7 Tips for Growing and Retaining Long Healthier Hair

For years I struggled with damaged brittle strands and a dry itchy scalp. Only after studying and researching hair structure, properties and maintenance methods did I truly understand how to take care of textured hair. If you are experiencing hair breakage or you just want to grow you hair longer, check out my tips below on growing healthy long hair.

1. Eat a healthy diet.

Eat a diet that consists of green leafy vegetables, fruits, water, and lean meats. This is the most important tip. You can have the best products in the world but if your body is not receiving the proper nutrients, you will not grow healthy strong hair.

2. Exercise consistently.

Exercising increases blood flow to our muscles, skin and scalp. The increased blood flow brings with it more nutrients and more oxygen. This provides nourishment to the hair roots, thereby promoting healthy hair growth. 

3. Pre-poo your hair.

A Pre-poo is when you apply oil to your hair before you shampoo. When you use oils that penetrate the hair shaft, such as Alodia’s Nourish and Grow Healthy Hair and Scalp Oil, it helps to strengthen the hair from within protecting it from damage. Using the oil before you shampoo also ensures that your hair is not weighed down from too much oil.

4. Use a non-sulfate shampoo.

If you’re not familiar, sulfates are the agents that strip your strands of moisture and protective barriers. If the shampoo is a non-sulfate it should say so on the packaging.

5. Use a deep conditioning masque.

Using a deep conditioning masque weekly, such as Alodia’s Nourish and Hydrate masque, is very important! This restores the moisture and protein balance in the hair.

6. Moisturize and seal your hair before styling.

You should use a moisturizer  with water in its first ingredient and then “seal’ the moisture in with a high quality oil. This ensures that your hair will stay moisturized lessening the chance of breakage.

7. Protect your ends.

The ends of your hair are the oldest part. Ensure that your ends are protected by:

• Trimming split ends
• Keep your ends well moisturized (using the technique explained in #6)
• Wearing your hair in up dos or buns so that the ends are protected from the elements and from brushing against clothing, this can cause breakage.
• At night wear a satin bonnet or use a satin pillowcase. This will protect your ends (and the entire length of your hair) from snagging/pulling/snapping on harsher fabrics.

So there you have it! If you need a place to start try Alodia’s Style Kits. They take the guesswork out of having healthy hair by providing 3-4 products that take you from wash > deep condition > moisturize > style without you having to think about what products to buy! They also come with a step-by-step routine that you can do weekly. I use these kits weekly and they have played a key role in me having healthy long natural hair.