Hair Growth in 5 Easy Steps

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

About

Constance Tambakis Odom, MD graduated in 1987 with her Doctorate of Medicine from the New York Medical College, and was an Anesthesiologist Resident from 1988 to 1991 at the Brookdale Medical Center PGY II (CA-I)-PGY IV (CA-III). She is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology since 1998 and American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine since 2002. Constance Odom, MD is affiliated with the American Medical Association, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American Society of Anesthesiology, Georgia Society of Anesthesiology, Hellenic Medical Society of New York, North Carolina Society of Anesthesiology, and Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia.

Credentials

Medical Director At:

• Nu Image Medical
• MetroMedispa P.A.

Staff Anesthesiologist at:

• Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn, NC
• Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC
• Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, NC

Director of Anesthesia Services at:

• Jacksonville Surgery Center in Jacksonville, NC

Written by our editorial team.

Last Edited 4 years ago · 5 min read

Though short hairstyles are efficient and striking, there are still those who prefer to have long, locks of glistening hair. Though hair growth is a natural body process, growing beautiful hair that is long and healthy can be difficult. If you aren’t in the mood for waiting on your hair to grow out, you can opt for removable fake hair or you can purchase a wig. Not the most ideal, but it gets the job done. If you are willing to give your hair some help, these tips can get you on a fast track to healthy, luscious locks.

Start With a Cut

Although it sounds counterproductive, get your hair growing by giving it a short trim. By cutting your hair every eight weeks or so, you can help get rid of damaged and split ends. Though hair health starts with the roots and well-functioning hair follicles, you can give your scalp a boost with taking off the dead weight. You don’t need to go crazy with the cut. Ask your stylist to only remove what is necessary.

Carefully Read Ingredients

The things you put on your hair will have an effect on how healthy your hair will look, but it also impacts the root health found in the scalp and hair follicles. There are certain chemicals and treatments that are damaging to the hair structure, causing loss of hair or dull, lifeless strands. The best things to use on your hair are naturally-based cleansers, as they have fewer harsh components that strip the hair of essential oils. When reading the ingredients on your shampoo, avoid things like parabens and silicones, which are sometimes labeled as dimethicone. Your hair follicles control growth, and when chemicals continually get lathered into your scalp, it can clog the follicles and sabotage growth. When follicles aren’t able to progress through the natural growth cycle, normal shedding and loss aren’t replaced with new healthy hair. This leads to problems with thinning or even balding when there is a severe case of damage.

Don’t Skip Conditioning

Good hair care is important to rapid and healthy growth, which means you shouldn’t skip out of the shower without conditioning your hair. Although there are many types of conditioners on the market, hair experts recommend using a quality leave-in conditioner or deep conditioner to get the most benefit. By leaving nourishing agents on your hair and around the roots, you can help give the hair shaft body, improving its elasticity and strength. If your hair is healthy, it is less likely to experience breakage. This is great for trying to grow your hair.

Feed Your Hair

You may be on top of the products hitting your scalp, but you need to pay just as much attention to the unseen elements of hair growth. What you feed your body directly affects the performance of your hair follicles. Many people resort to changing their diets or their lifestyles when they experience unnatural hair loss, but you need to proactively engage in habits that promote strong hair before an issue arises. Denying your hair of the vitamins and minerals it needs leads to weak, sickly hair follicles, just like starving your body would do to your inner organs. Crash diets and restrictive eating plans do a lot of damage to your hair, so be sure to keep plenty of protein, iron, vitamin E, zinc, and B vitamins in your meal planning. Having an iron deficiency often causes hair to fall out prematurely, so keep dark leafy greens on the menu as well. If your scalp is experiencing loss for medical reasons, you can also feed your hair and scalp with medicated treatments like minoxidil or finasteride to stem the loss and encourage new growth.

Give Your Hair a Break

With hair, less is sometimes more. Even after carefully selecting products that won’t harm your hair, take a day off from using products at all. Maybe not when you have an important meeting at work or a big social event planned, but take a lazy Saturday and let your hair rest. Washing your hair strips the scalp from the natural oils that keep it limber and healthy. Without the oils, hair becomes brittle and dry. You don’t want to make breakage easier when you are trying to grow your hair longer. Take a step back from heat treatments and harsh styles for a day or two as well. It can be easy to put too much stress and strain on your hair, and if the roots are healthy, you may not be aware of the damage you are causing.

Hair is a finicky thing, but fortunately, it is easily managed and maintained. If you are looking to grow your hair another two inches or you are ambitiously seeking another twelve to donate to Locks of Love, these are some key ways to promote healthy growth.

Nu Image Medical® offers a new and futuristic approach to achieving optimal health and wellness. The company has been a weight loss, anti-aging and wellness provider since 2004 and offers medically supervised programs for medical weight loss, peptides, erectile dysfunction, scream cream, and hair loss (NuDew) 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your physician about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Nu Image Medical may not offer the medications or services mentioned in this article.