How to Beat That Awkward Hair Phase
Ah, the awkward phase. For those of us who decide to grow out our hair, (or for those of us decided to skip our regularly scheduled haircut) we know awkward phases apply to hair as well as adolescence. We battle our hair, fighting back cow licks and that stubborn poof that comes with the in-between length we’ve learned to dread. Forget about Halloween: the awkward hair phase is the scariest time of year!
What Makes Hair Grow
When hair is on your head, it’s almost always in the growing, or the anagen, phase. Even so, healthy hair tends to only grow a quarter to half inch monthly. Now, this is great for the other times of year when you’re trying to grow out your smoky violet locks or had a disastrous haircut, but it doesn’t always work well if you need your hair to grow right now. After all, a watched pot never boils.
Healthy Hair, Healthy Body
So how can you make your hair grow faster? The first and foremost way to increase the length of your hair is a healthy diet and lifestyle – and that includes drinking the proper amount of water as well! If you’re not feeling great all of the time and you’re constantly getting sick, your body will actually slow the production of hair in order to help the more essential parts of your body. In contrast, a healthy body means the extra energy can go toward growing out your hair and keeping a shine on those nails. For an extra boost, Vitamins K, D, E, A, and C, as well as biotin, zinc, and many other vitamins contribute to the production and growth of hair. These can all be found in a well-balanced meal and in many multi-vitamin supplements.
Avoid Split Ends
To get out of that awkward hair phase faster, you may want to try a strange yet effective approach. Regular trims every six to twelve weeks prevent extreme cases of split ends as they make their way up the strands of hair. Don’t pick these – you’d rather get them nicely trimmed! This may seem counterproductive, but preventing split ends also prevents more dramatic haircuts in your future. Other ways to increase the health of your hair and prevent split ends are: weekly deep conditioning treatments, using regular conditioner two to four times a week, and gentle detangling with leave-in conditioners.
Accessories Are Your Friend
Now that we’ve covered all the ways to make your hair grow faster and maintain a healthy glow, it’s time to look at ways to hide your awkward phase. In this case, accessories are your friend. Butterfly clips, bobby pins, and headbands allow you to pull back your hair into new styles that will better frame your face, all while keeping rogue curls at bay.
Tip: Be careful when using rubber bands. Repeated use of tight buns and sleek ponytails tend to bend, or even break hair over time, meaning more tangles and more haircuts. Keeping hair in looser styles and changing those styles regularly prevents stress to the hair follicle and provides much-needed variation.
How about you? What do you use to combat that awkward hair phase? Let us know in the comments below!