What will ACTUALLY help my hair grow?

[saltedcaramelanything]

After years of too much bleach, heat styling, etc I've started noticing my hair is breaking quite a lot.

I'm taking biotin. But is there anything out there that will actually make a difference in helping my hair grow longer & fuller?

@senorafridgidaire

There is a Lee Stafford product in a pot for hair growth which I swear actually works....I'm normally totally underwhelmed by beauty products and the claims they make but this did work for me, no idea how or why. Smells lovely and makes your hair feel nice too.

I love Lee Stafford products.

This is the caffeine shampoo I'm using. Reviews are good. It's leaving my hair really soft. The collagen powder also gets good reviews. It's tasteless , I add it into a glass of squash. Both from Amazon. Also taking Fish Oil as a previous poster mentioned. All bases covered!

Who knows if they'll do any good but my hairline is noticeably thin now at the front parting- next stop a hair topper/wig as I'm getting desperate.

Regaine I also ordered off Amazon but you can buy the active ingredient, Minoxidil, at 5% strength cheap on eBay and dilute to women's strength (2%) using distilled water which works out way cheaper.

I do think it'll be 4-6 months though before I'll be able to realistically see if it's working.

Not sure if it works yet but I am trying this www.champohaircare.com/products/growth-serum#shopify-product-reviews which gets some really good reviews.

Haven't read the thread yet so sorry for repeats.

I take biotin, also a high strength cod liver oil, plus other vitamins. I've only been taking it for a few months. Though my nails are longer and in better condition!

I don't know your hair type but mine is very long so I do a few things to keep it in good condition. Briefly; hair oil (olaplex oil daily on ends, moroccan oil weekly), occasional intensive/overnight treatments, such as Elasticizer. Good shampoo and conditioner (I have blonde hair and use Infuse My Colour or Davines golden shampoo for shine). I also use Slip silk hair ties, to minimise damage, and often wear a silk bonnet overnight!

Brief?

And if you could decrease use of the heated styling tools that would help enormously.

@MollyVolley

Not sure if it works yet but I am trying this www.champohaircare.com/products/growth-serum#shopify-product-reviews which gets some really good reviews.

Me too! The ads chased me all around the internet, and eventually I caved in. Been using it for a week so far.

@HelloDulling me too!

Opalex

I also had massive breakage to my hair after a disastrous visit to a cheapo hairdresser for highlights.
Looked great initially but months later started snapping off, irritatingly seemed to be concentrated on one side. I ended up having it cut into a pixie but even then that particular area struggled to grow and was really coarse and dry despite using hair masks etc. Only now 3 years later is it starting to grow back but is still shorter than the rest of my hair which is past shoulder length.
Lee Stafford was also recommended to me by a colleague. I also grew out my colour so my hair is much healthier but greyer ! No heated appliances definitely. Also I was very low in iron stores (ferritin) and perimenopausal. Once the iron was replaced my hair became much thicker.

The only thing that helped me was stopping all colouring/ bleaching. I'm natural now and it grows like a weed.

@saltedcaramelanything

Unfortunately my hair is already shoulder length, so the broken ends are about ear length - so the only way to cut it above the broken pieces would mean a pixi cut. And I'm not prepared to do that.

I use opalex too, but will look into collagen supplements.

I'd forgotten about caffeine shampoo...I wonder is that not harsh on hair? I want to make sure I'm not doing anything to dry it out more

The absolute worst thing for drying out hair is silicone.

You need a really good un-processed diet for healthy hair growth plus a multivitamin. You can’t make a silk purse out of a pigs ear.

Another vote for olaplex. It’ll save what you have

I have this old family recipe that is my go to every time my hair gets damaged/ hair loss. My mum used to use it on me n my sisters and now we all use it on our kids and ourselves to make our hair grow thicker and to help with damaged ends. Room temperature egg yolk only, discard the white bit, add olive oil and beat with a fork till well combined, then add either coffee powder(not granules) has to be in powder form or make a small cup of strong coffee and let cool then add it to the mixture with a tsp of vanilla essence. Combine it all and add it to ur hair starting from the scalp, then u can wrap it with a clingfilm or shower cap n stay with it for few hrs then u can wash it. Vanilla essence helps with the smell but its not necessary to add it. Try that once a week, u wont notice the difference straight away but within one or two months u wld notice the difference and u will see new hair growth aswell.

Sorry everyone for the long txt 😊

I swore by hairburst gummies it took about 3 months to notice the difference. Not sure it helped my hair grow but it definitely made it healthy and it’s now longer than I’ve ever had it. You can also usually get them on 3 for 2 in boots!

Oh and I only use olaplax products.

I think my hair was similar to yours, never growing, over bleached & splitting as soon as it got close to my shoulders.

I stopped the bleach (am actually dark now & loving the shine), have a keratin blow dry every 6months which means I only use heat on it when I wash it roughly once a week & use a mix of olaplex (no.3 as overnight treatment & no.6 & the oil together before drying) and philip Kingsley elasticiser.

I take biotin & zinc & by doing all of this my hair is now strong, waist length & 3x thicker than what it has been for years. It took 6months for me to see a difference.

Olaplex really didn't help me and my
Bleach wrecked Barnet , I had a good cut which was sad but then started using Joico KPak and it honestly is the only thing that has made my hair soft and easy to get a brush through again!
I use the reconstructor and the shampoo and conditioner and that's all , and it's made a huge difference.
It's growing but slowly but I've started taking vitamin D and sea kelp , eating more protein so I'm
Hopeful

Good quality, silicone free shampoo and conditioner, olaplex products, JS Health Hair and Energy vitamin, silk pillowcase, silk hair tie, microfibre hair towel, no/little heat, no colour, regular trims, weekly hair masque.
Not that I'm obsessed 😂
But my hair has grown tremendously since adopting this at the start of the year (initially to save my hair during the lockdown!)

Look up The inversion method for hair growth, some essential oils help too.

So many fantastic suggestions, thank you!

I have a silk pillowcase, have dyed it back to my natural colour - so no more dye for while, and rarely use heat on it anymore.

Will look into a products & supplements to add in.

There's a lot of interesting research about the good effects of peppermint essential oil and hair growth. Give it a Google.

I take Hair Gain gummies, plus a multi vitamin and mineral, and vitamin D. I use Michael Van Clarke's Lifesaver regularly. My hair is growing fast, so are my nails. My hair was in dreadful condition as I went a long time without getting it cut during the various lockdowns. I've been doing this for about 2 and a half months, and can see lots of new baby hairs and it's in better condition. My hairdresser is impressed!

My hair was in horrendous condition. Have now started taking a multivitamin, cod liver oil and sea kelp. I probably rattle when I walk but hair is in much better condition and is growing well.