Sometimes, wash and wear just doesn’t cut it. Daily sun exposure and the constant barrage of pollutants do a number on your crowning glory. And if you add in your almost-daily blow outs, ponytails, tight buns and deluge of hair products, it’s no wonder your hair is suffering from breakage and split ends.

And we all know that sort of damage cuts your hair growing prowess short. Literally.

The good news is there’s hope to restore your hair to the glossy thick curtain that it was when you were younger. Just follow these super simple tips for growing longer hair – they’ll keep your locks away from brittleness and breakage so they can grow long, strong and beautiful!

Ease up on the shampoo

Contrary to popular belief, squeaky clean hair does not always equal healthy hair. Skipping the daily shampoo can be more beneficial than you thought. First, it gives the scalp a chance to redistribute the natural oils it produces down to your hair shaft.

When you shampoo daily, you strip these oils out, so your hair tends to be drier and frizzier.

Consider investing in a good shower cap for your no shampoo days, since constant exposure to water (especially scalding hot water!) can further damage your hair.

If the thought of not shampooing takes some getting used to, consider substituting your daily shampoo with a cleansing conditioner on some days. You still get the fresh out of the shower fragrance and the clean feeling minus subjecting your tresses to the drying suds of shampoo.

Choose hair products carefully

The hair industry is a lucrative business, so it’s no wonder you see hair commercials for all sorts of products that promise thick healthy hair wherever you turn.

But be picky with what you put on your hair and scalp.

Sure, it can be tempting to buy an entire range of hair styling products, but remember that what you put on hair tends to build up and cause flaking, blocked hair follicles, not to mention the possibility of allergic reactions that might do permanent damage on your follicles.

When you can, go as natural as possible with your hair products.

Invite hair-healthy natural oils into your life

Whenever possible, try to stick to antioxidant-rich, healthy-fat-packed natural oils to restore your hair to health. One popular example is coconut oil, which has components that aid in cell renewal as well as a thick consistency that will coat your strands and protect them from further damage (coconut oil even has an SPF of 7 so it provide sun cover as well).

When using these oils though, a little goes a long way. Focus application on the middle and tips of hair where it tends to be drier and would need more moisture.

For girls with chemically processed hair or curlier and frizzy hair moisturizing is even more important. They can use a hair oil as a daily hair mask that they apply before sleeping, so that hair gets a chance to absorb nutrients throughout the night and won’t look so slick in the morning. Find out the best hair growth promoting oils!

Give it TLC when it’s wet

Be extremely gentle with your hair whenever it is wet – this is when it’s at its most vulnerable. When your hair is wet, it’s exceedingly delicate and much more susceptible to breakage. It has no elasticity and it’s more likely to snap and break in this state.

So give it a lot of tender lovin’ care – don’t vigorously scrub your head when shampooing, skip the rigorous drying off with a towel and instead gently squeeze a towel down the length of your strands to absorb the water.

As for putting your hair up in a tight turban ’til it dries off? Don’t do it with a terry cloth towel – when you put your hair up, the rigid fabric puts a lot of undue strain on your strands, causing them to stretch and break. Opt for microfiber towels or Turbie Twists instead (love these! they’ll get all your hair up comfortably and gently even if you have really long hair).

Oh, and of course – never brush your hair when it’s wet!

Rethink your hairstyle and hair accessories

Love how put together you look in a tight bun or a high ponytail? While these hairstyles look good, it might not be worth it in the long run. These tight hairstyles concentrate tension on the roots of your hair which makes it more prone to hair fall.

Trust me, stick to looser hairstyles and much un-needed thinning can be prevented. Need a sweat-friendly hairstyle for exercising? Ditch the tight ponytail and opt for braids instead, they cause less stress on hair since the hair tie is further from the roots.

Fans of hair accessories such as bejeweled clips and Blair-Waldorf headbands should be pickier too. Aside from assessing the stylishness of your hair piece, make sure it doesn’t damage your locks too.

Velcro, rubber elements tend to cause friction that can chafe against hair causing split ends. Anything with too-sharp parts also make your hair prone to tearing and damaged cuticles.

Shy away from the sun

Your skin’s not the only part of you that need sun protection – remember that your hair is as susceptible to sun damage. In fact the sun is one of the main culprits for dry brassy-looking hair.

Carry hair products that moisturize and protect your locks from the sun when you go on summer beach trips. Or better yet, incorporate chic hair scarves or a wide brimmed hat to your summer ensemble to block out sun exposure.

A simple, natural fix? Again, coconut oil’s got a natural SPF of around 7 – that ain’t much, but it’s something. Plus it smoothes frizzes and oils provide that “plump” thickening effect 🙂

Be wise with heating tools

If exposure to the sun damages your hair, imagine how much more damaging putting heat directly on your hair is. The last thing you want to do to your poor tresses is subject them to a daily frying section with an inept iron or dryer.

If you really must blow-dry your hair (sometimes, you just need it) or you love to straighten our your naturally curly hair (or in my case, curl my stick straight hair :)) – be smart about the tools you choose.

‘Cause if you gotta do it – you might as well do it right. Find out how to protect hair from heat damage!

Got Silk?

Sleeping on silk is worth doing just for the sake of well, sleeping on silk. But in case you need a reason to spoil yourself – you spend around 8 hours every single day sleeping and silk is a fabric that causes far less friction than cotton, helping to prevent your hair from splitting and breaking during the night.

Plus, did you know that silk has amino acids that hep protect both skin and hair?