Have we not all spent the bulk of 2020 waiting for hair growth? On our heads, I mean – although to be honest, I don’t remember when I last shaved my legs.
Over the years, my hair has split off to the point where it’s shoulder-length. This worked fine because I also switched things up and started wearing it curly.
But NOW all I want is butt-length 70s waves. Lockdown seemed like the best time to achieve this. After all, I wasn’t going out and had all these hours to fill with copious amounts of self care!
So I’ve tried some good shit and I’m here to tell you about it.
1. It Sounds Gross, But Stimulate Your Scalp
You cannot “repair” hair. Hair is dead. It is not skin. This was a wild revelation I had YEARS into being a beauty editor, can you believe. Basically all reparative products are temporarily treating your strands, which are dead. So they can work – they just aren’t like, turning what exists into new, life-filled hair or anything.
The best way to push hair growth and to have what grows outta your scalp actually be healthy is to stimulate the scalp. I genuinely think this $2 thingy has been the best for that:
You know those grandpa brushes? They’re everywhere, and they’re usually around 2 bucks. I’ve been brushing my hair at night with one and it really feels like it’s ~stimulating my scalp~. Basically, feels like it’s promoting blood flow to the area and like with everything to do with skin, blood flow = faster growth/regeneration.
But I have a few other faves for scalp care. There’s this Christophe Robin scalp scrub, which is kind of like an exfoliant for your scalp – great if you use heaps of product.
Frank Body make one, too.
This Drunk Elephant one is a newbie and I really like it. I basically do the scalp scrub, then shampoo if my hair was filthy, then conditioner.
2. There Are Literally Serums For Your Scalp, Too
Aside from stimulating my scalp, another thing I really got into was scalp serums. Some you apply post-shower, some you apply pre-shampoo. Originally it was bizarre to me, but I guess it’s no different to face serums – just potent ingredients designed to be applied right on the skin.
Aveda’s Invati range ruuuules if you’re struggling with weak hair or hair loss.
Virtue are a newer brand on Aussie shores and do a whole pack with a serum, scrub and scalp stimulating brush thingy!
On the super exxy side, Sisley have this lush serum. I’ve been using it but it will def take a while to confirm if the results are at a $260 level. Still, if you have a lot of cashola to burn!
3. Leave Treatments In For Hours
Something I now have the luxury of doing and has done WONDERS for my hair in terms of keeping it soft and preventing breakage has been leaving hectic hair masks in for hours, instead of one minute or whatever I can be bothered with in the shower.
You know how I said hair is dead? Well you CAN prevent more breakage by keeping those strands strong. Hair is still porous and treatments work to put “good” stuff in there, if I were to explain it in basic bitch terms.
That’s why your hair can feel soft and amazing post-treatment. And why it feels like shit when you swim all summer and don’t look after it.
Anyway, I have about 4,564 hair masks I’m obsessed with so get yourself ready for this.
Phew.
4. I’m Really Into Pre-Treatments Now
Something else I’ve really gotten on board with and can honestly say I (think) have contributed to how little my hair snaps off now – pre-treatments.
So another thing with hair growth is you have to curb the breakage. Things like heat tools, sun damage, aggressive brushing, pretty much ANYTHING will damage your strands and lead to snapped ends. You can have the healthiest hair ever growing out of your head but if you treat it mean, it’ll still end up splitting off.
That’s why heaps of people are like whyyyy isn’t my hair growing – like, it is growing but you’re treating it like shit and now it’s snapping off so you don’t see the growth.
Anyway, pre-treatments have helped a lot with this for me. I’m especially loving this one:
I’ll just put it in the day my hair is filthy, leave it in for a while and then wash my hair that night.
5. Supplements
Supplements are a weird one, and I’ll preface this by saying I’m NOT a doctor or nutritionist, so I’m just telling you what I’ve been doing and my experience, k?
I’ve really been on the Beauty Chef train, and Glow is one of my fave supplements EVER. It’s technically to help you boost your skin health, but for example my nails have been growing at a RAPID pace so I feel like the vitamins/minerals must be doing an all-round good job? I haven’t been taking anything else with it, either.
But in general I’ve found a hair/skin/nails supplement always does wonders for the growth of EVERYTHING, from hair to nails (der).
Anyway, that’s what has been working for me! My hair is definitely stronger – I find less hairs on the floor after I brush it, for example, and wayyyy less snapped off bits. My hair also feels heaps softer.
