Hair Growth Aids

The fantasy world of hair growth aids and what they will do for you has fooled many of us.  Growth aids do have their place.  Some hair products do stimulate the scalp and hair follicles to produce growth.  Products that contain minoxidil like Rogaine have been proven by the FDA to grow hair where hair follicles have been dormant.  Recent university studies of Emu Oil has shown to produce hair growth.  Also, studies for apple polyphenols have been shown to grow hair.  Now for your more underground growth aids that hair forum people claim to have received astounding resuts such as: miconazole nitrate, Mega Tek, castor oil and a few others.  Even though miconazole nitrate, Megat Tek and castor oil have not been fully researched; I believe the women are getting the results they are claiming.  But a simple regular scalp massage with your finger tips can achieve growth for some women.  Hair growth aids do stimulate the scalp and follicles by getting the blood to circulate more in the scalp to receive optimal hair growth.  That's Great!

Here where we have been fooled.  Dependency on hair growth aids without any knowledge on how to maintain length as it grows.  You can put all the oils and chemical on your scalp to stimulate your follicles  to produce growth but it won't mean anything if you have the same unhealthy hair maintenace habits that keep your hair constantly damaged and breaking.  I'm just speaking from experience.  I use to constantly get hair breakage during shampooing.  I would bunch my hair when washing, then I would have a tangled mess on top of my head, then breakage and hair on the floor while I attempted to detangle.  You can't prevent all hair breakage and shedding, but you can prevent most. 

I know what your thinking, I must buy this and that.  I can give you sites of women who have booty length hair and they do not use anything special.  They use mostly regular sometimes cheap products that do contain mineral oil and they showed progress with growth on a continuous basis. 

What are we doing to maintain hair:

1. Shampoo properly so that your scalp is clean but your hair isn't tangled.  Try putting your hair in 4-6 loose braids and wash in sections.  Don't bunch your hair.  Use a moisturizing shampoo.
2. Condition your hair after washing.  I condition my hair at least once a week with a plastic cap and under a hooded dryer for at least 15-30 minutes.  Alternating between a protein conditioner and moisturizing conditioner.
3. Moisturizing hair everyday (if you have dry hair). Focus on ends.
4. Low maintainance hair styles.  Anything that will protect the ends of your hair and to keep you from combing and styling everyday.  Style like buns, french rolls, roller sets, braids, cornrows, even wigs. 
5. Less heat.  Try to air dry.  Use flat iron on low setting.

In conclusion, by all means use hair growth aids if that's what you want to do.  But you are going to have to change some of your habits that have been losing the growth you have gained.  Hair growth aids wont do all of the work for you.