Have you ever seen someone with naturally thick, lush hair rocking their locks and wished you could get your hair to cooperate in the same way? Maybe they were letting their hair flow naturally, or perhaps they had styled it in some way, but regardless of how it’s done, thick hair grabs attention.
There are so many perks to having a thick head of hair.
Think about it: with thick hair, your messy buns are full and fluffy rather than little limp pancakes; your braids are like thick coils of rope without having to fluff them out, and your curly or straight or wavy locks frame your face in a way that suggests liveliness rather than sitting flatly on your shoulders.
There is no avoiding the fact that thick hair is beautiful and highly envied. People spend hundreds of dollars to fluff up their locks in ways that look realistic and match their natural hair color, such as hair extensions.
So now that we’ve got you coveting every highly-blessed thick-haired person you have ever encountered, what if we said you could thicken your hair naturally by following some simple tips and tricks?
With this knowledge, your hair goals are no longer far out of reach. In fact, you may even have some ingredients lying around your kitchen that are highly beneficial to your hair and can speed you on your way to thicker tresses.
Keep reading to learn about the steps you can take to boost the thickness of your natural hair.
Why Does Your Hair Get Thinner?
Firstly, let’s get real about why hair gets thinner.
Maybe you were born with a full head of hair but slowly lost some “oomph” over time. Hair sometimes begins to thin as a side effect of aging or genetics. But it could also be due to many factors, ranging from overall health (including stress, hormonal changes, weight changes, and lack of necessary nutrients) to beauty practices (such as tying your hair too tightly, drying out your hair with harsh products, and creating buildup on your scalp).
If you notice that your hair has thinned or is thinning, talk to your doctor about the possible reasons and work out a treatment plan. However, if the problem is not due to an underlying health issue, there are many steps you can follow in order to increase the thickness of your hair.
What To Do to Your Hair for Increased Thickness
Get ready for enviable locks that make your messy buns look great!
Eat Enough Nutrients
Growing thicker hair starts on the inside. Vitamins and nutrients can help you in two ways. Some of them promote hair wellness and fullness, and you can increase your intake of these vitamins for stronger, healthier hair. On the other hand, a lack of enough of these vitamins and nutrients in your diet will negatively impact your hair.
Therefore, you should ensure you’re getting enough of these powerful ingredients by first assessing your diet for any missing nutrients and then changing the way you eat. Make sure to consult with your health practitioner to create an individualized plan.
In general, following a restrictive diet that limits any area of your diet may be hindering your hair growth, so make sure you are feeding your hair all the good stuff!
Massage Your Scalp
Our muscles love a good relaxation massage, but massages can also energize and stimulate blood flow. Your hair grows from the roots in your scalp, so activating the circulation on your head can have crazy benefits for hair growth.
Try to massage your head for at least a few minutes every day. This can be as simple as rubbing your shampoo into your scalp with your fingers when you’re in the shower, or you can invest in a scalp massager in place of using your fingers.
While even a dry massage is beneficial, you can also massage a moisturizing oil (like coconut or argan) or essential oil into your roots. A study concluded that peppermint essential oil in particular can be a hair growth aid when applied to the scalp.
Create a DIY Hair Mask
While we’re on the topic of focusing on your scalp to boost hair growth, another step you need to take is removing the build-up that gathers on your head because all that dead, dry skin and leftover product can block new hair growth.
A simple but effective method to show your scalp some love is through a homemade hair mask. These natural ingredients make excellent masks!
Eggs
Eggs contain keratin, a protein that makes hair happy due to its nourishing properties. Scramble one or more eggs, depending on how much hair you have, and rub them into your scalp. The most important part of this recipe is the egg yolk, but you can use the whole egg.
We suggest leaving this mask on for a maximum of 30 minutes before washing it out so that the eggs don’t begin to smell.
Castor Oil
Long touted as a method for eyelash and eyebrow growth, castor oil can also be applied to your scalp. It contains vitamin E and good fats, which support hair health. Mix a few tablespoons and generously apply the oil to your scalp, massaging it in for added follicle stimulation.
Castor oil can be applied hot or at room temperature, depending on your preference.
Aloe Vera Gel
This gel comes straight out of the plant’s limbs in a clear goo but can also be bought in the stores and sometimes appears to have a greenish tint. It supports hair health because it contains good vitamins like A, E, and C.
You know the drill: rub it into your roots and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Avocado
Both fresh avocados and pure avocado oil have the same benefits on hair health, so either option works well. Avocado includes vitamin E and healthy fats which makes it a great moisturizer.
If you use fresh avocado, mash the meat together with a moisturizing oil and rub it in. This mask does not need to be limited to just the roots, as it will add shine to your whole head of hair.
Olive Oil
Like avocado oil, olive oil is an excellent moisturizer that can add shine back to your hair, so it does not need to be limited to just your scalp. It also contains omega-3, which is thought to support hair health, including hair thickness.
You can warm the oil or apply it at room temperature, but be sure to give your scalp a good massage as you rub it in.
Be Careful When Using Heat On Your Hair
You’ve probably been warned before about the dangers of too much heat styling on your hair, but it can truly be super damaging to your locks when not used properly or applied too often.
In order to save your hair, try to use heat intermittently. You can imit your usage by leaving your locks natural some days or trying a no-heat curling method. And when you do break out the straightener, make sure to coat your strands in a protective styling agent.
Takeaway
Hair can be your pride and joy, a feature that uniquely showcases your genetics and personal style, so we definitely want to allow our tresses to have some flair. These easy tricks will set you on your hair thickness journey.
Remember that hair thinning does not just apply to the hair on your head but can also affect your eyelashes and eyebrows. While these above methods work well for your scalp, our brow growth serum and lash growth serum is a simple and natural remedy for thin lashes and brows.
2021 is the year of letting your natural hair go wild, so let it grow, baby!
Sources:
Peppermint Oil Promotes Hair Growth without Toxic Signs | US National Library of Medicine
Seven Natural Ways To Get Thicker Hair | Medical News Today
Does the hair influence heat extraction from the head during head cooling under heat stress? | NCBI