How to ACTUALLY Grow Out Your Hair

I am sick and tired of watching Youtube videos of gorgeous Instagram models ranting about how their hair was sooo damaged and how it took so much discipline to get their hair the length they wanted. I have never EVER had long luxurious hair. It has never gotten longer than my shoulders. I don’t want to listen to hair advice from girls that hit the hair gene jackpot. It’s just not relatable, and it gives me false expectations.  

Trust me when I tell you that I know everything about hair and I have tried everything to get my hair to grow. The hard truth is it’s just genetics. My hair will never touch my back; however, I have gotten it to grow longer than it has ever been before in my life. After much trial and error, I discovered the absolute best methods to get your hair to be healthier, happier and longer. So listen to me- I actually know what I’m talking about.

Do not use heat on your hair! EVER.

Look, I get it. I know a lot of you are super addicted to your straightening iron, but putting that much heat against your hair is 1000000% the worst thing you can do to it. I always follow a little rule that I came up with when it comes to taking care of my hair- “If it’s bad for your skin, it’s bad for your hair.” Imagine putting 380 degrees of iron on the palm of your hand. It would roast off, and here’s the difference- your skin can heal itself! Once you burn down a layer of your hair, you can’t fix it, and the thinner and weaker it becomes, the more split ends you’ll have. They break at the ends, and no matter how fast your hair is growing, it won’t grow faster than your damaged ends. There are a lot of alternatives to using such harsh heat on your hair. Plus I think natural hair is way more beautiful. I’m not saying don’t ever style your hair, just try only to do it on special occasions. 

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Silk. Pillow. Cases. 

Out of all the tips and tricks I read for preventing split ends, this is one of the best. Sleeping on a silk pillow doesn’t grip onto your hair like a cotton pillowcase does. You’ll see the difference right away, and your hair won’t be tangled and frizzy. You probably won’t have to brush it the next day. This is especially helpful if you have curly hair.

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Hair Supplements

Yeah, I’ve tried every hair supplement on the market and here’s what I can say about this. They’re all the same. Sometimes the more expensive ones work a little better, but not enough to spend that much money. So honestly just pick any hair supplement you want. Personally, I enjoy those SugarBearHair gummies, but it’s really only because they taste amazing.

Viviscal is also something you might want to try. It’s a little more aggressive so don’t use it for too long, and do not under any circumstances use the shampoo; only the supplements. The shampoos will make your hair fall out. They say it’s to help stimulate your hair so it can grow new hair, but I call bullsh*t. Don’t trust them. They’re money vacuums.

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All natural shampoo and conditioners

I have been to the salons. I have bought every chemical ridden piece of toxic gunk that has ever crossed my path, and I am here to tell you the god given the truth about these hair products. THEY DON’T WORK! I would go as far and say they actually damage your hair further.

One day I looked at my brittle, damaged ends after washing my hair with a shampoo that only has instructions and ingredients in French and I said “F*ck this,” and I went to Whole Foods and bought shampoo with the least amount of unpronounceable words I could find. After three weeks I started to notice a film coming off in my comb. I did some research and discovered that this was built up chemicals shedding off my hair strands. I was disgusted. After two months, my hair made a dramatic change for the better. My hair was softer, it smelled amazing, I was able to wash my hair less and less, and it began to grow.

I am a big advocate for all-natural shampoos, but I also discovered that there’s a limit to this. If a shampoo is too natural, it doesn’t work as effectively as it should, but I still say it’s better than the alternative. My favorite brands to give a try include Alba Botanica Hawaiian, Maui shampoo and Aveda. All are fantastic cruelty-free and chemical free products that I highly recommend. But if you’d instead try a different product, do your research before you buy it.

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Diet and Exercise

Okay, I’m a little hypocritical here because I’m horrible at this, but it truly does affect not only your general health but also your hair health. You don’t have to be a salad addict and a marathon runner but making sure you get your fruits and veggies in and also exercising regularly can make a big difference.  Really try and stay away from binge drinking and nicotine. My freshman year of college, I carried my Juul everywhere and drank a gallon of vodka a month, and I didn’t realize how much hair I was losing until I came home for summer and I didn’t find a rabbit-sized hairball in the shower.

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Weather Precautions

This is something people never talk about. The weather can be really really bad for your hair. I live in Kansas, and one winter day in January it was below freezing when I was walking to class. My hair was out, and when I got home that night, I noticed my hair had become significantly more damaged than it had been the day before. I would know- I am constantly looking at my hair ends, so I’m not crazy (well maybe I am, but not about this). Putting your hair through extreme weather like that can be so bad for it, and not only the cold but the heat too. Never ever lay out with your hair in the sun. That is so bad for it.

Like I said, if it’s bad for your skin, it’s bad for your hair. In the winter, put your hair in a hat or wrap your scarf around it. In the summer, keep it in the shade. It’s not that hard, and it will show a difference.

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Get it Cut

Yeah yeah, I know you probably hear this all the time, but seriously, the only way for your hair to grow is for you to get rid of those split ends, and the only way to do that is to get it cut. If your hair’s really damaged beyond repair, I would suggest cutting off a couple of inches. Thats what I had to do and since then my hair has doubled in length and it’s much healthier because of it.

There’s not a designated time to get a trim like people say there is. I would just go whenever you feel like you need one or if your hair is starting to look a little brittle at the ends. Use your best judgment here.

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So those are all the things I do to keep my hair as happy and healthy as possible. In all honesty, if you’re trying to grow your hair out, the best way to get it to grow is to not care about it.  This is something my sister told me after she grew her hair an extra two inches one winter. She said that the only way to get your hair to grow is if you don’t care if it grows or not. Reverse psychology, children. 

I’m not saying don’t try, I’m just saying don’t get stressed out and put too much pressure on your hair’s growing abilities because you’ll only be disappointed. Just take care of your hair, and it will thank you, and that’s just the best you can do. 

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