How To Grow Your Hair Long and Thick?

Hi ladies!

Before I start, here are some pictures of me and my hair for those who don’t know me.

I am around 5′5″ tall so you can guesstimate the length of my hair. They are very voluminous too so I would often get trapped in them :p

I have been asked this question multiple times and I know that everyone wants to hear a magic formula but I’m sorry that I don’t have any for you!

I have suffered from extreme hair fall, dandruff, dryness, and split ends.

In the past, my hair has been smoothened (keratin treatment) and also bleached and colored blonde. The smoothening and coloring were not done on the same hair though.

So yes, I’ve seen hair damage and other issues. It takes time to get them back to health again. It doesn’t happen instantly.

My solutions:

No combing or oiling - My hair is very fine and oiling and combing would lead to a lot of breakages. So I stopped doing it. How? With shampoo on, I spend 9–10 minutes massaging my scalp. After washing the shampoo off, I apply a conditioner. While the conditioner is on, I run my fingers through my hair to detangle them. That’s it.

Dry hair gently - After wash, I use an old T-shirt to wrap my wet hair (not a towel. Helps with keeping them frizz-free). No violent games with the towel to dry hair, ladies. Wet hair is sensitive and should be handled gently. When they are almost half-dry, I take off that wrap and let them dry naturally.

Leave-in conditioner - I don’t need it now but initially, when my hair felt very frizzy, I would rub some leave-in conditioner on my hand and run my fingers through my damp hair. This would detangle them plus keep my hair frizz-free.

Sulfate and Paraben free hair products only - These chemicals are super harsh and have no place in my hair care products. So choose shampoos and conditioners that say “Sulfate and parabens free” only!

No heat - No matter how much heat protectant you slather, using heat on the hair is damaging. I have not used heated styling appliances on my hair for years now. Keeps them healthy, with protected ends. If you do like to use blowdryers or straighteners, keep the temperature low, always use heat protectant spray and minimize heat styling. In India, where the sun was too harsh, I would cover my hair with a scarf when outside (and use leave-in conditioners with SPF).

Don’t wash hair too often or too less - You don’t want your hair to be dried out by the shampoo nor do you want an oily, dandruff-filled scalp. Listen to your own body to determine the time you need between washes. I wash my hair twice a week.

Good diet - All the above steps are for external care. True healthy hair comes from the inside. Have a healthy, balanced diet. Fish is great for hair and skin (I am a vegetarian though). I take multivitamins made specifically for women (on and off) to ensure my body is well-supplemented.

Stress - Stress can literally drive you to baldness. Meditation, work-outs, long walks, whatever works for you, do it to lower your stress levels.

Now that my hair is healthy, they grow very fast (sometimes it feels too fast).

But remember, getting healthy from the inside and outside took time.

Good hair and skin are just by-products of a healthy, natural and happy lifestyle.