The Ultimate Guide to Growing Hair

I’m excited to share with you everything I know about how to grow hair long and thick.

Growing hair super long has been a hobby and passion of mine for most of my life. I’m not sure why I love long hair but I really do. I saw Crystal Gayle as a child with her hair sweeping the floor behind her and I was in love. I dealt with a lot of issues around growing my hair before I started really going for it. Now I’m on my way to at least knee length! My hair right now is 47 inches (July 2020), which is three inches above my knees.

So here I am gathering everything I know about how to grow hair super long (and it will be helpful even if you just want to grow a little bit more!) First is this video which is an overview of my philosophy on hair growth. Then more details will follow.

HOW FAR CAN YOU GROW HAIR?

If you never cut your hair, would it keep growing forever? Since very few people in our modern world try, you might not know that your hair has a terminal length. Different hair on different parts of your body and on different animals all have a length that they are predetermined to reach. That’s why the hair on your eyebrows will never grow as long as the hair on top of your head.

How long is terminal length for the hair on top of your head? It’s different for everyone. Factors like ethnicity and genetics do come into play. It is generally thought that Asian hair grows the longest and African hair grows the shortest, but that’s mostly based on old wives tales and observation. In reality, pictures from just one hundred years ago show European women with hair to their ankles and African women can have very long hair too especially when you stretch out the curls! You won’t know what your terminal length is until you start trying to grow hair all the way out.

You might think you’ve reached terminal length long before you actually do, though. If your hair has been damaged, it might appear to stop growing because it is too delicate and is breaking off before it can reach its full potential.

If exceptionally long hair is a goal for you, don’t give up when the growth appears to stop. Follow whichever principles in this article make sense to you, try out some different techniques from the various sections, and you’ll almost certainly see some gain in your length.

If you have long hair, but the ends are almost see-through, the tips in this article can help you thicken your hemline and get your hair looking healthier.
If you just want your hair, whatever length it is, to be stronger and healthier, than the ideas in this article can help you achieve that as well.

HAIR LENGTHS AND ACRONYMS

Here is a chart that shows the various lengths and the acronyms that people use when speaking about growing hair. (In case it isn’t clear, “classic” is where the top of the legs meets the butt)

PRINCIPLES OF HAIR CARE ​

There are a lot of different techniques you can try out to grow hair. It can be overwhelming to see all the choices and you might wonder where to start. If you’ve never approached taking better care of your hair, this section will give you the real basics.

The most important thing is to be gentle with your hair. It is made up of dead cells, so it cannot regenerate (besides growing new length from the scalp). For the most part, any damage you do to your length is not going to be repaired. If you want to grow your hair long, you’ll need to treat it with care.

This means detangling gently, avoiding anything that can snag your hair (even elastics, traditional clips, and bobbi pins…more on safe hair accessories later), and minimizing the amount of heat that you use in styling (ideally none).

Doing just these things can get you pretty far and people call this the “benign neglect” method of hair growing. It means that you’re not doing anything fancy, unusual, or time-consuming, but you’re just doing your best to avoid damage without stressing over it.

If you’ve got the determination and the desire to put more work into your hair, there are many more things you can try, though!

Remember that everyone’s hair is different and so things that work for my hair will not necessarily work for your hair. This article covers every tip, technique, or method I have found in my research on how to grow your hair long and you can try out any or all of them and find what works best for your hair.

As I learned in seventh grade science class, it’s a good idea to only make one change at a time and wait to see the result before making more changes. That way you’ll know exactly what works best for your hair. (And not be putting time, energy, and money into something that is not actually giving you a benefit!)

WASHING ​

How do you wash your hair? Do you get in the shower every single morning, lather up your shampoo and violently rub it over your scalp, gathering all your hair on top of your head? You might think there’s pretty much one way to wash hair, but it turns out that you’ve got a lot of different options. This common method of hair washing leads to a lot of damage. Shampoos are harsh on the hair, not to mention the tangling and breakage of scrubbing it in.

