We all dream of that thick, long, healthy and incredibly shiny hair, don’t we?! But unfortunately, our hair habits, our health, our diet and even the environment can get in the way of us actually achieving this.
My name’s Isabella, I’m the founder of Sozo Australia and almost five years ago, I did the chop and cut off my very long and extremely unhealthy hair to about shoulder length. At the time, I wanted a change and I was really tired of unhealthy, spiny ends. About a year later, I experienced very sudden and significant hair loss known as telogen effluvium. Since experiencing this, I’ve been on a constant journey of prioritising my scalp and hair health, which of course included launching our Sozo Hair Health range after I couldn’t find truly all-natural haircare products that performed. Now, it is also my mission to share with you everything you need to experience your healthiest scalp and hair.
It is because I’ve been very intentional with my hair health that I’ve been able to watch my hair transform, and although I’ve enjoyed having short hair for the last couple of years, I’ve decided to grow my hair out a little bit longer. It’s now been about 4 months of growth and these are my results.
Because I know you also might be trying to encourage hair growth, I’m here to share with you 10 tips for healthy hair growth that have allowed me to experience long, healthy hair. These hair growth tips are designed to improve the health of your hair and also encourage your hair to grow faster in the comfort of your own home. So, let’s get started!
1. Wash your scalp & hair regularly
My hair is a more naturally oily hair type, which means that I wash my hair at least three to four times every week. Although we all have different hair needs and you may not need to wash your hair as frequently, it is essential that you keep your scalp as clean and healthy as possible because that is where you’re going to experience your hair growth. I know it seems obvious that our hair grows from our scalp, but it is easy to focus only on taking care of our ends and not caring for our scalp enough. This means you need to wash your hair often to ensure you don’t allow dirt, oil and product to build up, which then can compromise the health of your scalp.
2. Conduct regular scalp massages
Our scalp has a rich blood supply because it has the largest number of hair follicles than any other part of our body. Knowing this, it is important to massage our scalps regularly, if not daily, for just a couple of minutes because this increases circulation and blood flow to the scalp. It is this blood flow to the hair follicles that can result in stronger hair and also help promote hair density.
Although hair loss and thinning problems can’t be entirely resolved with daily scalp massages, this is one hair habit that is free, easy to implement and will contribute to the overall health of your scalp and hair. Plus, how can you not feel instantly relaxed when your scalp is being massaged?
3. With high quality, effective hair products, your haircare routine doesn’t need to be complicated
Many believe that by using more haircare products our hair will become healthier and our hair will grow faster. But this isn’t always the case. Of course, you need to ensure all your scalp and hair health needs are met. But when you invest in effective all-natural hair products, you won’t need an overly complicated haircare routine. In fact, when we overload our scalp and hair with products, especially too many leave in styling products, we can encourage product to build up, impacting your scalp’s sebum (oil) flow and overall health.
My personal haircare routine that has allowed me to see noticeable healthy hair growth in just a few short months only consists of three products; our Sozo Hair Health Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask. Our all-natural, Australian hair products have been formulated to not only help encourage new hair growth, but also focus on improving your overall scalp and hair health which, ultimately, allows you to experience longer and stronger hair.
Our Sozo Hair Health range is free from all harsh chemicals, including sulphates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, PEGs and perfumes. Instead of relying on traditional and synthetic ingredients used in most haircare products that are known to strip your natural oil and create a build-up on your hair, we have formulated scientifically proven natural ingredients to nourish your hair for enhanced results in the short and long term.
4. Apply a hair mask at least once a week
Focusing on your scalp health, as we’ve just discussed together, is one of the most essential hair growth tips; however, to truly experience longer and healthier hair, you must also keep your hair and your ends strong to reduce breakage. Excessive breakage can quickly make your hair appear spiny and thin. One way to strengthen your ends is to apply a hair mask at least once a week. Our Sozo Hair Health Mask is an intense weekly hair treatment that contains a wide range of natural ingredients, extracts and oils, as opposed to containing only protein-based ingredients, to help increase shine, strengthen, repair and protect against damage, to ultimately reduce matting and breakage.
