The Truth About Growing Long Hair Fast

Secrets To Instant Long Hair

If you want to grow long hair fast - with fast being a few hours, days or weeks consider these options:

1. Hair Extensions.

100% human hair extensions that can instantly (a few hours) from chin length to below the bra strap. The downside to using hair extensions for instant long hair is that hair extensions are not inexpensive and human hair is the most costly of the add-on hair options.

If you are wanting instant Godiva locks for a wedding, a high school reunion or to meet your guy's parents, by all means consider hair extensions.

2. Add-on hair.

Celebrity hairdresser Ken Paves has been working with add-on tresses with all of his celeb clients. He loves the instant long hair effect so much that he teamed up with Jessica Simpson to create a line that Jessica would be proud to wear.

Add-on tresses are much less expensive than extensions and they can be semi-permanent or permanent. This all depends on your goals.

The Real Truth To Growing Long Hair

I have been growing my own hair since 1986 and I have personally tried every possible "fast hair growth" method available. While I have managed to grow very long hair below my waist that is healthy. I have learned the following secrets over the past twenty years:

1. Growing long hair takes a commitment.
2. Hair, except in rare cases, when it is growing at its optimal genetic rate - will only grow 6-8 inches per year.
3. If your have hair that is currently chin length and want it to be below your bra - take a ruler and measure the space between where your hair is currently and where you want it to be.
4. If you need 6 inches to reach your bra strap, plan on it taking 10-12 months for your hair to grow to your goal length. Every person is different and it may take you a longer or short time depending on a wide variety of factors.
5. It is very important if you make the personal commitment to grow your hair long that you do all the right things which includes the following things:

• Proper nutrition.

• Drinking enough daily fluids.

• Minimizing unhealthy hair care habits (chemicals, hot tool use, damaging hair care product use).

• Eliminating hair growth retarding lifestyle habits (excessive caffeine, sugar, nicotine, alcohol, junk foods).

• Getting enough sleep, rest and relaxation.

• Taking vitamins, minerals & herbs. Because of the current condition of the earth and exhausted soil, human beings must take nutritional supplements to operate at their maximum hair growth rates. Whether you take a good multi-vitamin or a product designed to grow hair - this is an essential component for growing hair at your maximum potential.

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True - It Is

It is my opinion that the number one reason that hair consumers go through pain and suffering with their tresses is because they believe claims and promises that just are too good to be true.

Anyone who has ever left a salon with horrible hair color, fried ends from perms or straighteners or has lost way too many inches of precious growth knows that it is easy to buy into promises of great color, texture and a hot style that won't require a lot of hair loss.

Remember, it's your hair. You have to wear it every day. Consider any promises carefully and ask questions.

Summary

While it is understandable that long hair is fantastic. I adore having long hair that is 100% mine. But I worked very hard to grow it including taking hair vitamins for years. I have learned that if it sounds too good to be true - run away as fast as you can.

Maximize Your Hair Growing Potential

Your Hair Is Dead - Let It Rest In Peace

Unfortunately many people aren't aware of the fact that while hair can be extraordinarily resilient, once it has emerged from your scalp is has no facility for renewing itself. It is considered to be dead protein.

The average person has around 100,000 strands of hair on their head and the average rate of growth is a mere one-half of an inch per month.

By the time the ends of your hair actually grow down to your shoulders, they are approximately two years old.

Think about it. Two years is a long time for hair to be subjected to the daily wear and tear of the environment, washing, drying, brushing, combing and any chemical processing. Just imagine what a piece of silk or fine fabric would look like after 2 years of constant handling.

Even if you take the best care of your hair possible, your hair still goes through a natural aging process which can also impact the growing cycle of your hair.

Maximizing Your Growth Cycle

Gorgeous Long Hair

The right vitamins and minerals play a major role in keeping your hair healthy. Any nutritional deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness.

It is a well known fact that an under active thyroid can result in frizzy or brittle hair while an overactive thyroid turn hair greasy and limp.

The bottom line to this thread is that your hair ultimately reflects the overall condition of your body. If your body is healthy and well nourished, your hair will be your shining glory.

If you are having any health problems or suffering from any nutritional deficiencies, your hair may stop growing or show damage.

If your body is in good health, you can maximize your genetic growth cycle through taking the proper blend of amino acids and B-vitamins.

It is also important to include B-6, biotin, Inositol and folic acid in the supplemental program. It has been found that certain minerals including magnesium, sulfur, silica and zinc are also very important toward maintaining healthy hair.

