The truth about growing out your hair.

My hair has been just about every length except a pixie cut (and the thought has crossed my mind). For several years, I have grown my hair pretty long, then chopped it off pretty short. I actually really like my hair short. My favorite short hair cut was in February of this year. I even decided I was going to keep my hair short indefinitely. A few weeks later, I realized that my short hair was going to take some dedication to maintain. After three weeks, I already felt like I needed a trim to keep it the length and shape I loved. When you’re paying $50+ for a haircut, it adds up really fast if you get a cut once a month! My hair seemed to be growing like crazy, but I let it go because I couldn’t stomach paying another $50 just three weeks later. In May, I finally coughed up the cash and went for a second cut. This time, I wasn’t so crazy about it. Something was different, and I decided it was time to grow it out again.

 

This picture was taken in April of this year. My favorite length and style.

 

My progress:

 

My goal (or longer):

 

 

Which leads me to today’s topic: the truth about growing out your hair.

 

Let’s start with some facts.

      Hair is made of a protein called keratin. There are essentially two parts of hair: the follicle, which is in the skin, and the shaft, which is the hair that can be seen growing from the scalp. A structure called the papilla at the base of the follicle contains capillaries that provide the nourishment to the hair. The only part of the hair that is living is the bulb, which surrounds the papilla.

 

      The shaft is nonliving. It has three layers: the medulla (the core of the hair shaft), the cortex (this makes up the majority of the shaft), and the cuticle (the outer most part of the hair shaft). You can think of the cuticle as tiny scales that overlap each other like shingles.

      On average, hair on the scalp grows about 6 inches per year. There are three stages to hair growth, but they do not occur at the same time for each strand of hair. All three stages are occurring at any moment in time.

 

Anagen phase- This is the active phase when hair is actually growing. The hair on the scalp will stay in this phase anywhere between two and six years. This is what determines how long you can grow your hair. The hair on the rest of the body has much shorter anagen phases, which is why the hair is much shorter. Some people have short active phases, while others may have much longer active phases. Your genetics determine how long your hair will stay in this phase.

Catagen phase- This is a transitional phase where growth stops. It lasts two to three weeks. The outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair, forming what is called a club hair.

Telogen phase- This is the resting phase that lasts about 100 days. Anywhere between 25 and 100 hairs in the telogen phase are shed each day.

 

So what have we learned?

Your hair is already determined by genetics how long your hair will stay in the active growth phase and how quickly it will grow. There’s not much you can do to make your hair grow faster. You can only promote health of the hair that grows so that it can grow at its optimal potential. Because the shaft of the hair is dead, it cannot repair itself. Once damage is done, it’s permanent. However, there are things you can do to keep your hair healthy as you are waiting (sometimes painfully) for it to grow.

 

These are things I have learned in my experience of chopping off long locks and growing it out again that help keep hair healthy and strong.

 

1. Condition, condition, condition.

So, so important. Putting moisture back into your hair is key to keeping it healthy. Find one that works well with your hair type, and use conditioner every time you shampoo. At the moment, my favorite shampoo and conditioner are in the new L’Oreal Advanced Haircare line (in the black bottles). I’ve tried the Total Repair Extreme and the Power Moisture versions, and I love them both. I highly recommend these!

I also use a leave in conditioner every time I wash my hair. It seems like I’ve tried a million, and I have yet to find one that I “love”. I’ve tried it all from the It’s a 10 Miracle Leave In (terribly overrated in my opinion…not worth the money at all) to Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Nutrient Spray. So far, my favorite has been Aveeno’s Nourish + Condition Leave-In Treatment. It makes my hair feel softer and healthier. However, be warned that this spray can get all over the floor and make it very slippery!

 

2. Use a mask.

Again, I have tried countless hair masks. I have recently become a coconut oil convert. I was very skeptical after seeing so many links on Pinterest touting the miracle powers of coconut oil. After much researching, I have learned that there really are some studies backing up these claims, especially for treating acne. However, I really only use this as a hair mask. I bought a jar at Fresh Market for about $7. One jar should last you a pretty long time!

There are a million ways to use coconut oil as a mask. Here is how I do it:

• Scoop out about 1.5-2 tablespoons coconut oil (it is a solid at room temperature).
• Melt the oil in the microwave. I usually do about 20 seconds on high, stir it, then another 20 seconds.
• I like to section out my hair and work from the bottom sections up. After several attempts, I have found that the least messy way to work with the oil is to spoon out a small amount into your palms, rub your hands together, and work it through the ENDS ONLY of your hair (about the ears down).
• Leave it in your hair for at least thirty minutes. I like to do this when I know I won’t be going anywhere and will leave it in while I’m reading or painting my nails (or blogging!). You can also speed it up by covering your hair with a shower cap or plastic wrap and blasting it with a hair dryer for about 10-15 minutes.
• Wash it out (I normally shampoo twice) and follow up with your normal conditioner.

