Hair Matters Blog

Left: Justin Beiber... how I currently look... Right: Marion Cotillard: how I want to look... in one month

So it’s that time of year. Summer is coming to a close and fall is just around the corner. There seems to be this seasonal flow of hair that I go through every year, and I’m sure about a million other girls go through it as well. The second that spring starts to fade away and summer starts blazing in, I chop off my hair. Then, when the leaves start turning and the air is getting crisp, I want my hair to be long again… instantly. I change my hair a lot and I change it often, and it usually seems to be weather related.

On top of the weather change, this year also seems to be the year of the wedding. The fourth wedding I will be attending this year is in the first week of October and I want to curl my hair. At first, I wasn’t worried about my hair as much as my dress for the wedding, but then, my betrothed friends asked me to be the host of the wedding. Basically, this means that I will be greeting every single guest, making sure they sign the guest book, making sure they know where to go, collecting the gifts, and answering questions etc. I will be the first person everyone sees at the wedding. I am the first impression of this wedding… and I look like Justin Bieber.

Okay… maybe that’s a tiny exaggeration… but extremely tiny. At the beginning of the summer, I chopped my hair off into a bob and loved it. I trimmed it even shorter about 4 weeks later, and have let it grow since then, but it’s still short. I’m definitely at that in-between style stage of “should I just chop it off again or stick it out and let it grow”. This is definitely my least favorite hair-stage ever. I kept going back and forth and back and forth on whether to grow my hair or do another short style, but after being asked to be part of this wedding, I really feel like the decision is quite clear: grow grow grow.

As soon as I decided this, of course, I instantly hated my hair. I just can’t stand it. I wish it would just grow and be the length I want right now. I started racking my brain thinking “what tricks do I know to make my hair grow faster? Think think think…” And then I realized I was being absurd.

Hair grows at an average rate of ½ an inch each month. (I think mine grows faster than that, but not by much). I also know that there is nothing to do to increase the rate of hair growth. I know that, and I hate that I know that. The most I can do is take the best possible care of my hair so that it grows as fast as it can and stays strong and healthy. So here are the steps I’m following to go from Justin Bieber hair to Marion Cotillard hair in just a month:

1. Shampoo & Condition Every Day
Some people claim that this dries their hair out… and my reply to those people is buy better product. Shampooing the scalp promotes blood flow to the scalp which promotes hair growth. Given the area I live in, it’s also important to remove the daily pollutants that collect in my hair and to replenish moisture. If you’re afraid of shampooing every day, try every other day at the least.

2. Turn Down the Heat
I’ve completely switched my routine around so that I can take better care of my hair. I go running at night so that I can shower at night so that I don’t have to blow-dry my hair. If I have to shower in the morning, I just throw some product in my hair and go. I’m trying to avoid my flat iron as much as possible, which is very difficult for me. On the occasions that I do have to flat iron, I make sure to use a heat protecting spray. My absolute favorite is Kevin Murphy Damage Manager.

3. Deep Conditioning Treatments!!
Every. Single. Week. This is one of the major tasks that you have to take very seriously if you are trying to achieve or maintain healthy hair. And healthy hair is the key to growing hair at the fastest rate possible. If you, like me, cannot afford to go to a salon every week for a deep conditioning treatment, you can do it at home yourself. Thank goodness! I’m a big fan of the Alterna Hemp Repair Weekly Treatment. Just shampoo your hair like normal. Hop out of the shower and apply the treatment to your hair. I comb mine through with a wide tooth comb to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Now you can either wait 10 to 15 minutes, or further enhance the treatment by adding heat. If you don’t have a professional heat cap, just get a clean plastic bag and tie it around your head (not covering your face of course!) and direct a blow drier at your scalp for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure you move the drier around evenly so you don’t heat one spot more than another.

4. Avoid Split Ends
The deep conditioning treatment should help with this, but if split ends are a major problem for you you’re going to need more help. Bonacure Split Ends Repair is a life saver. I gave a tube of this to my friend this last Christmas. She got married in March and was stressing about growing her hair out for the wedding. She now swears by this stuff and has recommended it to all of her other friends who are trying to grow their hair out. She now also calls me before ever hair decision she makes. Mhm. That’s right.

5. Go Silk
Cotton pillow cases are evil! They are! They create friction which can cause damage to your hair while you sleep. Invest in a nice, silk pillow case. They really are quite fantastic and they will help prevent split ends from occurring while you toss and turn at night.

6. Protect Your Hair
Everyone always has all these crazy tricks they use to try to get healthy hair or to try to get hair to grow quickly. These include mayonnaise masks, egg masks, coconut oil (not sooo crazy)… etc. All you really need is a product with Argan Oil in it. Argan oil is the new it product this year. If you haven’t tried it yet you need to. Unlike those other pesky tricks I mentioned earlier, Argan Oil stays in your hair, coating and protecting it all day long. And when it does come time to remove it from your hair, it washes out just as easily as any styling product. And it gives your hair a nice, healthy, natural shine.

7. Grow Your Hair from the Inside Out
Vitamin E! Yup it’s that simple. Head to the vitamin store, pick up some vitamin E gel caps. Take one every day. It will promote hair growth and should also make your nails healthy and stronger.

So that’s basically the most I can do to grow my hair out by October. Check back in a month and I’ll let you know how it went. If my hair isn’t long enough to cooperate by the wedding, I figure I’ll just cut it anyway; might as well give it a shot.
** Fingers Crossed**

XOXO
The Hair Matters Girl