Thinning hair is a source of anxiety and low self-confidence in many individuals. While thick and long locks don’t grow overnight, there are many things you can do to stimulate its growth and prevent premature shedding. If you’re curious about how to make your hair grow faster and longer naturally, here are 5 herbs and other natural solutions you can try.
What speed your hair grows is usually genetic. For most people, it grows at a quarter to a half an inch every month. However, you can increase the hair growth of your hair and improve its appearance. You can get thicker and healthier hair by using simple home remedies.
How to Make your Hair Grow Faster and Longer Naturally
Korean Red Ginseng
Korean red ginseng is a traditional treatment for alopecia (spot balding). People with this condition will most likely suffer from anxiety and low self-esteem because of frequent episodes of hair loss. What’s worse, most of the available conventional treatments are unable to prevent or cure alopecia alone.
There are different theories why this herb works. One study suggested that it has to do with its major active compound called Ginsenosides which contain anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities. Its ability to ease inflammation might be the reason why it’s an effective hair growth herb. [1]
Caveat: Since it makes sleeping difficult, avoid taking it by mouth before bedtime. It’s also not advisable to use for over 1 to 3 months at a time.
Essential Oils
When used in the right proportions, essential oils are wonderful additions to your hair care regimen. A study has shown that applying thyme, cedarwood, rosemary, and lavender essential oils mixed with jojoba and grapeseed oils into the scalp every day for seven months could safely treat alopecia—more effectively than using base oils alone. [2]
Essential Oil-Coconut Hair and Scalp Treatment
- 4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of coconut milk
- 3 drops of lavender, rosemary, thyme, or cedarwood essential oil
- Combine the virgin coconut oil and coconut milk. Thoroughly mix, and then add the essential oil one drop at a time.
- Smear a small amount on your inner forearm. Wait for 1 to 24 hours for any allergic reactions. While waiting, store the mixture in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage.
- Massage the mixture into your scalp and hair to stimulate good blood circulation.
- Cover your head with a warm towel or a shower cap to open the pores in your scalp. Rinse off the next morning, if possible. Do this at least once a week.
Caveat: Never use essential oils undiluted because it’s too harsh if used alone.
Aloe Vera Gel
The use of aloe vera for hair loss started during the ancient times in Egypt. Science doesn’t have a clear explanation why it works, but it may have to do with its different properties. For one, it contains anti-inflammatory agents, like Bradykinase. Inflammation could destroy your hair follicles, which in turn stops your hair from growing. Check out our full and detailed article on how to use aloe vera for hair.
Secondly, it contains antioxidants (B12, A, C, and E) that nourish your hair and scalp and neutralize the detrimental effects of free radicals.
Lastly, it also removes dead skin cells and excess sebum (oil), which could clog up your hair follicles. This action helps promote proper hair growth and prevent hair loss.
The easiest way to use this is to buy aloe vera gel straight from health food stores or drugstores. Of course, fresh aloe vera is still the best. To use fresh aloe vera leaf, follow these steps:
- Cut the outermost leaf.
- Allow to drain to remove the latex, which is highly irritating to the skin.
- Cut the edges on both sides, and then slit open at the side to harvest the gel. Apply directly to your scalp then massage it to encourage blood circulation.
Possible side effects of topical aloe vera are stinging, burning sensation, and redness. Oral intake of aloe vera may cause diarrhea or constipation, red urine, and abdominal cramps, among others.
Gotu Kola
Gotu kola, also known as brahmi, is widely used in traditional medicine to cure different internal and external ailments like hair loss or thinning. There are different mechanisms by which this ancient herb helps to grow your hair longer. It reduces inflammation, promotes good blood flow, and protects your hair and scalp from harsh environmental conditions and free radicals.
Gotu kola is available as a liquid, dried herb, tincture, capsule, and ointment. Since there are not enough studies to confirm its efficacy or safeness, there are different opinions on its dosage.
You can use this topically by mixing its extract with your favorite carrier oil (olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, etc.), and then massage it into your scalp to stimulate circulation in the area and hair growth.
Caveat: Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid taking gotu kola. People who are taking sedatives and meds for high blood pressure should also avoid this herb.
