Longer Hair

TIPS FOR GROWING OUT YOUR HAIR

If you’re looking for some tips for growing out your hair, here are some great options to help you along the way. Growing your hair out comes down to pure science. After that, it is quite simple. No worries, you don’t need to resort to pricey extensions to get those long, luxurious locks.

Eat Protein

One of the first tips for growing your hair out is eating plenty of protein. Your hair is basically made of protein, so skimping in this department slows down collagen production, which can actually stunt the growth of your hair. Eat at least 20-30 grams per meal. You may even lose a little weight since protein satisfies you more than fat or carbs.  Fish, eggs, organic chicken, raw protein powder, organic Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds are some great protein sources. Depending on your diet, choose the ones that work for you.

Take Biotin

Biotin is a great supplement if you want long and healthy hair. Biotin is also great for your skin and nails. Biotin is a B vitamin, so your body can’t get too much of it and will excrete the excess itself. Biotin is found in foods like eggs, fish, nuts and seeds. I like supplements that are extra strength, such as 5000 mcg.  Biotin strengthens the hair and helps it grow since it aids in collagen production, preventing the breakdown of proteins.

 Avoid Excessive Heat

Put away all those hair tools for awhile, give yourself and your hair a break. If you’re brave, let your hair air dry instead of using your blow dryer. Anything you can do to reduce heat, tugging, and overly brushing your hair will help it grow faster.

 Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are not just great for your body, but they are also great for your hair. Leafy greens are rich in iron, folate, Vitamin E and some B vitamins. Some like spinach are also a great source of protein. Leafy greens nourish your cells on a deep level and keep you beautiful in all areas.

 Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds are also excellent for your hair. These foods are rich in three key nutrients that your hair needs for growth and strength, including zinc, selenium and B vitamins. Their healthy fats also help your hair stay moist to prevent breakage.

Coconut Oil

Put about a nickel size of coconut oil on your hands and rub them together. Then, comb through your hair, mainly on the ends of your hair and in the back after drying it to seal in moisture. I don’t recommend putting it at the scalp if you’ve already washed your hair since it might make it look oily. You can also use it as a hair mask and wash it out if you want. By not washing it out, the oil has time to set in and really do its thing.

Avoid Sugar

Sugar, along with alcohol and too much caffeine, are horrible for your hair. These three things break down collagen at alarming rates and can increase acne, hair breakage, and pretty much make you unhealthy overall. They also lead to mood swings, which promote stress. When you are stressed, collagen immediately breaks down in your body faster than any other time. Anything you can do to de-stress is also recommended, like yoga, walking or spending time with friends.

 Commit 

By far, one of the biggest things that us girls do when we are growing our hair out is get bored. We want a new style and so we change it, and typically chop it off. If you want long hair, you've got to commit to not cutting it completely off and just getting regular trims! 

 Don't Shampoo Everyday

If you are one of those people that shampoo your hair every single day and you are trying to grow your hair out, stop! Shampooing your hair every single day is actually going to take away all of those beautiful natural oils that you've built there. Give your hair a schedule and shampoo it every other day.

Tie Your Hair up

Tying your hair up is another great way that a lot of people don't think about when they are growing out their hair! Tying up your hair causes a better flow of oxygen to the outside of your hair and stimulates the follicles!

 Argon Oil

Argon oil isn't exactly a treatment, it's something that you can leave in and it's fantastic for your hair, and helps grow it out! Just a bit on the ends, a bit through it twice or three times a week and you'll love your new long hair!

Deep Condition Treatment

When you are trying to grow your hair out, the health of your hair is very, very important to take care of your hair, so you've got to make sure that you are deep conditioning too! Remember the coconut oil? You can use that or your favorite conditioner!

Massage Scalp

Stimulating the hair follicles is most important, so giving yourself an awesome scalp massage is huge! Just twice or three times a week, fifteen minutes or so and you'll see huge results!

