If you do a simple Google search on “how to grow your hair faster”, millions of links and articles will pop up. Each with their own unique take on fast hair growth tips. Believe me, I’ve basically read them all.
This is my story on suffering major hair loss and length, and how I regrew it all back.
In January 2015, I suffered major hair loss. I’m talking on an astronomical level, like balding status. It all began when I decided to stop taking the hormonal birth control pill. I had been on it for about 7 years, and felt that for myself personally it was not healthy, therefore no longer benefited me. By March of the same year my hair began falling out in clumps. Each time I showered, the drain would clog. Every time I brushed my hair, the comb was full. I began to panic as I saw my once thick hair dramatically thinning.
(Before & After)
Left Dec. 2014 | Right Jan. 2015 – One month difference
By April I realized there was simply no way I could keep my waist-length hair anymore. It had become so wispy and thin, and it just didn’t look healthy anymore. I ended up chopping it off to a little below my shoulders, which helped temporarily. However, the hair loss continued.
By this point I had linked the hair loss with the fact that I had gone off birth control. I did some research and found that there were a small percentage of women who suffered the same issues. While some shedding is common with hormone changes, this clearly was NOT normal. With that, I went to see several specialists, with whom I presented this information to. They were either stumped by my situation, or blatantly denied the possibility that the pill could do such a thing. All in all, it was a complete waste of time, as I got no help or suggestions of any kind.
(sorry for the low quality images here)
In these photos you can see the areas where my scalp was showing, and how scraggly my hair looked.
At this time I had recently relocated to a small studio apartment in San Diego, CA. That’s when things took a turn for the worst. The hair loss became so bad you could see my scalp in places. We had no air conditioning, and our place was constantly humid. It dawned on me that this type of environment breeds mold. I did more research and learned that certain types of toxic molds can cause allergic reactions such as hair loss. I immediately hired a mold company to come and run tests. Sure enough, we had a form of toxic mold growing in the bathroom walls behind the tiles. Now I had two forces working against me: the repercussions of the pill and toxic mold. We moved out a week later, and within the following month I noticed the hair loss stop.
**This is what I did to regrow the thickness and the length of my hair**
Protein
Hair is made up of protein. If you do not consume enough protein, you will likely notice slow growth and brittle hair. I have very curly hair naturally, so this makes it even more brittle. First thing you have to do is amp up your protein intake. My go-to is a protein shake, but not just any old shake. This particular protein shake I swear by as the number one factor for growing my hair quickly. This gives you about 40-50 grams of protein right off the bat, and it’s only your first meal of the day!
Ingredients:
- 6-8 ounces of liquid egg whites
- 1 scoop of vegan protein powder
- 1 banana
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Take Your Vitamins
Take plenty of vitamins that promote healthy and fast hair growth. Of all the vitamins that I’ve tried, I find that these work the best. I’m not a huge fan of the all-in-one hair supplements that claims to work miracles. I find that by taking each individual supplement, I get more of the nutrients and better results. A few of my favorites are biotin, folic acid and keratin.
DIY Hair Mask
Create your own hair mask at home once per week. Products such as coconut oil are always better straight from the source, rather than being mixed in with a bunch chemical ingredients. I usually like to leave it in for around 30 minutes, but you can do it longer if you have the time. Since I have such curly hair, I usually like to run a wet hair brush through it to make it slightly damp. This makes it more manageable for me to apply the mask. I then stand in the shower and flip my head upside down and coat my hair and scalp with the mask. Afterwards I cover my hair with a shower cap and let it sit until I’m ready to rinse it out. I highly recommend including coconut oil in your mask. Of all the oils, it penetrates the shaft of your hair the most, while others may just coat the surface. I’ve used a variety of ingredients in my hair masks, but I find that the combination below works the best.
Ingredients (for about a cups worth):
- 1/2 cup coconut oil -liquefied
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup castor oil
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
^Cinnamon helps boost blood flow to the scalp, which promotes faster hair growth.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Be sure to avoid hair products that include harsh chemicals. These can be a little tricky to find, and may cost you a few extra dollars, however it’s definitely worth it. Chemicals such as sulfates strip your hair of its natural oils, which can cause dryness and breakage. Here are a list of some of the main ones to avoid.
Invest in Quality Hair Products
Here are some of my favorites that I have used over the years.
- Just Natural’s line of Grow New Hair treatment (a little on the expensive side, but it work great). Massage into your scalp before bed, rinse out in the morning.
- Nubian Heritage Indian Hemp & Tamanu deep treatment masque – hands down the best store bought hair mask I have ever purchased. It doesn’t leave your hair feeling weighed down or greasy, and it makes your hair so soft!
- Coconut oil – you can buy this at any grocery store. I use just a dab on the length and ends of my hair to help protect the hair shaft and keep my hair shiny and frizz free. Don’t over do it or your hair will look greasy.
- A mixture of essential oils in a spray bottle, diffused with water (cheaper version of first option). Try combining a few drops of lavender, rosemary, peppermint, cedarwood, and chamomile. These oils help promote faster hair growth, and plus they smell great. You can purchase these at any health food store. Spray onto hair and scalp, leave in overnight and rinse out in the morning.
Last But Not Least, Avoid Damaging Your Hair!
If you are trying to grow your hair out, resist over processing it. Yes that means stay away from dying it too frequently, and try not to straighten/curl your hair as much as possible. I typically will style my hair once per week, but I also only wash my hair every 3-4 days. Which leads me to my next point: DO NOT wash your hair every single day! Your hair needs its natural oils to stay healthy, so try every other day or every third day. It may seem overly oily at first, especially if you are used to washing your hair daily. However once your scalp acclimates to this, it will stop over producing oils, and in return you will be able to go without washing your hair as often. If you can stick to this routine, you hair will look much healthier and shinier 🙂
Left 2016 | Center 2017 | Right 2018
The picture on the left was taken in Dec. 2016. My hair had stopped falling out, but was still very thin and fragile. I decided to keep it just below shoulder length for the past couple of years in an effort to keep it healthy and thicken it up. For a period of time I took a break from the straightener and wore my hair either in its natural curly state, or up in a bun. If I straightened it, I made sure to only do so once a week. A year later in the middle photo you can see that my hair has become much shiner and thicker (go egg white shakes!). I could probably have begun growing it back out, but I wanted to make sure it was back to its original thickness. Finally, the picture on the right is my hair today! It’s been a really long, emotional road, and I will never take my hair for granted again. Now that my hair is finally healthy, I can focus on growing it out, yay!
This was a very personal topic for me, and by sharing this story I hope to help and educate other women out there as well. This hair fiasco taught me not only to be grateful for the blessings I have, but also that I make my own destiny. Instead of complaining and being depressed, I took action and really committed to fixing the problem. It may take weeks, months, even years for you to see major change, but if you integrate these routines into your life, I promise your hair will thank you, and will see results!
Xx Alya