Did you know that shampoo is not for your length? It is meant for your scalp. When using shampoo focus it only on your scalp and not getting it all the way down your length.

Stretching Washes

You might clean your body every day, but it’s not usually a good idea to clean your hair every day. Your scalp produces natural oils that help make your hair soft, strong, and shiny.

When you wash with shampoo every day, you are stripping away those oils and not allowing them the chance to do their work.

Some people I know stretch the time between washing their hair to a week or even two. Even if all you can do at first is wash every other day or every third day, that will still help your hair a lot. Start experimenting with how long you can go before your hair feels unclean to you. I go a week between washings and I don’t find my hair to be greasy.

Something that can help you start stretching washes is to use dry shampoo in between, such as this one.

Some people say that it takes time for your scalp to adjust to less washing so at first you may find your hair to be too greasy but if you can hold on it is worth giving it about six weeks to see if your scalp slows down on producing those oils.

If your hair and scalp still don’t seem to be liking it after six weeks then go back to washing more frequently. You have to do what works best for you and your hair!

What Are Cones?

“Cones” are a short hand way to refer to silicone additives in shampoos and conditioners. Take a look at the products you use now and read the ingredients list. Anything that ends in “–cone” is a silicone.

Are they bad for your hair? Not necessarily. This is one of those things that will depend a lot on your individual hair. For many people’s hair, though, cones mask damage rather than leading to actually healthy hair. Silicone build up in hair is the main reason why there are “clarifying” shampoos.

It’s worth experimenting with different shampoos and conditioners to see whether your hair likes or hates cones. To get a good sense of it, you should go at least two months without cones in order for your hair to fully get back to its pre-silicone state. From there you can see whether silicone helps or hurts your hair.

The majority of products automatically have cones in them. Some of the products that don’t are Suave Naturals, White Rain, Giovanni, VO5. But many companies have some lines with cones and others without, so always read the ingredients list.

The shampoo and conditioner that I use is customized for my hair and there is an option to have it without silicones. I’m personally still using silicones. You can see more about the products I’m using in my review here: Good Shampoo Is Worth It

No Poo

This means no shampoo. How is that possible? Isn’t shampoo essential for clean hair? Not necessarily. Because shampoos are often so harsh some people have found other methods of getting their hair clean.

I am not an expert on no-poo. I know that it involves cleaning the scalp mechanically instead of with soaps. So you would learn a process for using your fingers or combs to move oils and grit away from your scalp.

In the shower you would rinse your hair with warm water and use your fingers (not your nails) to vigorously dislodge particles and grit. Once you’ve dried (see the Drying section) and detangled your hair, use a stiff boar bristle brush (see the Brushing section) to move the sebum (oils) down the hair shaft. Use long strokes all the way from the scalp down to the ends.

As mentioned earlier, the scalp produces an oil (called sebum) that excessive shampooing will wash out of your hair. The scalp will respond by creating more and a cycle of overproduction of oils is created. Those who do water-only recommend doing it for six weeks before you decide if it’s working for you. That’s about how long it should take for your scalp to adjust to a more natural level of sebum production.

You can get lots more details at the r/nopoo subreddit. Read the overview at the top-it’s super interesting!

Conditioner Only

A variation on no-poo, some people still use conditioner. You use a cone-free conditioner and put a lot on your length. Put it under a showercap while you do other shower stuff. Then rinse it out very well.

Then some people will put conditioner on first, then shampoo, then conditioner again. I believe the idea is that your length is protected by the conditioner when the shampoo is used.

Rinses​

There are various things that you can rinse your hair with in the shower, depending on what effect you would like.

COLD WATER

Many hair gurus suggest that giving your hair a final rinse in cold water helps to close the hair shaft that has opened because of heat. This is said to “lock down” the hair and make it shinier. It’s unclear if it really works but it’s something you may want to try.

