Home Remedies for Hair Growth

The magic bullet formula for hair growth does not exist. There is no cream or lotion that you can rub on your head to grow hair. Yet there are quite a few things that you can do to help your hair grow. These steps can help some people grow hair, but they may not help everybody.

The reason that there is no magic bullet for hair growth or restoration is obvious: everybody is different. Some people are simply doomed by genetics to have less hair than others. There are those who will not be able to do anything to grow more hair and there are others who can restore lost follicles.

That being said, hair loss can be caused by a lot of factors including infections, fungal infections, pollution, poor nutrition, bad health, stress and many health problems. Quite a few people lose hair because of nutritional deficiencies and other problems. Some of these problems can be corrected by changing your diet, taking supplements, living a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Unfortunately, these steps will not work for everybody. If your hair loss is genetic (inherited from mom and dad) then you will probably have to learn to live with it. If it is not genetic, there is a good chance that it can be stopped or even reversed. Even if the hair loss is genetic, there is a possibility that you could slow it through good nutrition and other steps.

The best way to tell if you hair loss is genetic is to dig out your family album. If your parents and grandparents suffered hair loss, there is a good chance that it runs in your family. This does not mean that you are doomed to hair loss; it simply means that it could be more likely in your family. There is still every possibility that you might be able to arrest it through lifestyle changes.

 

Overall Health and Hair Growth

Your hair is part of your body, so its health depends on your overall health. Most people that suffer hair loss suffer from other physical problems. In many cases, hair growth is a symptom of another problem such as poor nutrition or a serious infection.

So your first step in dealing with hair growth should be to improve your overall health. Start exercising, eat a healthier diet and get 8 hours of optimal sleep a night to start. Changing your diet is probably the most important thing that you can do because diet and nutrition are among the top factors that affect hair growth.

Now the biggest lifestyle factor that affects hair growth is diet. Many people lose hair or suffer from thinning hair because of nutritional deficiencies. Correcting these is easy and it can help you get your lush locks back.

1. The first step is to increase your consumption of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-12. These are vital to health growth and a lot of us don’t get enough of them. A good way to do it is to eat oily fish such as salmon and tuna. Some experts recommend eating salmon. That means spending some more time at the sushi bar might not be a bad idea.

Another way to get these benefits is to take fermented cod liver oil every day. If eating a teaspoon of the liquid sounds disgusting, a company called Green Pastures makes a tasty product that combines FCO with high vitamin butter oil. It even comes in flavors such as chocolate and mint.

 

2. You’ll need to increase your intake of dark green vegetables because these contain lots of vitamins A and C; they’re also good sources of calcium and iron. Try eating more chard, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach and broccoli.

3. Try eating beans such as kidney beans every day. They’re loaded with iron, zinc and biotin nutrients that are vital for good hair. Lack of biotin can cause your hair to get brittle.

4. Also, try eating nuts because they’re loaded with selenium which is important for scalp health. Walnuts contain alpha linolenic acid which is important for hair conditioning. Almonds are a good source of zinc, so drinking almond milk can help your hair.

5. Eggs are a great source of biotin, B-12 and protein, all of which are vital for hair health.

6. Some other foods can help as well including oysters and carrots which are an important source of vitamin A.

Such foods can also damage or weaken your immune system which will make you more susceptible for fungal infections including dandruff that can weaken your scalp’s ability to grow hair. Fungal infections can be a major cause of hair loss that most people are not aware of – more about them below.

 

Yuri’s Secret

Something else that you can consider is a radical change in diet and lifestyle. Canadian fitness Guru Yuri Elkaim lost most of his hair to an infection when he was in high school. He tried for years to get it back, but nothing worked. While he was in Europe playing professional soccer, he gave up and settled for a chic shaved head.

When Yuri who is an expert in holistic nutrition adopted a high energy plant based raw food diet of his own design, his hair actually grew back although he keeps his head shaved now. You might be able to do the same.

Yuri’s secret consisted of eliminating processed foods, eating high energy foods, eating raw foods and detoxification. Many of us have toxic chemicals in our system that can limit hair growth. Try Yuri’s raw food diet for real people: Eating for Energy and his detoxification diet Total Wellness Cleanse.

Yuri’s secret doesn’t just involve raw food. He also devised a new workout strategy and various means of stress reduction.

