Tips, Tricks + Tools For Healthy Hair Growth
When you start researching, what's the first step? You search on Google, right? Recently, I typed “Does kibble size matter for my large breed dog?” and found countless articles, posts, videos, and images. I have two St. Berdoodles, so I look up various topics all the time, but I quickly felt overwhelmed trying to read every single article.
It made me realize that many people want to grow healthy hair but don’t know where to start. I created this blog to share some of the tips, tricks, and tools I use for my own hair.
This list includes things that have helped me and my clients since I started my business in 2022. Please view these as suggestions, not requirements! You can also find out why I started my business in my other blog post,"I Broke My Ankle - Now what?"
Vitamins/Supplements:
Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Iron: Long story short, I went to the doctor and they drew some blood (not fun -_-). They told me I was deficient in Vitamin D! I thought to myself, how is this possible? I eat healthy, eat yogurt and salmon, exercise regularly, and am out in the sun every day. Fun fact: the majority of women are low in Vitamin D and usually have to take supplements to get enough. I have been taking them for four months now and what a change! My hair feels thicker, I feel less anxious, and I feel overall great. (You can also find Vitamin D in fish and milk.)
Vitamin C: This is important because it helps your body absorb Vitamin D and Iron more efficiently.
Iron: This helps produce hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your hair follicles and promotes growth. You can also find Iron in spinach, peas, and lean proteins.
Do your research on vitamins and pay attention to how your body feels. If you experience stomach pain or discomfort, stop taking them. Make sure to take the right amount and the type that suits you. Be patient in your search, as there are many options and prices available.
Drink your collagen peptides: I put unflavored collagen in my milk, froth it, and add it to my coffee. You can read about the importance of collagen in my other blog post. You can read the importance of collagen on my other blog post.
Eat your protein: You should aim for 0.8 to 1.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. Hair follicles are mainly made of keratin, and 20% of your daily protein intake goes toward replacing skin. Not getting enough protein can make your hair thin, weak, and slow to grow because your body lacks the amino acids needed for healthy hair. When you don’t consume enough protein, your body prioritizes other functions like muscles, energy, and hormones, which can delay hair growth.
To do’s:
Change your pillowcase AT LEAST once a week! Also, get a silk pillowcase if you can. Your hair and face will thank you!
Massage your scalp everyday to increase blood circulation for at least 5 - 10 minutes.
Wash your brush monthly and remove all the build up on your brush!
Deep condition your hair once to twice a month with a hair mask.
Oil and massage your scalp once a month with sweet organic almond oil, rosemary oil, or coconut oil for at least 5 minutes. Let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. Be sure to wash your hair at least 3 times afterward—if you don’t, you will have greasy hair for the rest of the day!
Use a leave-in conditioner. My favorite spray to use on myself and my clients is the Sweet Spirit Leave-In Conditioner from Innersense, which also acts as a heat protectant!
Double or triple wash your hair with shampoo on hair wash day and make sure you massage your scalp when washing your hair with your finger tips not nails.
Avoid putting your hair in a tight bun every day. It’s best to save this style for once in a while.
Eat salmon, fish, trout, or anything rich in omega-3s.
Alternate between a moisturizing shampoo and a clarifying shampoo on wash days to balance your scalp’s pH and avoid over-moisturizing or drying it out. You can read about the importance of pH balancepH balance here.
I know this is a lot of information, and you don’t have to try everything at once! It’s all about finding what works best for you. Give a few of these a try and let me know how it goes at danea@ellxi.com! You can also book a hair wash with me.
Until next time,
xoxo,
Danea