How to Grow Natural Hair Fast at Home
Many people are looking for instant results to grow natural hair fast at home. However, although the transition from chemically treated hair to natural hair can be exciting, there is the wait for it to grow, which can be gruesome.
If you are curious about how to make your hair grow super fast overnight or how to grow your hair 19 inches overnight? Let us just start by saying that if you are trying to grow your hair overnight, you may come out of the other end disappointed.
Nevertheless, there are ways to progress using home remedies for hair growth and thickness. You may not tread much ground if you are wondering how to grow natural hair overnight, but there are ways to make your natural hair grow fast at home.
If you're looking for tips to grow natural hair fast at home I'm here to help. My name is Joanna. I'm a hair, beauty, and lifestyle blogger based in Ghana. Continue reading for my easy-to-follow tips, and don't forget to follow my Facebook page, where I share more hair, beauty, and lifestyle tips.
Do not skip out on detangling.
Detangling is one part of natural hair care that most people find tedious, it is time tasking and tedious. Isn’t it much easier to just comb out your hair and damn the consequences? Sure it is, but the best way to promote exponential hair growth is to detangle before washing or styling. You see, natural hair is made up of curls, so it is quite easy for it to tangle and become nappy.
Anyone who has fallen asleep without properly partitioning their hair or wearing a bonnet knows what we are talking about. To avoid tangling and eventual breakage, you need to carefully detangle your hair before manipulating it. Sure, there is no one way to detangle because everyone has different textures of hair. Nevertheless, there are common things everyone should do when it comes to detangling hair.
Everything starts with adequate moisture, do not attempt to detangle your hair while it is completely dry. Also, ensure that whatever solution you use during the detangling process does not end up drying out your hair because that will eventually defeat the purpose. Also, work in little sections so you can pay closer attention to the full span of your head. Then, you need to ensure that you use the right comb, it has to be a wide-toothed comb so you do not break off your strands in the process.
Have a pre-shampoo routine.
Not everyone with natural hair knows how to pre-shampoo or pre-poo properly, some people do not even know how to do it at all. Let’s start at what pre-pooing is; it is basically the treatment you apply to your hair right before you do the usual shampoo and conditioner. Seeing as most shampoos contain harsh chemicals that strip the hair of its moisture and protection, pre; shampooing is a must if you want to prevent damage.
You do not have to get a store bought product, there are several things within your reach at home that can get the job done. One great treatment is olive oil; all you have to do is to apply a generous amount to your hair after detangling and let it sit for about 20 minutes. You can choose to tweak the duration based on the porosity of your hair.
What does the olive oil do? Well, it goes a long way to up the moisture content in natural hair while also increasing the elasticity. As such, you will get the right amount of bounce as well as great texture afterwards. For the best results, it is advisable to use extra virgin olive oil and even add a teaspoon of honey to make it more potent.
Do not underestimate the power of trimming.
It may seem counterproductive to cut your hair when you are trying to grow it out, but the same way trees need pruning, your hair needs the same. As much as people try to guard against split ends, it happens either way. If you keep nursing those split ends, it does your hair little good to keep them attached. Eventually it will slow down the rate of hair growth and even halt it if care is not taken.
To ensure that your hair grows out faster and more healthy, you need to get rid of the split ends. You do not only get rid of split ends this way, but puffy ends will also be off the table. Even more, trimming your hair is a good way to get rid of any areas that have been affected by any heat damage. It is common knowledge that it is impossible to restore heat damaged hair to a healthy state, so do not even try, simply snip it off and it will grow back healthy.
Another enemy of natural hair is single strand knots, they can cause tangles and wreak a whole lot of havoc. The best way to get rid of them is to trim off the ends, you do not need to take much off the end, simply cutting off ½ an inch will suffice.
Cut down on washing your hair.
This sounds weird, right? The thought of cutting down on washing your hair sounds like you are trying to breed different bacteria on your head. Well, no one is telling you to keep your hair filthy, but you should not wash it every single day. Especially when it comes to natural African hair, washing it at every moment can strip your hair of its natural oil and it dries out a lot faster caucasian hair because of its unique texture.
Once your hair dries out, the next step is breakage, and once your hair starts breaking, that is the opposite of growth. So, it is recommended that you wash your hair every two weeks to maintain its natural sheen and moisture. The only excuse to wash it before then is if you notice that you are in need of a good wash. Let’s say you are treating dandruff, or your scalp gets sweaty after an intense week at the gym, then by all means get in there.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the choice of shampoo you pick is very important. If you pick a particularly harsh product, then spacing out your wash days will not do you much good. Look for something that is neutral and quite gentle on your scalp.
