Cleanse and stimulate the scalp
Imagine trying to open a door that is blocked on the other side by a boulder. This is an overly dramatic scenario of what happens when your hair is attempting to push through your follicle ( tiny hole in your scalp where your comes out of ) and your scalp has residue and build up. Cleansing your scalp regularly can increase oxygen and blood flow to your scalp which will help with encouraging healthy hair growth.
Take supplements
Supplements can be effective when looking to grow healthy hair if taken into consideration the true purpose of supplements. One of the major mistakes I notice with supplement consumption is that it is used as a replacement versus a supplement incorporated into a nutritious diet. For example, the goal is to intake your daily vitamins through meals as much as possible and add in a supplement for what you may be missing. The issue with relying solely on supplements for hair growth is once you stop taking those supplements, you may experience adverse affects. This is not to discourage incorporating supplements into a diet but more to encourage conscious eating habits.
Protect hair from physical stressors
Wearing your hair in tight styles i.e. braids, ponytails or buns can cause stress on the hair follicles which can cause traction alopecia. Harsh chemicals or excessive heat should be avoided when wearing high tension styles.
Keep hair moisturized
One of the main causes of breakage is dry hair. Moisture is essential to healthy hair as it will promote elasticity.When the hair is dry, it can not stretch therefore it will break. Deep conditioning and using moisturizing products can help alleviate dryness.
Use antioxidants
Antioxidant rich foods can help protect your hair from oxidative stress. Eating foods like citrus, bell peppers, tomatoes, green tea and cruciferous vegetables can help add antioxidants to your diet. Sun and pollution (especially if you live in the city), can cause damage to your hairs fibers, antioxidants may help to detox these pollutants. Wearing hats and scarves as you go about your daily activities is also another form of protection against environmental stress.
Wear protective hairstyles
Protective styles help keep hair manipulation to a minimum. Keeping manipulation low can ease stress on the hair, prevent split ends and help keep the hairs cuticle intact. A protective style is a style that protects the hair from manipulation and the elements.
Keep heat usage to a minimum, avoid direct heat.
Heat can cause damage the hairs fiber esp. the cuticle. Using heat protectant prior to using heat is an excellent way to avoid heat damage. Heat damage can be reversible depending on the extent of the damage.
Get regular trims.
Trims are vital for length retention if you have split ends, single strand knots or overly processed ends. Split ends are like a run in your stockings, it will continue to run up the hair strand until it breaks. Cutting off the split end above the split line can help avoid long term damage. Trims should be performed every 6- 10 weeks, depending on the condition of your hair.