Hair Won't Grow?! My Holistic Healthy Hair Hacks!

It all started when I was fourteen, and opted for the currently trendy Victoria Beckham bob. That fateful chop resulted in my now twenty-four year old self with permanently shoulder length hair. I had surrendered to having short locks forever, but recently, I got fed up of envying every mermaid-headed goddess I cross paths with. Here's the steps I'll be taking from now on to (hopefully) gain some length; and if this is just as long as my hair can grow [i.e. you've heard of terminal length? the absolute longest your hair can grow if you simply left it, without breakage and cutting as factors] I, at the very least, want the softest + healthiest short locks around.

A well balanced whole foods diet, rich in a variety of micronutrients and high in minerals like zinc and magnesium + high quality supplements, is essential to hair health - but let's get more specific. Here are some dietary components you can start incorporating, followed by healthy hair products + treatments. 

Cells multiply and divide in the hair bulb to to build the hair shaft, made of a protein called keratin. Keratin is made up of an amino acid chain - of which it's especially high in glycine and alanine. This means you need to be eating complete protein; complete proteins contain all 20 amino acids. All meat is complete, but vegan proteins are trickier - quinoa, amaranth, soy, buckwheat, hemp, chia, spirulina are among the few. You can combine non-complete protein sources at meals to get all the essentials.

Supplementing with collagen, another protein source, provides strength and cell-renewal benefits to hair growth (so, jump on the bandwagon and get your Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides or Bulletproof Collagen). 

There are also marine collagen options for my vegan peeps.

Healthy fats from fish, meat, nuts, seeds and avocados are going to help your hair grow as they nourish the hair follicle + increase circulation and cell growth + give your hair a healthy shine. EFA deficiency can often manifest as dry skin and brittle hair, so make sure you're getting enough! Supplement with omega-3 EPA/DHA fish oil/krill oil/algae oil.

In order for your body to create collagen, keratin + elastin, you need vitamin C! Incorporate this into your diet with less conventional sources than oranges such as berries, red bell peppers, kale, broccoli + pineapple. You can also megadose vitamin C in supplement form up to 10,000 mg. Beyond that, it becomes a laxative ...

Remember, stress depletes vitamin C - so chill out, babe. Your hair will thank you.

This is the most infamous hair growth remedy - Biotin or B7! Biotin is the crucial B vitamin needed in the enzymatic reaction that creates keratin. However, most people take it alone. This can be problematic because B vitamins compete for absorption + having too much of one can deplete the others. Taking a B vitamin complex that includes the eight primary B vitamins is your best bet - you can then add additional B7 on top of taking your complex. Foods rich in biotin include eggs, brewer's yeast, royal jelly, cauliflower + broccoli.

Otherwise known as MSM, this is the only way we can supplement sulphur. You can take this in crystal or powder form added to water, juice or smoothies. You can also add it to hair conditioner, shampoo or face masks and use it as a topical treatment. Keratin is extremely high in sulphur and supplementing it helps to extend the hair's growth phase. Food sources are cruciferous vegetables, the best of which is broccoli sprouts, packing a ton of sulphurophane. Onion and garlic are great sources, but just Google "brassica/cruciferous" vegetables for an extensive list including kale, mustard greens, arugula, daikon radish (etc.) 

Iron is vital to keratin production, and a deficiency can result in hair loss. 

Supplementing iron can cause digestive issues, so be weary - it's important you get a bioavailable version and take it with a vitamin C source, else you will not absorb it.

I recommend getting your iron through diet unless you are anemic. If you're vegan/vegetarian, you are only getting non-heme iron and plants contain compounds (oxalic acid, phytic acid + various polyphenols) that prevent you from absorbing their iron, otherwise known as anti-nutrients. These are a predator defense mechanism because plants are li'l smarties. But if you soak/cook/ferment beans, grains, nuts, seeds and other plants you can break down quite a few of these anti-nutrients. Beans (soaked) and dark leafy greens (massage with citrus and lightly sautée, blanch, steam) to access tons of iron, as well as consuming spirulina! For meat eaters, heme-iron is very bioavailable and your best source is a rare steak.