VINEGAR

One way to condition without using products is to rinse with vinegar. Most people suggest Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). You would mix 1 tsp. of ACV to 1 cup of warm water and pour over your scalp, massaging and then rinsing out. This is said to create great shine. It is also a way to “clarify” your hair and get rid of build-up (I do an ACV rinse at the end of washing)

HONEY

When you finish with the conditioner rub about a TBS between wet palms until it is no longer sticky and then rub it over the ends of your hair (going only in the direction of the hair). Rinse out briefly, then end your shower. It can make ends softer and more manageable.

You’ll see in a later section that honey is also used for lightening hair and so that’s something to be cautious of.

DRYING

Using Heat

For a long time we’ve all believed that heat is the worst evil for your hair. But recently there was a paper that came out showing that wet hair is so vulnerable that the most important thing is to get it dry as quickly as you can. They suggest using the lowest heat setting on a blow dryer.

I always knew wet hair was delicate but I didn’t know to that extent. But I still am not using heat to dry my hair. Most long hair fanatics such as myself will agree that heat drying is still a bad idea when trying to keep hair as healthy as possible.

Also, hair that is over dried is also vulnerable to breakage and becoming brittle so if using a hair dryer be cautious not to over do it.

T-shirt, Bamboo, or Microfiber Towel

Clearly getting your hair dry quickly is important so it’s good to use something that is very absorbent and also soft and gentle for your hair.

You can use a soft cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel, but don’t rub your hair roughly. Blot it gently and try to get as much wetness out as you can.

This soft bamboo hair towel is a great option too!

• Speeds up drying time (some say as much as cutting the time in half!)
• Lessens drying damage to hair
• Stretchy fabric fits even long, thick hair comfortably
• Made from bamboo, sustainable, earth-friendly, grows very quickly, does not require pesticides & is an anti-bacterial fabric

You can finish with air drying or heat drying, whichever you prefer.

OILING

Oiling the ends of your hair, or even up the length, is a way to pamper dry hair and protect delicate ends. This has been a tradition in India for hundreds of years.

Indian Hair Oiling

Traditionally Indian ladies use a lot of oils in their hair. It gives them incredible lustre but not all hair can handle that amount of oil. Try sesame oil in the winter and coconut oil in the summer and you can get hair oil mixtures with herbs like hibiscus, amalaki, bhringrah, and brahmi. Saturate your hair the night before washing and massasge your scalp thoroughly. More details in this article.

African Hair Oiling

Black ladies have discovered that different oils are better for different things. They fall into two basic categories: sealing oils and moisturizing oils. Moisturizing oils penetrate the hair shaft and sealing oils rest on the top, sealing in moisture and shine. You can get more information on using them in this article.

Another method of using oil is to put it on your scalp. First you would heat oil by placing it in a small metal bowl within a larger bowl of hot water (heating oil over direct heat breaks it down in ways that make it not helpful to hair). Once the oil is warm, dab a cotton ball in it and apply by massaging into your scalp. Follow this with a steaming (see next section), then rinse with slightly warm, but not hot, water.

DEEP CONDITIONING

It’s recommended to do a more intensive conditioning treatment every so often, maybe once a month. This is more than just conditioning in the shower, this would be putting a mixture on your hair and leaving it for a few hours before rinsing out.

Steaming​

Some believe that the pores in your scalp can become clogged, slowing or stopping hair growth. They suggest a steam treatment to solve this. There are theories that it also helps bring more blood flow to the scalp, which could help with production of new hair growth.

One method of steaming is to dip a towel into hot water, squeeze out excess moisture, and wrap the damp towel around your hair, leaving it on for several minutes, repeat up to three times.

Hair Masks

Some people use hair masks only on occasion and others do it very regularly, especially if they are following a capillary schedule. I have not tried a capillary schedule and I haven’t felt the need for masks since using a high quality shampoo and conditioner.

There are lots of different everyday ingredients you could use to condition your hair! Here are some of the things you can mix to create your own deep conditioner:

Mayonnaise
Olive Oil
Avocado
Honey
Coconut Milk
Banana
Strawberries (good for moisture without adding grease)

See which ones your hair seems to like. Some people have a lack of protein and need more of it on their hair, but other people’s hair prefers less protein and so some of these ingredients would work well for one and not the other. Usually hair either needs more protein or it needs more moisture.

