What hair care routine steps should you follow to maximize your hair growth? In this post, we’ll go over how to create your own hair routine so you can reach your hair length goals.
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So, you want to grow your hair? I can help you with that. As I write this, my hair is at mid-back length, just a couple of inches away from waist length.
I had dreamed of having long, healthy hair for so. many. years. I wanted it so badly, and maybe that’s what you’re feeling too.
It took me a while, but when I finally nailed down the hair care steps, products and tools that worked…my hair GREW like a weed.
I’m going to let you in on a big secret to hair growth: consistency. With all of these awesome steps that I’m about to share with you, the key to getting results is to be consistent.
I do a lot of things for hair growth, and following a consistent routine focused on scalp health and preventing breakage has made a massive difference.
Not only in the health and length of my hair, but some of these steps even benefit my skin and nails too!
And before we jump in, I’m just going to say…this isn’t a quick, 5 minute routine.
I’m definitely NOT a minimalist when it comes to hair care (or skincare). I like doing ALL of the steps, and I love using a variety of products.
So this is for the other women out there who love their beauty routines and spending time on hair care and self care (wanna be friends?).
In this post, we’ll walk through every step of building your perfect hair care routine. And at the end, I’ll give you a sample hair care routine that you can follow.
Let’s get into it! Here are the hair care routine steps that you need to follow to grow your hair long, strong and healthy.
What’s the Point of all These Hair Care Routine Steps?
Before we jump into creating your hair care schedule, it’s important to understand why hair care matters in the first place.
Taking care of your hair isn’t just about it looking fabulous, it’s also important for maintaining the health of your scalp and hair.
Much like our skin, our hair is subjected to environmental damage, styling tools, and chemical treatments that can leave it damaged and weak.
That’s where a well-crafted hair care routine comes in, providing the nourishment, hydration, and protection your hair needs to thrive.
Hair care goes beyond simply using the right products; it’s also about adopting good habits and understanding the unique needs of your hair.
By incorporating a consistent routine into your daily life, you can prevent common hair problems such as dryness, breakage, and dullness.
Also, a good hair care routine can boost your confidence and overall well-being. When your hair looks and feels its best, it can positively impact your mood and self-esteem.
It’s not just about achieving the hair of your dreams, it’s about feeling your best self every day.
The routine in this post is going to focus on:
- scalp health and stimulating the hair follicles
- keeping the hair length conditioned and nourished
- preventing breakage so we can keep our length!
So when choosing products, look for ingredients that can support your goals. Focus on products that support a healthy scalp, deliver nutrients to the scalp and hair, and help protect the hair strands.
What to Consider Before Creating Your Hair Care Routine
1. What’s Your Hair Type?
Is it straight, wavy, curly, or kinky? Understanding your hair’s natural texture will help you choose the right products (and decide how often to use them) that work best for you and support your hair growth.
2. What’s the Current Condition of Your Hair?
Is it prone to frizz, split ends, or breakage? Is it dry? Identifying your hair’s specific needs will help you address these concerns properly.
For example, maybe you feel like your hair isn’t growing because it’s stuck at a certain length, but it is likely that you are experiencing a lot of breakage.
3. Assess Your Scalp
Is it dry, flaky and itchy? Is it greasy and often oily? Or maybe it’s normal, and you don’t have any special concerns to consider when creating your routine.
4. What’s Your Lifestyle Like?
Do you lead an active lifestyle that exposes your hair to sweat and environmental pollutants? You may need to shampoo more frequently.
Do you prefer low-maintenance styles that don’t need much product? You probably won’t have to clarify as often. Adjusting your hair care routine to fit your lifestyle will make it easier to keep up with in the long run.
5. What’s Your Current Routine?
What are you currently doing to your hair, and how is it working for you? What products do you use, and how often? Determine how often you should wash and condition your hair.
While some hair types thrive with shampooing multiple times per week, others may benefit from washing less often. Experiment with different frequencies until you find a balance that works well for your hair.
6. Decide On Your Hair Goals
Take note of your current hair length, and where you’d like to be. Use this hair length chart to figure out your current length, and goal length. Visualize yourself with the length you desire, and believe you can get there!
The Steps to Follow for Hair Growth
These steps will help to support healthy hair growth and a healthy scalp. As you create your routine, remember that hair care is individual and personal.
Try using different products and see how your hair responds. If you find your hair feels better using oils more often, then do that! As you adjust your routine, you’ll find what works best for you.
Experiment with the frequency of shampooing, clarifying, and hair treatments and with time you’ll find the routine that makes your hair thrive.
