The condition of your hair undoubtedly has a huge impact on your confidence, so you want it looking its best at all times. However, factors such as age, hair type and overall health can affect how fast your hair grows and could lead to hair thinning or baldness. With this in mind, it is useful to know ways to stimulate hair growth and how to care for your luscious hair properly.
Effective ways to stimulate hair growth
As experienced and specialist hairdressers in Milton Keynes, we pride ourselves on knowing how to make your hair look amazing at all times. We are very familiar with hair thinning and baldness, but most importantly, we know how to treat them and restore your hair to prime condition. If you didn’t already know, we are all actually born with the total amount of hair follicles we will ever have during our lifetime. While there may be around 5 million follicles on our body, our heads have about 100,000. There are many factors which cause these follicles to stop producing hair, but the most common reason is age. Of course, ageing is inevitable, which is why we believe its best to be prepared and know exactly how you can stimulate hair growth. With these five different methods, you are guaranteed to find at least one that works for your hair and lifestyle, so keep reading to find out what you need to do.
1. Scalp Massage
Aside from treating yourself to the ultimate pamper session, a scalp massage has many benefits for your hair, which effectively aids growth. By applying pressure to the scalp using fingers, the blood circulation to your hair follicles increases, rejuvenating your roots and improving the overall condition of your scalp. Moreover, the hyperactive stem cells which make up your hair follicles promote hair growth when they are given a boost of oxygen. It is important to understand that although scalp massages are an effective method of stimulating hair growth, it is a fairly slow process, and it may be some time before you notice any visible results. For this reason, we recommend using hair growth promoting products alongside your massage if you want to see results fast. Below we have detailed how you can conduct an effective scalp massage at home so you can be as relaxed as possible.
Everyday massage without oils
Although oils will help encourage hair growth more, they aren’t an absolute necessity. In fact, if you are planning on massaging your scalp daily, using oils this often can worsen the condition of your hair and even cause hair loss! So, when massaging your scalp daily, you will want to do it for at least 5 minutes as this is a sufficient amount of time to allow your blood to circulate to your hair follicles. The massaging process is simple as all you need to do is use your fingers and apply pressure in circular motions. Always make sure you cover the entire scalp you do this for the most effective results.
Massage while in the shower
You can easily incorporate this hair growth method into your shower routine by massaging your hair for a few minutes before applying shampoo. Again, it is important to remember to cover your whole scalp while you do this, so your hair grows back evenly.
Oil massage
When it comes to using oils during your massage, you will want to choose products which not only stimulate hair growth, but also suit your hair type. If possible, try to keep the oil warm so that it better absorbs into your scalp. Begin your luxurious massage by working the oil slowing into the middle of your scalp. The best method is to use circular motions and slowly move backwards. Remember to keep applying and releasing pressure throughout the massage and cover the whole scalp. We suggest performing this massage once a week as you do not want to apply too much oil to your hair and cause any damage.
2. Balanced Diet
We are all well aware of the health benefits a balanced diet gives us, but did you know it can also stimulate hair growth too? There are a whole host of foods that are proven to make your hair grow, such as:
- Eggs
- Berries
- Spinach
- Fatty fish
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Sweet peppers
- Oysters
These foods provide you with the essential nutrients you need for healthy hair. Here we will tell you some of the best vitamins and nutrients for hair growth so you can look out for them on your next food shop.
Vitamin A
Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human body, and like all other cells, needs vitamin A for growth. Vitamin A is especially good for your hair as it helps your skin glands produce the oily substance sebum. Sebum is well known for moisturising the scalp and keeping hair looking and feeling healthy.
Vitamin C
The powerful antioxidant that is vitamin C helps hair growth by absorbing iron and protecting against the oxidative stress free radicals. Our bodies also need vitamin C to create collagen, which is a vital part of hair structure.
Iron
As a women’s hairdresser’s in Milton Keynes, we are very familiar with the impact of iron deficiency on our hair. Anaemia is especially common in women and can cause hair loss, so it is important you have a sufficient amount of iron in your diet.
Zinc
A common symptom of zinc deficiency, similar to iron, is hair loss. As well as playing a vital role in hair tissue growth and repair, zinc also keeps the oil glands around the follicles functioning properly.
Protein
With our hair being made almost entirely out of protein, is it crucial you consume enough for successful hair growth. While protein deficiency is very rare, studies have shown it can decrease hair growth and potentially lead to hair loss in severe cases.
3. Castor Oil
Many hair and beauty enthusiasts praise castor oil for being one of the most effective and natural solutions for hair growth. This much-loved remedy is also renowned for moisturising the scalp, easing dandruff and leaving your hair looking luxuriously smooth and silky. In fact, according to Verywell Health, applying castor oil to your hair at least once a month can boost hair growth up to five times the usual rate! Compared to other oils, castor oil is quite heavy in feel and texture. This can be quite off-putting as you don’t want your hair to feel smothered in oil, so it’s important that you know how to apply it properly. Using castor oil neat can be somewhat counterproductive if your hair is already quite thin, so we suggest using it in a diluted form. For example, you could create your innovative hair moisture treatment using one part castor oil and five parts almond or argan oil.
4. Herbal Supplements
No matter what the cause of your hair loss, you can effectively stimulate hair growth using natural, herbal supplements. If you opt for this method of hair growth, our top tip is to stay committed and remember to take them every day (unless recommended otherwise). If you fail to do so, you will not receive the results you are after and your hair’s condition will not improve. Our top 3 supplements are:
These delicious, berry-flavoured bears are filled with biotin, folic acid, coconut oil and vitamin C – even the Kardashian’s can’t get enough of these hair-loving blue chews! The vegetarian vitamin blend has been designed to promote healthy and fast hair growth, so why not try it for yourself and admire the results.
As one of the most reputable names in the hair industry, Philip Kingsley has created the perfect solution for hair growth. Crafted with over 60 years of trichological expertise, you can feel confident that taking these tablets regularly will produce visible results after 12 weeks. It should also be noted that the Tricho Complex contains 100% of your daily iron and biotin intake.
As the best selling hair supplement in the UK, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already heard about the miracle work of Hairburst’s healthy hair vitamins. Scientifically formulated with a premium blend of vitamins and nutrients, your hair will be able to grow with ease without being ruined by breakage.
5. Gentle Brushing
Similarly to a scalp massage, brushing your hair is an excellent way to encourage improved circulation in the scalp. Brushing also releases stubborn knots and tangles, which will allow your hair to grow to its maximum potential. You can find a useful article here which tells you all about the best hairbrushes on the market and what ones are best suited to your hair type.
Hair growth made simple
We hope our effective hair growth methods have given you peace of mind that hair loss/thinning is not the end of the world! With so many solutions available, we recommend trying several and seeing what works best for you and your hair. If you want to make the most of the results and show of your new and improved hair, why not visit our hair salon in Milton Keynes where any of our expert stylists will be more than happy to help.