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Long hair, don’t care? Or more like… long hair, please share? If you’ve had your mind on growing out a beautiful Rapunzel-meets-Princess-Jasmine-mane, you’ve come to the right place. To grow your hair faster whilst being healthy, long, and thick can be a struggle. Sometimes it takes months, other times it can take YEARS to achieve your goal length. And.. let’s be real, who really wants to wait a few years before getting those locks you desire? Before you give up on the natural-long-hair dream, and opt-in to extensions – give some of these hacks a try. Everything from must-use oils, to hair clip secrets, we’ve compiled 5 of the best hair hacks when it comes to growing healthy, thick, and long hair – fast!
1. Stop Using Heat
You’ve heard it once and I’ll say it again. Rule number one to grow hair faster: stop using excess heat on your hair. If using heat styling tools on the daily is second nature to you, it’s time to take a break. We’re saying boy bye to blow-dryers, straighteners, and curlers on the daily. Sounds nearly IMPOSSIBLE for anyone that uses heat on the regular, right? Sorry to break it to you sister, but using heat everyday on your hair is a big no-no when it comes to your hair health. Heat damages your hair, dries it out, and causes breakage.
If you truly can’t live without your heat styling tools, try breaking into the habit slowly. If you’re someone that washes their hair, blow-dries it immediately, and uses a straightener immediately after, try skipping out on one of the steps in the short term. Let your hair air dry naturally, and straighten it after the fact, taking off a bit of heat pressure on your hair.
Or, if you’re someone that wants to do this cold turkey – commit yourself to a no-heat 30-day challenge. There’s really no doubt you’ll see a difference in your hair after leaving it natural for 30 days. Long hair, here we come!
2. Lay Off on the Hair Dye
As much as you want to lighten up your locks for that cute balayage look this summer, the next step to grow hair faster is to lay off the bleach. Especially for the girls looking to go lighter, bleaching is a surefire way to damage your hair. If you’re looking to lighten – be sure to do it gradually in steps, with the right hair colourist. Any stylist that’s willing to take you from jet black hair to bleach blonde in one session is one that you want to avoid. It takes time to lighten up, and it’s important to take good care of your locks throughout the process.
BUT, if you want to grow hair fast and get that desired length as quick as you can, you have a way better chance of eliminating breakage and thinning hair by avoiding hair dye all together. Give your hair a break from the colour and let it replenish itself naturally. The less you bother your hair, the more likely it is to maintain its shine and glow.
3. Start Using Hair Oils – ASAP!
Oils are a great way to replenish, moisturize, and strengthen your hair. But the key here is to use 100% natural oils – NOT serums and “oil blends” mixed with chemicals that you buy at the drugstore. Coconut oil, castor oil, argan oil, and jojoba oil are all AMAZING for hair growth and health. After you shower, simply mix a blend of all 4 of the oils and massage onto your hair (starting at the ends) while damp. Be sure not to overuse – a little goes a long way!
If you’re not sure where to purchase these oils, here are a few recommendations:
- Check your local grocery store – lots of grocers are now stocking up on oils given the increase in demand
- Check your local health store – WholeFoods, Trader Joe’s, etc. will generally carry some of these in stock
- Amazon, because let’s be real – what doesn’t Amazon have in stock? Here are a few links to oils you can try out:
- Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil (also great for eyelashes and eyebrows!!)
- 100% Pure Organic Jojoba Oil
- Cold-pressed and organic Coconut Oil
- Moroccan Oil – so this one isn’t 100% argan, but this oil blend makes your hair feel amazing! Just apply a few drops onto wet hair and your locks will be super smooth, silky, and soft. Not to mention, it smells sooo good too!
If you’re looking for a bundle of oils that’s a bit more cost effective, this hair oils kit comes with avocado oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil as well!
4. Hair Tie-Off, Hair Clip On
A simple trick that a lot of gals don’t know: replace your hair ties with a hair clip instead. Tying your hair tightly on a consistent basis can pull the hair on your scalp. Tying it tightly in the same area on the regular can actually cause your hair to fray in the same spot. Change up the way you tie your hair by braiding it, twisting it, putting it in a bun, etc. – and secure it with a clip.
A clip keeps your hair out of your face, and doesn’t come with the potential damage of a hair tie. If you’re someone that sleeps with your hair tied up, try twisting it into a bun, and clipping the hair at the top of your hair so it’s totally comfortable. Not sure what type of clips to use? We’re linking out to some of our FAV clips that do just the trick for thinner hair, and the ones that are perfect if you have thick hair. You’ll see the same clips used by professionals at the salon too, and there’s a reason why: they’re the bomb-dot-com!
