Long Healthy Hair Growing Methods

Introduction

Jessica Simpson

The key rule for growing long luscious healthy hair is to practice patience and commitment.

If your hair has never grown past a certain length, is full of split ends or other breakage, and never seems healthy, there are probably some very good reasons.

It takes time to diagnose the cause of your slow hair growth and ongoing damage while reversing the bad habits you may have followed.

No Magic Hair Growth Pills

There is no magic pill you can take which will give you long, luscious healthy hair overnight.

It's just not going to happen. Yes, vitamins and related nutrients may help, but even they require time to work and reverse any long-term damage.

I wish there were. I've been committed to growing and maintaining my own hip-length hair since 1988. Even though I've managed to grow long, beautifully healthy hair, it still requires my ongoing TLC.

Jessica Simpson on NBC's Fashion Star

How To Grow Long, Luscious, Healthy Hair Steps

You may not like to hear what I'm going to share about growing long healthy hair, but if you're committed and willing to be patient, I promise you will see results.

Listed below are the tips you must consider adopting to achieve success in growing long tresses:

1. Dump Hot Hair Toys

Put away all your hot hair toys. This includes hot styling tools such as flat and curling irons, hot rollers, and hot air blow dryers. Hot tools used on hair is the key hair treatment that causes irreversible damage to the health of your strands.

The best method for drying hair so that it maintains minimum damage and encourages long-term growth is air drying.

If you can't live without styling your hair as your hair strengthens, you can experiment with wet rollers or pin sets under a hood-style dryer set to less damaging temperatures.

2. Stop Extending Your Tresses

Retire from wearing fusion or semi-permanent hair extensions. Although clip-on hair extensions can be stressful when worn regularly or improperly, they are much less damaging than fusion-style hair extensions which will put pressure on the hair roots and potentially slow or stop additional growth.

If you wish to grow long and lush natural tresses, you will have to stop wearing fusion-style extensions to give your hair a rest.

Jessica Simpson on Style Star

3. Re-evaluate Chemical Use

Hair that is bleached, colored, highlighted, low-lighted, straightened, relaxed, or chemically smoothed is altered and ultimately compromises the strength and growth potential of any hair.

You may be unable to stop cold turkey with any current chemical hair processing. Consider your options, such as switching to natural hair colors or demi-perm hues.

Visit a professional hairdresser and let them know you wish to grow your hair longer, and ask them to suggest how to reduce and ultimately eliminate your current chemical hair treatments and processes.

4. Commit To The Kindest Cut Of All

Undergo a plan to remove existing damage. While some long hair experts insist you have to start by removing all current damage, I personally found that too traumatic when I started growing out my own hair.

Although my long hair consultant removed 8 inches from my hair, I was devastated and demoralized.

I believe you can have the current damage removed slowly over a three to nine-month process. If you are truly committed to growing the longest, strongest, and healthiest hair possible. If that's the case you may wish to have all current damage trimmed off to start growing with a clean hair slate. It is definitely true that you can't grow long, lush locks on top of a base of pre-existing damaged hair.

Jessica Simpson on NBC's Fashion Star

5. Amp Up Your Nutrition

Unfortunately, with the current state of nutrition, eating healthy is usually not enough to grow long, strong and healthy strands. Vitamins, minerals, and nutrients designed to assist your hair growth plan are key components to ultimate success.

Remember that most vitamin programs designed to assist with hair growth are not miracle plans and may require 30-60-90 days or longer to see results depending on how damaged your hair was at the beginning of the program.

6. Minimize Harmful Substances

Minimize or eliminate the use of nicotine, alcohol, recreational drugs, and excessive amounts of sugar. All these habits generally slow down hair growth potential and can cause damage.

Since alcohol does impact the liver, which plays a key part in hair growth, it is wise to cut back when possible.

7. Adopt Hair Friendly Attitudes

This includes a wide range of habits from using hair-friendly brushes and combs, utilizing the most friendly hair accessories, which are designed not to rip, pull or tear existing or new strands and making sure to protect your hair from the environment and elements.

Jessica Simpson on Style Star

As you experience new hair growth and transition into a head of lush healthy, shiny hair, you will most likely find new motivation to research advanced methods for growing even longer tresses with even better health. If and when you reach that stage, you will understand how to achieve max hair friendliness.

8. Pamper New Healthy Growth

Yes, it's essential to have hair regularly "dusted" or trimmed by a long hair-friendly hairdresser. This removes split ends and allows new growth to remain healthy and strong.

9. Develop A Healthy Hair Cleansing Program

Develop a hair cleansing program designed to encourage healthy hair growth and maintenance. I personally have never experienced results with shampoo products designed to "grow hair."

However, I have witnessed measurable results from pre-shampoo treatments, regular "hair-friendly" scalp massage, diluted shampoo formulas applied alternatively with conditioning-only rinses, and washing hair less often than every day.

Be willing to experiment with various products and treatments to find those best for you and your hair's type, texture, and ultimate needs. Unfortunately, there isn't one product that works well for all types and textures of long healthy hair.

10. Undergo Regular Conditioning Treatments

It's also good to develop a regular deep conditioning treatment program designed for your hair type (thin/fine, medium, thick) and texture (straight, wavy, curly, coily or kinky) and moisture requirements (normal, oily, dry, extremely dry, damaged).

11. Keep Long Hair Journal

Since I promise you that your hair will not grow overnight, even with hair vitamins and other related supplements and formulations, it helps to keep a daily journal so you can view your progress. Only measure your hair once a month, and always use the same measuring tools applied to the same point on the scalp.

Jessica Simpson on NBC's Fashion Star

NBC All

You may wish to consider blogging about your hair-growing journey, tweeting about it on Twitter, or posting progression photos on Facebook and/or MySpace.

Ask others who are going through a long hair journey to share their own secrets and/or tips.

12. Reward Yourself With "Hair Friendly" Hair Toys

Soft hair-friendly headbands, bandeaus, beanies, and hair ties can instantly add a splash of fun encouragement to your hair-growing journey. Hair-friendly hair clips, barrettes, jaws, and claws can offer functional support to keep hair out of danger.

It's important to develop a series of "hair-friendly" styles which protect your hair from accidental snagging and ripping. Select hairstyles you can maintain and enjoy which are good for your scalp and hair.

13. Be True To Your Own Hair Experiences.

When it comes to hair growth, there are many opinions - both expert and non-expert - about the best way to grow healthy hair.

Some experts say you should never wear a fringe with long hair due to the integrity of the hair's ultimate growth. Others may disagree.

FashionStar - NBC - Elle McPherson & Jessica Simpson

Jessica on Style Star

Evaluate all the information and form your own opinions and practices to follow.

You may or may not wish to enlist the assistance of a hair professional who appreciates and encourages long hair.

The key is to find what works best for you and your hair.

14. Be kind to yourself. Growing long hair can be a lifetime journey. It may not be the best path for everyone.

If you decide it's too difficult to maintain the program, be willing to give yourself a break and stop without feeling bad about your decision. You can always take a break and grow your hair again at some other point.

Summary

For more info: Visit HairBoutique.com for additional long hair growth and maintenance tips, along with general tips on hairstyling and related hair tips.

Note: To view more hair photos of Jessica Simpson, visit her Celebrity Hair Gallery.

If you want to talk more about this or other hair care articles on HairBoutique.com or anywhere else, please post a message on HairBoutique.com's Hair Talk Forums.

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