I have the biggest ego when it comes to my hair. I love my hair, it can't be helped. However I get hair envy, especially when I see my sister's natural hair, which is very true to typical Indian hair; long, thick, big, and wavy. Mine on the other hand is hybrid hair, I ended up with thinner and pin straight hair that luckily looks good when I wake up. Being an Indian-Chinese mix, I got the typical Chinese hair type, but strengthened with the thickness of Indian hair.
I get a lot of compliments on my hair and it's quality, which I'm proud of because I do try to take care of my hair. One of the biggest questions I get asked is how it has grown so long so quickly, so I thought today I would share how with you.
I cut my hair in the summer of 2010, to about chin length with bangs and layers. Not good. Here's a picture if you don't believe me, and this was on a good hair day.
I get a lot of compliments on my hair and it's quality, which I'm proud of because I do try to take care of my hair. One of the biggest questions I get asked is how it has grown so long so quickly, so I thought today I would share how with you.
Since then, it's been 2 and 1/2 years to get it to this length, that involves my various trims and all the things I did to my poor hair. It could have been much longer by now, but the story will be after the picture.
Now my hair is about waist length, and could have been much longer. I worked with Toni&Guy in April last year where they dyed my hair ginger. You couldn't tell where my forehead ended and my hair started, it was that gingery/brown color. To this day, even though they dyed it back to black, I have some ginger streaks all over my head, and there is a separation between where my natural hair color has grown out, and where the two dyes have faded. Dying my hair really affected my hair quality and the rate it was growing at, which used to be much faster.
So TIP #1 : Don't dye your whole head. It dries out your hair, and makes it brittle and straw like. Excessive hair dying will pretty much help you get bald fast, because of all the chemicals that you are using. Dyeing in moderation, go for it.
TIP #2 : If you do dye your hair in moderation, please please please use hair masks every so often. Even if you haven't dyed your hair but find you hair is looking flat and lifeless, go to a salon and ask them to give you a hair mask. The process only takes about half an hour, but you will be so happy with the outcome. Hair masks revitalizes you hair, giving it shine and bounce and it has a lot of nutrients that will leave you with healthy hair.
If you don't like the salon, you can always DIY a hair mask at home. You may have heard of people putting mayonaise or raw eggs in their hair, which in truth does work. Check out this link which has other DIY hair mask recipes if you want to try it out at home. One thing I will say is to use cling foil/saran wrap and wrap your hair up just to keep the mask in your hair longer. CLICK
TIP #3 : Go for monthly or bi-monthly trims. I've for some reason had trims twice a month sometimes, which doesn't help with hair growth, however getting a trim every month or so helps keep your hair sleek as it gets rid of split ends as well.
TIP #4 : Go heat-less. That means say good bye to your blowdryer, flat iron and curling iron and let your hair dry by itself. If you absolutely must for whatever reason have pin straight hair or curly hair, use a heat protectant spray before using your hot tools and go heatless for at least a week after.
TIP #5 : Have a balanced and well rounded diet. Make sure you are getting enough fats, iron, zinc, protein and vitamin C and B in your diet. Hair is made up of protein, and not getting enough can leave your hair lifeless and will take longer to grow. Healthy protein to include in your diet are lean meats, fish and nuts. Iron and zinc help prevent hair loss, so get your fill from by having bananas (iron) and peanut butter (zinc) every so often. Vitamin C is what makes your hair nice and glossy and without it, you will find your hair more prone to damage and breakage, so eat your citrus fruits and even peppers. Vitamin B helps against hair loss and has been known to help speed up hair growth, and can be added in your diet by having seafood, spinach and other green vegetables.
TIP #6 : Don't brush your hair when it's wet and don't sleep when your hair is wet. I've just started following the no brushing when wet and it has helped a lot. When your hair is wet, it's a lot more sensitive and prone to being pulled out. When you sleep or brush your hair when it's wet, you are losing a lot more hair than you usually would. Wait for it to dry, and then brush. And before sleeping, tie your hair in a braid to prevent it from breaking in your sleep.
TIP #7 : Wash your hair every other day. This keeps your hair healthy and keeps the natural and essential oils your scalp produces for healthy hair and improves the quality and growth rate of your hair.
TIP #8: Being Indian, I've been subjected to using oil in my hair every so often, particularly India's favorite Parachute Coconut Oil. I use it maybe twice a year, and it helps my hair stay strong and shiny, as well as nourishing my scalp which increases my hair growth. I only recently started using coconut oil again, after refusing to for 2 years, and after using it last weekend, I can say there has been a difference. Using coconut oil in your hair helps the texture of your hair as well, but make sure you sit with it in your hair for about 2 hours for maximum long term results. I have also used Moroccan oil which works wonders, and to prevent split ends I've used argan oil on the ends of my hair.
Argan oil also helps with eyelash growth, just incase you have been blessed with short eyelashes much like I have. Aloe vera gel and Vaseline works as well, and can always be used in place of argan oil to prevent split ends in your hair.
That's all the tips I have, do tell me if you have used or try out some of these tips and let me know your experience.
