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Stimulating Hair Growth

Chandramita Bora
Proper hair care and a healthy diet are the prerequisites for tackling the common hair problems, and facilitate the growth of long and beautiful hair. Find out how to stimulate hair growth by reading this information.
Long and lustrous hair captivates our mind, and is a sign of health and vitality.
The problems that frequently come in the way of growing long hair are, hair breakage, split ends, dandruff, excessive hair fall, or hair thinning. Most of these problems are the result of unhealthy eating habits, and the use of hair products that contain harsh chemicals.
Many times, hair can get damaged due to the excessive use of hair styling products, like hair straighteners, perms, dyes, etc. A proper hair care regimen, that encompasses cleaning, moisturizing, and scalp massaging, along with a balanced diet are the prerequisites for growing long and healthy hair.

Ways to Stimulate Hair Growth

If the scalp is not clean and the skin pores remain clogged with dirt, hair cannot grow rapidly. So, regular cleaning is important to open up the skin pores of the scalp. For this, you can use a good quality shampoo. Shampoos should be selected carefully, as a harsh shampoo can make your hair dry and prone to breakage.
So, use a mild shampoo, free from sodium laurel sulfate, for cleaning your hair. Shampooing should be followed by conditioning, and for this, you can use a good hair conditioner. Some natural products, such as egg yolk, honey, milk, and mayonnaise can also moisturize the hair follicles.
Along with cleaning and conditioning, massage your scalp. It helps increase blood circulation, and stimulate hair growth. For massaging your scalp, you can use natural oils, like virgin coconut oil, almond oil, and olive oil, which contain vitamin E.
These oils are also known to possess moisturizing and emollient properties, and their regular application can add strength and vitality to your hair.
So, massage your scalp with slightly warm coconut or olive oil, and leave it overnight. The next day, wash it off with a mild shampoo. You can also use some essential oils, like lavender, rosemary, basil, lemon, chamomile, sage, and tea tree oil for massaging your scalp.
Some of these oils have astringent properties, and they can help invigorate the capillaries that supply blood to the roots of the hair follicles. They can also stimulate the hair follicles and remove dandruff.

Vitamins and Minerals for Hair Growth

If not supplemented by a healthy and nutritious diet, hair care alone cannot ensure the growth of healthy hair. The vitamins that are essential for healthy hair are, vitamin A, C, E, B3, B5, B6, B12, and niacin. Vitamin A helps maintain the natural oils of the scalp, while vitamin C is crucial for both healthy hair and skin.
Similarly, vitamin E and B3 promote hair growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp. On the other hand, a deficiency of vitamin B12, B5, and B6 may cause excessive hair fall.
Minerals like calcium, magnesium, chromium, iron, manganese, copper, selenium, potassium, silica, and zinc are also important for hair. A diet deficient in these vitamins and minerals, can make your hair and the skin dull and lifeless. So, include foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole grains, beans, fish, eggs, and meat in your diet.
However, no one can get healthy and long hair overnight. This is simply not possible, no matter how much you try. But if you combine a balanced diet with proper hair care, you can expect to benefit immensely in the long-run.