Table of contents:
- Hair growth process
- Factors that make long hair fast
- How to lengthen hair naturally
- 1. Meet the body's nutritional intake
- 2. Do not shampoo every day
- 3. Routinely cut the ends of the hair
- 4. Use hair essential oils
- 5. Frequently massaging the scalp
- 6. Limit the use of tools that damage hair
Healthy hair is everyone's dream. Unfortunately, the process of lengthening hair is not as fast as growing nails. The good news is, there are tons of natural ways to lengthen your hair that you can try without having to go to a salon. Curious?
Hair growth process
Before trying various natural ways to lengthen hair, it helps to identify how the growth cycle is first. The hair growth cycle consists of three parts, namely anagen, catagen, and telogen.
Anagen is the phase when hair growth occurs actively and can take years. However, how long this anagen phase lasts actually depends on genetic factors.
After that, the hair stops growing and separates from its follicles, which are the structures under the skin that hold the hair in place. Phase called catagen this can happen for about 10 days.
When the catagen phase is over, the hair follicles will rest for two to three months, then hair falls out (telogen). The next anagen phase begins when new hair grows in the same follicle.
Normally, you will lose 50 - 100 hairs per day during this cycle. If the hair growth cycle is interrupted or the follicles are damaged, hair will fall out more rapidly. As a result, hair becomes thinner.
Each person can actually grow about 15 cm of hair per year. However, there will be differences in the speed at which hair grows for each person.
For example, male and female hair growth will be different. Women seem easier to lengthen their hair and do not take a long time. Unlike men who have to wait longer for longer hair.
Factors that make long hair fast
Now, after knowing how the hair growth cycle is, it's good to recognize what factors can grow hair fast. Anything?
- Hormones, namely gonadotropin, androgen, and thyroid hormones.
- Food because it can affect bodily functions, including hair growth.
- How to care for hair.
- Genetic factors.
How to lengthen hair naturally
Some of the factors above can be controlled and some are not. For those of you who want to quickly lengthen your hair, especially in a natural way without having to go to a salon, follow some of the tips below.
1. Meet the body's nutritional intake
One of the easiest natural ways to lengthen hair is to meet the body's nutritional intake. The intake you eat and drink has a big influence on the hair growth process.
That is why, a healthy and nutritious diet is also important for hair health. Try to avoid diets that reduce the intake of needed nutrients.
If you are following a vegetarian diet, be sure to get all the protein and nutrients your body needs. In addition, you can also increase your intake of vitamins and minerals below to grow hair faster.
- Iron to prevent severe hair loss.
- Omega-3 for healthier scalp and hair.
- Pyrithione zinc to get rid of dandruff and help nourish hair.
If you are confused, you should discuss this problem with a nutritionist and a dermatologist to set the right diet so that hair grows fast.
2. Do not shampoo every day
Some people may believe that shampooing every day is one of the natural ways to lengthen hair. However, that is not the case.
Until now, it has not been proven that frequent shampooing can grow hair faster. The bad news is that frequent shampooing causes the scalp to become brittle, so the hair doesn't grow properly.
Not only that, this habit also affects the speed at which hair grows. The reason is, brittle hair can have an impact on overall hair health.
Therefore, you should wash your hair at least 2-3 days. Also, rinse your hair with cold water to soften the hair cuticles and prevent dry hair.
3. Routinely cut the ends of the hair
In contrast to shampooing, you are advised to routinely cut the ends of your hair as a natural way to thicken your hair. Why is that?
Although it doesn't have a direct impact, this method is done to keep hair healthy and avoid damage, such as split ends and breakage. You just cut the ends of the hair regularly.
4. Use hair essential oils
Did you know that essential oils for hair that are around the house can be one of the natural ways to lengthen hair?
Not only do they smell great, essential oils, such as pumpkin seed oil, can promote men's hair growth. This is evidenced by research published in Hindawi.
The study reports that giving a dose of 400 milligrams of pumpkin seed oil in capsule form helps to grow male hair. After 24 weeks, the participants who consumed pumpkin seed oil experienced a 40 percent increase in hair loss.
Apart from pumpkin seed oil, you may also want to try other types of oil, such as coconut oil and olive oil for hair care.
5. Frequently massaging the scalp
One shampooing technique that shouldn't be missed and can be a natural way to lengthen your hair is massaging the scalp. The reason is, massaging the scalp can improve blood circulation under the skin which also speeds up the hair growth process.
Although there has been no specific research on this subject, there is no way to massage the scalp when shampooing. In addition to growing hair, this method can also help you relax and make your scalp cleaner.
6. Limit the use of tools that damage hair
If you wear everyday hair dryer or hair straightener, you should limit the habit from now on. The reason is, both of these tools can affect hair growth and make it easily brittle and fall out.
In addition, chemical hair products, such as hair dyes, can also damage hair. The chemicals in hair dyes are believed to make hair weaker and break more easily, making it more difficult to lengthen.
