How to Grow Long Hair

How to Grow Long Hair is something that interest many people. It requires the use of a system that will:

When looking for a hair growth system that will be effictive and trully deliver results, you need to make sure it addresses all issues associated with hair growth and health. It should lengthen you hair's growth cycle, eliminate hair breakage due to styling and chemical processes, and promote growth at the fastest rate possible. Everyone's hair is different, and styling methods differ as well, but there are some basic rules you can follow to grow long hair. The first rule is to

1. Lengthen your hair's growth (anagen) phase.

The anagen phase is the hair's growth phase. It is genetically determined. This is why some people can grow very long hair, while others cannot grow hair past their shoulders. A person who has an angen phase lasting six years will achieve much greater lengths than a person with only a two year angagen. Why is this? Because the hair grows in three phases: the anagen is the growth phase, the catagen is the growth phase and the telogen is the shedding phase.

Have you ever noticed that many women's hair will grow much longer than normal when they are pregnant. This is because the high levels of estrogen that are present during pregnancy lock the hair follicles into the growth phase for nine months. Shortly after giving birth, however, these hormone levels return to normal and many hairs immediately go int the catagen then telogen phase, making it seem like they are losing their hair.

So what can you do to make your anagen as long as possible? Until recently, it was something only genetics and pregnancy could do. Now, however, there is another option - MSM. Methylsolfonylmethane, or MSM, is a natural form of organic sulfonyl sulfur. This compound is present in many foods, especially most raw fruits and green vegetables. MSM provides sulfur that is required for healthy collagen and keratin. These are very important for healthy hair. MSM repairs and creates healthy cells thus allowing hair to grow more rapidly and achieve greater lengths. It has been proven to increase hair length

Hair grows at about a rate of one half inch per month. However, if your breakage equals your growth, you will never achieve your maximum hair length.

Hair is strong. It can carry about 100 grams without breaking. The keratin protein which makes up the hair's cortex causes it to have this unbelievable strenght. You may ask, then why does my hair break so easily? The answer is because heat appliances and chemical processes break down these keratin bonds. The only way to replace the keratin lost through styling and processes is to use protein treatments.

Protein treatments replace protein lost during heat styling and chemical processes. Hair is made mostly of keratin protein. This protein is formed by amino acids joined together to form a chain. These bonds are broken during many styling and chemical processes (perms, relaxers, etc). This weakens the hair making it more susceptible to breakage. The only way to reduce this breakage is to replace the lost protein and rebuild hair strength.

In addition to protein, good moisture content can reduce breakage as well. Hair is naturally lubricated by a thin layer of sebum, which is produced by the sebaceous glands. This sebum provides the hair with flexabilty, shine, and protection. However, daily styling and chemical processes can rob the hair of this protection, leaving it vulnerable to breakage. However, moisture treatments may not be effective if your hair's porosity is too low. On the other hand, high porostiy can be dangerous when using chemical services. Moisture treatment can improve hair elasticity allowing it to stretch greater lengths before breaking. This is very important when trying to grow long hair.

Once you have rebuilt your hair's strength and moisture content, you should concentrate on promoting healthy growth from within.

A well nourished body is essential for optimal hair growth. A scalp free of bacteria, fungus, and other problems is also necessary.

Vitamins are supposed to "supplement" what our body is missing from our diet. A good hair vitamin will contain all of the nutrients necessary for overall health, as well as those specific to hair growth. Biotin and MSM are ingredients every hair vitamin should contain. Biotin promotes cell growth, the production of fatty acids, metabolism of fats, and amino acids. MSM lengthens the hair growth phase. Using a combination of the two is beneficial for healthy hair. Using an amino acid supplement is not necessary for growing longer hair. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. Thy are found in foods of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dair products. Most Americans eat more than enough protien for to supply these amino acids. Only strict vegetarians need to be concerned with their protein intake. So one may assume that using an amino acid supplement can only make hair grow faster. Wrong! Most diets already provide more protein than what the body needs. This causes excess nitrogen to be excreted in urine. This excess nitrogen has been linked to reduced kidney function in old age as well as osteoperosis (duce to excretion of calcium). So a good hair vitamin should contin biotin and msm, but not amino acids.

Providing a healthy environment for your hair to grow is essential when growing long hair. The scalp should be free of bacteria, fungus, and any other damaging condition. Daily scalp massages also stimulate new hair growth. Some people may be unaware that they even have scalp problems such as bacteria and fungus. If you suffer from an itchy scalp, dandruff, etc, you may need to take a closer look at the conditon of your scalp. Now that you have learned the essential ingredients to grow long hair, now you can start GROWING.

How To Grow Long Hair