SMT

Snowymoon’s Moisture Treatment is a homemade deep conditioner that many people use. I found the recipe and instructions here.

“1 part Fave conditioner (must be moisture), mine is VO5-Sun Kissed Raspberry.

1/4 part honey

1/4 part clear aloe vera gel (I use Fruit of the Earth).

Place in a cup and warm in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds — just until warm. Wash hair and squeeze out excess, blot dry, leave in under heat cap, warm towels or shower cap, what have you, for an hour or so. Rinse well. Finish (add leave-in if you do so) and style as usual”

(http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128)

DETANGLING/BRUSHING/COMBING

Brushing is a time to be extremely gentle with your hair. Untangle from the bottom up and do so very carefully.

There are several different brushes and combs that you could use (and combinations of them). It’s good to have a wide-toothed comb for detangling. This means the teeth are far apart. Also make sure there are no seams if it is plastic since that could tear your hair.

You want to detangle very gently moving from the bottom of your hair up.

If you can it’s best not to comb or brush wet, since hair is so delicate then. However many people with curly hair find it necessary to only brush wet and there are “wet brushes” designed for it.

A natural bristle brush such as a boar bristle brush is very popular. For me I find the bristles are not well suited to getting through my hair.

I just started using a TEK wooden brush. It’s expensive, but it’s also amazing. My husband was skeptical but now he steals it for his shoulder length hair and says he never wants to use another brush ever! It is strong enough to get through hair but has enough give to not tear it. The wood is incredibly smooth and the whole experience is lovely.

I know a number of people who love the tangle teaser. This is a plastic brush that looks a bit like a horse-brushing brush. It has plastic teeth, but the website claims that it detangles hair safely without any tearing. I know at least one person with classic length hair who swears by this method of brushing. I haven’t had much luck with it myself. I think the teeth are too short to get through my hair.

Here’s some more information about brushes from one of my favorite youtubers:

SLEEPING

While you’re sleeping your hair is getting mussed and rubbed against the cloth of your pillow case. If your hair is very long, you might also be rolling onto it and getting yourself tangled up. A lot of people see good results from making sure that what their hair is rubbing against at night is smoother than cotton. Satin or silk is the most popular choice.

Satin or silk pillowcase

I tried a satin pillowcase with my hair braided at night, but for me I didn’t see much result. I tend to toss and turn a lot while I sleep and my hair was still getting rubbed and frizzing. Some people find that a satin pillowcase is all they need for smoother morning hair and that’s great because it’s not as weird looking as wearing the sleeping cap!

Satin or silk sleep cap

A satin sleep cap is what I’m using now. I bun my hair and then put on my sleeping cap. It’s made a huge difference in the smoothness of my hair! This is something I absolutely swear by.

IS HAIR UP OR HAIR DOWN BETTER FOR HAIR GROWTH?

People have been catching on recently that wearing your hair in a tight ponytail everyday can cause tension alopecia (loss of hair around the hairline from the pulling) and breakage from the elastic. They naturally conclude that wearing hair down is the safest choice.

That is far from the truth, though.

Wearing hair down exposes it to a lot of mechanical damage. Friction from rubbing against clothing, tangles from the wind, exposure to elements, getting caught on seat belts or purse straps.

The ideal is to wear your hair up in safe and gentle “protective” styles. I wear my hair up 99% of the time. And I know so many beautiful styles that it’s great fun. (Plus the few times I do wear it down I get to stun everyone who didn’t realize just how long it is!)

But be reasonable about it. You want to enjoy your hair so be aware of sources of mechanical damage but still wear your hair down when you want to. Just know it will help it’s growth if you wear it up in protective styles most of the time.

Visit my Youtube channel for lots of tutorials!

