Just recently I chopped off three inches of my hair.
Per usual, it was traumatic.
Ever since I was a kid, a haircut always ended in tears. Still does, most likely always will. I have some sort of over emotional connection to my hair. Maybe it’s the fact I just miss it when it’s gone, or maybe it’s the fact that I know it’s going to take a long time to grow back & I have zero patience.
Either way, a haircut had to be done (it’s been 3+ years). I always lived by the motto “hair grows from the top, not the bottom, so why cut it?”. Well, prior to the cut, my split ends were making my hair look frazzled x 100. Not a good look. I wanted that silky Pantene hair, & I knew what that meant: chop chop.
Soooo, now that the haircut is over, w/ only a minor case of PTSD, I am on a serious hair growth mission (cause extensions just aren’t for me!).
I took this haircut as a fresh start, & the second I got home I began researching all of the best ways to keep my hair healthy/strong/& growing like a weed. I didn’t just want to go back into my daily damaging flat iron routine, I wanted to prevent the splits from coming back so that my tresses are more Rapunzel & less horsetail.
Capiche? Let me break down everything in my extensive hair growth ritual, starting with the vitamins & then onto the products:
» Tip: use a brightly colored pill case to keep you accountable. «
1. Viviscal Extra Strength | You guys, this has been said to be the real hair growth miracle, & I couldn’t agree more. Celebs like Miley Cyrus, Karli Kloss & Kate Hudson, who are not sponsored by Viviscal, swear by this daily nutritional supplement specifically targeted at hair growth/health.
Actually, according to this article, All Models Take Viviscal.
Although the products is not FDA approved, all of the ingredients are drug free. The reason it works so well is the marine complex known as AminoMar C (fishy stuff, but not fishy in a sketchy way, fishy in a fish way). It’s a combination of marine protein, minerals, & vitamins that help feed/regenerate cells.
So far, since taking this miracle pill, I have mainly noticed an increase of thickness. I can barely even see my scalp through my part! It’s insane. There has been some solid growth, but according to other peoples experiences/reviews it’s crucial to take the full course as a lot of the hair growth begins closer to the 6 month mark.
2. Keratin Booster | One Viviscal reviewer said the body could get immune to the pill if you don’t break it up a bit. They suggested swapping out a week every now & then with a Keratin supplement.
Keratin is the protein that builds of hair & nail strength. It yields a lot of the same results as Viviscal, but since the formulation is different, it’s great to switch up the two for max. hair growth potential.
3. Collagen Builder | Next to heat, free radicals are one of hairs worst nightmares (major damage). Collagen supplements fight those nasty free radicals & restores collagen in the hair shaft, hence strengthening the hair & giving it the strength to grow, grow, grow.
On top of that, collagen is also the BEST wrinkle blaster. As we age, we lose collagen, & that causes wrinkles/saggy skin. Taking collagen puts it back, making your skin look like seriously younger without going under the knife.
Long hair & perfect skin? Collagen is def. king!
4. Clean & Nourish | I was in Urban Outfitters the other day when I came across Not Your Mothers ‘Way to Grow’ conditioner. The name itself, and kinda the fact it was sold in Urban (cause they couldn’t possibly carry anything not cool/amazing), made me buy it.
Honestly, I’m not sure how much it actually makes your hair grow, but it does make it super silky & beautiful. I loved it so much, I had to purchase the sister shampoo, which is also a win.
5. Massage Your Scalp | Similar to my undereye Jade rolling obsession, massaging your scalp stimulates blood circulation, which in turn stimulates the hairs follicles as well. It’s actually an age old trick that Indian women have done for years to keep there hair long, thick, & healthy (they have stunning locks!!).
I either massage my head in the shower with my fingers, using this genius tool (feels so good), or with Almond oil (for extra hair growth magic!).
6. Detangle, gently | I am a die hard Wet Brush fan (greatest ever), but I have been in need of a brush with boar bristles as they help distribute the hairs natural oils, add major shine, change the hairs overall texture (thanks to all those lovely oils), & further stimulates the scalp.
When I found out that Wet Brush actually makes a boar bristle/combo brush, the Shine Brush I was all about it. It’s pretty much the best ever as it still has the intelliflex bristles that gently get out knots, but the boar bristles add that extra oomph needed.
I typically use my Shine Brush when my hair is dry, & my Wet Brush after the shower.
7. Post-Shower Moisture | Just like you put moisturizer on your body after a shower, you should put it on my hair to. For this, I am die-hard about the Eufora Beautifying Serum, been using it for years!
It’s lightweight, but jam packed with antioxidants/omegas/vitamins that work from the inside out, instantly absorbing into the hair shaft.
I typically use it on my wet hair after the shower, but sometimes I also use it when I dry my hair to tame that first day frizz. After I tackle my hair, I use any leftover on my arms & legs. It doubles as a great skin moisturizer as well.
8. Protection (always!) | This step is major for me. I never used heat protection products before, which is probably why my hair was such a hot mess. I straighten everyday, so I now never go without my Eufora Thermal Defense.
Heat is the no.1 hair damager, & damaged hair won’t grow.
I do this in conjunction with the Beautifying Serum, either before or after. I spray it directly in my hands & then run it through my hair.
9. The Shine Secret | After my hair is dry & fully styled, I finish off the entire thing with the Eufora Illuminate Shine Mist. Can you tell I am a big fan of Eufora products? They are seriously next level.
The Shine Mist does very little for hair growth, but it is the perfect finishing product cause it makes your sooo shiny & beautiful. Plus, it smells like my long lost favorite (& discontinued) Escada perfume I wore all the time in highschool. I love the nostalgia I get every time I spritz.
10. Sleep Cold | This isn’t really a tip but more a personal theory/superstition, I sleep with my room freezing. Think about when you get goosebumps on your legs, they get prickly cause the hair grows. Don’t you think the same concept applies to our heads? Crazy talk? Yea, probably, but I’m sticking with it.
As for the proof, in the past two months since I implemented this routine, my hair has grown approximately two inches!!! Seriously, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Rapunzel status in no-time.
Okay, so there you have it, all of my major hair growth tips! Do you guys have any go-to hair growth tips/voo-doo spells/folk remedies passed down from your great Grandma/? If so, pleaseeeee LMK!
x, E
[ p.s. some of my Eufora products look different than the ones I linked, they recently changed their packaging & a whole lot of the old packaging is still widely used! Don’t fret, they’re the exact same. ]