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10 Natural Tips To Make Your Hair Grow Faster and Stronger. Photo KnowInsiders

When you're trying to grow your hair thicker and longer, the process can seem to take forever. Hair grows about six inches each year on average, according to The American Academy of Dermatology Association, but oftentimes that growth feels minimal — especially when most folks lose 50-100 hairs each day.

While it seems that for some women, enviably long hair just happens, for the rest of us, tweaking certain aspects of our day-to-day haircare regimen must be made. Whether that's using a different hair brush, adjusting how often you use your hair dryer, adding foods to make hair grow quicker or a vitamin to the mix, or sleeping on a silk pillowcase (yes, really), there are fast hair growth secrets and home remedies that even grow hair thicker. Check out these pro tips for how to grow hair faster, naturally!

How does hair grow?

Photo:  Hair Adviser
Photo Hair Adviser

Here’s a fascinating fact: You’re born with all the hair follicles you’ll ever have — around 5 million to be exact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Of those, about 100,000 follicles are on your scalp. When it comes to losing hair, the AAD says it’s totally normal to lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day.

Hair grows from a root at the bottom of a follicle under your skin. The blood in your scalp goes to the follicle and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the hair root, which helps your hair grow.

As your hair grows, it will push through your skin and pass by an oil gland. According to the AAD, it’s the oil from this gland that makes your hair shiny and soft.

What can help your hair grow?

While genetics does play a role in maintaining healthy hair growth, several other factors also come into play.

Although there’s no magical potion or remedy that will result in instant growth, there are steps you can take to help your hair grow.

Natural Tips To Make Your Hair Grow Faster and Stronger

1. Trimming to the rescue

Photo good housekeeping
Photo good housekeeping

It's no secret that order for hair to grow faster, it must first be cut. This may seem paradoxical, but delaying a trip to the hairstylist will result in brittle split ends that grow less quickly. Shedding the dead weight allows hair to regain its health and strength, allowing it to grow faster. Get into the habit of getting a trim every 8-12 weeks. The more regularly you trim split ends, the less will need to be cut each time, as hair will be less damaged.

2.Massage Your Scalp

Photo hair la vie
Photo hair la vie

A scalp massage stimulates the hair follicles, producing thicker hair and encouraging hair regrowth. At least twice a week, for 5 to 10 minutes, allow yourself a little moment of softness by massaging the entire skull with your fingertips, using circular movements. We start at the nape of the neck before moving up to the top of the skull and ending at the temples. The massage can be done without product or using a mixture of invigorating essential oils such as pine, lemon, ylang-ylang or thyme. In addition to being good for your hair, this practice also help you relax and re-center.

3.Mask Regularly

Aloe vera

Aloe vera has long been used for treatingTrusted Source hair loss. It also soothes the scalp and conditions hair. It can reduce dandruff and unblock hair follicles that may be blocked by excess oil.

You can apply pure aloe vera gel to your scalp and hair a few times per week. You can also use shampoo and conditioner that contain aloe vera.

Oil Bath

Castor oil is known to promote hair growth. Rich in vitamin E, it helps to strengthen our lengths by hydrating and nourishing them. Just be sure to mix it with another, lighter oil such as olive oil or argan oil. Combine a tablespoon of castor oil with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Apply the mixture to the entire scalp and lengths, gently massage for a few minutes, and leave for 30 minutes minimum before washing with a mild shampoo.

Coconut Milk Mask

Known for its protective properties, coconut milk helps repair damaged hair, rehydrate dry locks, and promote regrowth. Simply mix 6 tablespoons of more than 90% condensed coconut milk (remember to mix the coconut milk well with a spoon before pouring it into a bowl) with 3 tablespoons of castor oil. Apply the mask to all of the hair and leave on for at least 30 minutes before shampooing. You can also add a few drops of basil essential oil to the mixture, which will improve scalp circulation.

