens.
Don’t wash your hair not so often.
Even though you wash your hair with a natural product or shampoo, it is best to wash your hair as little as possible. This way you will not dry your scalp and will give it some rest. It is really good for your hair and your scalp to be a little greasy for one or two days.
The sebum of your scalp is a natural oil for your hair. This protects your hair and nourishes it intensely. You do not need expensive oil to nourish your scalp. Just wait another day before you wash your hair, brush your hair with a natural Boar Bristle Brush and spread the natural oils from your scalp over the lengths of your hair.
There is a side note to this tip. If you have just started with the no-shampoo method you may go through a ‘transition phase’. This means that it is possible that your hair will not be cleaned properly the first time you use a natural product. Your hair and scalp needs to get used and adjust to this new product that you are using. This is different for everyone and it also depends on which method or product you are using.
When you are in the transition phase, I fully understand that you wash your hair slightly more often than what you would normally do when you would use a regular shampoo. But I would still advise not to wash your hair every day! And you will get through the transition phase more quickly if you would stick to your regular routine. AND try to postpone your washday’s a little bit every time!
Do not dye/bleach your hair.
Dying or bleaching your hair is extremely damaging for your hair! As a result, your hair is will be so damaged that it becomes drier and more fragile. This will cause breakage. A good alternative to chemical hair dye is Henna. And did you know that henna is no longer only red? Henna is available in many different colors. You can mix henna with the Ayurvedic hair herbs. This way you can create the color you want! To scared to try this out yourself? Maybe there are some natural hairdressers in the neighborhood. I know that there are several in Holland.
TIP: Be careful with Henna. Henna contains a lot of protein. Too much protein, an overload, can make your hair also dry. The only remedy against this is to add moisture to your wash routine.
Do not use extreme heat.
Just like dying and bleaching your hair, extreme heat from a straightener, curling iron or a blow dryer is very damaging to your hair. This can also make your hair dryer and more fragile. This will break your hair down faster and then you will think your hair does not grow, but it just breaks down on a certain point. Extreme Heat can also cause your ends to split faster or you can get those little white dots at the bottom of your hair. And then you need to go to the hairdresser sooner than you actually want.TIP: Can’t life without your curling iron because you like to create curls? If you stop using shampoo and choose for a natural alternative, your hair often gets more waves or curls than you are accustomed to. Shampoo’s contain ‘relaxers’, these relaxers make your hair straight and lifeless. You will probably get more volume when you switch to a natural product! Do you want more curls? You can try the plopping method with damp hair. You can read about the plopping method on my blog.
TIP: Put your blowdryer on the lowest heat! Or just airdry your hair. When you wash your hair with a natural product you will notice that your hair dries faster than when you use shampoo. This is because the natural oils of your hair, protect your hair and form a natural barrier. As a result, your hair will no longer become as enormously wet as before. But it is also possible you will not notice any difference.
Take care of your hair.
If you like to have long hair, it is important that you take care of your hair. Hair consists of protein and moisture.
If your hair is damaged, there is a high prossibility that your hair lacks protein and moisture. You can test this by doing the stretch test.
Does your hair have a protein deficiency? Then treat your hair with a hairmask with hydrolysed protein. You can read what hydrolysed protein is and how you can add it to a natural hair mask on my blog.
Does your hair have a moisture deficiency? Try a leave-in of flaxseed gel, Aloe vera gel, tea or coffee. Watch your hair en look what it likes and what it does not like. You don’t have to add moisture to your hair every day. Once a week is enough if your hair is balanced. Also look out for too much protein. Too much protein in your hair can also make your hair drier and more fragile. Too much moisture can make your hair look greasy and weighted down.
Don’t forget the ends of your hair.
Keep taking care of your ends too! The longer your hair becomes, how drier and more fragile the ends of your hair will be. Sebum, the natural oil from your scalp, is only at your scalp or the first 10 cm of your hair. The longer your hair will get, the harder is will be for your sebum to reach the ends of your hair.
My tip: Lubricate the ends of your hair with a light oil, such as Jojoba oil or argan oil, 1 or 2 days BEFORE you wash your hair!
Try to alternate this with something that wil put moisture in your hair, like flaxseed gel or Aloe vera gel.
So, take care of the ends of your hair regularly. This way, maybe, you don’t have to visit the hairdresser that often.
Massage your scalp.
