When it comes to strong and healthy skin, it is generally considered as a sign of wellness and vitality. And in such bases, there are times where we struggle with slow hair growth, hormonal imbalance, a lot of hair fall, and even thinning of hair. For all the above hair concerns, there are various reasons like stress, poor nutrition, pollution, hormonal imbalance’s, etc which will affect the overall hair growth cycle.
And the best part is, they can be reversed with proper haircare and consistent routine along with healthy lifestyle habits. Even though this is not an overnight solution, the right strategies with proper care helps in showing off the results in a certain time period. In this blog, you will know in detail about how to improve hair growth, strengthen hair follicle and make a steady hair growth over time.
How to Improve Hair Growth Naturally
Improving hair growth naturally is possible only when both internal and external health are properly aligned with each other. As hair generally grows from the roots, focussing on scalp and their nutritional benefits sets a wonderful foundation for better hair growth.
Hair Growth Cycle - Basic Understanding
For improving hair growth, there are three phases which you should understand. In this way, you can decide and make the process easier.
1. Anagen / Growth Phase
An active growth cycle which will last for 3 - 5 years. When this phase extends, the hair growth also happens simultaneously.
2. Catagen / Transition Phase
One of the shorter phases, where the shedding is more and the follicles will be shrunken.
3. Telogen / Resting Phase
In this phase, the hair fall majorly happens, which obviously makes a path for new hair growth.
There are many factors which decide the phase like stress, diet, illness, etc which will disrupt or enhance the cycle’s performance.
Natural Hair Growth - Nutrition Edition
The hair shine and growth mainly depends on what you put inside your stomach. When the nutritional deficiency happens, the growth tends to go slower, and that will lead to increased hair fall.
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Consume a lot of protein-rich foods like eggs, fish, lentils, soya, paneer, tofu, etc at least twice in a day. Nuts and seeds also come under this category.
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Iron, one of the essential factors for humans, plays a major role in thinning of hair. Some of the iron rich foods include spinach, beetroot, pumpkin, dates, etc.
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For strengthening your hair strands and improving the thickness, ensure to add eggs, almonds, walnuts, etc in your food routine.
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Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods like fishes, flax seeds, and chia seed, helps in setting the foundation - which is nothing but improving hair health.
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Including vitamin rich fruits like oranges, lemon works on improving the iron absorption in the body.
Keeping your diet balanced helps in enhancing and promoting hair growth without any kind of endurance.
Scalp Care for Faster Hair Growth
For healthy hair, the foundation should be stronger; Which is nothing but setting a healthy and stronger scalp.
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Regular Oil Massage
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1. This routine helps in improving blood circulation, which nourishes hair follicles.
2. Massage 2 - 3 times per day for best results.
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Some of the best oils you can incorporate includes - Almond oil, Sesame oil, Castor oil, Rosemary oil, etc
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Keeping Scalp Clean
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1. Helps in reducing the product build-ups.
2. Do not clog your hair follicles.
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1. Oily scalp folks can do them 2 - 3 times;
2. While dry scalp can do them once per week.
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Exfoliating Scalp
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1. Removes product build-ups.
2. Reduces the excess oiliness/greasiness in the scalp
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Twice in a week is more than enough.
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Improve Hair Growth - Natural Options to Opt for
1. Onion Juice
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Helps in supporting the collagen production, because of the presence of sulphur content in them.
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Take the juice, and apply it to the scalp using a cotton pad by diving sections. Wash off after 30mins with mild shampoo.
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Doing this once at least once a week helps!
2. Aloe Vera
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Aloe vera gel helps in soothing the irritated scalp and reduces the dandruff in them!
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Scrape out the gel from the leaf, and add to the mixer. Grind them into a fine paste and wash off after 30mins for best results.
3. Rosemary Oil
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One of the best ingredients to include for stimulating the hair follicles.
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Mix a few drops of rosemary oil in your top hair growth oils; Massage into the scalp, let them sit for an hour and you can wash off with gentle, mild shampoo.
4. Fenugreek/Methi Paste
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Using them internally and externally does wonders for strengthening the roots of the hair and even the lengths.
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Soak the seeds overnight, and grind them into a fine paste. Wash off after 30mins with gentle shampoo, and you will feel the softness and smoothness in the hair.
Ways to Reduce Hair Damage
Even though growth is important, keeping the existing hair healthy without any kind of damage/breakage is also equally important.
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Do not style your hair everyday, since they will weaken the natural texture.
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Avoid using chemical treatments often as they damage the hair follicles.
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Ensure to include mild shampoo post masks, to retain their benefits and avoid excessive dryness in the hair.
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Do not braid tight or leave free, since they will cause hair loss.
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Drinking the minimum amount of water everyday helps in preventing dryness internally and externally.
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Manage stress by including activities like yoga, physical activity, pranayama, etc to keep hormones under control.
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Get a minimum of 6hrs of sleep everyday; Better the sleep, better you skin, hair, and the body will be!
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Trimming once in 5 - 6months helps in reducing the split ends and prevents hair breakage too.
Natural Hair Growth Myths
Myth 1: Hair grows faster if cut frequently
No, Only if your roots are stronger and healthy, hair grows. It does not depend on the lengths/ends of the hair.
Myth 2: Oiling overnight guarantees fast growth
Never. Oiling just helps in keeping the hair hydrated and moisturized. This does not reflect in hair growth. Oils like coconut oil, almond oil just nourishes scalp.
Myth 3: Brushing 100 strokes a day boosts growth
Too much of brushing will only lead to hair breakage
Simple Weekly Hair Care Routine
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Oil your hair twice in a week. Using hair growth oil works best.
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A hair shower twice to thrice a week is mandatory for healthy and clean scalp.
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Use DIY/nourishing hair masks once a week.
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Massage at least 2 - 3 mins everyday before bedtime to stimulate blood circulation.
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Brush your hair everyday to avoid tangles, which is a major reason for hair fall.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
Results do not happen overnight. Hair growth happens only around 2cm per month, when all the above check-boxes are ticked everyday. So, make sure to be consistent and you will be able to see the results.
Conclusion
Taking care of your hair and keeping it healthy is a key and holistic way of approach for strong, healthy, and shining hair. Nothing happens in a day; Ensure to be consistent with the steps. Rather than focus on just the products ensure to keep your internal body healthy too!