Stress, in particular stress related to lack of sleep, could also affect hair growth. Dealing with stress and emotional problems can sometimes help. Something to remember is that poor nutrition often makes stress worse.

 

Some Supplements and other Natural Products that can Enhance Growth

Okay, even though there’s no magic bullet for hair growth there are some products that can enhance it. These will work best when combined with a good diet and a healthy lifestyle. Some of the best products involve essential oils that contain minerals and vitamins that your scalp needs but lacks.

Essential oils can work well because they take the vitamins right to the scalp. This helps restore the skin there and enhance the circulation of blood which can lead to enhanced hair growth. Some essential oils that you can add to your hair include:

• Castor oil which can stimulate the hair follicles. It also has the ability to kill fungus and other infections that can limit hair growth.

• Olive oil is a good source of vitamins and it can be used much like castor oil. It can be massaged right into the scalp and added to the hair. In particular, olive oil is extremely rich in vitamin E.

• Coconut oil can also be used to stimulate your hair follicles. Simply rub it in much like the other oils.

• Lavender oil which can also be rubbed in your head has also been known to foster hair growth.

• Rosemary leaves also contain essential oil which can enhance and encourage hair growth.

Some of these extracts can be purchased online. Another idea is to apply natural fungus killers because fungus can cause hair loss and other skin problems. Tea tree oil and oil of oregano are two natural fungus killers that you can order online. Be careful with these because they are extremely powerful. Mixing tea tree oil or oil of oregano with olive oil or castor oil can create a formula that you can rub on your hair.

If you do use oil, make sure you use virgin olive oil or coconut oil. These are purer and better for you.

The secret to using oils is to massage them into your scalp about once a day and to leave them there. Do this a few hours before you shower or wash your hair in order to get the maximum effects. Simply using a shampoo that contains these products is probably not enough. Shampoo simply does not stay in your hair long enough to have the maximum effect.

 

The oil isn’t the only part of the coconut that can help you grow hair. Coconut milk and butter have a lot of health benefits as well. These include:

• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Saturated fatty acids that assimilate in the scalp well. This means that they take the vitamins straight to the scalp.
• Linoleic acid is another vitamin that is great for scalp conditioning. It’s the same stuff that’s in walnuts.

You can massage either coconut milk or coconut butter into your hair. Do it about once a day just as you would with the oil.

A great suggestion is to add these products to your regular hair care regimen. These can help grow hair and definitely improve your scalp health.

 

Some Hair Care Tips

There are some things that we do to our hair that damage it and prevent it from growing. These include many of the things that people especially women but some men do to their hair in the name of beauty or making it look good.

At the tip of this iceberg are all the chemicals that people put on their scalps. Some of these damage the hair and the scalp and deprive them of the nutrients they need. Others actually foster the growth of fungus and other infections.

Stop using most commercial hair care products including:

• Hair spray
• Gels and mousse
• Conditioners
• Shampoos
• Dyes

You should also limit the visits to the salon and you should definitely try to limit the use of the hair dryer. This can really damage your hair as can many permanents. Any product that straightens the hair can kill or damage it so be very careful. Something else to remember is that there is often little or no difference between the hair care products that they try to sell you at the salon and those you buy at the store.

Try ordering natural hair care products found online. Also, seriously consider consulting an expert in holistic nutrition or homeopathic doctor about your hair. Those experts can recommend natural alternatives and formulas.

 

Some Natural Hair Care Solutions You Can Try at Home

One solution that you might try is a natural hair rinse. You could rinse your hair with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Both of these are completely natural and they are natural fungicides, so they can eliminate some of the problems with your hair. Simply use these in place of shampoo.

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the better natural hair conditioners. You can order a large bottle online for about five dollars or pick some up at the store.

These conditioners are a great alternative for the products that damage your hair. Try using them on a regular basis and look online for natural products made of these.

Finally, if you need more help look for a homeopathic or naturopathic doctor. These experts specialize in the use of natural and herbal medicine to treat disorders. They can often give you products and supplements that can help your hair.

Resources:

•  http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/articles/301/hair-loss/oils-for-hair-growth-and-scalp-problems.html
• http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/ButterCodLiverBlend/index.cfm
• http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
• http://www.speedyremedies.com/home-remedies-for-hair-growth.html
• http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair?page=2