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Long Hair: How to Maximize Your Growth Potential

By: Rebecca Mikulin

Long hair may seem out of the question for some people who struggle with thin, brittle hair. However, all hair has a certain lifespan before it sheds. Learning how to maximize your growth potential is the key to having beautiful, healthy, long hair. The only way to maximize hair's growth potential is to minimize breakage while maximizing the speed at which the hair grows. This may seem simple, but it requires a few simple lifestyle and hair styling changes.

Minimizing breakage

Most hair is lost through unhealthy hair styling practices. Chemical treatments, heat implements, harsh cleansers and many purported hair-care products may be the culprits behind your dry, frizzy, brittle hair. Minimize or completely avoid perms, dyeing, curling or straightening irons, and blow dryers. If you must use a blow dryer, select a lower setting. If possible, leave your hair slightly damp rather than drying completely with heat.

Select a good shampoo and conditioner. Look for products that do not contain silicone-based ingredients (those that end in "-cone"). Use shampoo sparingly. These usually can be found in a salon or professional product outlet, or they can be made at home from all-natural ingredients. For added moisture, work in a few drops of oil (jojoba, extra virgin olive or whatever has the right weight for your hair type) a couple times a week. Avoid "scrubbing" your hair while shampooing or when towel-drying. Instead, smooth shampoo through the hair while it's straight, and gently pat dry after you've rinsed it out.

Consider wearing your hair in up-dos to prevent damage to the end. Invest in a good, wide-tooth comb so hairs don't get tangled and torn during styling. Trim off split ends with high-quality hair scissors to eliminate tangling and further damage.

Maximizing growth speed

Internal health is absolutely necessary for hair health. Your hair, skin and nails often are the first place you will see the effects of dehydration or a bad diet. Make sure to drink no less than the recommended amount of water every day, and take a good, daily multivitamin that's high in biotin. This will not only help the hair grow faster but healthier as well.

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