Six months ago, I chopped my hair off. It was causing me issues, so I cut it off. I should have spent some time figuring out why my scalp was struggling, but I didn’t. As per usual, 2 months later, I started to regret it. Not the haircut itself, but the loss of length. I still stand by that decision, though. I have since decided to get back on track with my hair growth techniques that I used in the past. So I decided to go back to YouTube and see if there was anything new for hair growth. I researched as a teenager, and every few years, I look for updates. I figured there wasn't going to be anything new because there never is. Well, I was wrong. Okay, it may not be new information, but it is to me. Some of what I am about to share I already know and just maintaining it in my routine, or getting back on track, and some is new information.
When it comes to products, don't judge a book by its cover. Meaning give the product you are using more than 15 min before you decide if you like it or not. Use it a few times to determine if it is good or not. This point isn't really a hair growth technique, more just interesting information that I didn't know about prior.
Hot oil treatment. I have been doing hot oil treatments on and off for years now. Warm up a combination of olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil and apply it to your scalp and through out the rest of your hair down to your ends. All of these oils have their own benefits, I don't remember which ones were which, just that they complimented eachother. I also have a hot oil cap. So I apply the oil, cover my hair with a plastic bag, then put the cap on, plug it in and turn it on and sit under the heat for about 30 min. It's my understanding that to get the full benefits from the oil, it should be warm. Hence the cap. Plus, it’s really relaxing to just sit under that heat for a bit.
You can detect the quality of your shampoo and conditioner by how many days you can go without washing. Again, interesting information/perspective. I have spent the majority of my life washing every other day. And when it's short, every day. I figured some people could go longer between washes if they had dryer scalps and such, or more often if they were more oily.
Heat. Using heat on our hair tends to be a rather controversial topic. The second you mention growing healthier hair, everyone says throw out the heat tools. And sure, they aren’t wrong necessarily. You can use heat protectors for both blow drying and straightening. Yes, there are two different types of heat protection. You can use a cooler setting on your hair dryer, go all natural and get rid of all the heat tools or not change a thing about your styling tool usage. Personally, I am in the latter. I blow-dry it after each wash, and I don’t use heat protection. I am debating using a heat protector for blow drying, though. I was also encouraged years ago by a hair dresser that our hair can take some damage. It's not totally helpless and weak. That being said, my hair does not currently look good if I air dry it. It looks better if I air-dry it. I used to be able to do either one, and it would look great. Maybe once it's longer, I will be able to go back to that. I am also trying to research why it doesn’t look good air-dried at this time.
Well, one video I watched suggested giving your hair two days of rest before using heat again. Which I get. So wash and blow-dry on day 1, and then on day 4 wash and blow-dry again. After watching this video, I started wondering about my hair and if I could get more days between wash day. I started questioning my shampoo and conditioner. Long story short, I learned that I have an oily scalp and need to change my shampoo and conditioner. I learned that I cannot have any oils or hydration ingredients added to it. Some people can even if they have oily hair. I cannot. So I went to YouTube to find some review videos on different shampoos for oily hair, and lots were suggesting L'Oreal Paris and other brands that I didn't know. When I went to Walmart, I figured I would read the labels and see which was the best choice. I kept seeing bottles that advertised oil and hydration, things I don't want. From the few minutes of searching. The only bottle I found that didn't have hydration attributes in it was L'Oreal Paris Hyaluron Pure shampoo and conditioner. So I brought it home and am using it now. It's been a few washes, with more time in between them, and I can see less oil on my scalp. A few more washes, and I should have a good feel for this new shampoo and conditioner.
Silk bonnet. I have been sleeping with one on for 6 years and love it to pieces. I think every woman should wear them. They prevent friction from your cotton pillow case. And because you don't wake up with bed head, it greatly reduces the amount of time brushing and handling it in the morning, aiding in keeping it cleaner longer. I was wearing a cotton bandana to work for a few reasons, but with my recent decision to up my hair game. I have switched to silk bandanas instead. Better for your hair. I will also wear it anytime I leave home. To protect my hair from the elements, including my bike helmet and my sun hat.
Diet and exercise. We all know we are what we eat. Our hair is the last 'organ' to receive nutrients after everything else gets taken care of. So make sure you are eating healthy so that there are enough nutrients to go around. That, of course, looks different for everyone. Your hair especially needs iron, protein, biotin, omega -3, vitimans C, A and E.
Exercise is also important. Moving our bodies and getting our heart rates up gets our blood pumping and endorphins flowing. That also looks different for everyone.
Haircuts. Many people have bought into the idea that you have to trim your hair regularly in order to keep it healthy and growing strong. To get rid of the split ends. Which is both correct and incorrect. Yes, get a trim when you can see/feel your ends splitting. But if you trim every 6-8 weeks, you are likely just cutting off any progress that you have made. I also learned though one of the videos I watched, that your ends are not protected, which is why they eventually split and that to prevent that, you can use hair oil. I haven't looked into it much yet, but the principle sounds interesting. We never hear of people talking about split 'mids' just ends. Meaning that by constantly trimming off your ends, all you are doing is shortening your hair.
Drinking lots of water and keeping your body and hair hydrated.
It's also best to use a special hairbrush when brushing wet hair. The tangle teezer is apparently the easiest and is good for thin hair, so I will likely invest in it shortly. Otherwise, I don't brush my hair when it is wet. I do use a barrel brush when I dry it, but I'm not trying to get tangles out when I'm drying it. Oh, I was led to believe for a long time that hair brushes were bad and wide-tooth combs were the only acceptable “brush” to use. Turns out that was also incorrect. There is a hairbrush for pretty much every part of your hair care routine, but you don’t need them all, though. And apparently, according to one YouTuber, the only time to use a wide-tooth comb is when you curl your hair and want to separate them a little and loosen it up. But of course, everyone will have a different opinion and experience with all of this information. Do what works for you and your hair.
I also use leave-in conditioner after I shower. And at some point, I suspect I will use some hair oil for my ends once it gets a little longer. One of the videos I watched suggested that your hair only grows as far as your products/routine will allow. Again, interesting theory, likely has some exceptions, but still something worth looking into. I expect my hair is too short to bother with hair oil yet (it's now passing my collar bone.) but we shall see.
I also only wash my roots, and the runoff washes my length, and I condition from my ears down. I do not need to condition my scalp. My scalp produces its own oil quite nicely and therefore doesn't need extra help. Also, your length and ends don't get dirty. You can likely see how far down your hair shaft the oil from your scalp has gone when you wash your hair. I noticed that I can see the line even more prominently now that I switched to a silk bandana for work and wear in general.
Proper sleep. I don't have any evidence to back it up, mind you, but I do notice that when I'm sleeping well, my skin does well. Our cells are healing themselves while we sleep, so we need to give them their proper time to do so. So I suspect that our hair also benefits from proper sleep.
Lastly. Scalp massage. Not only can it be relaxing, but it also stimulates the blood flow to your follicles below the surface of your scalp, encouraging hair growth. Some say to use your fingertips to avoid damaging your scalp. You can also buy massage tools. I just use my nails and scratch my scalp instead. Technically not a massage, but it does feel nice.
Well, there it is, friend, my updated hair care routine that no one asked for. LOL I so enjoyed learning all this new information about products, routine, tools, etc that I just had to share with you all.
God Bless
~Hannah
My new silk bandana for work. Not a glamorous picture by any accounts, but an honest one. Taken right after I put my bandana on upon arriving to work. My favourite way to wear it is with the bow at the tip of my forehead.