Using egg mask

What better remedy can be than to nourish your hair with an egg mask. Egg, loaded in proteins, can be miraculous when it comes to nourishing your hair and thus formation of new hair. Just mix one teaspoon of oil (preferably olive oil) with one egg white and apply it on your hair and scalp. Leave for 20 minutes prior to shampooing and you are done. Just do it once a month and see the results you simply can’t imagine.

Rosemary oil

Rosemary is a common essential oil that people use to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. Rosemary oilTrusted Source has been found to stimulate new hair growth and can even be used to treat androgenetic alopecia.

Mix a few drops of rosemary oil into a carrier oil, like argan oil or jojoba oil, and massage it into your hair and scalp before rinsing. You can do this a few times per week.

You can also add a few drops of rosemary oil into your shampoo and conditioner on a daily basis. However, you shouldn’t use essential oils directly on the skin, and you should always mix them in a carrier oil or shampoo.

Top 5 Foods for Hair Growth Quickly

1. Eggs Provide Protein

You hair is made up of protein, therefore it is important to ensure that you have enough protein in your diet. Protein is the building block of hair and eggs are one of the richest natural sources of protein.

2. Spinach and Other Dark Leafy Greens Provide Iron

Iron is an essential mineral that your hair cells require. In fact, a deficiency of iron in the body may cause hair loss. When your body is running low on iron, oxygen and nutrients are not getting transported to the hair roots and follicles adequately which can inhibit growth and make your strands weak.

3. Citrus Fruits to Get Your Dose of Vitamin C

Your body requires Vitamin C for iron absorption therefore; you need to add citrus fruits to your diet. Nutritionists recommend that one lime per day is enough to get your daily dose of Vitamin C. Just make yourself a chilled glass of nimbu paani (with honey or a healthy alternative to refined sugar) and you’re sorted. You could also opt for oranges. Vitamin C is also required for the production of collagen that make capillaries that connect to the hair shafts strong thus, ensuring regular supply of nutrients and quick hair growth.

4. Nuts and Seeds for Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids nourish the hair and support thickening. Since your body cannot produce these healthy fats, you need to derive them from your diet. Almonds and walnuts are really high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Similarly, flaxseeds can serve as mid-meal healthy snack while also supplying the essential fats to your hair.

5.Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene. A medium sweet potato (about 114 grams) contains enough beta-carotene to provide more than four times your daily vitamin A needs. It also helps in maintaining the ideal hair texture and reduces hair fall.

4. Regular brushing every night

You must have heard that excessive brushing can cause hair fall and physically harm your hair. Well, not always. It simply depends on the brush your use. Using synthetic bristles can create friction in hair and thus actually damage hair. Instead, using the right brush such as the boar bristle brush can actually increase the blood circulation of the scalp.

Make sure that you are combing your hair for at least 50 times before you retire for the night. Brushing the hair makes your roots stronger and hair grow faster.

5. Don’t wrap your wet hairs in towel

Most of us have a habit of wrapping our wet hairs in a towel just after shampooing, little realizing about the drawbacks of this habit. Wet hair is prone to even more hair fall and wrapping them in a towel can make this even worse. Our hairs get rubbed with those massive towel fibers making those strands of hair to fall. Instead, go for a microfiber towel, if you simply can’t resist this habit.

Hanging upside down

The inversion method, or hanging upside down is meant to increase the blood flow to your head. This causes your hair follicles to reach maximum capacity and stimulate growth.

The method is popular but whether it actually works is debatable. There's no harm in trying, however. Perhaps the most comfortable way of trying this out is laying down on a bed on your back with your head hanging over the end of the bed for about four minutes at a time each morning. You could use this time to meditate or even to give yourself a scalp massage whilst you're at it!

6. Flipping your hair upside down

Natural Tips To Make Your Hair Grow Faster - Ridiculous but Useful
Photo healthline

It might sound strange but flipping the hair upside down can actually do wonders when it comes to growing long hair. Nothing tedious, this tip just requires flipping your hair upside down for 3 minutes daily. This induces better circulation and thus result in increased pace of hair growth.

