My Healthy Hair Journey: 11 Tips For Growing Long, Healthy Hair

1. Stop the heat!

Your hair straightener, curling iron, and blow dryer are all damaging your hair, so cut back on the amount of heat you are using.

Try overnight heatless curls instead of a curling iron to reduce hair damage. 

2. Oil your hair

Every single night I apply hair oil.

Put some in the palm of your hand and then massage it into your hair from your ears to the ends. Once oiled, put your hair in overnight curls, a loose bun, or side braid.

Frequent oiling will keep your hair nourished and looking shiny and healthy.

3. A healthy diet = healthy hair

Besides being good for overall health, a healthy diet will benefit your skin and your hair.

Your hair needs protein to stay healthy, so feed it! Choose salmon, meat, eggs, beans, or nuts. Eat berries, spinach, and other leafy greens. 

And always remember to hydrate!

4. Love your hair color

Go easy when coloring your hair. Don’t try going from brunette to icy blonde because that much hair dye isn’t good for your hair.

Instead, play off your natural color to reduce the amount of product you need and how often you need to color.

5. Keep your hair trimmed

If your hair is splitting and you have breakage, trim it off to keep your hair healthy and smooth. Get a little trim every time you visit your stylist.

6. Pick a great hairstylist

Finding the right hair stylist who really cares about your hair is essential. It’s tempting to use a friend or go with the least expensive option, but try to think of your hair as an investment. That doesn’t mean you have to pick the most expensive stylist, but do make sure you choose someone who really understands hair health.

7. Manage your stress

Stress doesn’t just take a toll on your mental health, but it also impacts your physical health, including your hair health.

So, try managing your stress in whatever way works for you – avoiding stress, exercise, you-time. Sometimes just smiling can reduce your stress level!

8. Be gentle with your hair

Think about how you brush your hair when you’re in a hurry? Is it gentle or rough? Take a breath and remember to be kind and gentle to your hair.

If you are brushing wet hair, use a tangle-teaser brush and gently work up from the bottom. Don’t ever start at the top of your head and pull your hair.

And think about your hair accessories. Have you ever tried ripping out a hair elastic like this? Well, don’t – it’s not very kind to your hair and you can do a lot of damage. If you do have a hair elastic stuck in a ponytail, gently cut it out with scissors.

Better yet, use easy-to-remove hair accessories like nylon or fabric hair ties.

9. Choose your products carefully

We all want to find a bargain, but bargain hair products may not always be a good choice. They may have a low price tag because they are full of chemicals and fillers that can be damaging to your hair.

Try to avoid products with ingredients in the above list.

10. Keep it loose

Really tight hairstyles put a lot of stress on your hair and cause breakage. It’s okay to go with a tight hairstyle on occasion, just give your hair a rest and don’t go tight every day.

11. Cut back on washing

You probably do not have to wash your hair every day unless you have super-oily hair. And even then, you might be able to alternate traditional hair washing with dry shampoo that will absorb the oils in your hair.

You can also just rinse through your hair without using shampoo to get you from one hair washing to the next.

Here are some pictures of how my hair looked before I started following these healthy hair tips.

Healthy hair journey

And this is how my hair looks now. It’s nourished, soft, silky, and healthy!

I hope you try some of these healthy hair tips yourself and leave a comment to let me know if you’re noticing a difference in the health of your hair.