My hair care for growth & health!

February 23, 2021

Written by Stephanie DeSantis

February 23, 2021

Written by Stephanie DeSantis

I’ve been hair obsessed for as long as I can remember. Even as a little girl (literally 11 years old) working in a small hair salon, I’ve been enthralled by having my hair look fabulous. Why didn’t I become a hair stylist? Truthfully, because people’s expectations versus reality was too much. I would see clients come in with the darkest brown BOX dyed hair and they would want to look like Gwyneth Paltrow in two hours!

There’s not one particular thing that I would contribute to getting my hair to grow. I would also like to point out that genetics play a huge part in the actual texture of your hair. Lucky for me, my parents have thick, full hair even in their 60’s now. The regimen I follow for getting my hair to grow quickly and to stay as healthy as possible as I like to change up the color of my hair probably more often than I should are these four rules:

-COLLAGEN: I list this first because I’m convinced this is one of the biggest reason my hair grows so quick. I’ve been faithfully taking collagen every single day for the past 3 years and I have noticed a difference. Even my skin has improved dramatically (much more hydrated and supple) and my nails are stronger. I prefer the powder version because I find it easy to just throw a scoop or two into tea, coffee, smoothies or oatmeal. I have used many different kinds of collagen and my 3 favorites are: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides-the original blue one, Agent Natuer (holi) mane, Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel (you can get the unflavored but the vanilla coconut one is SO good). Every morning I put 1-2 scoops in my tea. A little tip, when you first put the powder into your hot beverage it just kind of sits there on the top, and if you don’t stir it enough, it get kind of lumpy which will not be enjoyable. I use the tiny electric mixer from Amazon ($12) to really blend it into the drink. With the Vital Proteins & Agent Nateur brand they are odorless and flavorless so you can put them in anything.

-OLAPLEX: What would my hair be without Olaplex? I don’t even want to think about that. Since Olaplex launched a few years ago, it has allowed colorists and clients to keep the integrity of the hair even if you are doing a lot of chemical processing. Most salons carry Olaplex and Amazon has become a qualified distributor. I actually use this treatment once a week on my hair. They have 7 different products ranging from 0-7 (thats how they identify the product, by number). On DRY hair, I start with the “0”. It comes in a squeeze bottle with applicator tip, and I start on my roots, almost like applying root color. Once roots are done, I saturate the rest of my hair. Be careful to not let this product drip or get into your eyes. Once, that is finished I then apply the “3” which is more like a cream all over my hair. I really like to focus on my hairline because that takes the most damage and the ends of my hair. Put a gentle clip loosely around your hair and just chill out for about 20 minutes. Then I hop into the shower and use the “4” and “5” which is their amazing shampoo and conditioner. Make sure you do 2 shampoo washes and thoroughly remove all the Olaplex. After I towel dry my hair I apply the “7” which is the nourishing oil. This product is concentrated so I only use about 4 drops and my hair is thick. Depending on if I blow dry my hair or not (which most of the time I don’t because I’m terrible at it and prefer getting a blow out) I will put my hair in a wet, side part, low bun and tame any fly-always with the “6” Bond Smoother. I love this product and how hydrating it is to my hair. I use it as a leave in conditioner. It’s also amazing to prep your hair before any heat styling.

-HAIRCUTS: Believe it or not, I used to dread and avoid getting haircuts. I used to hate them because I was convinced that everytime my hair would be too short and then I would reverse all the months of “growing.” I’m actually laughing writing this sentence because it’s the complete opposite now. Once I realized that getting maintenance haircuts on the dead ends actually allowed my hair to grow and for the breakage to stop creeping up my hair shaft I was obsessed. I get my haircut every 2-4 months depending on how it feels. I don’t have a short haircut with tons of layers like I used to that required a lot of maintenance, almost every 4-6 weeks. Now that I am growing my hair out again I will go about every 3 months or so to keep it healthy. I cannot stress the importance of getting your hair cut in order for it to grow and be healthy! But PLEASE remind your stylist that you are growing out your hair and not to be scissor happy.

-DIET: Yes you can use all the Olaplex and brush your hair a hundred times a night with a Mason Pearson brush every night to keep your hair healthy, but a lot of what your are putting in to your body (or aren’t) plays an important part. When you’re eating healthy and putting nourishing food rich in vitamins and beneficial compounds, your hair will grow. Think of it like a plant. Here are some foods that can promote hair growth:

Avocados, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Salmon, Spinach, Berries, Eggs, Nuts, Oysters, Beans and Green tea.

I follow a really strict diet which does happen to include most of the foods listed above.

There are many “grow your hair” supplements and pills on the market that I do not encourage you to get (yes Sugar Bear Hair...with the first ingredient being SUGAR) including Biotin which I have never found beneficial to growth. The one that I do swear by its NutraFol. I have actually tested this product for about 8 months and saw a tremendous difference.

Lastly, I strongly recommend using a silk pillowcase and silk hair ties. Silk pillowcases can improve hair hydration (instead of cotton) and result in smoother, frizz-free hair every morning.