How I Grew My Hair From Short to Long, Healthy & Quick!

I'll be real, my hair grows SLOWWWWW! Back when I was 12 years old I decided I was going to grow my hair out. It was about shoulder length at the time. Over the next 7 years I was so persistent to get my hair long that I feel that I tried everything but by the time it got "Long" it was thin and dry and damaged. Although it was "Long" it looked like I needed 6 inches cut off to make it even look good.

7 Years into that process, I decided to chop my hair off and start growing my hair out the RIGHT way. I was going to do all the things I told my clients to do, use all the stuff that was actually good for my hair and see just how much it would actually help.

3 years ago, in December of 2017, this is what my hair looked like. Now, December of 2020 this is how far my hair has come.

Now let me breakdown to you EXACTLY how I grew my hair long, thick and healthy in a matter of 3 years. And you might be thinking, Bec 3 years is a long time! I want results in like 6 months! Well I'll be honest, growing your hair takes time as you all know but could this process have gone quicker? Yes BUT my hair would be more damaged and thin at the ends. I tell my clients that you would rather take longer growing your hair out but have it continually looking healthy and nice and then by the time it gets to the length you want it looks fabulous. Rather than growing growing growing and refusing to trim it and take care of it and then suddenly it's long but it looks like garbage and you can see your split ends from across the room.

Tip #1

TRIM YOUR HAIR!!!!!!!

This WILL make your hair grow faster, thicker and longer!! Not trimming your hair will result in stringy, dry, thin and severely damaged ends. It is a MYTH that you shouldn't cut your hair when you're trying to grow it out.

I recommend getting your ends trimmed once every 6 weeks. No I am not saying that you need to trim off several inches every single time. The goal is to maintain the line of your hair that way your ends never get stringy. When you first start this process you need to get your hair to a healthy state. That may mean trimming off several inches to get rid of the dead and damaged hair. But after that, maintaining with doing a "dusting" of your ends. That means essentially removing the very bottom quarter inch to keep those ends thick.

Personally through the 3 years of going through this process, there were only about 3 times where I actually got like a full inch taken off. That is necessary every one in a while but if you consistently getting your ends dusted every 6 weeks the less length you will have to cut off at one time.

In addition to getting your ends dusted, get a surface trim. Surface trims are life savers!!! They keep your length but they help to remove the split ends that are higher up not just on the very ends. This will help to prevent future breakage, dryness and damage.

Tip #2

USE PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS! Sis I'll be blunt, anything from the grocery store will only push you farther away from getting the hair you actually want. It is cheap for a reason. You totally get what you pay for! In the beginning it seems like an investment to get everything you need to get started. But once you start using them, you will never want to go back. The difference it makes is unbelievable.

I recommend using Sulfate & Paraben free shampoos and conditioners. Here is why:

Sulfates cause irritation to your scalp. They will increase scalp sensitivity and irritation. Sulfates strip too much from the hair during the cleansing process. Your hair needs its natural oils and sebum to promote a healthy scalp and healthy hair. A lot of times when using drug store hair care products, they strip too much oil from the hair that it desperately needs so your hair feels the need to continually produce more and more oil; therefore, making your hair feel greaser and more oily quicker and quicker. Which then leads you to wash it more and more frequently which just makes the cycle worse. Sulfates also make the hair have more frizz. If your hair is naturally frizzy or curly like mine is, using something sulfate free is a no brainer.

Switching to sulfate free shampoos and conditioners will actually help to prolong the life of your color and keep it from fading as much. These are crucial to use when you color your hair because the more you can prolong the life of your color, the less you will be putting chemicals on it. (And no I am not saying to never color your hair)

A few of my very favorites are R & CO and ORIBE products. The reason I love them so much is because all of the shampoos and conditioners they carry are Sulfate free, Paraben free, Gluten free & Vegan. So everything is going to cleanse but keep the scalps natural oils from over producing, protect your color and not cause irritation and sensitivity.

Tip #3

Use Moisturizing products. Adding moisture into your hair will help to repair damage, dryness and create softness.

I love to use moisturizing conditioner (My favorites are Oribe Gold Lust or Moisture Control) as well as a good leave in conditioner, cream and oil.