GROW HAIR “SINS”

It is my belief that in order to enjoy life and our hair we shouldn’t be too strict and do everything exactly as suggested all the time. When you are mostly good with your hair then you can get away with something not considered good for hair without stopping your hair growth.

So in my opinion choose one of the hair sins that makes you happy, whether that’s dying your hair (I do!), heat styling, or washing every day.

SAFER HAIR DYING

I went gray at twenty years old and I was not okay with leaving it that way. Some people embrace their grays, but I wasn’t prepared to do that (especially since my mother dyes her hair back to its natural black!).

For several years I was using boxed dye to get my hair black again. When my mother realized I was dying it every three weeks or so with chemicals, she was concerned about my health. I had become consumed with growing my hair longer and feared that all this chemical processing was doing damage to it. So, for both reasons, I went looking for another method.

I did henna for a few years but I have since gone back to the box dyes because they are simpler and easier to use. I have not experienced any bad effects from it for my health or my hair’s length (and it’s been about 18 years of dying).

HENNA

For those that don’t know, this is the same thing that is used to make decorative patterns on the hands of Indian brides (mendhi). While it temporarily dyes skin, it permanently dyes hair.

The process of dying my hair with henna is more intensive than a boxed dyes. Henna strengthens hair and gives it a gorgeous red/auburn shade but it can also be drying. If you don’t want red hair, you can add other powders to change the color. Indigo is used to make black hair dye (instructions following).

For the first time you are hennaing, you will probably want 200–400 grams (400 if you have nearly waist length hair) to cover your full length. After that with touchups you can use 100 grams or even less. Make sure to buy body quality henna.

Mix the powder with just enough warm water to make a loose paste. Add a splash of lemon juice (the acid helps bond the dye to your hair). You can add other things as well, if you’d like. I usually add conditioner because henna can be drying.

Leave the mixture alone for several hours so the dye can “release.” This usually takes about four hours, but the longer you leave it, the better.

When you come back, the paste might have become more stiff. You can add a little warm water if you need to to get it to the consistency of cake batter.

It’s a good idea to use gloves when spreading it on your hair and take care to wipe away any that gets on your skin immediately. Not because it is dangerous but because it will dye your skin orange! Henna dye on skin often lasts weeks. You can also put oil or lotion along your hairline to prevent any stray dye from sinking in.

Spread the henna on your hair and carefully place in a plastic grocery bag and then cover in a towel or shower cap. You need to leave it on your hair for several hours. I usually sleep in it and rinse out in the morning, but if you can’t do that, leave it on for at least two hours.

Rinse out very well. If you’re going to shampoo or condition, wait until you’ve gotten out as much of the henna as possible first.

If you want to add indigo, you can mix it into the henna for a brown shade, or do it separately afterwards to get black.

If you’re using it after henna, mix indigo with water until it forms a paste and then put on your hair immediately. There is no waiting for dye release with indigo. Wrap your head again and wait for one hour, then rinse out. Indigo can have a greenish tinge at first, but that will fade. Also, indigo itself will fade where the red henna under it will not, so you may need touchups.

(For much more information on dying hair with henna, visit http://www.hennaforhair.com) Note: I tried black henna hair dye from LUSH and had no results from it. I couldn’t make it work.

Be very cautious when buying henna. Some henna powders are mixed with harsh ingredients that can cause allergic reactions.

HONEY OR LEMON FOR LIGHTENING

Apparently honey has some natural hydrogen peroxide in it and so it can lighten your hair. To give this a try, mix honey with distilled water at a 4 to 1 ratio and apply to your hair. Put on a shower cap for one hour, then rinse out. This is a slow process and will have to be done several times before you see an effect. (Information from http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/hair_color/honey-hair-lightening-fact-or-fiction)

Lemon juice has been used as a lightening agent for generations now. This requires the use of sunlight to activate the lightening. I’m not sure how safe or gentle this is for your hair, though, as the lightening is caused by the acid in lemon juice stripping the natural color from your hair. Lemon juice can also be very drying.