 

Giving Fine Hair Volume

HOW TO GIVE YOUR FINE HAIR MORE VOLUME

When you have fine hair, you are constantly on the lookout for ways to add volume. You can’t change the thickness or texture of your hair, but you can do the best you can with what you have. These are some ways to make the most of your fine hair.

right shampoo & conditioner

One of the best ways to pump up fine hair is to start with the right shampoo and conditioner. When you are shopping for shampoo and conditioner, choose a formula that is formulated to add body or volume to your hair. These shampoos and conditioners are formulated to not weigh your hair down and be a light product. You especially want to avoid anything that says it will moisturize your hair. Products that moisturize your hair will weigh it down. Try out our Volume shampoo by Joico!

ROOT LIFTER

If you have fine hair, root lifter will make a lot of difference in styling your hair. Try our root lifter by Joico, or our Aquage. Apply root lifter when your hair is damp and blow dry immediately for the magic to happen.

UPSIDE DOWN Blowdry

You need to dry in the direction you want your hair to go. When you have fine hair that you are trying to add volume to, you want your hair to go farther away from your head and blow drying your hair upside down is drying it away from your scalp to add volume. Another option is to hold your hair up and away from your face while you dry it. Either way will give you the desired result.

BIOTIN

Biotin is known for making your hair grow faster and make it thicker. While you can’t ever change the texture of your fine hair, you can take Biotin which really pumps up the volume. Of course, you should always talk to your physician before taking any new supplement.

SHORTER CUT

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is embrace what you have and choose a cut and style that works best with your hair. Shorter cuts will make your hair appear fuller and thicker. 

BACKCOMB

Backcombing or teasing can be very beneficial in pumping up the volume of your hair when done correctly. What you want to do is raise a section of your hair up and tease under it and then put the smooth section down on top of it. This strategy usually works best when used at the crown of the head.

 Free day

Fine hair is more fragile than other hair types and you need to treat it gently to avoid the breakage that makes it look even finer. I have learned that one of the best ways to do this is to give your hair the day off when you can. Skip washing your hair or styling it with any styling tools the day you are giving your hair the day off. If your hair gets oily when you skip washing it, try adding some dry shampoo to get you through.

Improving your weak nails!

 TIPS FOR IMPROVING WEAK NAILS 

These tips for improving weak nails will be really useful if your nails are prone to breaking and splitting. Strengthening your nails isn't that hard, here are some techniques for improving weak nails!

HAND CREAM

Hand cream is an excellent way of improving weak nails. Ideally you should be massaging hand cream into your nails several times a day, especially after your hands have been in water. Use a richer cream during colder weather.

COVER UP

One of the most important tips for improving weak nails is to protect them. Always wear gloves when doing housework or when outside in cold weather. When you wash dishes, apply some cream first and then put on rubber gloves – the heat will help the cream be absorbed, and the gloves are essential to protect your hands.

NAILS, NOT TOOLS!

Scraping with your nails won’t help the condition, especially if your nails are prone to splitting. Never use your nails as tools – always use a suitable tool for the job, which will protect your nails from damage.

MANICURE TECHNIQUE

Using the correct manicure technique will take you a long way with your nails. Start with a good quality emery board (never use a metal file). Then file the nail from the outside to the center – avoid filing all the way across the nail.

AVOID EXCESS WASHING

Washing your hands frequently will not help with strengthening your nails. Wherever possible, avoid washing your hands excessively (and remember to apply hand cream afterwards). If your work involves having your hands in water, remember to use gloves to protect your hands and nails.

NAIL HARDENER

There are a number of products on out there that claim to help strengthen nails, so it may be worth trying these out. When you choose one, be sure to avoid products with formaldehyde which can actually make the conditions of your nails worse. 

SUPPLEMENts

Feeding your nails from the inside as well as the outside can help. As well as trying the other tips for improving weak nails, you may want to consider trying a supplement aimed at improving the condition of your nails. There are plenty available; one that is considered to be effective is biotin.

LIMIT POLISH REMOVER

Polish remover is pretty strong stuff, so it’s best not to use it too frequently. If you like to have polish on your nails all the time, try touching up the color when it chips, rather than removing it completely and putting on a new layer. This will help reduce the exposure of your nails to remover.