IN OUR pursuit of long, luscious locks, many of us can be swayed by the cycle of internet fads on the subject.
A pro hairdresser compared these to weight loss fads.
Chris WenzelA pro hairdresser said we shouldn’t be swayed by hair growth fads like peppermint and rosemary oil[/caption]
Chris WenzelChris Wenzel said his ‘trinity routine’ would take care of your hair from root to tip[/caption]
“Hair growth on the internet is a lot like weight loss,” Chris Wenzel – also known as the Blowout Professor – said.
“You constantly have people coming up to you trying to tell you about the newest diet or exercise thing.
“The’re spinning around, chasing whatever’s most popular at the moment – one day it’s going to be peppermint, the next it’s going to be rosemary oil and then it’s going to be rice water, there’s no way to tell.”
Chris said hated seeing people wasting their time and money trying out these products.
Ultimately, “hair growth isn’t that hard if you understand it”, he stated.
Stop chasing hair growth fads
First, Chris tackled a few ‘hair mirages’ that have been floating about social media.
He pointed to hair growth trends like rice water and rosemary and peppermint oil.
“Have you ever wondered why none of the major haircare brands actually use those ingredients in their products?” he asked.
Chris advised that you stop chasing fads and instead stick to products that have been tried and tested.
And according to the hairdresser: “Most people are approaching hair growth from completely the wrong angle.”
He said people tend to focus on the fact that there hair doesn’t seem to be growing fast, Chris said.
“The reason people with long hair have long hair isn’t because they grew it overnight, it’s because they’re doing something else,” he continued.
Tend to your ends
The secret to long hair doesn’t lie how to grow it faster, it’s about how you add length and body on the ends of it, according to Chris.
“Your ends are the oldest, most damaged part of your hair. Because of that, they’re extremely susceptible to breaking off and every time they do break off you lose length, which makes your hair shorter,” the hairdresser explained.
It won’t be like regular breakage, where you can see the point it split – rather, your ends sort of turn to dust, Chris said.
Left to its own devices, your hair will only grow to a certain length. But the hairdresser said this is something you have control over and you can change it to make your locks longer.
So you need to tend to your ends, Chris said, and one way to do that is hair oil – this’ll hydrate them and seal in all the moisture.
If your ends are particularly straggly and damaged, oil on its own won’t cut it – you need to make sure you’re taking care of your hair from root to tip.
The Blowout Professor’s Trinity Routine
Chris claims this simple routine will protect all three parts of your hair – the roots, mids and ends.
You’ll need three products for this:
Shampoo and conditionerLeave-in conditioner Hair oil
Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner will take care of the roots.
Speaking to The Sun, Jack Merrick-Thirlway a creative director at Neville Hair & Beauty, said: “I’d advise looking out for ingredients such as collagen, amino acids and products containing vitamin B3″, as these ingredients all help strengthen the hair follicles and promote growth.
Leave-in conditioner will help retain the hydration and moisture that starts leaking out of your hair once you’re out of the shower and locks in the moisture you imparted with the conditioner
“If you’re using leave-in conditioner, you’re hanging your hair out to dry,” Chris claimed. This step will make sure the middle bit of your hair is healthy.
And finally, use hair oil to combat the wear and tear of your ends, the hairdresser advised.
He compared your strands to a rod of bamboo – a hard protective exterior covers ‘a delicate inside’ which holds water.
Water will leak out when you cut the end of a bamboo shoot and the same happens to your locks whenever you get a trim – you lose moisture at the end of your hair.
Using a hair oil will seal that moisture in, Chris said.
Speaking to The Sun, Jack advised you be wary using styling products with too many chemicals.
Further tips
Contrary to what many hair stylists might have told you, Chris advised that you don’t get frequent trims if you’re trying to grow out your hair. Only do this if your ends start to get tangly, the hairdresser advised.
You should also think about your metabolism, Chris said – the faster it is, the faster your nails and hair will grow. Exercise, plenty of sleep and nutritious food will keep it ticking along nicely, he added.
Don’t restrict your calories, Chris emphasised. Whole and healthy foods will give your body the basic building blocks to create hair.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson said that there are some specific nutrients which can support hair growth: “Biotin (vitamin B7) and the other B vitamins can help.
“Find these in meat, eggs, dairy foods, leafy greens such as kale, and nutritional yeast.”
Rob adds: “Watch out for iron deficiency too as this can leave hair weak and brittle.”