Natural Hair Growth Tips
Having a naturally healthy head of hair is something many of us
aspire to achieve but find it difficult to do in this age of
stress, environmental pollution and sickness. Perhaps you once
had a lot of good hair days and nights, but lately they're
increasingly difficult to attain. Or your once luxuriant locks
are thinner and frailer due to genetic factors, under or
overactive thyroid, illness, aging, stress, or hair abuse such
as perming, coloring, relaxing, blowdrying, curlers, curling
irons, rough handling/neglect, and using harsh, synthetic
shampoos and conditioners.
Whether you seek to grow or regrow your hair, keep in mind that
you only have one head of hair - so take care of it! Rethink
your current hair care routine, and learn more about what
works/doesn't work for your hair type, length, and lifestyle.
Scalp Massage: An inexpensive method for helping hair
growth/regrowth is to massage the scalp. Whether you buy a wood
or rubber scalp massager, or opt for your ten fingers, you can
invigorate and help cleanse your scalp either before shampooing,
or whenever you shampoo. By stimulating your scalp you encourage
the circulation, think of it as scalp aerobics, and this allows
your scalp's natural oils, sebum, to be distributed. When using
your fingers, never use your nails, only your fingertips.
Oils: In the book, "Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and
Skin Care," author Erich Keller writes: "Since the hair is made
of keratin cells, which consist almost exclusively of protein,
it is particularly important to supply it with protein in the
form of milk products, fish, soy products, nuts, seeds, and the
essential fatty acids contained in cold-pressed vegetable oils."
While eating healthy food is advisable, the author touches on
the subject of how cold pressed vegetable oils are vital for the
hair, and, if it's meant internally, then think of the benefits
of adding oil directly to your hair. Choosing the proper oil
sometimes is a matter of experimentation. A light oil should be
used for thin, fine hair, whilst someone with naturally curly
and coarse hair might find a heavier oil preferable. There are
various grades of vegetable oils available from unrefined to
heavily refined. Unrefined oils retain their natural vitamins
and minerals and are considered healthier, but their aromas can
be somewhat pungent. For example, sesame seed oil, an excellent
skin and hair loving oil that has been used in Ayurvedic
medicine for centuries, retains a darker color and nuttier aroma
in its unrefined state. However, once it's been refined, the
color is lighter and there is no discernible odor. Here's a
selection of the most utilized vegetable oils:
Light Oils - Apricot Kernel, Peach Kernel, Sesame Seed,
Meadowfoam Seed, Grapeseed, Evening of Primrose.
Medium Oils - Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Rosehip Seed, Camellia,
Virgin Coconut, Monoi de Tahiti.
Heavy Oils - Avocado, Olive, Hempseed, Castor, Moringa Seed,
Palm, Red Palm, Canola.
There are many more oils that are available whether in your
kitchen cupboard, at your grocery store, health food store, or
your favorite online shop. Experimenting with oils and their
applications is necessary, sometimes you'll discover what works
for you within the first attempt, other times you may have to
try out several different oils and application methods.
Oil Applications: Leave In - This involves a very small amount
of oil and you can control whether it's applied throughout your
hair or only on the ends. Simply comb or brush through your dry
hair.
Prewash conditioner - To use this method, you allow the oil to
remain on your scalp and hair for approximately 20 minutes, and
shampoo it out. Prewash conditioners can contain a single oil, a
mixture of oils and butters and they can range from organic to
those filled with lots of additives and preservatives. Some
prewash conditioners are applied and massaged into the scalp,
while others concentrate only on the length of the hair.
Additionally, these conditioners may be applied to wet, damp or
dry hair. One thing that is agreed upon is the fact that the
hair should be free from tangles and snarls, so either combing
or brushing before applying is necessary. Once the prewash
conditioner has been applied, you can choose to comb it through
your hair or remain as is - it does depend upon what you've
added. While some people feel that 20 minutes isn't enough,
others opt for an hour, and there are people who feel as though
allowing the oil to remain on overnight is beneficial. Even if
you're using a light or organic oil, please keep in mind that
too much oil can be as harmful as too little.