Note: You know how conditioner will immediately make your hair feel silky in the shower? Coconut oil will not make your hair feel like this right away. I can tell a huge difference after I’ve dried and styled my hair! Second note: When the coconut oil comes back down to room temperature, it will solidify again. To clean up, wipe out the bowl with a napkin and throw it away. Not a great idea to wash it down the sink!

Another mask I really like is the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque. The regular tub costs $33, but you can get the small travel packs for $4 if you want to try it without forking over a ton of money (this is what I did). I was able to get a good three uses out of it if not more.

 

3. Air Dry.

I realize this is not practical every day. My hair takes about half the day to be completely dry if I don’t blow dry it. Sometimes I will shower at night and let my hair air dry while I sleep. It has forced me to try new styles to work with my natural texture. I have learned lots of fun braids and twists to deal with these hair days! Check out YouTube videos for hair ideas if you are needing some inspiration.

That’s another point…play with your natural texture! Try embracing your curls or waves. On days I wear my hair curly, I use Deva Curl Light Holding Gel. I talked about it in this post. You may be surprised how much you love it and how much time it saves. Any time you can cut back on heat styling will help your hair tremendously.

 

4. Don’t wash your hair every day.

I rejected this idea for a very long time. I just knew there was no way I could skip a day washing my oily hair. Finding a dry shampoo that worked for me was a total game changer. I’ve always heard that you can “train” your hair to produce less oil if you suffer through a couple weeks of extra oily days. It actually makes sense to me, although I’m still not sure if it is true. From what I understand, your scalp produces more oil when it is stripped away by shampoo every day. The scalp compensates by producing more oil to replenish what shampoo washes away. When you start skipping days, your scalp doesn’t need so much and will eventually produce less oil. In my experience, this is true. Batiste has allowed me to skip at least one day (sometimes two) washing my hair. Think about it: if you cut back to washing your hair every other day, you are cutting the damage done to your hair in half every year! On the off days, try not to use heat styling, or use as little as possible. I normally do a half-up style or pull it all back if I just can’t wear it down.

Just try it. Give it a couple weeks.

 

5. Be gentle!

Hair is most fragile when it is wet. Use a wide tooth comb to work out any tangles while hair is wet (the leave in conditioner is a huge help here…I normally don’t have any tangles at all). I cringe any time I see a girl hastily ripping a brush through her wet hair! If you run into any tangles, dab  a little conditioner on the area and gently work the tangle out. Hair will rip and stretch very easily when it’s wet.

 

6. Supplements

This is another area where I have done a lot of research. Biotin is probably one of the most common supplements people take to help grow hair faster. It is a water soluble vitamin also known as Vitamin B7. Water soluble means that the body will flush out what is not used. There is no evidence that supports that biotin will do anything to promote hair and nail growth. Natural Standard (a natural medicine database) also shows that biotin has unclear and inconclusive data for the indication of brittle nails. It appears that biotin may only be effective if there is a true biotin deficiency (not very common). Even though there is no evidence at all to demonstrate its efficacy, I take 5,000 mcg of biotin every day. I figure if it does help, great. If it doesn’t, it will be flushed out of my body anyways.

Hair, skin, and nail vitamins contain an assortment of every day essential vitamins plus ingredients like biotin. If you are already taking an everyday multivitamin, it’s possible to take too much of certain vitamins. Make sure you read the labels, and try to find a supplement that is USP certified if you choose to take any over the counter supplements. Of course, consult your physician before starting any supplement regimen on your own!

 

7. Protect

Use a heat protector any time you use any hot tools on your hair. I have really liked Tresemme’s Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray. It dries quickly and doesn’t make my hair feel crunchy or dry. Spray through the hair before using a straightener or curling iron, brush through, and style as normal.

 

8. Hair products

Most days, the only styling product I use is a serum or hair oil like Morrocanoil Hair Treatment. This stuff has been the best I’ve found so far, but it is a bit expensive at $43 for 3.4 fluid ounces. However, one bottle has lasted me as long as 6-8 months. Frizz Ease is another budget friendly option. These products will help smooth the cuticle of the hair and will fill in any damage in the hair shaft. Keep in mind…it will only improve the appearance of the hair. It will not “fix” damaged or split ends.

 

9. Get a trim…only when you need it!

It is a huge myth that cutting your hair will make it grow faster. It is, however, important to trim your hair when you notice split ends are a problem. I don’t believe in the “every 6 weeks” rule. A scissor happy hair stylist can cut off the inch or so of hair you worked so hard to grow! If you don’t need it, don’t cut it. This time frame will be different for everyone depending on the amount of heat styling and damage. Split ends can travel up the hair shaft or break off, causing the ends to look frayed and jagged. I strongly believe that if you’re going to have long hair, it needs to look and be healthy. If the ends are obviously damaged, get a haircut to take off the fried ends. It may be difficult to say goodbye to a couple inches, but it is so necessary for healthy hair.

 

If you are trying to grow your hair like me, I hope you’ve found some helpful tips here! Keep it up! I know it’s hard to be patient.

 

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favorite tips and products to make it through this “growing out” phase?

 

My information came from Natural Standard database and this article from WebMD.

 

P.S. Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Christmas holiday!