Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Make my hair grow........

Having my Cosmetology license I am occasionally asked questions about hair. It was requested I answer questions on my blog regarding hair so I will try. Here is the first. I was recently asked by Cardine the following question:

"I was wondering if you would address hair growth? I am trying to grow out my hair to give it to Locks of Love. I want it to be long enough for them to make wigs, but I also don't want my hair to be very short after I cut it. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to help my hair grow fast and healthy?"

I am sorry to burst your bubble, but no. There is nothing you can do to make your hair grow faster. Hair growth is basically determined by your genes. As much as you try and no matter what you hear, if you hair only grows 1/8th of an inch a month, then your hair only grows an 1/8th of an inch a month. 1/2 and inch, then a 1/2 an inch and so forth. Many people think taking prenatal vitamins will help hair growth, but the change in hair growth during pregnancy is not due to the prenatal vitamins but rather it is due to hormonal changes taking place in the body so taking prenatal vitamins really aren’t going to help your cause. Health and stress are also 2 major components in the health of your hair. Being ill for long periods of time can cause hair to be lifeless and dull. There may even be times of hair loss or delay in growth due to sickness. Also different people are able to grow their hair to different lengths. Some will never be able to grow their hair past a certain length no matter what they do. Just as hair grows at different speeds, hair also can grow to different lengths. Though some may try to grow it longer, all the hair won't necessarily grow so the ends can be thin and lifeless.
There are probably many things you can do to affect how healthy your hair is. Here are a few I could think of.

One, Use heating tools such as hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron as little as possible. If using these tools is a must, use them on the lowest heat setting possible that will work with your hair.


Two, Taking a multivitamin (not prenatal). Though this will not increase hair growth, it will make the new hair growing more healthy and strong to be able to withstand the torture we put our hair through.

Third, Use good product that works well with your hair. If you hair is thick, coarse, flyaway, please do not use a Volumizing shampoo and conditioner. Your hair will go crazy. Volumizing conditioner has a very light base so the hair is not weighed down. Use the kind that is made for your hair type.

Fourth, Get a trim every 10 to 12 weeks. ¼ to ½ inch should suffice. Just enough to snip off the split ends before they get worse leaving long smooth edges.

Fifth, Scalp massage!!! Not only is this good for your hair, but wow does it feel good. This can promote good circulation to the scalp providing nourishment to the papilla where the hair begins.

Sixth, Do not comb you hair while wet. Doing so can cause stretching and breaking of the hair shaft. Use a pick or wide tooth comb.

A very good cause to want to contribute to Cardine. Your hair is beautiful by the way and will make a very pretty wig for someone in need. I hope this helped a little. I will try to get better as I go along. Thanks for the patience.
If you have anymore questions, please email them to me or post them in the comment section. I will try and answer them.

4 comments:

julie said...

Great tips! I am so lazy that I always put off getting a trim. In fact, I never get a trim. I only cut my hair when I'm ready to do something drastic. Maybe I'll try getting regular trims and see if that helps my hair look better when it gets long. Thanks!!

Cardine said...

My bubble is burst. My genes are just failing me all over the place. :) I do need to take multi-vitamins. That is one of my new year's resolutions. Also, I should comb my hair with a wide-toothed comb. These are all very good suggestions. Thanks for answering my questions!

Linds said...

are you offering scalp massages?? that sounds lovely :)

JanD said...

Awesome tips and information, my favorite hair dresser. I especially liked the volumizing hair products comment--I just imagined this huge bu font from the 80's!

You are amazing!