My favorite leave in conditioners are: Oligo Blacklight 18 in 1, R & Co Suncatcher, Redken One United, Pureology 21 Benefits. They all add moisture, protein, shine, softness, tame frizz, protect from heat, add body and protect your color. I spray a leave in through the mids and ends of my hair after washing.

I then apply a cream mixed with an oil. For creams I love the R & Co High Dive Moisture and Shine cream, Waterfall Moisture lotion & the Oribe Supershine Moisture cream. I mix a dime size amount of cream with about 2 pumps of oil. My favorite oils are: R & Co smoothing oil, Oribe Gold Lust oil or the Oribe Damage repair power drops. Then I apply that through the mids and ends.

Tip #4

When should you be using heat on your hair?

I hear a constant debate about whether or not airdrying or blowdrying is better for your hair. In my personal experience, when my hair had been blown dry, my hair is easier to style, requires less heat and doesn't get as oily as quick. I felt that when I would blow dry my hair that it felt smoother and my ends didn't feel fuzzy or dry.

So using a blowdryer after washing your hair is a great thing! As long as you are prepping with a heat protectant and using a tool made from high quality metals. My favorite blow dryers are the Babyliss Porcelain Ceramic or the Babyliss Nano titanium.

When heat styling, use your tools at a safe degree temperatures. For Fine hair, using a low heat setting is best. I recommend around 330-350 degrees. For Medium hair, using a medium heat setting of about 365-385 is best. For Coarse hair, using a heat setting of about 385-400 is best.

As for the amount of days you should be applying heat throughout the week, I recommend around 3-4 times but in reality the less often the better.

Tip #5

Do a Deep Conditioning Treatment once a month. This will help kick your hair into gear and keep it feeling strong and healthy. I will shampoo my hair twice and then either apply my deep treatment or mix up my conditioner with some of my hair oil and apply that. I focus it on the mids and ends making sure those are thoroughly saturated. If I have any excess on my fingers, I will apply it a little higher up but avoiding my scalp as much as I can.

I leave this on for about 5-10 minutes. If your hair is feeling extra dry I would let it sit on for about 20 minutes in either a processing cap or you can wrap a plastic bag around your hair. If you are insulating the mask it will penetrant deeper into your hair and have better results.

My favorite Treatments are: Oribe Mositure Control Masque or the Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque.

Tip #6

The longer you can go between washes the better!

Allowing your hair time to absorb the natural oils will help to replenish your hair, collect the moisture it needs and strength itself. I'm not saying to never ever wash your hair but give your hair time to absorb the oils.

Learning to go longer between washes takes time and training. When I first started training my hair I had been washing it about every 3 days or so. But now, I wash it about every 7-10 days and it gets less oily now than it did when I was washing it more frequently.

Training your hair is honestly one of the most crucial components for healthy growth. When starting this process, go 1 extra day than you normally would. Do that for a few weeks and then add another day. You don't have to go as many days as I do but find what works for you! I promise that becoming consistent with going longer between washes you will notice your hair produce less oil, grow faster and feel better.

I have an entire blog post dedicated to teaching you how to train your hair to go longer between washes! I promise it is worth the read! https://becthestylist.wixsite.com/becthestylist/post/hair-training-teaching-your-hair-to-go-longer-b

Tip #7

When wearing your hair up, did you know that certain elastic types can actually be causing split ends? Let me tell you what you should use in order to be putting the least amount of stress and tension on your hair.

Scrunchies & Telephone Cord Elastics. These are softer and apply minimal tension to the hair.

When sleeping, put your hair either up with a scrunchie or in a loose braid secured with a scrunchie. Wearing your hair like that when you are sleeping will protect your hair from matting, tangling and getting damaged from friction. Avoid going to sleep with wet hair. Wet hair is the most fragile and is easier to damage. Continually sleeping on wet hair will cause breakage.

Also when sleeping, using a silk pillowcase is the best option for your hair. Due to the softness, it will not rough up your hair cuticles and cause damage.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and reading this article on How I grew My Hair from Short to Long. As always if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out on here or on any of my social media platforms. Good luck on your hair journey! If you follow these tips, your hair will be better and healthier than ever!

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Have a wonderful rest of your day!

xoxo,

Bec