Beta-carotene is also essential to hair growth. This is because it is converted to vitamin A as the body needs it, helps maintain normal growth and bone development, protective sheathing around nerve fibers, as well as promoting healthy skin, hair and nails.

Beta-carotene is found in green and yellow vegetables and fruits.

Protein Is Important

Gorgeous Long Hair

Since hair is protein, a diet that is too low in protein may cause some thinning in hair or a retardation in the growth cycle. The converse is true, If you eat a protein-rich diet it will often result in improved hair growth.

Some nutritional experts suggest the dietary utilization of calves liver, brewer's yeast, wheat germ and a daily dose of two tablespoons of granulated lecithin to maximize hair growth, strength and beauty.

Other good food sources for protein include fish, eggs, beans and yogurt. Soy protein has also been found to be helpful in stimulating hair growth.

One study of the results of soy on the hair found that it not only strengthened the hair but caused it to grow. A great source of soy is tofu.

Growth Blockers

Excessive stress and some medications are conclusively known to retard hair growth. If you have a medical condition and your physician has prescribed medications it is imperative that you follow your doctor's orders regardless of the impact to your hair,

Warning: Always consult your doctor BEFORE you undertake any new type of vitamin, mineral program or herbal program of any type to make sure it does not interfere with any medical treatment you may currently be on.

However, if you are under severe stress it is helpful to reduce the stress as much as possible. Consider meditation or relaxation as a way to cut back on any major stress in your life. Your hair will love your for it.

Another secret hair helper is rest and sleep. It has been discovered that to grow faster, hair needs an adequate amount of sleep (7-9 hours are suggested).

Hair Growing Supplements

Eat right, exercise, reduce stress, rest, gets lots of sleep and your are well on your way to maximizing your hair growth potential.

You can either take a good supplement that contains the necessary vitamins and minerals or you can make up your own formula.

I have personally had some long term success (at least for me) with the HairTopia vitamins that are specifically designed to assist the body with the maximum hair growth building blocks.

For more details check out Jane Bullock's review of the Hairtopia Vitamins and also get the facts on what the vitamins consist of.

While eating the proper foods that contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals will help, it is a lot more difficult to guarantee that you will get all the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat.

List of Supplements

In addition to making lifestyle changes, taking the following supplements every day can boost hair growth for many people:

• Vitamin B-complex - 50 mg. of the major B-vitamins (including folate, biotin and inositol)
• Vitamin B-6 - 50 mg. of vitamin B-6
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids - one to two grams daily
• Vitamin E - 400 to 800 IU daily
• Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily
• One recommended daily dose of magnesium, sulfur, zinc
• Silica (horsetail) - 300 mg. daily
• Nettle - 250 mg. three times daily
• Flaxseed oil - one tbsp daily or one tablet
• Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily

Hair Growing Tips

Some hair loss experts have discovered that people have excellent hair growing results by following the Zone Diet, which is low in fat. Many other hair care experts recommend the Zone Diet as very helpful for hair care concerns.

Here are some other hair growing tips:

1. Eliminate or cut back on smoking, caffeine and carbonated sodas which weaken the body and block maximum hair growing potential.
2. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid foods that are high in sugar or fat.
3. Treat your hair like a piece of fine old lace. Treat it carefully avoiding any unnecessary brushing, combing or handling.
4. Avoid use of hot water, hot blow dryers or other hair care tools that may stress the hair.
5. Have a weekly scalp massage to provide stimulation to the hair follicles.
6. Do a series of ongoing hot oil treatments to protect the hair's shaft.
7. Have regular trims to eliminate split ends and allow the hair to look and feel healthier.
8. Get plenty of rest and sleep to allow your body to grow hair.

Hair Growing Tips

The answer to "instant hair growth" is that there isn't any. There is no magic bullet. If you want to go from a short Bob to long flowing locks instantly than you do have some options, but depending on a variety of factors, they may be limited. Your best bet for overnight long hair is to consider hair extensions, clip on ponytails or long wigs.

How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster

There's no scientifically proven way to make your hair grow faster. But, there is a lot of research on what causes hair loss. And the less hair you lose, the more hair you have growing to your length of choice, right? While some of the causes of hair loss can't be helped, there are several things you can do to encourage your hair grow to its full potential.

Here are some simple steps to help make your hair grow healthy and faster.

Keep your hair in excellent condition. Seeing a hairdresser regularly to have your hair cut and styled will keep it in top condition. Hair in good condition gives the impression it's longer even if it's not because it looks good and has no split ends, etc.

