Most hair grows no more than half an inch each month, aka an eternity once you’ve decided to grow out a pixie, bob, or lob. But that doesn’t mean you can’t speed up the process. We polled the experts for the quickest, most effective ways to kick follicles into gear and get longer hair fast.
START WITH YOUR SCALP
It’s no secret that stronger hair starts with a healthy scalp. According to a recent study, daily scalp massages are proven to increase hair thickness. Justine Marjan, global hair stylist for TRESemmé, suggests spending five minutes a day massaging your scalp (or, she says, “get your significant other to do it!”).
Related article: 10 Iconic Hair Styles That Endure The Test Of Time
POSTPONE YOUR TRIM WITH PRODUCTS
It’s a myth that you have to cut your hair every six to eight weeks. “If you are using a great shampoo and conditioner like TRESemmé Repair and Protect 7, doing treatment masks regularly like Ouai Treatment Masque and Olaplex, and using non-damaging tools like GHD, you can go up to six months without a trim,” Marjan says. “Some people swear that if they cut their hair during certain cycles of the moon it will help it grow, but that is up to personal experience!”
SLEEP ON SILK
Sleeping on a smooth surface reduces nighttime friction, which means less breakage (and bed head) in the morning. Marjan recommends switching from cotton pillowcases to silk ones like Slip.
FOLLOW THE RULE OF ONE
Never blow-dry AND heat style on the same day, cautions hair stylist Laura Polko, who works with Chrissy Teigen and Olivia Munn. “In an ideal world, air-dried hair would be the best hairstyle, but thats not most people’s reality,” she says. To avoid damage and dryness, “do one or the other, and on off days don’t go over dirty hair with heat again.” Bottom line: Excess heat hinders hair growth.
GIVE YOUR HAIR A REST
Depending on your hair type, “the more you wash and style will take a toll on your hair, so it should be done to a minimum,” Marjan says, but that doesn’t mean abstinence is the only answer. “If you are washing with great products, using heat protectants and non-damaging tools—I like that GHD irons have a single heat setting at the optimal temperature, 365 degrees, that will style without compromising the cuticle layer—washing and styling shouldn’t be a problem.”