To try it, dilute the juice of lemons in water and pour it over your hair. Sit in the sun for a couple of hours and then rinse out. If you don’t dilute, you could get a more orange color than blonde.

I have never tried either of these methods. You can test out how your hair will react to these methods by taking some of the hairs in your comb or brush and doing the treatments on them first. That way you’ll be sure you’re getting the effect that you want!

TEA RINSES

You can darken your hair with black tea. Prepare a pot of very strong black tea with loose leaf (if possible). Let the pot simmer until most of the water has evaporated, then strain out the tea leaves and put the remaining liquid into an applicator bottle. Spread over your hair as though it were a commercial dye and leave in your hair for at least an hour. Rinse your hair with cool water and do not shampoo for at least 24 hours. You can repeat this as often as needed to get the color you want. (Instructions from http://www.sophisticatededge.com/black-tea-to-dye-hair.html). The site also recommends adding sage to the tea to help open the hair shaft. I haven’t tried this one yet but I would like to try it to extend the time between dyes.

VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Hair is built from protein, so it makes sense that good nutrition will help grow your hair stronger and longer. Most of the tips in this post are for the outside, but it’s important to look at hair from the inside as well.

Make sure that you’re getting good nutrition. For hair growth the most important elements are protein, iron, and B vitamins like biotin.

I would take a multivitamin and check with a doctor if you think you might be deficient in iron or biotin. Getting blood work done is an excellent idea.

BIOTIN

There are those who take mega overdoses of biotin to help hair growth, but that’s a dangerous route to take.

Overdosing on anything can have dire consequences for your body, so definitely check with a doctor before deciding to take mega doses of any vitamins or supplements. Biotin can interfere with your body’s hormones.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH

DE is a powder made of fossilized algae. It is often used as a natural method of bug control in homes, but some people also use food-grade DE as a supplement for hair growth. They will mix about a TBS of it into a smoothie or other drink once a day and I’ve heard people say it produces great results.

I am not willing to try this one. It seems dangerous to me to be consuming something that’s basically a form of rocks and isn’t something generally eaten by humans. It is unclear how it would help hair. I believe people who fed it to their pets to avoid fleas noticed an improvement in the pet’s fur and started taking it themselves.

I would urge extreme caution before trying something like this. Check with a doctor before consuming DE.

MOLASSES

Molasses is said to be good for hair and I have been known to eat a TBS of it now and then. I do it so infrequently that I can’t say if it has a noticeable effect. Dark molasses is supposed to be very rich in good vitamins and minerals.

Honey is often used the same way, by eating a TBS a day.

TRIMMING TO GROW YOUR HAIR — IS IT NEEDED?

You’ve almost certainly heard someone tell you that you must get your hair trimmed in order for it to grow. This sounds crazy at first, but the logic is that split ends will travel up the length of your hair and ruin it, so they must be trimmed out immediately. However, there are other ways to deal with split ends. Also, not everyone is prone to split ends at all.

The ends of your hair are dead cells, so the damage there is not going to affect growth except if the hair breaks off prematurely. However, some people swear that trims do help their hair to grow more quickly. Others find that trims are completely unnecessary. So no matter how much you hear that you must trim your hair if you want it to grow long, discover for yourself whether or not that is true for your hair.

Personally I don’t trim and haven’t tried anything for split ends until just a couple months ago. So I don’t find that split ends inhibit my growth. Now I’m doing the S+D because it’s very relaxing and it makes my hair smoother and softer.

S+D

This stands for “search and destroy” and is a method that people use to get rid of split ends without losing length. This requires a lot of patience, but it’s also very relaxing. I enjoy doing it as a form of self-care.

What you would be doing is sitting under a very bright light, perhaps with a magnifying mirror and a pair of very sharp scissors that have never been used for anything else. You will be looking at each individual hair, hunting for split ends, and cutting that hair right above the split.

MICRO TRIMS

To avoid losing the precious length that you’re growing you can trim very, very tiny amounts. Hair grows about half an inch a month (often less in the winter if you live in a cold climate), so you might trim a quarter of an inch every two months.

