Six ways to make your hair grow faster and thicker
If your hair thin and brittle? Would you love to have healthier hair? An expert shares their six tips to help your hair grow faster and thicker.
Your hair’s natural texture is genetically determined. So if you are born with fine hair, and have always had fine hair, you will not be able to change this. However, your individual optimal hair thickness can definitely be impacted by a variety of factors – and these can be addressed so you can have your thickest head of hair possible.
Anabel Kingsley, Brand President & Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley, shares her six tips for healthier hair.
1) Minimize breakage
If your hair is breaking, your mid-length and ends won’t be as thick as they could be. To reduce breakage, use a weekly pre-shampoo deep conditioning treatment. I love our Elasticizer, which strengthens hair and increases its ability to stretch before snapping.
You should also take steps to ensure your hair doesn’t get brittle and dry in the first place. Be gentle when you comb and brush your hair and use a soft, brush with rounded, plastic prongs. Bristle brushes can tear away parts of your hair’s protective outer cuticle.
As hair doesn’t have nerve endings, it’s hard to tell when your styling tools are damaging it. I tell my clients to test their brush on the back of their hand – if it leaves marks or feels rough, it’s too harsh for your strands. You should also use a microfibre towel when you towel dry, as these are very gentle.
2) Eat well
Hair isn’t an essential tissue, so it is the last part of us to receive nutrients we ingest and the first to be withheld from.
Hair cells are also the second fastest dividing cells our body makes, meaning our hair has very high energy and nutrient requirements. As hair is a needy but essentially dispensable tissue, its thickness, strength and growth are easily impacted by even small dietary inadequacies.
Have three balanced, colourful meals a day incorporating proteins (what your hair is made of) and complex carbohydrates (provide slow-release, easy accessible energy to cells, like those that form your hair)
3) Get blood tests
If your hair isn’t as thick as it used to be, there could be an underlying imbalance that needs addressing. For instance, thyroid imbalances commonly cause excessive shedding and loss of hair thickness. Iron and Ferritin (stored iron) deficiency are very common causes of hair loss in women who menstruate – and can happen even if you’re eating a good diet.
Vitamin D deficiency is one for everyone to look out for – it definitely impacts hair growth and we see it all the time at our London and New York Clinics.
4) Use topical scalp drops
If you’re experiencing hair shedding, or you simply want to support your hair growth cycle, use topical scalp drops that help minimize hair shedding, Our Density Preserving Scalp Drops are clinically proven to reduce hair fall and slow hair loss. If you have female or male pattern hair loss, topical scalp drops containing Minoxidil are very effective, too.
5) Prioritize stress management
Easier said than done, but it’s important to hair growth. Stress is inflammatory and can negatively impact your scalp and your hair growth cycle – it can also worsen existing female and male pattern hair loss.
6) Look after your scalp
Your scalp houses your hair follicles and is your hair’s support system. A clean, healthy and balanced scalp is best able to support the growth of strong and healthy strands. We know that a flaky, imbalanced scalp can cause hair loss and also damage hair as it emerges from its follicle.
Just as you do with the skin on your face, cleanse (shampoo) your scalp regularly. If you have a scalp condition, like dandruff, use targeted products to manage it. You can also opt for a shampoo for dry scalp.
Anabel Kingsley is Brand President & Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley.