While there are tons of herbs that may help hair growth, these are the two that have gained the most attention. Gotu Kola works like Minoxidil, a prescription medication for alopecia. Saw palmetto blocks 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that turns free testosterone into DHT, which is a compound responsible for hair loss. So give these a whirl in your smoothies, or in capsule form.

Using non-toxic beauty products isn't a priority to everyone, and I fully understand that. I flip flopped from one extreme to the other, working for years at Sephora with toxic, conventional brands to working for years at Neal's Yard Remedies, with organic, natural and completely non-toxic products. Now, I'm somewhere in between, so I will cater to both sides.

As for shampoo + conditioner, this is SO personal. One woman's 5 star review is another woman's "I fucking hated it and it doesn't even deserve 1/8th of a star" 

From a conventional brand standpoint, using products that suit your hair type will be best. However, I would still be conscious of looking for products with minimal detergents like ammonium laurel sulphate and other surfactants that can damage the hair cuticle over time. L'Oreal Professional Kerastase, Bumble + Bumble, Dry Bar and Shu Uemura make phenomenal products; Shu even has a shampoo cleansing oil. Sounds weird, but is a miracle.

I know shampoo and conditioner from natural brands can sometimes leave your hair feeling unclean, limp + impossible to style. Some truly effective, salon quality + clean ingredient brands include Davines, Kevin Murphy, Aveda, Calia, Neal's Yard Remedies, John Masters + Pureology. Look for shampoo with rosemary, peppermint and cedarwood essential oils - or adding a few drops yourself. They work wonders for increasing hair health and stimulating hair growth. Mix these essential oils into a carrier oil like coconut oil, flip your head upside down and massage the oil mixture into your scalp for at least ten minutes, then wash your hair as normal. This blood flow stimulation has been touted to work as an amazing hair growth secret with the oil acting as a double whammy.

These two masks above, the Maui Moisture Agave Hair Mask (found at Shopper's Drug Mart) and the LaCoupe Orgnx Brazilian Protein Complex  (found at Winners for $8) have been working wonders on my hair! I apply masks to my DRY hair because they absorb so much better, and leave them on for as long as possible whether that's 20 minutes, 2 hours or overnight. You don't have to shell out for name brands, but if you do have an extra $70 lying around this mask is the most magical thing I have ever put on my head. 

Cold pressed coconut oil left on your hair as long as possible makes a great mask. Mashed avocado + honey + extra virgin olive oil mixed together leaves your hair smooth as silk and strengthened. Scour Pinterest for DIY hair masks or DIY leave in treatments if you're ballin' on a budget or just looking for all natural alternatives! Using pure argan oil, or any non-silicone based hair serums will smooth the hair shaft, prevent the worsening of split ends and allow the hair to grow without splitting and breaking.

We all know this, but lay off the heat styling tools (guilty as charged) and sleep with your hair in protective styles, like braids or with a silk sleeping cap or silk pillow case (how boujee will you feel doing that!?) Use a wooden brush to distribute oils evenly and prevent breakage. "Tangle Teaser" brushes are also a great alternative!

There are deep conditioning hair repair treatments such as Olaplex which you can have done for around or under $100 at most hair salons that carry the brand (Volume Beauty Bar, Dawn Bradley Hair, HedKandi) or a botanical deep conditioning repair treatment at Aveda . If you can't stay away from straightening your hair, try a keratin bonding treatment from Nvenn Beauty Bar!

All in all, you need to baby your hair! Treat it like gold! Your body views your hair as pretty non-essential, so if you're deficient in a vitamin, mineral or macronutrient like protein, your body will have no issue diverting it away from your hair bulb and towards more vital areas in your body. Eat healthy, exercise to get your circulation going and pamper yourself with masks and treatments, and you'll be Rapunzel in no time 

(Finger crossed!)

Comment your favourite hair health tips, or message me on Instagram!

@nurtureyournature_