Thousands of men and women struggle with snail-speed hair growth, or hair that just isn’t growing at all. Older men and women especially have difficulty with this problem because of a change in hormone levels that comes with age. Fortunately though, with a variety of lifestyle changes, you can help reduce hair loss and improve the growth of your strands. In some cases, lifestyle changes such as better eating habits and exercising more can have a noticeable effect on hair loss.
But keep in mind that what you’re applying to your locks also plays a big role in determining your hair’s growth. After all, the shampoo and conditioner you use in the shower can hinder hair growth. So be sure that you are keeping your strands strong by using leave-in conditioners in addition to getting regular trims. Using organic and natural products are best because they contain less chemicals than other brands. You’ll be able to find hair care and other beauty items at your local health food store or online.
Foods and Vitamins for Hair Growth
Eating more citric fruits like oranges and lemons will give your hair and body the vitamin C that is needed for healthy hair growth. Green peppers offer vitamin C too, but you can also take supplements to ensure that you’re getting between 1,000 and 3,000 mg a day.
All of the B vitamins are also important for growing strong hair and nails. Taking biotin or a vitamin B complex supplement will benefit you greatly. Use these supplements with food and water for the recommended dosage labeled on the bottle.
If you’re on a wheat or gluten-free diet, you may be experiencing an iron deficiency, which can lead to hair loss. Iron will increase the blood circulation in your scalp, thus enabling hair to get what it needs to grow. If you’re willing to add liver, apricots, raisins, prunes, lentils, and egg yolks to your diet, then you’ll be fine!
Making sure that you drink plenty of water will not only keep your hair hydrated, but also your nails as well. The average amount of water we need is 8 glasses daily; so rather than drinking sodas and fruit juices with meals, drink water instead.
If you’re into partying or drinking regularly, you may want to consider cutting alcoholic drinks out of your diet to improve hair growth. Assuming you’re not comfortable with eliminating alcohol from your diet completely, then at least consider reducing the amount you drink while also incorporating water in between drinks. Similar to drinking too much alcohol, smoking also has negative effects on hair growth because it limits the blood flow to your scalp and other areas of your body. In turn, this stunts hair growth in both men and women alike.
Using vitamin E oil on your scalp and strands can enhance hair growth by stimulating scalp circulation. Taking vitamin E capsules internally will also help keep your hair strong and make it grow. Foods with vitamin A such as kale, carrots, eggs and squash are great for growing strong and shiny hair.
Homemade Treatments for Hair Growth
There are a variety of treatments that have been passed down from generation-to-generation, and are said to improve hair growth and minimize baldness in both men and women. Here is a list that we’ve compiled of the most popular home remedies for hair growth:
Cayenne pepper and olive oil can be combined to promote blood circulation to your hair follicles.
To create this, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and 2 cups of olive oil.
- Mix them together, and then store the mixture in a dark bottle so as to protect the solution from the sun.
- Let the mixture meld together for two weeks before you begin applying it to your scalp and hair regularly.
- Let the mixture sit on your hair for half an hour or more before you use shampoo and conditioner
Recommended usage is every other day.
Another pepper treatment involves the use of castor oil and vodka!
To create this treatment, you’ll need one large jalapeno pepper, 0.5 cup of vodka, and 2 tablespoons of castor oil.
- Begin by dicing the pepper up into small pieces, add the vodka, and let the mixture meld together for 10-15 days.
- Once you’ve waited long enough, spoon the peppers out of the vodka, and then add the castor oil and shake well.
- Massage onto your scalp, and allow it to rest on your hair for an hour before washing with shampoo and conditioner.
- You can also sleep with this treatment on your locks (use a night cap to avoid ruining your pillow)
Other Home Remedies for Growing Healthy Hair Faster
Massaging grape seed oil onto your scalp and hair is another home-based treatment that can be used to improve hair growth. Massage onto your scalp before bed and wash in the morning.
Sleeping with a tight pony tail can damage your strands because of tossing and turning in bed at night. So instead of sleeping with a bun, try sleeping in braids so your hair isn’t being broken when you roll your head around on the pillow.
A really good 20-minute treatment for hair growth is to combine a few tablespoons of aloe vera with one tablespoon of honey.
- Mix the two ingredients together and apply to your scalp.
- After the 20 minutes are up, wash with shampoo or baking soda and water,
- Condition per usual.
Eggs and olive oil are great for adding shine to your strands, but they can also help to grow hair as well.
- Mix one egg, a tablespoon of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of honey together
- Apply this mixture to your scalp with massaging motions.
- Use a towel or shower cap to hold your locks in place for 30 minutes, then continue to wash hair normally as well as condition.
The following method is similar to the pepper hair treatments mentioned previously; however, you’ll need an onion this time!
- Pour several teaspoons of minced onion into your shampoo, and let the onion meld together with the shampoo for at least 10-15 days.
- Once it has combined, use the shampoo as you normally would.
- You can grind an onion up in a food processor, and then use the leftover juice to rub onto your scalp to provoke hair growth in dormant hair follicles.
- Leave the juice on for 30 minutes before shampooing your hair.
- You can also add lemon juice to this mixture; simply use equal parts lemon juice to onion juice for the same amount of time.
All of these treatments can improve hair growth as well as help with thinning hair. But keep in mind that some other reasons why you may be experiencing hair loss or hair thinning could be due to stress, environmental issues, sickness, or pregnancy. If you are allergic to anything previously mentioned, do not apply them topically to your scalp or skin since this can cause adverse reactions.
