How to grow long thick hair Reddit

Do not blow dry. Do not use curling irons, curlers or anything else.
Do not use chemicals on you hair -- perms, dyes, etc.
Use as cool water as possible.
Do not shampoo daily. Try to see what the minimum you can get away with washing it without it looking dirty.

Get your hair trimmed regularly, quarterly, to remove any uneven growth.

Do not ever brush your hair when it is wet.

Comb when wet with a lot of conditioner in it starting with a detangling comb and then use a finer toothed comb. Use the softest brush that actually works on your hair. I have long, straight thick hair and use this brush from France, the only kind that works with my hair without tearing it.

Brush from the bottom of the hair up to detangle, never starting from the scalp down.

Taking Omega 3 fatty acids may improve the shine and overall appearance of your hair, as may taking evening primrose oil or borage oil.

If you are hypothyroid, it's going to be hard for your hair to look good, since it causes hair loss and poor growth.

Hormonal swings can also cause you to lose large amounts of hair.

Leave your hair alone and it will grow- that was my secret. Don't fuss with it too much, wash it too much, cut it too much, or style it too much. I have straight, fine (small strands), but thick (lots of strands) hair that is currently hip length- and I initially grew it from APL to to waist length by accident. I was living a lifestyle where my hair was always either up in a bun during the day or braided at night. I washed it 2-3 times a week because I was busy and because my sensitive skin doesn't like daily showers. I didn't go to a salon for 3+ years because I lived in a tiny rural town where the only option within a 45 minute drive was supercuts (I did occasionally snip off the last inch of my braid if the hair was feeling dry and crunchy). I occasionally noticed my braid took longer to do or my bun needed more wraps but didn't really pay attention and just got on with my life. I didn't realize how long my hair had gotten till I went on vacation, wore it down, and had to pull it out from under the waistband of my jeans when I got dressed.

Ironically, I'd spent most of my 20s trying to grow my hair past armpit length and failing- it wasn't till I was in my mid 30s and reduced my hair based tasks to a bare minimum that I managed to have long and healthy hair. This might not be true for all hair types, but it's certainly worked well for me.

Posted by2 years ago

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Over the quarantine I've tried to grow out my hair. I've been taking better care of it - no heat, washing less, Iv'e only gotten highlights once in this past summer, using better quality products. However recently, I've had to cut a significant amount of hair and I feel like I've had no progress over the entire year :( Does anyone have any tips on growing hair long? I would appreciate it!

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level 1

Braid your hair at night, sleep on a silk pillowcase

level 1

Your diet and health are your hair. Shampoos, conditioner and topical products maintaining hair. What you eat is your hair. Put a balance of good proteins, carbs and veggies. Oh yes, and keep the ends trimmed regularly. Trims kept ends from splitting and causing damage that can travel back up the strand. Reduce chemical and sun exposure as both can cause damage to strand. Brush hair with natural brush and keep bound when sleeping. Truly hair is your health and self care.

level 2

So true!! Your diet and health are your hair.

level 1

Try doing oil treatments before a wash or hair masks every once in a while. That really helped me. Really massage the scalp when you wash, and also try doing an apple cider vinegar rinse (a cup with a little bit of ACV and the rest filled with water) after you condition.

level 2

I've been using the Oribe oil for my ends. That's interesting, I've also been doing some research about sulphates and apparently sulphate shampoos clean the hair a lot better and get rid of all the build up from products while sulphate free shampoos do not.

level 2

I've heard about this, I'll try the sink technique.

level 1

Condition your hair after washing. Make sure you're not washing in hard water- that leads to breakage. Keep stress at a minimum. Sleep with a satin bonnet/ satin pillowcase.

I've found Vitamin D and Omega 3 to be the most effective for my hair and scalp. Biotin only strengthens my nails and makes my skin oily. Also, scalp massages with peppermint can stimulate hair growth.

level 1

I’m never able to grow my hair past a certain point if I’m getting it colored. Adding blonde into your hair is especially tough on your strands. I stopped getting color put in before covid hit and my hair has been growing faster than ever, and way beyond the maximum length it used to ever be able to get to.

I also use a deep conditioner 1-2x a week, and olaplex no 3 is a life saver - especially so if you get color in your hair. Eating well, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of fruits & veggies in is also a huge factor!

level 2

I agree! especially about the color! I use to have so much hair before I went blonde. Do you think I could still grow my hair if I go dark blonde, for example Gigi Hadid 's color. and only color once, maybe twice a year? I'm trying to decide if I should just go back to my natural hair color.

level 1

Gentle handling and brushing (from tips of hair to the roots)

Regular trims (using hair shears not scissors)

Satin pillow case or satin hair cover for sleep

Minimal heat

Make sure you're eating enough and don't have an iron deficiency (be careful with supplementing iron, only do so on doctor recommendation)

level 1

Eat healthy drink plenty of water , you are what you eat!! When washing your hair, massage your scalp to stimulate the blood cells. Keep your scalp clean , if your hair looks greasy wash your hair, a scalp full of bacteria will effect new growth. And get regular trims , even just a microtrim at the ends, this stops split ends going up the shaft.

level 1

For me, the key to healthy, seemingly fast growth is a regular trim.

How long had it been since you had a haircut? If it was a long time, you may have lost just as much off the ends as if you'd had regular trims.

Stylists always told me every 6 weeks, but I think that's too often (for me), and I never saw progress. Now I try to go every ~12 weeks, and that seems to be the sweet spot. I see tons of growth and my hair looks better than ever.

level 2

Thank you! yes, last year I only cut my hair once, this year I've already had two trims. I went for a trim last week and my hair stylist said I don't have many split ends, just dry ends. I'm going to try to go every 3 months as well and cut about half an inch.

level 1

I take the hair, skin, & nails multi vitamin and it makes my nails grow like crazy so I assume they do something for my hair as well, just less noticeable. Also prenatal vitamins might be an option!

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