My Hopes for Healthier Hair

My hair is not amazing. It's not terrible either. However, I feel like I have yet to get a haircut that's made me say, "oh yea, that's my go-to do." I've experimented with quite a few different styles over that last five years or so: side-swept bangs, a pixie cut, blunt bangs with layered chin-length hair, and blunt bangs with slightly longer hair. As for color, I've played with chunky blond and red highlights, but nothing consistent.

So ever since I got serious about wedding planning last summer, I've been trying to grow my hair out, and fast. When my stylist told me hair grows about half an inch to an inch per month, I had high hopes. Turns out my hair is lazy and has grown a whopping 6 inches in the last 12 months, and that's with only two itty bitty hair trims throughout the process. But 6 inches is still a vast improvement. Some people just have hair that grows really slow!

The length wasn't the only problem, though. As I let my hair grow and refused to get trims every 8 weeks, the more and more damaged my ends started to get. I knew I needed to take a few extra steps to get these locks looking good.

I'm still on my way, but I thought I'd share a few things I've tried to make my hair look healthier.

Vitamins

The first extra step I took was with vitamins. I did a bit of research and determined that a little extra biotin, a vitamin necessary for cell growth, might do the trick. Biotin supplements are usually sold to promote healthier hair, skin, and nails, so I thought I'd give it a try. I consulted with a Whole Foods Whole Body specialist who recommended Maxi-Hair. I read it could take three to six months before there's a noticeable difference, but I think my hair started to feel a little stronger after just two.  

JarroSil

I also gave a silicon supplement a try. I took 10 drops a day of this stuff in a glass of water in hopes of stronger hair. I got the idea from Peoples Rx, and I must say I didn't notice much of a difference.

Easy on the heat

I used to straighten, curl, and diffuse my hair like it was going out of style. Too much of all that leads to a lot of breakage. No bueno. Now that my hair has gotten to a length where it can air dry and look decent, I probably only blow dry or straighten once a week. So, yea--I don't style my hair very often, but I when I do it looks healthy.

A trim here and there

We've all heard that getting a regular trim every 8 to 10 weeks or so makes your hair grow faster. I don't know about the "growing faster" part, but it definitely keeps your hair looking fresh and healthy. That's because all the split and damaged ends are going bye-bye before they have a chance to split up the entire strands of hair. I haven't followed this rule to a T, but I should.

Kevin Murphy HYDRATE.ME conditioner

One of the biggest mistakes I've made in the realm of hair care is purchasing low-quality conditioner. Regular conditioners simply coat your hair with a chemical that makes your hair feel silky smooth--it's not actually penetrating your hair with the stuff that moisturizes and conditions it. I learned that and then quickly found Kevin Murphy's HYDRATE.ME conditioner. Amazing? Yes. My hair now feels hydrated without the extra weight of a heavy, moisturizing product.

Moroccan Oil

Moroccan Oil is one of my more recent discoveries. I started doing some research when I noticed that my ends were constantly feeling drier than the rest of my hair. I've only used it for about a month and I'm definitely noticing a difference. I just rub about a dime-size amount on the ends of my damp hair and style or let it air dry as usual.

I feel like I could write an entire post on each of these, but that's just a high-level snapshot for today.

Got any other tips for healthier hair? If so, do tell.