Tips for Healthy Hair Growth + My Weekly Hair Routine

I get a lot of comments on my hair - they are always my favorite kind of comments because my hair is my crown of confidence! I have had the exact same long hair cut since I was 15....if it ain't broke don't fix it, ya feel me? In the 13+ years I've been taking care of it, I've learned a thing or two about overall hair health and how to grow it long / keep it long, thick and healthy.

Obviously everyone's hair is v. different, so what works for me might not work for you, BUT it's worth a shot!

Top c/o McKie Rae | Jeans | Shoes

1. Dirty Hair is Healthy Hair 
Try to stretch out your washes as long as possible (hello, shower cap....of course I still shower and wash my body each day you sickos). Washing your hair too frequently can strip it of natural oils, fade any coloring, and make your ends dry. I know some people think their hair is too oily to do this, but you can train your hair to be less oily by washing it less (I DID IT, I KNOW). Dry shampoo is your best friend (use it at night so it soaks up oil while you sleep).

2. Color Less, Grow More 
It's no secret that chemicals are bad for you. The more you bleach your hair, the dryer and deader it will become. I didn't die my hair until I was 24 (and I only do a little balayage now to keep it the color it used to be naturally when I was in the sun all the time........don't grow up, it's a trick). Even though I only color my hair maybe two-three times a year now, it is still thinner and dryer than it was when I didn't color it at all. The less you color it, the healthier it will be.

3. Heat is Your Enemy, Heat Protectant is Your Friend 
To go along with tip #1, the less you wash your hair, the less you have to style it. The less you style it, the less heat you use and the less drying will occur. It's not rocket science, just common sense. I don't have to blow dry unless I wash it, but I DO have to touch up curls or re-straighten certain areas most mornings, so I ALWAYS apply a heat protectant first and a restoring spray after. I use THIS spray before straightening/curling, THIS oil before blow drying or when feeling dry and THIS spray as a finish to restore shine and health.

4. Sups on Sups on Sups
I have always been one of those people who didn't believe in vitamins, supplements, etc., until I started to use them. Then I REALLY believed in them when I stopped using them and noticed how worse my body/skin/hair/nails felt without them! My favorites for hair health and growth are collagen and biotin. I like Vital Proteins for collagen and for biotin, I take a daily gummy as well as CocoaLocks growth supplement. It is basically a chocolate milk mix that is filled with hair vitamins - you can get 20% off with code AMANDASOK if you want to try it.

5. Snip, Snip
A lot of people think cutting their hair delays hair growth when in reality, it's the opposite! If you have regular trims, your hair actually grows faster because it's healthier! OKC gals, I go to Jamie Thomas at Scissortale Salon - she is the BEST!

As for my weekly hair routine, it changes a little depending on how sweaty my workouts are and what is on my agenda. I usually wash it 2-3 times a week - four days between washes is always my goal, but sometimes that just isn't happening. My hair routine typically looks something like this:

Sunday: Wash, deep condition, and dry before bed. Fresh start for the week!
Monday: Curl or straighten in the morning. Dry shampoo before bed.
Tuesday: Touch up. Dry shampoo before bed.
Wednesday: Touch up. Dry shampoo before bed.
Thursday: Braid, bun or pony. Wash and dry before bed. Fresh hair for the weekend!
Friday: Curl or straighten in the morning. Dry shampoo before bed.
Saturday: Rock second day waves unless going somewhere exciting. Dry shampoo before bed.

Sometimes if I'm short on time or really tired in the evenings, I'll sleep on wet hair and rock a natural wave. My natural hair is sometimes very Carrie from Sex and the City but other times it is very flat and stringy......it all depends on the humidity (kind of like the texture of No Bake Cookies, ha). I've learned that it's harder for me to stretch out a natural wavy look between washes, though, so while it may be healthier to not use daily heat, it requires more frequent washing.

I did a post a while back on my top 10 favorite hair products and how I use them. I still highly recommend all of them but have also started using THIS shampoo, THIS conditioner, and THIS deep conditioning masque, as well as THIS oil and THIS leave in conditioner. I'm linking these and all my other favs in the widget below.

What are your favorite hair products? I'd love to hear! I'm such a product junkie, especially when it comes to hair! I have a whole cabinet filled to the brim with hair stuff and have zero shame about it. Like I said, my hair is my crown of confidence that I never take off.....I only hide it with a hat from time to time when it's super extra dirty, ha!

Thanks for reading, loves! I hope you have lots of good hair days ahead.

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