My Personal Blog: Growing Hair Naturally

Part 1: Eat Right to Promote Growth

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Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish. Diet may seem unrelated to your hair, but it makes a huge difference. Diet also has the added benefit of improving your body at the same time.
- Since hair is made of protein, make sure you're getting plenty of protein in your diet. People who suffer from anorexia nervosa or those who undergo extreme weight-loss programs will experience stunted hair growth.
- Some proteins to consider incorporating into your diets: lean meats such as chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, soy products, beans, and nuts. These foods will help promote healthy keratin production, which are the building blocks of hair.
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Eat the right kinds of fat. Certain fats are essential to both a healthy lifestyle and healthy hair production. Fats in moderation help maintain healthy hair and skin production.^[1]
- Fats will help you process the vitamins and minerals in your diet that are necessary for healthy hair production, including Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
- Eat the right kinds of fats. Saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats are examples of fats that you should avoid. Omega 3 fats, found in marine and plant oils, are good for healthy hair.
- For this reason, B-complex tablets containing fish oils are helpful in speeding up the growth of hair follicles.
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Make sure you're getting enough iron and zinc. Iron and zinc, along with other vitamins, are essential in creating great, healthy hair.^[2]
- Iron is responsible for delivering oxygen to your cells, from the blood in your toes all the way up to your hair follicles. (That's why blood smells like iron.) Lean animal meats are great ways to get iron, but if you're vegetarian, consider eating beans, lentils, and soy products such as edamame or tofu.
- Zinc assists in the repair of your tissues, making sure that the oil glands around your follicles are working in the proper way. Get your zinc by eating oysters, low-fat roast beef, toasted wheat germ, roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, dark chocolate, and cocoa powder.^[3]
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Get enough vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiencies cause can hair that is weak, lusterless, and prone to breakage.
- Your body uses vitamin C to build collagen, which is crucial in developing hair growth. Vitamin C also assists in breaking down iron, another building block of hair, so maintaining good levels of vitamin C is necessary to absorb iron.
- The body cannot make vitamin C on its own. It's therefore crucial that you eat and drink foods that have high concentrations of vitamin C. Cantaloupe, citrus fruits, broccoli, bell peppers, and spinach are all fantastic and great-tasting foods that are packed with vitamin C.
- The government recommends 45 mg/day of vitamin C for children ages 9-13; around 70 mg/day for teens aged 14-18; and in between 75 and 90 mg/day for adults.

Part 2: Reduce Styling Damage

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Excessive styling can hurt your hair. It probably looks fantastic on you, but it's not the best for your hair. Certain chemical applications and cleansers may cause thinning, damage or even hair loss if improperly used.^[4] Styling your hair in certain manners may make hair loss even worse. It's okay to style your hair in isolation, but repeated styling can exacerbate damage to hair.
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Try not to repeatedly perm, crimp, chemically or mechanically straighten, curl, bleach or color hair. These processes can cause serious damage to your hair, altering the natural makeup of each strand. Excessive heat, in either blow-drier or flat-iron form, can singe the hair, so try to manually dry your hair whenever possible.
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Brush and comb sparingly. There used to be a myth out there than brushing your hair 100 times a day would promote hair growth.^[5] Not only is this false, brushing your hair to excess can actually pull hairs out of the scalp.
- Comb your hair when it's dry, not wet. Your hair is especially vulnerable when it's wet, so it's best to wait until it's on the drier side before you take a wide-toothed comb to go through your lovely locks.
- Try not to detangle or pull at your hair without the aid of a leave-in conditioner or detangling spray.
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Don't use rubber bands to style or pin the hair back. If you need to pull your hair back and pin it up, use a hair tie. The hair tie won't cause the hair to get stuck on its surface as much and lodge it from its roots.
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Avoid using styles that put unnecessary stress on hair. Cornrows and tight ponytails, for example, pin the hair back, putting stress on the follicle. Instead, try to opt for a hairstyle that minimizes the stress on your follicles, so they can promote healthy growth.
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Clean your hair carefully. Use the right products when cleaning your hair. Depending on how oily your hair is, shampoo and condition your hair only about 3-4 times per week. You don't need to shampoo and condition every day, as this will suck out the natural oils present in your hair.
- Those with curly, coarse, or dry hair may want to wash their hair only 2-3 times weekly, as natural oils are key for strong and healthy hair. People who have oily skin probably want to wash their hair more than the 3-4 per week average, as a buildup of oil can be harmful to growth.
- Choose products that contain ingredients that are healthy for hair. Ingredients like avocado, coconut, jojoba, and olive are all beneficial when used in moderation. They help retain moisture and oils while minimizing split ends and other hair damage.
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Plan how often you get your hair cut. Cutting hair does not make hair grow faster from the roots. This is a myth. It does, however, stop loss of length from the tips, as it prevents breakages from split ends.
- How often you should cut your hair depends on how healthy it is and how fast you want it to grow; it is totally up to your own judgement.
- Normal hair grows anywhere from 1/2 inch - 5/8 inch per month. Most stylists recommend getting a hair cut every 6-10 weeks, meaning that if you cut off 1/4 - 1/2 inch, your hair should still grow longer.

