Left: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care
By: Marty S.
For some of us, being able to grow long, beautiful hair is the dream. To have it billow in the wind and shine under the warm summer sun without a tangle or split end in sight, like you’re the star of a shampoo commercial, sounds so enchanting. In reality, though, it can be tough trying to properly grow our hair in the first place. You think it would be easy enough (just don’t cut it!), but as it turns out, there are a number of factors associated with hair growth that you may not have thought mattered.
Continue reading to learn 5 hair growth tips that will help you get results. Don’t let thin hair, brittle hair, or hair loss stop you from growing hair that is as long and beautiful as you desire.
1. Watch Your Stress
Stress can do a number of horrible things to your body, including hair thinning and hair loss. This specific type of hair loss is known as “telogen effluvium”. There are 4 phases in the lifecycle of your hair follicles: growth (anagen), transition (catagen), resting (telogen), and shedding. Under normal conditions, most of your hair follicles are actively growing while the rest are either transitioning, resting, or shedding; this is why shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. However, when you experience stress, your hair follicles are disrupted and many of them quickly transition to the resting phase. Your body is trying to preserve your hair instead of growing it, which is why hair growth stops and hair loss becomes far more likely. You won’t see the effects of stress immediately, but about 3 months after you experience huge spikes in stress, you might see clumps of your hair fall to the floor. Of course, telogen effluvium isn’t permanent; as long as you are successfully managing your stress, you are discouraging hair loss and encouraging hair growth.
"I was having lots of issues with my hair. Lots of itchiness, lots of dandruff…I heard about Apasra…I ordered oil and a shampoo. I feel the difference now. [All of my] itchiness is gone. Hair fall is almost gone…I still do have some dandruff, but I feel it is improving a lot. I definitely recommend all the hair products."
2. Make Sure Your Hair Care Products Are Free of Harsh Chemicals
There are so many harsh chemicals in many skin & hair care products on the market that you should be aware of. One of the most common is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a cheap ingredient used for many years that helps produce lather. Another common harsh chemical is parfum, which is a synthetic fragrance skin & hair care companies use to make their products smell good. The list (petrochemicals, parabens, et cetera) goes on and on.
All of these harsh chemicals can have a negative impact on your hair. In Ayurveda, harsh chemicals have a pitta (fire) nature, meaning that they can cause irritation and inflammation. With SLS, for example, although it is diluted, it can still be very harsh on your hair. Some people have noted that using SLS shampoos can cause frizziness, dryness, and a loss of hair color. Harsh chemicals, in general, are bad for hair and can lead to hair issues such as thinning hair and hair loss. Since these harsh chemicals are rampant in many hair care products and hair styling products, you must make a switch towards all natural hair care products in order to benefit the health of your hair and foster faster hair growth. You don’t need stuff like SLS and parfum to make your product clean and smell good because natural ingredients can accomplish both of those jobs already.
3. Have a Diet that Is Rich in Hair Boosting Nutrients
Another essential hair growth tip is related to your diet. Having a deficiency in your B vitamins has been linked to hair loss, and as a result, getting more of your B vitamins can improve the quality of your hair and reduce the effects of thinning hair and hair loss. Biotin, in particular, has been used to combat alopecia and is mainly responsible for strengthening your hair strands in order to prevent hair breakage.
Similar to your B vitamins, a zinc deficiency has also been linked to hair loss. Zinc helps improve moisture around your scalp area and hair strands because they help your body produce sebum, which your body uses to reduce dryness.
Finally, a copper deficiency can lead to early graying and thinning hair. Copper helps our hair produce melanin, a pigment responsible for hair color. This nutrient is also believed to improve hair growth because it benefits your hair follicles.
Since all three of these nutrients have been linked to healthy hair growth, you should look at getting more of them into your diet. It might seem tricky at first, but many of them can be found in all natural food, for example, nuts, seeds, and legumes. If you need any more assistance beyond that, ask your doctor for help.
In this video, you will learn how to avoid hair issues such as hair loss as well as a DIY hair oil recipe. Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!
4. Dehydrating Shower Habits
You may think you have excellent shower habits, but consider this hair growth tip for a second. When you wash your hair with hot water, your follicles will open up and will become more vulnerable to your environment. Hot water by itself can cause dryness and
itchiness to occur, but it can also make those hair issues worse when combined with two other factors. First, if you are using hair care products that are not completely natural, using hot water will force your follicles to be more exposed to harsh chemicals - such as SLS and parfum - in those products.
Second, your tap water may be affecting your hair. Normally, chemicals like fluoride, chlorine, and sodium are added to your tap water to make it safe for us to drink, but those chemicals aren’t necessarily good for our hair. Since many cities and countries have different regulations regarding the quality of their tap water, some people have experienced hair loss after moving to a new location because the water was filled with more chemicals than they were used to. Adding hot water to the equation will just make matters worse.
Therefore, when you wash your hair, use warm water instead of hot water to preserve the health of our hair. However, now that you are more aware of how hot water and the chemicals in tap water can affect your hair, you might be asking if washing your hair every day is a good thing. Well, this brings us to our next point.
5. Shampoo Your Hair Only Once or Twice a Week
It turns out that your hair can do a fine job of managing itself. When your hair is a little dry or lackluster, your body is capable of producing natural oils that help nourish and soften your hair strands. However, when you shampoo your hair daily, you are washing away those essential oils, dehydrating your scalp, and leaving your hair thin and brittle; this may cause flakiness or hair fall to occur. (This problem gets even worse if you use hot water or if you use products with harsh chemicals.) Overwashing can also lead to an oily scalp and hair because eliminating those essential oils will force your follicles to overproduce oil in order to keep your hair and scalp naturally protected.
Since the chemicals in tap water may also be damaging your hair, shampooing once or twice a week is enough. This is a very important hair growth tip. You will still be able to wash away any dirt or excess oil buildup on your scalp while also promoting the growth of healthy hair. Furthermore, when you use shampoo, make sure that you follow up with your conditioner because it can help with nourishing and protecting your hair strands from damage.
If you need hair care advice from an expert, click here and you will receive a reply from Sheetal asap.
Go natural. It is good karma!