A scalp massage makes sure that there will flow more blood to the hair follicles of your hair. This will stimulate the hair follicles and this way your hair will grow faster. This is also the reason that my hair grew faster when I washed my hair with only water. The water only or Rinse only method requires a proper scalp massage when you shower! This is a very important part of the water only method, because this way you can rinse away all the loose dead skin cells. When I wash my hair with the ayurvedic herbs or with a natural soap, I don’t massage my scalp that thorough then when I wash with only water. A natural soap and the herbs clean your hair better than only water, so with only water you really have to massage your scalp to rinse away all the dirt and the grease.
You can easily massage your scalp yourself. You can bring some oil on your fingertips and massage your scalp with that. Avocado oil is esspecially good for hair growth, it promotes new hair. I always massage my scalp the night before I wash my hair.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B is THE vitamin to stimulate your hair growth from the inside. Biotin, vitamin B8, is a very essential vitamin for healthy hair growth. Biotin is known for its properties to strengthening the hair. It provides healthier hair by improving elasticity and protecting hair from dehydration. This hair vitamin also helps your body to produce more keratin, the protein your hair needs to stay healthy. Every day we need approximately between 30 and 100 mcg biotin.
Always look at the back of a box when you buy vitamin B, just to see how much biotin there is in the supplements. In this blog you can read what other vitamins and minerals contribute to healthy hair and healthy hair growth.
Always look at the back of a box when you buy vitamin B, just to see how much biotin there is in the supplements. In this blog you can read what other vitamins and minerals contribute to healthy hair and healthy hair growth.
Msm
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a water-soluble, natural sulphur compound. Sulfur is an essential element that occurs in every cell of the human body. Our body needs that sulfur connection. Sulfur compounds are needed to form blood proteins and amino acids and make the production of keratin possible. Keratin is important again for the condition of your skin, hair and nails. Your hair consists of keratin and moisture.
Sulfur occurs naturally in our food. But through heat the sulfur pulls out of the food.
MSM makes sure your hair is healthier, fuller and grows faster.
MSM is available in powder form and as supplements. I myself have had MSM supplements and now I use MSM powder. The powder is way purer and stronger than the supplements. When you take the powder, you don’t have to take that much to have the same amount of MSM in your body, then when you take the supplements.
You can not take MSM when you are pregnant. You should always discuss this with your GP.
Protect your hair in the summer and in the winter.
Warmth and cold affects your hair. In the summer, try to cover your hair with a hat or scarff. The sun can dry out your hair, and sometimes also damage your hair slightly. So treat your hair with some extra protein and moisture. In the winter we are more indoors with the heat on. This can also dry your hair out. Don’t forget some extra moisture in your washing routine.
If you don’t know what your hair needs, try the stretch test.
And the very last tip for longer hair: Sleep on a satin pillowcase. Satin is so much softer for your hair than cotton. In addition, satin does not absorb moisture from your hair and the softness of the fabric creates less friction with your hair. You can read more about all the advantages of satin on my blog. If you don’t have any money for a satin pillowcase or you just want to try it out first, you can also use a satin cap or wrap your hair in a satin cloth.
Sleep on a satin pillowcase.
And the very last tip for longer hair: Sleep on a satin pillowcase. Satin is so much softer for your hair than cotton. In addition, satin does not absorb moisture from your hair and the softness of the fabric creates less friction with your hair. You can read more about all the advantages of satin on my blog. If you don’t have any money for a satin pillowcase or you just want to try it out first, you can also use a satin cap or wrap your hair in a satin cloth.A personal note.
For some years my hair was always on a certain length. My hair grew a few centimeters, but after a few weeks I got split ends and it was time to go to the hairdresser and these precious few centimeters got cut off again. I alwas looked a bit jealous at other people who had, according to my idea, ‘really long hair’. And with a lot of frustration I looked at old pictures where I had the desired length, until I had the idiotic idea that I wanted a short hairstyle. This picture on the right was before I started with the no-shampoo method. I had just washed my hair with shampoo. After this picture I switched my shampoo for Aleppo soap. My hair was always very fluffy, dry and dull when I washed with shampoo. Some people may now think that I already had long hair. But I wanted more! I had this hair length for several years and I really thought my hair could not get any longer. Luckily that was not true! Just look at the picture below. My hair has grown a lot recently and I believe it will become much longer if I want to! I am satisfied.
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| Hair length right now |
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