Try not to expose your hair to heat often.
Especially when your hair is incredibly nappy, it is tempting to pull out that hair dryer and straightener. Not only is it a great way to check the progress in your hair growth journey, but straight hair is a lot easier to manage. The thing is, you should not make it a constant habit because excessive heat will eventually damage your hair completely.
Let us break it down a bit more so you see the full picture, natural hair comprises protein and once you expose protein to heat, you will break it down at a structural level. So, if you honestly must straighten your hair, space it out appropriately so that your hair has enough time to build itself back up. In fact, there is no reason to dry your hair with a blowdryer once you wash it, simply air dry it.
If you stick to this religiously, then your hair will grow a lot faster and it will be much healthier in the long run.
Deep condition your hair often.
It is not enough to oil your hair or use masks, you equally need to deep condition on a regular basis so that the hair can grow luscious and healthy. When you take out time to deep condition, the nutrients sink quite deep and it moisturizes it all to the tips, which is what every naturalista wants. Besides that, deep conditioning is the best way to replenish any nutrients that you have probably lost over time.
You could go for a store bought deep conditioner, or simply use homemade cream for faster hair growth. There are lots of products you can use at home that are high in protein which is the best option if you want to nourish your natural hair. Some of the homemade deep conditioner combos you can use include:
- Honey and coconut oil
- Banana, yoghurt, olive oil and honey
- Avocado, honey and olive oil
- Mayonnaise, yoghurt, coconut oil, honey
- Vinegar and egg
- Apple cider vinegar and honey
There are so many other combinations besides the ones listed that you can try out at home. Nevertheless, it is key to ensure that your hair is absorbent before you apply any product. With this in mind, the best time to deep condition is right after a wash since there is nothing coating the hair and hindering absorption.
Be at peace with protective styling.
As much as you want to sport those bouncy curls all the time, you can cancel out years of good work by keeping your hair out too long. That is where protective styling comes into play. The thing is that, you really cannot win with natural African hair, when the temperature is high it can get damaged. Likewise, cold weather dries out the hair, so if you want it to grow fast, you have to put it away.
There are so many advantages of keeping your hair in a protective style, for one it holds in adequate moisture regardless of weather conditions. It further makes it a lot easier to tie it up or put on protective covering. The great thing about protective styling is that the world is truly your oyster. There are so many options out there that will keep your hair nice and safe till you are ready to let your mane out.
You can choose to braid your hair on its own, add some attachments, or put in a weave. You can equally partition the hair into cornrows and put on a wig anytime you are out and about. Altogether, it is important to tuck it away safely whether you are looking to regrow hair naturally in 3 weeks or less.
Watch what you put in your mouth.
When you are trying to grow your hair fast at home, often the last thing you think about is your diet. But, you would be surprised at how much your diet affects the rate at which your hair grows. It also contributes to the all-around health, sheen and bounce of your hair. If you eat a whole lot of refined carbs and sugar, then do not be surprised when you end up with brittle hair that falls off at the slightest touch.
You need to look for ways to incorporate healthy foods, fruits and vegetables into your diet to ensure that your hair gets a good boost. Also, you need to ensure that you eat foods that are chock full of nutrients such as Vitamin A, B vitamins, C, D, E, iron, zinc, biotin, essential fatty acids and protein. This sounds like a whole lot, but fortunately, there are a wide range of delicious foods that are packed with all you need for proper hair growth.
So, you can double down on eggs, which are a great source of protein and biotin. Also there’s spinach, berries, fish, avocados, sweet peppers, beans and so much more.If you’ve already noticed that you are probably deficient in any of the vitamins above, the good news is that you can simply correct it by eating the right foods. With the right diet, you will grow your hair fast in no time.
Understand your hair texture and growth pattern.
If you do not have a deeper knowledge of your hair texture and growth pattern, you may end up following a hair growth regimen that is ineffective. For instance, if you have 4c or 4d hair, then your curls are tightly packed together and your hair is super kinky. Because they are tightly coiled, the strands get easily intertwined and tangled which makes it a bit hard to grow your hair out.
Thankfully, that does not mean that your hair is doomed to remain at a certain length, you just have to learn how to take a little more time when dealing with it. You see, people with straighter hair have it easy, when they moisturize, the oil or cream travels along the span of the hair strand faster. It is the exact opposite when it comes to kinkier hair, so this may result in drying and breakage.
