Does Brushing Hair Promote Growth? Plus Hair Growth Tips

If you’re wishing you had longer locks, you may have heard that brushing hair promotes growth. We’re sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it’s actually a common hair myth! This is simply misinformation that has spread over the years about growing hair faster (we wish the answer to “does brushing your hair make it grow?” was that simple!) 

While experts have said that brushing your hair helps to distribute oil throughout your strands and stimulate scalp circulation—this isn’t related to making your hair grow any faster. It’s important to brush your hair to eliminate tangles and knots. Brushing your hair regularly also gives your tresses added shine and smoothness. But when it comes to brushing for hair growth, you’re out of luck here. 

So, the next time someone asks, does brushing your hair make it grow? You’ll be equipped with real answers. Since brushing doesn’t promote hair growth, you might be wondering what does. Let’s get into some of the ways you can help achieve the lengthy locks of your hair goals!  

Hair Growth Tips for Long and Strong Hair 

Now that we’ve debunked the rumor that brushing hair promotes growth, let’s go over what actually helps! When it comes down to it, the most important thing is ensuring you’re taking proper care of your hair. When your hair has the right haircare regime, plus a few extra tips, you can promote hair growth. Healthy hair means optimal conditions for your hair to do its thing—naturally. 

Follow these tips to get your hair feeling healthy and promote growth:   

Take Supplements for Hair Growth 

Vitamins help boost your body’s overall energy and create optimal conditions for hair growth. Look for a supplement that’s made specifically for skin, hair, and nails. You can also speak to your doctor to figure out what vitamins and minerals you may need more of.  

These vitamins, in particular, are crucial to healthy hair growth: 

• Omega-3 
• Omega-6 
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A 
• Vitamin E 
• Biotin 
• Iron 
• Zinc 

Boost your hair growth from the inside out by ensuring you get all the nutrients you need for healthy strands.   

Trim Your Hair Regularly 

Does brushing hair promote growth? Still, no, but trimming it can. We know this sounds like the opposite of what you’re trying to do but hear us out! One of the best ways to promote hair growth is to get rid of split ends. These split ends can continue to travel up the hair shaft, causing further damage and breakage. This isn’t an optimal condition for your hair to grow! So go book that salon appointment if you notice those split ends getting bad.   

Eat Foods Rich in Protein  

Increase your protein intake to encourage the growth of healthy hair follicles. Each one of your hair strands is made of a protein called keratin (which also is found in your skin and nails!) When you don’t have enough protein in your diet, this can affect your overall hair growth.  

Here are a few examples of protein-rich foods to add to your diet:  

• Lean meats (chicken, turkey, etc.) 
• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, etc.) 
• Whole grains 
• Beans 
• Eggs 
• Nuts 

A lack of protein in your diet can also contribute to hair loss. Make sure you’re getting enough of it in your diet!  

Limit Your Heat Styling 

Yes, using a straightener or blow dryer daily will affect your locks—and not in a good way! Heat styling can cause damage and breakage to your delicate strands. This isn’t going to help your hair grow any faster—it’ll actually have the opposite effect. Try some heatless styling techniques, or at the very least, use a heat protectant on your hair before heat styling. The less heat damage on your tresses, the better for hair growth.  

Deep Condition Your Strands 

Your hair can always use a little extra moisture! Hydration is key for healthy locks, and if we’ve learned anything so far, that’s good for promoting hair growth. Use a moisturizing conditioner every time you wash your hair and a leave-in conditioner when your tresses feel particularly parched. Another great way to boost moisture is with deep-conditioning hair masks. Whatever you do, ensure your hair doesn’t get too dry or brittle, leading to damage and less-than-stellar conditions for hair growth.   

Try Hair Extensions to Lengthen Your Locks 

Using all of the above tips and tricks can help to promote hair growth. The key is ensuring your hair stays healthy and free from damage (which can prevent your hair from growing as fast!) Does brushing your hair make it grow? No, but hair extensions can make you have long hair instantly.