5. Take Longer Breaks Between Washing to Grow Hair Faster
K gross, we know! As nice as it is to have clean, fresh hair, every single day – if you’re looking to grow hair faster – don’t wash it everyday. When you wash your hair with shampoo, you’re removing natural oils (otherwise known as sebum) that help keep your locks moisturized. Over-shampooing can dry out your hair, leading to breakage. How often you should wash your hair depends on a few factors. If your hair is generally more thin, or you’re doing a heavy workout – you may need to wash it everyday. BUT, try to at least up that interval to every other day. If you’ve got thicker, less oily hair, you can likely avoid a full hair wash for a few days.
And there you have it! Implement these hair hacks into your routine to grow hair faster, and get those long locks that you SO deserve!
I’ve been blessed with thick, long, fast growing hair my whole life . It really does take knowing how to do many quick and nt so quick styles w long hair to keep looking current , stylish and nt boring . It’s very easy when they come out with the ” new” look for the season every year not to jump on the bandwagon fr the newest style and to feel like you dont present the same boring long hair to the world year after year . But I have noticed thru the years ( I’m 58 ) the people that compliment me on my hair , styles , hair accessories etc that I must be doing something right . I also use Henna hair dye which is all natural , is actually good fr your hair and comes in several pretty shades . It’s also extremely cheap . I found a hairdresser that does mine or you can do it yourself . I just got a compliment a couple days ago on my color . I also gt the phrase ” isnt all that hair hot “? Anytime it was warm out . Lol , no it’s not. I will nt succumb to cutting it off I get even older . I’ll just be the eccentric in the family 😉
Author
Hi there! Sounds like you have a gorgeous head of hair! (Agree with not cutting it off!!) 🙂 Henna is a great way to color your hair naturally – great tip! Thanks so much for sharing!
I have really short hair. I do not know where to get those oils
Author
Hey there, check out Amazon! There’s lots of options for all the oil types mentioned that can help.
I don’t know either girl
Have a blessed day
Author
Check out Amazon! They have it for sure 🙂
You can actually get just regular organic coconut oil for your hair in the grocery store!
At Walmart or target and cvs
So I cut my hair into a bob a little below my jaw in october and its now a little bit past my shoulders and I really want it long fast before summer, and I cant have access to oils and hair masks.
Author
Try to avoid breakage by keeping your hair natural. Eating high protein foods can also help with hair growth. The oils help but they’re not the only way to grow your hair so don’t worry — try out the other tips and you should still see progress!
So I cut my hair in October to a bob past my jaw line a little bit, but now it is barely past my shoulders, I don’t have access to getting or having the oils .
Author
Hi Madi,
Sounds like that’s pretty fast growth – average hair growth is about 1/2 an inch a month. So if your hair has grown about 2-3 inches then you’re on the right track. So a few things if you can’t get access to oils: try avoiding damage and looking into your diet. Avoid heat, coloring, and anything else (like tying your hair really tight) that may cause breakage. There are some foods that apparently help with hair growth as well. Foods that are rich in omega-3s and proteins are said to help with hair growth (hair is a protein, mostly made up of keratin protein). Another thing that may help is massaging your head frequently. This is a method that may help with stimulating hair follicles and increasing blood circulation that can help with growth. Hope that helps!
Hi i appreciate your ad vice about pinning up in the same place all the time . I do have that problem now i have cut it short and hope that dry look will go away l am using 99% natural pro-growth hoping it will change but I am really concern. I am mix Negro/black and
caucasian is there any other way you can help
Author
Hi Celia,
I’d recommend natural remedies to start with for sure. Avoiding pinning up, moisturize / add oils as often as you can, and even massage your scalp. That’s not mentioned in the article, but actually massaging your scalp while you shampoo or put oils in can help stimulate the hair follicles and increase blood circulation, which in turn may help with hair growth as well. In addition, avoid damage like overheating and coloring since that’ll break your hair. There are foods that help with hair growth as well (apparently eggs, salmon, etc.) – foods with high omega-3s and protein. Hair is comprised of a protein, afterall. I hope that helps!
I have never cut my hair only trims. It is only down to the middle of my back. How do I make it grow longer?
Hi, I have access to coconut and castor oil but it’s been difficult trying to get jojoba and Argan oil can olive oil and maybe Vaseline also help? ’cause I thought of mixing that just last night
I have struggled with getting long hair for years and I never see a difference I cut my hair about two years ago, and it is just now up to mu shoulders! I want it longer for the summer, but it just doesn’t want to grow! I have tried a lot of different things for my hair growth but nothing seems to make a difference. Any recommendations? I also do mostly all of the tricks to long hair listed above. still no difference.
Are there any more ways to do it with ingredients at your house?
I cut my hair long ago and now its about two inches below my shoulders, my hair grows pretty slow and I want it to be longer by the time summer ends. I don’t want my hair necessarily thicker because my hair is very thick. Do these things actually work or is it just for people with thinning hair?