Pluck out Your hair
Before you dismiss this suggestion, hear me out first. Apparently, there’s a study to back this up, like this one:
Researchers at the University of California found out that pulling out at least 200 hairs in a small spot (below 5mm) triggered the scalp to go on “regrowth mode,” which led to the replacement of the missing hairs with 450 to 1,300 new ones. What’s more exciting is other areas of the scalp also grew lots of hair. [3]
Here’s how it works. Whenever you pluck your hair out, these plucked hair follicles release certain inflammatory proteins. These proteins will alert your immune cells to hurry up to the area of injury and tell both plucked and un-plucked follicles to grow more hair.
Before you start plucking your hair like crazy, it’s good to take note that this only works if the area is 5mm or less. What’s more, continuous plucking could cause the roots of your hair to weaken, which in turn leads to the death of the follicle.
Other Remedies to Make your Hair Grow Faster and Thicker
Trim your Hair Regularly
Trim your hair regularly to get healthier locks. Trimming your hair will also encourage hair growth by getting rid of damaged, broken or split ends. By trimming off the unhealthy split ends, your hair will have less breakage which makes the hair look longer and thicker.
Use Egg Masks
Egg yolks are great for helping hair to grow faster and the mask also gives a nice shine to your hair.
Ingredients needed:
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Mix all the ingredients together and apply this mixture into your hair. Start from the roots and then spread to the lengths. Leave the mixture on for 30 minutes before washing it off. For better results, cover your hair with a shower cap and place a towel on top of the shower cap.
If you are vegan and don’t use animal proteins then we have another great mask for you here:
Ingredients needed:
- sweet almond oil
- coconut oil
- honey
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with equal proportions. Warm the mixture a bit in a pot and massage the solution into your hair. This hair mask will nourish and boost your hair growth. It will also make the hair shinier and healthier.
Eat More Protein
If you want to have thicker, longer and more beautiful hair then you need to increase your protein intake. Protein supplies a building material for your hair to grow faster. Protein will also make your hair stronger and better looking.
Your hair already contains protein and more protein will make it grow quicker. Include, fish, meat, eggs and nuts in your diet. Eat healthy and your hair will stay healthy as well.
Massage your Scalp
When you wash your hair, make sure to massage it gently. Use your fingers and massage your scalp about 1-2 minutes. This will stimulate the blood flow in your scalp and help your hair to grow quicker.
You can also use warm oil massages. You may choose from coconut oil, olive oil, linen oil, jojoba oil and argan oil. Warm the oil in a pot for a little bit, don’t boil the oil. Massage the oil gently in a circular motion for 15-20 minutes before shampooing your hair and washing it off. If you do this remedy regularly, your hair will look shinier and healthier and works well for promoting hair growth.
Brush your Hair Every Day
Brush your hair every morning and before bed time. This will also help to stimulate the circulation in your scalp. Brush your hair gently for 1-2 minutes at the time. Brushing your hair regularly will spread your natural oils evenly over your locks. Good blood circulation is necessary for hair follicles to work effectively and grow new healthy hair.
When your hair is still wet, don’t brush it roughly. Forceful brushing will damage the hair which will result in hair breakage. Use a wide tooth comb for damp hair.
Use Potato Juice
It may sound weird at first but potato juice has been proven to work effectively in helping hair to grow faster.
Ingredients needed:
- 2 fresh potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of raw honey
- 1 egg yolk
Juice these potatoes in a juicer. Add the honey and the egg into the potato juice. Mix them well and apply the solution into your hair. Leave it onto your hair for about 30 minutes before washing it off with a shampoo and conditioner, as you normally do.
Use Onion Juice
Onion juice works well for stimulating hair growth. It turns out that the burning substances of onion juice irritate the hair follicles which stimulates them to grow quicker. Onion juice will also give a nice healthy shine to your hair. It also makes the hair to fall out less. The only downside for this remedy is that your hair will smell like onions for a week or more.
Ingredients needed:
- 2 onions
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 egg yolk
Squeeze the juice out of the onions with a grater. You can also try to juice it in a juicer or blender. If you use a blender ten discard the pulp. Use the juice only. Add the honey and the egg and mix all the ingredients well. Apply this mask into your hair and don’t cover with a shower cap. Leave the solution on for 30-40 minutes before washing it off.
How to reduce the onion smell:
- When using this hair mask, try to use the onion juice only. Discard all the pulp and the small pieces of onions left in the juice. These are the main reasons that will make your hair smell badly.
