The quest for long hair commences….

I remember being really young when i could almost sit on my long blonde hair. It was my pride and joy. When i was about 13, a friend of mine had a sister who was studying hair dressing and against my better judgement i let her cut my hair into a shoulder length bob.

Fast forward 10 years and add the fact i have spent most of this time wearing heavy hair extensions, dyeing in highlights and straightening it almost daily and i still have shoulder length hair which is considerably thinner than i remember. After a long contemplation in the mirror the other night i decided i am officially on a mission to grow my hair as long as i can in as short a time as possible.

I started with a bit of online research and discovered that hair growth is roughly 1.25cm or 0.5 inches per month. This means that in a year i could expect an extra 6 inches of hair growth. However i also learnt that with age hairgrowth can slow down to as little as 0.1 inch per month. Im hoping that at 24 years old this doesnt apply to me. I also learnt that hair grows at about the same speed all over your head. I always thought my fringe grew quicker as i seem to need this trimming quite regular but this is because i have it just above my eyebrows, and any growth that occurs is more obvious.

On average the human head has 100,000 strands of hair on it and by time hair reaches shoulder length it is approxamately 2 years old.

On the market today there is many shampoos, conditioners, tablets and general hair care techniques that claim to speed up the process of hair growth. Where as i dont think there is an answer to instant hair growth, i am curious to see if any of the available options could accelerate how quickly my hair can grow.

I have measured my hair and from my crown straight down my back to the longest point it is 38cm long. For the first month of my mission i am going to see if on its own my hair will indeed grow half an inch. I am however going to change a few small things about my usual routine and try a few natural tips that i have come across whilst reading online for example:

• I am going to cut back on caffeine and carbonated soda’s.
• Eat a healthier diet, cut back on foods high in sugar and fat.
• Im going to handle my hair as little as possible, treat it like silk and brush it gently and never when wet.
• Avoid hot water and hair dryers, straighteners etc wherever possible (with exception to the odd night out when i may straighten it and/or wear my extensions as a treat)
• Use hot oil treatments to help protect the hairs shaft. Im going to aim to do this once a week.

In 4 weeks time i will be again measuring my hair to see if i have achieved some hair growth and how much. I will also post regular photos so you guys can see how the condition of my hair is changing. As each month passes i plan to add different vitamins, supplements and even test out shampoos and other options on the market to see if they really do lead to extra hair growth so make sure you keep checking back!!