• Use a quality brush to keep your hair brushed, such as a boar brush. Tilt your head forward and brush with your head upside down to bring the oils to the ends of your hair and stimulate the scalp.
• Keep your hair well moisturized. You don't need to use commercial product but you do need to know what can condition your hair properly if you resort to natural items.
• Don't wash your hair every day; allow the hair oils to condition your hair rather than constantly washing the oils out.
• Massage your hair while washing it.

Be kind to your hair. Your hair falls out of its own accord (approximately 70 to 150 hairs daily), but you may be pulling it out faster as a result of the things you do to it. The gentler you are with your hair, the less chances it has to fall out excessively. Some things to keep in mind include:

• Don't put your hair into tight ponytails or cornrows. Use butterfly clips and loose braids instead.
• Brush your hair carefully. If you have wavy or curly hair, there are probably times when you encounter resistance as you're brushing. Right before brushing, use your fingers to gently comb through your hair. And when you brush, start at the ends, and hold the strand you're brushing with your other hand so that if you pull on the hair with a brush, you're not pulling on the root (pull from the grip of your hand instead).
• Brush your hair before you shower in the morning. Throughout the night your hair can knot up a lot. Brushing your hair before you shower reduces tangling when washing it in the shower. When using conditioner, try sifting your fingers through your hair. This reduces extensive combing after your shower and helps to distribute the conditioner evenly.
• Minimize tangles in other situations, such as on windy days, by containing your hair with buns, braids, hats, etc.
• Minimize how much you style your hair. Any kind of styling that involves pulling your hair at the root (blow drying straight, straight iron, curling iron, rollers) will contribute to hair loss. Heat styling also can encourage hair to break. If you really need to dry your hair fast, use a blow dryer for 5 minutes only.
• Avoid or minimize harsh treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, and permanent waves. These weaken your hair and increase the likelihood of breakage and loss.
• Minimize or stop using heating items on your hair.

Maintain good food nutrition or boost it by taking a daily multivitamin. Your body needs several building blocks in order to produce a healthy head of hair, and you can easily meet your body's requirement by eating a balanced, nutritious diet, of by taking a multivitamin consistently if you are not eating well due to illness, etc. Keep in mind, however, that it can take several months to notice the results, so don't get discouraged.

• Research suggests that iron deficiency makes hair loss worse. Women with heavy periods are at a higher risk of iron deficiency. However, unless you have an iron deficiency diagnosed by a doctor, you shouldn't take iron supplements. They can upset your stomach and cause severe constipation, and iron overload can be dangerous. Taking a multivitamin and eating iron-rich foods (tofu, lentils, beans, oysters, spinach, prunes, raisins, lean beef) is more than enough.
  
• If you're a vegetarian, eat foods rich in Vitamin C whenever you eat iron-rich veggies. Vitamin C will help your body absorb the kind of iron that is found in vegetables.
• Avoid purchasing unnecessary supplements such as biotin. Despite the many claims that biotin promotes hair growth, no studies have shown this to be the case. However, hair loss is a sign of severe biotin deficiency; in these cases, the hair loss will be accompanied by a scaly rash around the nose, mouth and genitals. Few people suffer this condition.

Avoid dramatic weight loss. As you shed pounds, you also shed hair. The dramatic changes that your body undergoes when it loses weight quickly (the change in nutrients, the stress involved) can cause your hair to thin. Diets low in protein and iron (for example, very low-fat diets) and also those high in protein but low in fruits and vegetables (for example, Atkins) that result in dramatic weight loss can also trigger significant hair loss. Instead, keep a balanced diet, and focus on gradual calorie reduction (one or two pounds a week).

• Each hair on your head grows for 2-5 years, slows down for about six weeks, and rests for 3-5 months before falling out so a new hair can grow in its place. Normally, 15 percent of your hair is at the resting phase, but a sudden change in nutrition can cause some hair follicles in the growing phase to switch into the resting phase prematurely, possibly raising the percentage to more than 30 percent.

Relax. Stress is a common cause of reversible hair loss. When you experience physical or emotional turmoil, it can take anywhere from three weeks to four months for the results to show up in your hair. It is important to relieve your stress.

Address any pressing health issues. Hair is a strong indicator of overall health. Many nutritional deficiencies can cause hair growth to slow, and can cause hair to thin. Hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism and PCOS can also cause thinning. If your hair has gotten seriously thinner, or stops growing for more than a few months, discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.