While I prefer a thick and even hemline over what is sometimes called “fairytale ends” I’m prioritizing length right now. Fairytale ends are when your hair grows naturally for long enough that the ends are at all different lengths and often thinner than the bulk of your hair.

On the very rare occasions that I trim, I do my own hair for fear that hairdressers will take too much. I use a method called FeFe’s Self Trim.

When I reach my goal of knee length I plan to start trimming more frequently to thicken my hem before deciding if I want to grow longer.

HAIR GROWING METHODS PEOPLE SWEAR BY

Onion Juice To Grow Hair

This method of growing hair is a new one to me. I’ve started hearing a lot of people asking about onion juice and how it might be used to grow hair. Onions have some good nutrients that are said to be good for our scalps and follicles.

What you would do is peel a red onion, chop and then blend in a blender with water or organic coconut oil. Then strain the mixture with a cheesecloth, squeezing to extract the juice. Put it on your scalp with an applicator bottle or spray bottle on wash day. (It will smell like onion until you wash it out!) Massage it into your scalp (feel free to use a scalp massage tool) and then spread it down your length as well. Leave on for an hour and then rinse out with lukewarm water and wash your hair.

Here is a small study about onion juice to help alopecia.

Subliminal Hair Growing

Listening to music overnight with certain frequencies that are supposed to somehow be connected with how things in nature grow as well as affirmations that are hidden in there. This seems pretty wacky to me, but no harm in trying it!

BeautyKLove tests subliminal hair growth

Rice Water

What is rice water? It’s the water left behind when you rinse rice and it is has been used to strengthen and grow hair for centuries in Asia.

THE REAL WAY to do the Rice Water Hair Rinse | Yao Women’s Recipe

Inversion Method

This involves doing scalp massages with your head upside down. The theory is that increased blood flow to your scalp will help grow your hair.

You would only do it for one week out of each month. (They say your scalp would “get used to it” otherwise).

I’ve tried it a few times and found a subtle improvement. One friend told me that she sees more results the next month so if you test it out you should try it for a few months. I usually get the standard 1/2 inch a month but I got one inch last month. So I need to test a little more to see if that was a fluke.

Monistat

This is one of the stranger things I’ve tried on my hair growth journey. Monistat is an anti-fungal cream meant for more….sensitive…areas. There’s a theory that your scalp could have an unknown fungal infection that is stunting your growth. So you mix monistat and a little water and rub it into your scalp. Some people also say it reduces itchiness. The whole thing is pretty far fetched and I did not experience any benefit from it.

Moon Schedule

This one does assume that trimming hair is good for growth, which I’m not sold on. And it irks me when someone says “dead ends” because all hair is dead. But some people believe that trimming your hair based on moon cycles will help with growth. Here is the article with an overview.

Aloe Vera

I’ve been using aloe vera on occasion as a gel to tame fly aways and baby hairs but some people are using it as a moisturizing hair mask and claiming great results.

Beer Rinse

Some believe that the protein in beer helps to strengthen and rebuild hair. Others say that a beer rinse gives the hair moisture and softens tough hair. I haven’t done this one yet but only because there’s never alcohol in my house! Someday I’m going to give it a try.

You’ll want to use a flat beer and one without much odor (well, that’s up to you, maybe smelling like beer would be a good thing!). Wash your hair as usual and then pour the flat beer over it, working it through your length. Rinse it out with warm but not hot water.

I hope that this post has given you some new ideas and things to try to inspire you to grow your hair! I know how much joy my long hair gives me and I want you to have that same joy. It’s a wonderful thing when you love your hair!

You can do everything in the article or just pick and choose a couple new things to try. Even changing one thing can help your hair look healthier and happier.

Once you fall down this rabbit hole, it can be lots of fun to try the kookiest hair growth methods and learn complicated updos that make people wish they had hair like yours!

Find me around the web at https://linktr.ee/LongHairCarolyn

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