Whether you have dry, damaged hair in need of restoration, or oily hair that requires frequent washing – hair care routine steps tailored to your hair type and lifestyle will make all the difference.
1. Pre-wash Oil & Scalp Massage
What to Use: Hair oil and a scalp massage tool
Purpose: Stimulate blood flow to the scalp to promote hair growth. Loosen buildup and flakes, soften and nourish the hair and scalp.
How Often: Before each wash. You can also massage your scalp on non-wash days with or without oil.
How to: Apply the oil evenly to the scalp and hair. Using the scalp massager tool with gentle pressure on your scalp, massage in circular motions. At this point, you can put a small amount of oil on your fingertips to finger detangle your hair.
Product Recommendations:
> Briogeo Scalp™ Revival Rosemary Pre-Wash Oil
> Hair Syrup Peppermint & Tea Tree Pre-Wash Oil Treatment
> Oribe Gold Lust All Over Oil
> Briogeo Scalp Revival™ Stimulating Therapy Massager
2. Scalp Exfoliator
What to Use: Scalp scrub or exfoliating scalp mask
Purpose: Remove dead skin flakes and buildup, and stimulate blood flow to the scalp.
How Often: Once per week
How to: Apply your exfoliator to the scalp and gently massage in circular motions, then rinse well.
Product Recommendations:
> Grow Gorgeous Scalp Care Scalp Detox Scrub
> Philip B Peppermint Avocado Scalp Scrub
> Oribe Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub
3. Shampoo
What to Use: A sulfate-free shampoo, and a clarifying shampoo. You can also use your scalp massage tool during this step.
Purpose: Wash away product buildup and dirt on the scalp and hair, and cleanse away the dead skin flakes and excess sebum. Cleanses the hair follicles so they do not get clogged.
How Often: Regular shampoo 1-3 times per week, depending on your hair type. Clarifying shampoo at least once monthly, more often if your hair has a lot of product buildup.
How to: On wet hair, massage shampoo thoroughly into the roots. If using a dandruff or medicated shampoo, let it sit on the scalp for a minute or two. Rinse, and if needed, repeat once more.
Product Recommendations:
> VIRTUE Refresh Purifying Shampoo
> Oribe Serene Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
> Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo for Damaged Hair
4. Hair Treatments/Masks
What to Use: Moisturizing and/or strengthening treatments (such as bond builders) depending on your hair’s needs.
Purpose: Moisture treatments deeply condition the hair, add softness, smooth the hair shaft, and reduce dryness. Strengthening treatments reduce breakage, help retain hair length, and protect hair from further damage.
How Often: Once per week or on each wash day if needed.
Normal hair: Rotate between moisturizing and strengthening.
Dry hair: Use moisturizing and hydrating products more often than strengthening.
Weak or overly moisturized hair: Use strengthening treatments and bond builders more often.
How to: Apply your product depending on the instructions. Many hair treatments recommend that you shampoo beforehand for best results, so that your hair is free from other products.
Product Recommendations:
> Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Hair and Scalp Mask
> Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
> Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
5. Hair Rinses
What to Use: Rice water, herbal tea, rosemary water, apple cider vinegar.
Purpose: Encourage hair growth, smooth hair cuticles, reduce frizz and add shine. They also promote a healthy scalp and reduce flakes, and contain antioxidants to prevent follicle damage from free radicals.
How Often: Every 2-4 weeks, maximum once per week. Apple cider vinegar can be done on each wash day if desired.
How to: Apply the rinse evenly from root to tip. Cover the hair and leave on for up to 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Product Recommendations:
> DIY Instructions: Herbal tea rinse, rosemary water rinse, & rice water rinse
> dpHUE ACV Hair Rinse
> R+Co Lost Treasure Apple Cider Vinegar Cleansing Rinse
6. Conditioner
What to Use: Conditioner
Purpose: Condition and hydrate the hair, and smooth the hair shaft. Helps to soften the hair, add shine, and detangle the hair.
How Often: Every wash day
How to: Apply conditioner evenly on the mid-lengths and ends of the hair. Secure the hair in a clip and let it sit for a few minutes.
Product Recommendations:
> Briogeo Curl Charisma™ Rice Amino + Shea Curl Defining Conditioner
> Oribe Gold Lust Repair Restore Conditioner
> SEEN Deeper Conditioner Fragrance Free
7. Detangle
What to Use: A wide tooth comb, or brush designed for wet hair
Purpose: To remove tangles and smooth the hair strands.
How Often: Every wash day
How to: With the conditioner still in your hair, separate the hair into sections. With your detangling tool of choice, gently brush/comb your hair starting at the ends and work your way up to the roots.
You can also detangle with your leave-in conditioner/detangling product in, if that works better for you.
