5 easy and convenient ways to get your hair to grow faster

If you're craving long locks and don't want to wait years for them, there are a few things you can do to help your hair grow faster. 

Hair grows one-half inch every month on average. However, the rate of growth is determined by genetics, lifestyle, diet and hair care routine.

With a daily scalp massage, you get more blood to flow to the roots of your hair, which stimulates growth.

There are scalp massagers on the market, but it's just as effective to use your own hands.

By spreading your fingers around your head and gently moving your scalp back and forth, you get a relaxing scalp massage that increases blood circulation. Massage your scalp for one to two minutes daily.

Hair needs certain vitamins and minerals for healthy growth.

• Vitamins A, B, C, and E and the mineral silica are essential for healthy hair.
• Eating foods rich in these vitamins not only improves your health, but also helps your hair grow faster.
• You need protein in your diet as well, since hair is made of a protein called keratin.
• If you can't get these nutrients from food, you can take supplements. Multivitamins and mineral tablets are good choices. Taking an amino acid supplement also aids with hair growth since these acids are the building blocks of protein.

You have to wash your hair regularly. Using a gentle shampoo for your normal, oily or dry hair keeps your scalp clean and promotes hair growth.

A conditioner specifically made for your hair type keeps the strands manageable and less prone to breakage.

Another way to protect the hair you already have is to only rinse out shampoo and conditioner with lukewarm or cool water. Hot water dries out hair, making it brittle and more susceptible to breakage and split ends.

Another important step for hair growth is to stop damaging the hair. This means eliminating or reducing the use of heated hair appliances such as blow dryers, curling wands, hot rollers, and flat irons.

All of these devices damage and weaken the hair shaft. If you must use these appliances to style your hair, use them on the lower temperature settings. Also, use a heat protecting lotion that places a barrier between the hair strands and the heat source.

Regular hair trims get rid of split ends and keep your hair strands strong. If split ends travel up the hair strand, they eventually weaken the entire strand until it breaks off.

Split ends also lead to flyaway hair and an unkempt look. Although you want to grow your hair, it's necessary to get rid of damaged ends.

By following a few simple steps, you can increase the rate of your hair growth. Taking care of your hair, maintaining a proper diet, and massaging your scalp are the best ways to get faster hair growth.