But of course, knowing how important our scalp is for hair growth, we’ve also designed our natural hair mask to help soothe and condition scalp irritations. Although it is an intense treatment, our silicone free hair mask is formulated to be lightweight, so it won’t leave your hair feeling greasy or heavy. This also means that it can be used more than once a week (in place of conditioner) if your hair is in particular need of extra nourishment or has experienced significant damage. As I have naturally fine hair, I only need to use our Sozo Hair Health Mask once a week for a couple of minutes. However, other hair types may require a longer 30 minute treatment. The key to effectively using our hair mask is all about utilising it for your scalp and hair health needs.
5. Limit exposure to heated styling tools
Another healthy hair growth tip you can implement is deciding to limit consistent exposure to excessive heat. As we’ve already discussed, preventing damage and breakage is vital when wanting to keep your hair healthy as it grows longer. This is why I have only been using heated styling tools once a week and I also ensure my hairdryer is set at a low to medium heat setting. Allowing your hair to air dry when you don’t need your hair styled is another way to limit heat exposure and damage.
6. Invest in silk scrunchies and hair accessories that don’t cause breakage
In addition to limiting heat damage, preventing hair breakage also involves using the right hair accessories and brushes. In an effort to keep my hair as healthy as possible, I’ve invested in silk scrunchies to use in my hair instead of elastic bands. Using a detangling brush and drying your hair with a microfibre towel are also great ways to reduce breakage, frizz and unhealthy ends.
7. Trim your ends every 3 to 4 months
When growing out our hair because we have the desire to experience more length, we often want to avoid cutting our hair as we don’t want to lose any length. But as we’ve already established, growing our hair is not only about length but it is also about the health of our hair. This means getting regular trims are vital to cutting off any split ends which then prevents those split ends from travelling further up the hair shaft. By not keeping split ends under control, you will have to cut more off your length in the future because your hair will feel dry, damaged and brittle. Since letting my hair grow, I’ve had my hair trimmed once within about 4 months, which means it’s time to get it cut again soon.
8. Avoid leave in products like dry shampoo
As someone with a naturally oily hair type, I know the inconvenience of oily hair. Many with oily hair often find themselves relying heavily on products like dry shampoo to control the oil but let me tell you why dry shampoo is one product that has never been part of my haircare routine. Although dry shampoo is incredibly convenient, excessive use of products like this can interfere with your natural sebum on your scalp. Despite the feeling and appearance of oily hair being something none of us desire, our scalp and hair do need some of that natural oil to prevent brittle hair and dry, flaky scalp conditions. When we use too much dry shampoo on a regular basis, your scalp’s sebum can’t normalise itself. Knowing this, I prefer to wash my hair and scalp more often to keep it clean than rely on products like dry shampoo.
If you are someone who does use dry shampoo, don’t panic. I simply want to encourage you to avoid using it as a technique to manage your oil, especially if you’re wanting to experience new hair growth. Removing dry shampoo and similar products from your routine can result in changes to your scalp’s oil production initially. But with regular washing, your scalp’s sebum will regulate over time.
9. Maintain a well-balanced diet
If you’ve ever experienced significant hair loss due to an illness, you know just how much our physical health can impact our scalp and hair. That’s why ensuring you achieve a balanced diet that includes foods rich in iron, protein and biotin are essential for healthy hair growth. There are many nutrients and minerals that are needed to support healthy hair, so taking a closer look at your diet and physical health will help you to understand what your body requires specifically.
10. Have patience
One of the most important things to remember about hair growth is that it does take time. Over the course of a year, our hair can grow by approximately 15cm. Although many of us would prefer hair growth to be more instant, the reality is we must be patient and stay consistent with our healthy habits. Hair growth is a long-term game.
Making your hair grow faster does involve being intentional and diligent with your scalp and hair health. The most important tips for healthy hair growth that you always need to remember is to prioritise your scalp health, eliminate as much damage and stress to your scalp and hair as possible and ensure your hair is receiving the right nourishment with high quality haircare products and a well-balanced diet. Addressing our physical health and any potential causes of your hair loss and shedding is also essential to encouraging new growth and making your hair grow faster because even with the best haircare products and hair growth tips, you won’t see your best results without addressing your physical health and concerns first.
Experiencing long, healthy hair does take time, so don’t forget to be patient and remain consistent with your haircare routine and hair health habits. Prioritising our hair health is a continuous journey, so if you want to learn more about all the healthy hair tips and products you need, click here to become a Sozo VIP and receive all the important information directly in your inbox.
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