I find my curls feel and look smoother when I use a detangling brush rather than a wide tooth comb, so use whichever tool makes your hair feel healthiest.
Product Recommendations:
> Wetbrush Original Detangler Brush
> Tangle Teezer Brush for Fine & Fragile Hair
> Tangle Teezer Wide Tooth Comb for Curly Hair
8. Leave-In Conditioner
What to Use: Leave-in conditioner or curl cream. If you are using a blow dryer or other hot tools for styling, remember to always use heat protectant too!
Purpose: Provides moisture to the hair, reduces frizz, smooths the hair and adds shine.
How Often: Every wash day
How to: On detangled hair, evenly apply your leave-in product in sections.
Product Recommendations:
> Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Split End Repair + Moisturizing Leave-In Treatment
> Oribe Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioning Detangler for Curly Hair
> Briogeo Farewell Frizz™ Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioner
9. Hair Growth Serum (Non-Oily)
What to Use: A hair growth serum that is not greasy so that you can get hair growth benefits in between wash days.
Purpose: Stimulate the scalp, encourage hair growth and a healthy scalp. Deliver the nutrients and benefits of a hair growth serum without oiliness.
How Often: As many days a week as desired.
How to: Apply several drops evenly on the scalp, and gently massage it in.
Product Recommendations:
> GRANDE Cosmetics GrandeHAIR Hair Enhancing Serum
> Grow Gorgeous Intense Hair Density Serum
> Briogeo Destined for Density™ Peptide Hair Serum for Thicker, Fuller Hair
> Briogeo Scalp Revival™ Stimulating Therapy Massager
10. Hair Growth Supplements
What to Use: An MSM, collagen, silica or biotin supplement. If you’re vegan/vegetarian, you can use a supplement that supports collagen production instead of taking collagen (which is animal derived).
Purpose: Promotes strong hair, skin and nail growth. I’ve noticed a big improvement in my hair and skin (and eyelashes!) since I started taking collagen a couple of years ago. Warning: collagen will make ALL of your hair grow faster!
How Often: Daily
How to: Use according to the package instructions. You can drink liquid collagen on its own or mix it with water or juice. Mix powder supplements with your beverage of choice, and enjoy!
For more info on how to use collagen for beauty, check out this post!
Product Recommendations:
> KIKI Health Pure Marine Collagen Powder
> Agent Nateur Holi(mane) Hair Skin Nails 2 Daily Supplements Combined
> GrandeGummies Vegan Collagen Booster
> KIKI Health Beauty with Ceramides – Vegan
You May Also Like: 5 Easy DIYs: How to Use Brazil Nut Oil for Hair Growth
Complete Hair Care Routine for Hair Growth
To give you a quick summary of the hair care routine steps, here they are:
- Pre-wash Oil & Massage
- Scalp Exfoliator
- Shampoo
- Hair Treatment
- Hair Rinse
- Conditioner
- Detangle
- Leave-In Product
- Hair Growth Serum
- Hair Growth Supplements
And here’s an example hair schedule, for someone who wants to wash their hair 2 times per week and has dry ends.
If you’d like to follow the hair care routine steps below, go ahead and Pin the image to save it!
Hair Growth Products to Maximize Results
Here are some other tools and products that can help support your hair growth. I personally love to use as many things as I can to support my hair goals, and I definitely see and feel the difference!
Aquis Flip Hair Drying Wrap
For use on each wash day. It’s much more gentle on the hair than regular towels so you can avoid friction and breakage.
Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase
Sleeping on silk reduces friction and breakage on the hair, and reduces dry hair and skin. Plus, it helps to prevent wrinkles and acne!
Mason Pearson Popular Mixture Hair Brush
Boar bristle brushes helps to distribute the natural oils of your hair down the hair shaft, and stimulate the scalp. The Mason Pearson brushes are the BEST quality (they last for literal decades)!
Slip Pure Silk Turban
Covering your hair with silk reduces breakage, friction and dryness overnight. It also helps to protect hairstyles so you can maintain them for longer. My hairline is MUCH less frizzy in the morning when I wear one.
Slip Pure Silk Skinny Scrunchies
Silk scrunchies are a gentle way to tie your hair back, as they won’t create tangles or friction on your hair. Satin scrunchies are a great option too!
Skin Gym LED Stimulating Hair Brush
This hairbrush promotes hair growth with red and blue light, plus vibration to massage and stimulate the scalp.
Creating the right combination of hair care routine steps takes some trial and error, but once you’ve got it down, you’ll see the benefits! Try creating your own routine next week based on these tips, and you’ll be on your way to longer, stronger hair.
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