What's going wrong and how to correct it
Have you ever left the salon feeling hopeless? Left with hair that never seems to be getting any longer and forced to cut it shorter to remove split ends. Your hair is always growing from your scalp; it just doesn't get any longer because many factors are causing it to break off before gaining length.
Professionally Damaging
I've been witnessing this struggle between clients and their stylists for over a decade. The stylist attempts to meet the clients' expectations by using excessive chemicals and heat. Caution is essential with any professional chemical service, especially with ammonia(permanent hair color), bleach, relaxers, and perms. Overlapping any of these services too closely will cause the hair to turn a warm shade of broken off. Adding heat during and after will only worsen the problem. It's an expensive cycle because you need it done more often. After all, it doesn't look as good, you must now purchase additional products for damaged hair, and you might even splurge for extensions. It shouldn't be a surprise that it all leads back to—you guessed it—cause more damage.
I have also witnessed the flip side of clients slamming their previous stylist or threatening their new one and generally taking for granted a service provider. Try your best to come into the salon with realistic expectations for the timeframe, cost, and timeline of appointments to reach your desired goal. Keeping a consistent goal in mind can help minimize damage in the long run. I genuinely believe that stylists have the best intentions. They often lack the tools to reach their potentials like hands-on education, mentorship, self-care, and business management training. It's all about communication and grace.
Take A Break
There are some influences out of our control that affect our hair growth like genetics and age. Sometimes you just need to step back from the cycle and look at the bigger picture. How will your hair ever grow if chemicals and heat are continuously damaging it? If this has been a chronic issue for you, and your stylist isn't taking you seriously, it's time to look for a more ethical stylist. Someone who is going to put the health of your hair above making money in the moment. How are your diet and sleep? Your hair can be a good indicator of other things going on in your body.
Remedies
Start with what you're putting into your body. Drinking enough water and eating a balanced diet can all contribute to your hair health. Bonus foods for hair growth are eggs, avocadoes, spinach, beans, and berries.
Stress less. Chronic stress can absolutely affect your hair growth cycle along with the rest of your body.
Sleep 8+ hours if you can. Sleep is your body's chance to do maintenance and heal from the inside out.
An easy supplement for your hair, skin, and nails is Biotin.
A good clarifying scalp massage can go along way for stimulating new hair growth.
A hydrating or protein mask can significantly improve the overall feel of your hair. Refer to our 1.1.20 blog post for more info on types of conditioners.
Maybe the secret to growing your hair out is simply worrying and doing less. As you replace worrying about society's beauty expectations, with healthier habits, you might find you grow in more ways than one.
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Photo by Nick Karvounis