How to use the inversion method

Here’s how to use the inversion method. The use of oil is optional, but since some oils have been shown to stimulate hair growth, they may be worth incorporating.

First, stimulate your hair follicles with an essential oil scalp massage:

Dilute three to five drops of the essential oil of your choice with a carrier oil, such as argan oil, olive oil, or coconut oil.

Apply the oil to your clean hair, focusing on the scalp, and then comb through to the ends.

Gently massage your scalp with your fingers, using a circular motion and alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise for 4 to 5 minutes.

Second, hang your head upside down to increase blood to flow to your scalp:

Sit on a chair with your knees apart and hang your head down below your heart.

Use your hands to flip all of your hair forward so it’s hanging upside down.

Hold this position for 4 minutes. If you begin to feel dizzy, weak, or any other discomfort, don’t continue.

Sit up, raising your head slowly to avoid a head rush or dizziness.

Wash your hair thoroughly to remove all of the oil.

Repeat daily for one week each month.

7. Say good bye to stress

Stress can have n number of ill effects to your health; hair fall is one of them. Excessive stress due to work or personal problems can disrupt the hair cycle, refraining fast hair growth. Luxuriate in the pleasure of meditation, yoga or other breathing exercises to overcome stress which can be a hurdle in your hair growth.

Stress, Hair, And Hormones

While hair loss is a constant problem for which people seek treatment, both Dr. Downie and Reslan are seeing more patients during this period of extreme stress and anxiety, even those who have never struggled with hair thinning before. When you’re feeling stressed, your body is experiencing an increase in its cortisol levels. Dr. Downie explains, “Cortisol is pumped out of your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys. Once this is in your system, cortisol interacts with your hormones and can cause your hair to go into the resting phase.” This resting phase is when your hair is most susceptible to falling out. And aside from seeing increased hair shedding, she notes that stress can also cause your scalp to itch, which might in turn lead you to scratch and prompt those hairs to fall out.

Says Reslan, “The true culprit of stress-induced hair loss is inflammation and its damaging effects on the cells in our body, namely our hair follicles. New studies have shifted the focus on hair loss from managing stress hormones, such as cortisol, to instead preventing stress itself. This is why we’re noticing more adaptogens (natural stress relievers) being incorporated in hair supplements, hair products, and wellness products all around.” In other words, incorporating an at-home wellness practice like meditation or acupressure might be a wise decision right now.

READ MORE: 9 Simple but Effective Ways to Avoid Hair Fallout

8.Drink lots of water

Water is great for making you look and feel healthier, and it's always important to stay hydrated to keep you looking and feeling your best on the inside and the outside.

If you’re managing to drink your eight glasses (or two litres) a day then that will help your hair stay stronger which will give it added growing power. Staying hydrated will combat brittle hair, dry scalp and dandruff as well as itchy skin and scalp!

9. Wearing a shower cap

Photo Little Aussie Directories
Photo Little Aussie Directories

This simply involves wrapping your head in cling film or wearing a shower cap and leaving it on as long as possible, preferably overnight. The idea is that the build-up of heat will increase your scalp’s sebum production and encourage hair growth.

Some also apply a healthy amount of argan oil to their scalp before doing so, as a form of deep conditioning treatment – so if your hair doesn’t grow at least it’ll be super soft and glossy making it a brilliant treatment for dry hair or scalp! Top tip: If you're not keen on cling film and don't want to ruin your shower cap you could always wrap your hair in a warm towel.

10. Swap cotton pillowcases for silk

Photo Today Show
Photo Today Show

Ditch your cotton pillowcases and replace them with some luxurious silk ones instead. Cotton causes friction, which weakens the hair and causes it to fall out. Swap to silk and you won’t find stray bits of hair on your pillow in the morning.

Alternatively, you could use a silk hair wrap - a cap that will protect your locks whatever pillow you're sleeping on.

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