With this in mind, you have to take extra care when you are moisturizing your hair. Even more, protective styles have to be your best friend to ensure that you retain length at the end of the day. Also, keep it in mind that the kinkier your hair is, the weaker your strands, so you need to double down on that moisture to ensure that your hair has some backbone. Do not let this deter you as you brave through your natural hair journey, once you understand your hair, you can get the best out of it.
Know the difference between products for your scalp and products for your strands.
You may be tempted to use your hair products for both your hair and scalp, but that could be the thing that’s holding your hair back. There are some hair products that will do wonders for the strands of your hair, but they will simply clog up your pores. With this in mind, you need to differentiate between the products that will nourish your scalp and the ones that will strengthen your hair.
You see, most products that are tailored to your hair strands are meant to be potent enough to protect them. That consistency may be a bit too thick for your scalp. Think of your scalp as soil, yes, it wants nutrients but once you clog it up, it may not be able to breathe. If your pores get blocked, it can result in irritations which can cause your scalp to get itchy. With an irritated scalp, hair growth is the last thing on your scalp’s mind. So, look for a hair product that is light enough to let your scalp breath.
On the flipside, products that are meant for your scalp do not come in the right consistency to coat your hair strands adequately. It may seem tedious to read between the lines when going to buy hair products, but that may be the one thing standing in the way of your speedy hair growth.
If you are going to apply heat, apply the right product.
Again, we are talking about applying heat, that should tell you how dangerous a culprit it is when it comes to damaging hair. Some people tend to blow dry their hair right after a wash which is wrong. If you must blow dry your hair, it is important to approach it with caution and care. Remember that the entirety of your hair will not dry all at once, the ends are usually the first part to dry since it is older and thinner.
So, while you wait for the rest of the hair to follow suit, you will expose your ends (and eventually, your middle) to damage. Completely drying out your ends will lead to breakage and as such, you will not be able to retain length. So, the only way to eat your cake and have it is to carefully towel dry your hair till the dripping stops, then apply the right heat protectant before you blow dry it.
To be on the safe side also use the right blow dryer for natural hair on low heat, it may take longer, but ultimately, it will retain its integrity and you will see monumental growth in a short period.
Respect your edges.
Edges are a volatile and fragile section of hair, the thing is, without edges you won’t feel like you have a wholesome head of hair. Most people have a hard time getting their edges to catch up with the rest of their hair. Since the hair along your edges is softer and more fragile, it is a lot easier to damage it while altering your hairline in the process. So, treat your edges with more care than you do the rest of your hair, they could literally be hanging on by their last thread.
Moisturize your edges more frequently than the rest of your hair, and when you style your hair, ensure that you do not leave your edges out of the mix. There are some great styling gels that are gentle and effective. If you do not want to buy something from the store, you can make your own at home using some of these combinations.
- Shea butter and aloe vera
- Mango butter and honey
- Beeswax and shea butter
- Hair conditioner (if you have straighter hair)
FAQs
How can I make my natural African hair grow faster?
Ensure that you have a pre-wash regimen, where you detangle the hair and apply a good pre-shampoo. Speaking of shampoo, scrutinize the ingredients in your shampoo so you do not damage your hair. Besides your regular conditioner, you should have a leave-in conditioner that you apply every week. Simply keep your hair moisturized.
How can I grow my hair faster in a month?
The key is to keep your hair moisturized, so besides conditioning it, you should treat your hair on a weekly basis with oils and masks. Also make some lifestyle adjustments, for instance, you should switch out your cotton pillowcase for silk and incorporate more healthy greens and fruits into your diet.
How can I make my hair grow faster in a week at home?
If you are wondering how to grow hair faster naturally in a week, it's simpler than you thought.
You could start by stimulating the follicles with a nice oil massage. It works better if the oil is warm and you can opt for (but not limit yourself to) castor, coconut, olive or jojoba oil. Also, it is important to moisturize at least twice during the week.
How can I make my hair grow faster and thicker home remedies?
Let’s take it a step further, if you are wondering how to grow hair faster in a week home remedies then apply treatments like aloe vera, fish oil, viviscal, onion juice, lemon, rosemary oil or coconut oil. Massage any one (or more) of the oils or supplements listed above into your scalp for best results. You can also formulate hair masks with them to really get in there.