- Apply the mask into the scalp and roots only, instead of applying it on the entire hair.
- Rinse your hair afterwards with a lemon or onion juice (2 tablespoons for a gallon of water)
- You can also rinse it with apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons of vinegar in 2 cups of water)
- You can also prevent the onion smell using essential oils (rosemary, ylang-ylang, tea tree or lavender oil). Add couple drops of essential oils into the hair masks. Remember, essential oils need to be diluted first with a carrier oil (coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil etc). It’s also good to do a skin patch test before using essential oils. Many people tend to be sensitive to essential oils.
Maintain a Healthy Scalp
This is obviously a no-brainer. Don’t apply hair conditioner on the roots of your hair. You will loose the volume of your locks and the hair becomes oily too quickly.
Many hair conditioners also contain silicons and waxes which can prevent the skin from breathing. These conditioners might also clog the pores.
Rub the hair conditioner only on the length of the strands.
Care for your Hair while Sleeping
Don’t ever sleep with a tight braid or a tight pony tail. This can cause pain to your scalp and won’t help your hair to grow faster either. It can even cause hair breakage. If you have long locks and they are bothering you during your sleep then make a loose pony tail instead.
Also, if you sleep on a silk pillow case, it causes less friction which is gentler to your hair. Another bonus of using silk pillow cases are that they prevent wrinkles. Don’t we all want to look younger forever!
Use Overnight Hair Mask
Castor oil is effective for better growth of your hair and overall health of the hair. Massage your hair with castor oil before going to bed at night. Leave it on for overnight and wash it off in the morning. For better results, do this remedy for 1-2 times a week.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Apple cider vinegar works well in removing dirt and grime from your hair. It will also help to boost hair growth and leaves your hair glossier, stronger, softer and healthier.
How to use it:
Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 2 cups of water and rinse your hair with it. Use this remedy after shampooing and conditioning the hair. If you dislike the smell of apple cider vinegar then you can add couple drops of your favorite essential oils into this mix.
Rinse your Hair with Cool Water After a Shower
Rinsing your hair with cold water lays down the outer layer of hair more smoothly. This helps to prevent heat damage, moisture loss, and sags. You only need to do it for couple of seconds each time you shower and over time it will make a big difference.
Don’t Wrap your Hair Tightly in a Huge Towel
Wrapping your hair in a tight towel, makes the hair get caught in the woven fibers making the hair more vulnerable to breakage.
Use Conditioner Every Time You Shampoo
Heat styling and coloring make the hair thinner at the bottom. Using a conditioner will replace the proteins and lipids inside the hair shaft.
Eat a Healthy Diet with Foods that Promote Hair Growth
- Eggs are rich source of protein that promotes hair growth.
- Salmon contains Omega 3 fatty acids which promote thicker and longer hair.
- Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene and Vitamin A that help with hair growth. Sweet potatoes also help with the production of natural oils in your scalp. This prevents the hair to turn dry and itchy.
- Avocados are rich in natural fatty acids that your hair needs. If you don’t like eating them, you can use them in your hair mask regimens.
- Vitamin C rich foods such as lemons, blueberries, limes, kiwis, oranges and strawberries are great for circulating the blood in the small vessels that feed your hair follicles. Without enough Vitamin C in your body, your hair is more vulnerable to breakage.
- Oysters are rich in zinc. Lack of zinc will result in hair loss.
- Lean red meats such as veal, beef lamb contain iron which promotes hair growth. Lack of iron may cause thinning of hair.
- Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards, broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain essential vitamins and minerals your hair needs to grow quicker. Brussels sprouts and spinach also contain iron, beta carotene, and Vitamin C which will nourish the hair even more.
- Nuts such as cashews, walnuts, and butternuts contain Omega 3 fatty acids, biotin and other essential vitamins which make your hair grow quicker, longer and thicker. Almonds are very rich in biotin. Macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and pecans have also numerous hair health compounds.
- White meat such as chicken, turkey, duck or emu contain protein and zinc which are all the building blocks to healthier hair.
These are just some of the remedies you could try to make your hair grow faster and longer without using any chemical-based hair growers. They’re not without side effects, so I highly recommend you use them with caution.
What other things can you suggest regarding hair growth?
Check out our other informative article on how to get super soft and silky smooth hair.
References:
[1]PubMed
[2] PubMed
[3] Telegraph
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