Part 3: How Exercise and Stress Affect Hair Growth

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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will promote hair growth. Your body acts like a finely-tuned machine, and certain things, like sleep, can help regenerate cells and promote overall health.
- Severe cases of stress, suffered after the death of a loved one, for example, or extreme emotional isolation, can cause the body to go into a kind of survival mode in which it only produces things vital to bodily survival. During these times, hair production may stop.^[6]
- On the other hand, when your body has enough nutrients and energy stored up so that it doesn't need to focus on simply keeping you alive, it can devote resources to build up and protect your hair. Maintain a good diet and healthy lifestyle maximize your body's daily resources.
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Clear physical stressors from your life. Surgeries, severe injuries, and other trauma can cause stunted hair growth or even hair loss. In these cases there may be a three month delay in the production of hair growth while the body focuses on repairing other cells and injuries.
- Identify stressors and let your body heal them. If you have just gone through intense physical trauma, give your body time to heal itself before expecting to see hair growth. Once your body is healed, you should begin to see hair growth again.
- Anemia, low blood count and thyroid abnormalities also may be acting as physical stressors while directly contributing to halted hair growth.^[7] They can easily be detected with an inexpensive blood test. Talk to your doctor if you believe you might be suffering from any of them.
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Clear emotional stress from your life. Learn how to manage the normal stress that your body produces as a result of daily activities and unexpected occurrences. In large quantities, stress can halt hair production, though it will not contribute to baldness in either males or females.
- Exercise is a great way to release pent-up stress. Jogging, swimming, lifting light weights, or even walking is part of a healthy lifestyle. It will help your body process foods and vitamins, sleep better, and reduce large amounts of stress.

Part 4: Health Concerns That Could Affect Hair Growth

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Make sure that any health concerns you may have aren't contributing to stunted growth. In both men and women, a host of medical issues can cause the slowing down of hair production. Addressing these medical issues, in some cases, causes hair production to return to normal.
- Talk with your doctor if you have any diagnosed medical conditions, as these may contribute to hair loss or stunted hair growth. As mentioned above, low blood count and thyroid conditions, in addition to hormone imbalances, may contribute to decreased hair growth.
- Ask your doctor whether any medications you are taking could be factors in hair loss or diminished hair production. Acne medication, birth control, steroids, anticlotting drugs, and antidepressants have all been linked to hair loss in both males and females.^[8]
- Talk with your doctor before beginning any over the counter hair growth products, as they may interfere with other medication you are taking. Consult with your doctor before beginning a strenuous diet. Improper nutrition is a factor in decreased hair growth.
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Check for scalp infections. Scalp infections, caused by ringworm of folliculitis, can damage the scalp area, preventing follicles from growing in a healthy manner.
- If you think you may have a scalp infection (and not simply dandruff), talk with your doctor about topical and anti-fungal medications that you can use to cure your scalp infection before discussing hair growth treatments. Much of the time, once the scalp infection is cured, normal hair growth continues.
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Check for hormonal imbalances. In both men and women, hormonal imbalances caused by menopause, pregnancy, or elevated testosterone levels can affect steady hair growth. Talk with your doctor about whether this may be the case with you.
- If a hormone imbalance is detected, doctors often use androgen receptor inhibitors for women.^[9] Androgen is typically considered a male hormone, as it is important in developing male reproductive organs and secondary male characteristics. An excess of androgen in females is linked with hair loss.
- If a hormone imbalance is detected in men, doctors often use Finasteride (also called Propecia). Propecia works by blocking the enzyme that turns testosterone into the androgen, DHT. Propecia has been shown to reduce DHT levels in the scalp by as much as 60%.^[10]

Part 5: Non-Verified Home Remedies

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Promote hair growth with natural home remedies. Be careful, however, when applying home remedies, as they may damage your hair instead of stimulating growth.
- A mix of aloe vera and honey. Mix the flesh of three leaves of aloe vera with honey and apply it over the scalp. Wait 20 minutes and wash hair out as usual.
- An energy-packed breakfast. Mix together a spoonful of soya lecithin, a spoonful of wheatgerm, a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of brewer’s yeast, and a yogurt. Try this homemade recipe every day for breakfast.
- Tomatoes, olive oil and aloe vera. Blend a tomato with a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat until warm and apply the mixture to the scalp, letting stand as long as possible. This mixture can be enhanced by adding aloe vera.
- Rosemary water. Wash your hair every day with rosemary water. You can buy rosemary shampoo or make rosemary water on own.
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Promote hair growth with store-bought remedies. Certain store bought remedies, while not proven to stimulate hair growth, may work in some instances.
- Biotin may work. Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin. It's supposed to increase hair and nail growth, also helping with acne, slow-healing skin and stronger hair. Check package label for suggested dosage.
- MSM may also work. MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane. It's a naturally-occurring sulfate found in some plant species, and is reputed to help build collagen and repair tissue. For hair, it's supposed to slow shed, speed growth, and increase increases shine and thickness.