Our stylists love helping their clients with hair and skincare questions, from which products to try to which cut might work best with their face shape.
Lately, though, our team has been getting a lot of questions about one topic specifically: hair growth! And in this blog, Carolyn A. from our Savage salon answers some of them.
How important is a healthy scalp when it comes to hair growth?
Very important! Our scalp is just as important as the skin on our face, yet we put more effort in taking care of our skin than our scalp. If you have a blemish or a new wrinkle? There’s a cream for that. We invest whatever it takes, whatever the cost, to fix what we see in the mirror. But what about the areas we don’t see?
Your scalp is the foundation from which your hair grows, and neglecting your scalp’s health can lead to a number of issues, including hair thinning. The types of products we expose to our scalp can greatly affect the health of that environment, which in turn affects the health of the hair. A well-conditioned, well-taken-care-of scalp can promote new hair growth.
Will a healthy scalp help me grow my hair longer?
For this question, the answer lies in the health of your hair follicles. It’s vital to keep your scalp clear of excess product and buildup because hair grows easier when it doesn’t have to break through all that accumulated product. And every season can bring its own irritations to your scalp. The winter months lack the humidity and moisture our skin needs, and as a result people get flaky, irritated scalps. I recommend my clients switch up their shampoo and conditioner from winter to summer to increase the amount of moisture their scalp is getting.
Also, any client who uses daily hair products and/or who goes days between washes should always add a clarifying shampoo, like Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo, once a week. I like to think of it as a reset button for your scalp and hair. A daily shampoo can only cleanse the surface. That’s why most shampoos instruct you to “lather, rinse, repeat.” If it doesn’t lather well during the first wash, it’s best to repeat and wash twice to get everything clean. Most people don’t do this, so using a clarifier once in a while is like insurance for a healthier scalp.
Which brings me to …
How frequently should I wash my hair for optimal hair growth?
This varies for different scalp types. Clients with oily scalps should wash more frequently to prevent buildup. They may also need other products like scrubs to exfoliate excess oils, something daily shampoos don’t deliver. I recommend Bumble and Bumbles ‘Seaweed Whipped Scalp Scrub. Clients with normal scalps should wash every 2 to 3 days, and clients with flaky scalps may need a prescription shampoo with ingredients like salicylic acid to help prevent dandruff. If you have a dry scalp, you can wash less frequently, using moisturizing shampoo, like the Oribe Moisture and Control line, every 3 to 5 days. This will help nourish the scalp and hair, leading to hair growth.
How often should I get a haircut if I’m trying to grow it out?
Most people’s hair grows about a half an inch per month, and getting regular haircuts can promote healthier hair growth by getting rid of your split ends. Once your ends split, that split travels up the whole hair strand, making your hair more likely to break off. Does your hair have a lot of flyaways? Chances are it’s the result of not getting it trimmed often enough. Or it may be from heat, chemical, and/or mechanical damage. If you can avoid these, your hair will stay healthy as it grows.
I personally recommend a haircut every 4 to 6 weeks, but be sure to consult your stylist for their recommendation based on your hair type and style. I once had a client who could never get her hair to grow. I recommended she come in more frequently for dry cuts every 3 to 4 weeks at the first sign of breakage. We would trim just a quarter inch to get rid of the split ends, and every third or fourth cut we’d give it a half-inch trim. Soon, we were able to get it inches longer than we’d ever been able to before! That experience convinced me that to grow healthier hair, you must prioritize time at the salon for a bit more maintenance and invest in the right product regimen for your hair type. You’ll have a healthier scalp in no time — and longer, fuller hair.
Need some help revitalizing your scalp? Looking for the right clarifying product for your hair? Worried that your hair isn’t growing as fast as you’d like? Our team is ready to help. Stop in to shop or book an appointment today.
Carolyn A. is a designer at our Savage salon and has been part of the Cole’s team since 2002. You can follow her on Instagram @cc_anderson.
Hair pictured by @hairby.alyssa.hennessy, @hairbyalimoat and @ali.does.hair.
