Looking for longer fuller hair? Read this!

I have been trying to grow my hair out for what seems like forever. I have done several different things to help my hair health with less than satisfying results. Once my hair gets to a certain length it seems to just stop. Have you had this happen? Well, read this to improve your hair health and get the desired results you want!

I looked at getting extensions to get the results immediately and help protect the hair I do have as it continues to grow to the length I want. Well after finding a place over an hour away I went in for a consultation. The technician was extremely helpful in reviewing all my questions and giving me many answers. Although the progress I have made in repairing my hair health over the last couple of years is a good candidate for extensions I still had reservations.

The cost of $1400 is not something I want to spend on my hair. Plus $300 every 2-3 months along with color and we are talking roughly $3000 a year for the maintenance of extensions. I would much rather put that money towards vacations and find a different way to help my hair stop breaking off once it gets to a certain length.

With the help of a technician and the internet, I narrowed down a list of culprits. From that list, I made a plan to improve what I could. Investing in self-care is important; part of that self-care can be hair care.

Let’s start with WHY my hair could be breaking off.

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Diet

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Stress

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Dryness

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Heat damage

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Over-processing

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Over-washing

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Improper towel drying

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Elastic hair ties

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Incorrect brushing

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Lack of trims

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Hypothyroidism

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Eating disorders

Now that we know what can be causing the breakage, let’s dive into each one to see where we can improve.

Diet – To have healthy hair follicles we need zinc, iron, folic acid, protein, antioxidants, selenium, and vitamins A, B, C, D, & E. To get all these vitamins and minerals we need to have a diverse diet filled with vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Fill those plates with lots of colors at every meal to increase your hair health.

Stress – Stress pushes hair follicles into a state of rest. After time those follicles will become completely dormant resulting in hair loss. Finding ways to reduce and manage stress can help with hair health. Creating stronger, fuller, and longer locks.

Dryness – The use of very hot water can be the damaging culprit for your locks. Those locks open your hair follicle’s outer layer leaving it vulnerable to dryness and breakage. It can also strip your scalp of natural oils. We need those natural oils to protect those locks and prevent moisture loss.

Heat damage – Blow drying and hot tools will leave those locks dull, dry, rough, and breaking. Limit the use of hot tools and blow drying. Use ceramic tools and keep temperatures under 300 degrees Fahrenheit to keep those locks healthy. Let your hair air dry a couple of times a week to give it the needed break.

Over-processing – The hair shaft becomes porous and dense resulting in frizzy, fried, damaged locks. Overprocessing can happen from relaxers, perms, dyes, and bleaching. Stick with just one process to minimize the damage from those treatments. Give those locks a break and try highlights instead of full color.

Overwashing – Washing those locks too much is causing more damage than help. Even for those that have greasy locks after 1 day of washing. Retrain your hair to go more than a day in between washes letting the natural oils do their job. That excessive oil production is due to your scalp being dry. As you are retraining your hair to go longer in between washes try out some new updos, hats, or braids to try to minimize the appearance of that grease.

Improper towel drying and brushing – When our locks are wet they are at their most vulnerable state. When hair is wet it can stretch and break when towel dried, combed, or brushed. This is due to the weaker bonds than when the hair is dry. Do not rub your hair with the towel, blot it dry and wait to brush till it is dry. Using a wide tooth comb is best but a natural bristle brush is ok as well.

Elastic hair ties – These types of hair ties pull the hair out of the follicles and can cause breakage on the lengths from the tension. Use scrunchies if you need to tie your hair up and wear your hair down as much as possible.

Lack of trims – Regular trims help to remove any split ends that you do have to strengthen the ends by preventing tangles and those split ends from moving further up the shaft. Get a trim every 2-3 months to help keep your locks looking and feeling their best!

Hypothyroidism and eating disorders – Having low thyroid function and the lack of nutrients from an eating disorder can be a huge culprit to those dry damaged locks. Consult with your physician or practitioner to get the help you need to resolve these issues.

Building a plan

Now that we know what the culprit could be, go through each one of them to determine if you could change your routine to improve your hair health. Adding in deep conditioning treatments, supplements containing Vitamins B, D, & E, Biotin, Zinc, and iron, and implementing different ways of caring for your locks can have huge benefits in its health.

Because of my eating disorder, my body is lacking the proper vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair. I have changed to a diverse diet and have made significant progress in repairing my gut and health, but I still, need that extra boost at this time. I’ll be adding in some supplements to help my body get back on track with the proper nutrients it is needing.

I switched to highlights instead of full-color applications to give my locks some break from processing. I will be adding in more trims and deep conditioning treatments to prevent those split ends from getting worse. I will no longer be brushing my hair when it is wet as well.

For those trims, deep conditioning treatments, and highlight appointments my hair care cost at the salon for the whole year will be roughly $500. This cost is more manageable than $3000.

I am feeling very positive that these changes are going to give me the results I am looking for with my hair. The Halo clip in one pice extensions has been giving me the immediate fullness and beauty I am looking for while I repair my hair. I would love to hear how your hair journey is going and any other tips you may have. Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or email.

~ Tina