Sleeping Beauty Saturdays: 7 Tips for Longer Hair

I really regret cutting my hair off.

When I was a freshman in college, I decided to get an A-line bob. You know, those cute ones where your hair is longer in the front than in the back? It looked adorable, but it taught me a very valuable lesson:
If you have curly hair and don't like spending a ton of time on your hair in the morning, don't get a haircut that 1) requires a lot of maintenance and 2) kinda requires straight hair.

Anyhoo, my hair has never really recovered from that, even three years later.
I've tried lots of things to help it grow back longer and thicker, but obviously, I've learned more about what doesn't work than what does.
So here are my tips and some products that I think really work.

1. Don't wash your hair every day.
I know, it sounds gross, but even if you wash every other day, it's better for your hair. It allows for your natural oils to penetrate your hair, which makes it much healthier.
When you do wash your hair, you really only need to focus shampoo on your scalp and conditioner on your ends, which actually helps your product last longer in the end.

2. Scalp massages are good, but exercise is better.
People say scalp massages while washing your hair help improve circulation to your scalp, which I'm sure is true, but exercise improves circulation everywhere for longer, so it's best to double up. Go for a run then treat yourself in the shower with a scalp massage. ;)

3. Don't put your hair up in a tight hairstyle when it's wet.
I'm very guilty of this, and once in a while won't hurt, but hair actually swells when it's dry. Kinda backwards, I know, but when it's put up in a tight bun or something, when it dries, the hair swells, and it breaks.
(I went to a new stylist once who asked me if I was doing that, and that's what she told me.)
I pin my hair back once it's semi-dry, and that seems to be okay.

4. Use less heated styling products.
Heat is damaging, so flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers are slowly damaging your hair. If you must use them, use a heat protectant, and if you want to blow dry your hair, try the coolest setting.
The same holds true for hot water. Try to wash your hair with cooler water, maybe even cold if you can stand it.

5. Drink a lot of water.
Not only will this flush all of the gunk from your system, it'll add shine to your hair and moisturize it from the inside out.

6. Don't color your hair (or at least color it less).
The chemicals in hair dyes - even the professional ones - do damage your hair, though, yes, some are less damaging. I've been told that professional dyes are better for your hair than drugstore ones for pretty much the same reason fresh foods are better for you than shelf food: preservatives.
Plus, the peroxide in developers (the white stuff you pour the color into and mix up) is more tailored to what you actually need instead of a one size fits all amount that may be too much for you.
Coloring your hair every now and then isn't going to hurt, but don't overdo it. (Guilty.)

7. Don't be afraid to try products.
Be aware of what you're using, but only Nair is going to make your hair fall out, so as long as you're not using that, you're okay.
Here are some products that definitely worked for me:

• Lee Stafford's Hair Growth Treatment.
  I believe this product says to use an egg-sized amount and leave it on for about 5 minutes, but you can use about half that amount if you distribute it well. Also, the longer you can leave it on, the better. Probably best used every other day/wash or so.
• Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Shampoo and Conditioner.
  I know my hair grew faster when I used this shampoo and conditioner. I also noticed that less of it was shedding, which is always a plus.
  On a side note, I've never used the leave-in conditioner of the same line, but if anyone does, please let me know how it works for you!
• Mane 'N Tail Shampoo and Conditioner.
  Yes, it's horse shampoo. But yes, it really does work to keep your hair healthy and growing long. And, if you have a military ID at participating Walgreen's stores, you get 15% off, and they tend to be on sale for half off pretty often.
• Biotin.
  Biotin is a supplement, and you can take as much as you want, but I think 10,000mcg is the max it makes sense to take, as your body discards extra nutrients it can't use. It's also supposed to help your skin as well, so there's that little perk.

If you have any tips, or if you try any of these and they work for you, let me know!