Hot oil treatment - This time-tested method allows you to apply
heated oil, which you supply yourself or buy prepackaged, apply
to your scalp and hair, cover with either a plastic bag,
clingwrap, and/or towel, and let remain on for about 20 minutes.
If you want to soak in a hot bath during your hot oil treatment
you'll be further improving the treatment by the added warmth
and relaxation. You can find thermal heat caps, which are warmed
in the microwave, for less than $15 if you feel that you want
something more professional.
To make your own hot oil treatment, choose your favorite oil[s],
pour into a small glass bottle, and let sit in a hot water bath
for a few minutes until the oil is to your preferred
temperature. Remember, what's hot for one person is scalding to
another!
Other Applications: Clay, Dead Sea Mud, Powdered Herbs, Protein
Powder, Eggs, Henna [neutral or colored], Essential Oils - all
the listed products can be used to create a hair mask which will
increase its strength, encourage growth, enhance shine, and tame
curls. Any of these ingredients, both singly or in combination,
can be healthfully used. Doing an Internet search or waiting for
a future article can find recipes.
Shampoos & Conditioners: These products are so varied and
numerous that only a very brief description of what to look for
can be covered here. It's interesting to note that some people
with extremely beautiful thick, luxuriant hair can use products
that are found in dollar stores and are full of synthetic
ingredients; while others who have fragile, beat up looking hair
use only organic shampoos and conditioners and nothing improves.
Reading the label is important, as is going with an ingredient
list that contains fewer sudsing elements, preservatives,
fragrances and colorants. To use a more natural and cost
effective shampoo, consider a shampoo bar, especially one that
is specially formatted for your hair type. Shampoo bars are easy
to use, made with few preservatives as they contain no water,
and are easy to pack for travelers.
Important Shampoo Tip - Protect your hair from getting too dry
or unmanageable by washing in warm to lukewarm water, and, if
possible, rinsing with cool water.
Conditioners - It's important to read labels and decide whether
you want to have your hair made shinier with silicones [look for
any word ending in "cone"], or stay as natural as possible.
Conditioners contain many artificial ingredients and one of the
reasons that oiling has been mentioned is that by having
healthier hair you'll need to use far less conditioner. Some
conditioners are rinsed out while others are left in, so you
need to decide which is preferable.
Vitamins & Minerals: For growth, a good multi-vitamin, B vitamin
complex, vitamin C and biotin are considered very helpful. MSM,
[Methyl Sulfonyl Methane], a form of sulfate which is not only
good at soothing joints but increasing hair growth, is easy to
find in your local health food store or drug store. Silica is
also recommended for improving hair's strength. According to
health and beauty expert and author, Letha Hadady, in her book,
"Healthy Beauty" she describes: "A Traditional Chinese
Medicine-inspired line of hair products, including pills,
shampoo, and a topical liquid for thinning hair, is called Shen
Min. Shen Min hair nutrient pills made by Biotech for men and
women provide concentrated he shou wu herb along with herbs
designed to improve overall health." On the market are other
products to encourage hair growth, whether you're simply looking
for longer locks, or need to improve the quantity and quality.
Brushes & Combs: The boar bristle brush has been used for
hundreds of years and today is easier than ever to find one that
is right for your hair type. The thinner and finer the hair, the
more important it is to find a brush with softer bristles so as
not to cause damage. Coarser, thicker hair can handle nylon
tufts, and normal hair can withstand either all boar bristle or
mixed boar and nylon. A good brush cleans your hair, stimulates
your scalp and causes the oils to spread down to the thirsty
ends. Brushing is the most natural way to distribute your oil.
Keep your brush clean, wash at least once a week in cold water
with your shampoo or with baking soda.
Important Brush Tip - DON'T brush wet hair! This is very
damaging and causes more breakage, as hair is weaker when wet.
Some people will only use wooden combs, while others can't be
without their wide tooth combs. No matter what type of comb you
buy, make sure that you comb/detangle your hair before brushing
it. Also, you might first fingercomb your hair before you even
start combing it to avoid too much pulling and tugging.
Watch for my next article, "Natural Hair Growth Recipes" and, in
the meantime, take good care of your hair.