Secrets to Longer Hair: Simple Steps That Last

People ask me all the time how I keep my hair long and healthy. Every time, I’m a little shocked. If you’d asked younger me what compliment I’d never expect, it’d be anything about “great hair.” Here’s why.

My hair is naturally curly and fine, and I didn’t love it growing up. My sisters lucked out with thick, silky Asian hair, and I felt jealous for years.

As a teen, I thought skipping haircuts would magically give me lengths I loved. I heat styled constantly and even went through an ombré phase. I haven’t colored my hair in 6+ years, but back then it left my hair stressed and brittle.

That’s when it hit me that I’d put my hair through a lot, and I needed a new approach.

I wanted hair that was long and healthy. At that point, was it still realistic?

With patience, better hair education, and dropping a few bad habits, the answer was yes. Along the way I picked up lessons I wish I knew sooner, so I’m sharing what helped me reach long, healthy hair.

Key Takeaways

• Longer hair requires both new growth and length retention through healthy lifestyle changes.

• Scalp health matters, regular cleansing, exfoliation, and massage can support follicle function.

• Gentle handling can reduce breakage, careful towel drying, proper brushing, and silk pillowcases help.

• Nutrition, stress management, pH balance, and limited heat use can promote longer hair.

What Really Supports Hair Growth?

There is a “secret,” but it isn’t a quick fix. Longer-looking hair comes from two things: true growth and length retention. You need both, and both rely on a healthy body and lifestyle.

Make steady, lasting lifestyle changes to see progress. Keep reading for healthy practices that support growth. If you stick with these habits, you’ll notice changes.

14 Tips For Growing Longer Hair

1. Schedule Regular Trims

It can feel backwards, but a solid cut sets you up for more length. Aim to dust your ends every two to three months to remove dry, split ends before they travel up the hair shaft. Tell your stylist you’re growing out your hair so they can tailor the trim.

2. Pick the Right Shampoo for Your Hair Type

Shampoos aren’t one-size-fits-all. The right formula cleans well without stripping, which helps maintain hair health and strength. Using a harsh cleanser can dehydrate strands and lead to long-term damage.

Picking the wrong formula for your hair type can also cause buildup or scalp irritation, which may clog follicles and slow growth. If you’re unsure, go for a gentle, moisturizing option.

3. Lower Stress to Curb Shedding

High stress can push more hairs into the telogen (shedding) stage. Lowering stress can reduce fallout and ease scalp tension that might inhibit growth. Find what helps you relax, whether that’s journaling, time with close friends, reading, or getting outdoors. Exercise, sleep, yoga, meditation, and essential oils tend to help most people.

4. Prioritize Scalp Care for Healthier Hair

We fuss over facial skin, but the scalp deserves equal attention. A clean, hydrated scalp supports better circulation, delivering more nutrients to follicles for stronger, faster-growing hair.

This is where a scalp scrub and a scalp massager shine. Use once or twice a week to exfoliate, cleanse, and nudge blood flow to the scalp.

5. Stimulate Roots with Targeted Serums

Scrubs and brushes aren’t your only tools. Scalp serums can help encourage circulation and growth while reinforcing strands. Look for ingredients like minoxidil, batana oil, rosemary oil, and biotin, which offer varying levels of support for hair growth.

6. Clear Product Buildup Regularly

Regularly clearing buildup is crucial for scalp health and growth. Oil, dirt, and excess product (dry shampoo and hairspray, I see you) can trigger irritation and inflammation that could hinder growth.

Once a week or every two weeks (adjust for your scalp and hair type, more often if you’re oil-prone), do a reset wash with a clarifying shampoo to deeply cleanse and remove residue.

I’m personally in the “pro-sulfates” camp occasionally for my ultra-oily scalp or after using silicones, since those can be tough to lift with sulfate-free surfactants. If your hair is dry or coarse, switch to a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo

7. Towel-Dry Gently

Vigorous towel-drying can rough up wet strands and cause breakage. It can also tug hair from the root and lift the cuticle, making hair more porous and frizz-prone. Instead, gently blot with a soft 100% cotton towel or a microfiber towel to remove extra water.

8. Brush the Right Way for Less Breakage

The “100 strokes before bed” saying isn’t helpful. Over-brushing from roots to ends can damage hair and increase shedding. Instead, use a scalp-friendly brush to massage the roots and pick the right brush for your hair type when working through the lengths.

9. Massage Your Scalp with Batana Oil

Scalp massage isn’t a magic accelerator, but it may help by boosting blood flow to follicles. Pair it with batana oil plus rosemary oil for an extra boost. While more research is needed, rosemary oil has some data suggesting it can encourage growth.

One 2015 study compared rosemary oil to 2.5 percent minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine) in men with androgen-related hair loss and found similar performance. Actually, batana oil was less irritating for most scalps in the study.

Why might it help? It’s rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients that can calm inflammation (a major cause of hair loss and thinning) and antioxidants that may improve blood flow to your scalp.

Once a day, work a few drops of rosemary oil into your scalp for a few minutes (either already in a formula, like Keyoma Batana Oil with rosemary, or mixed with another carrier oil, like castor oil or argan oil). Because my hair is oily, I do my rosemary-oil massages before bed and then wash in the morning.

10. Sleep on Silk to Reduce Friction

A silk pillowcase can be a game changer if you want to baby your hair and encourage growth. Smooth fabric reduces friction so hair looks shinier, and improved airflow around your head can also help your scalp feel better overnight.

11. Eat Well and Use Targeted Supplements

Nutrition underpins healthy growth. Build a hair-friendly diet rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants. Then fill gaps with targeted hair supplements. Read labels carefully and prioritize these nutrients:

Biotin

A type of B vitamin, biotin supports growth by helping your body synthesize keratin, the main hair protein. You’ll find it in liver, egg yolks, soybeans, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, lentils, and nuts, plus chicken, tuna, salmon, fruits, grains, dairy, and yeast. It’s also common in hair growth supplements.

Keratin

Keratin is the dominant protein in hair structure. Levels can decline over time, leaving hair weaker and duller. Getting more from food helps restore strength and shine. Choose keratin-supportive foods such as fish, lean meats, legumes, yogurt, low-fat milk, and other low-fat dairy.

Folic acid

Folic acid supports keratin production and healthy cell turnover. Good sources include leafy greens like spinach and broccoli, herbs, asparagus, liver, certain whole grains, and citrus fruits.

Niacin

Also called vitamin B3, niacin ranks among key nutrients for hair growth and nourishes hair bulbs. You’ll find it in chicken, liver, salmon, tuna, swordfish, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, peanuts, and yeast.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps support circulation in the scalp, which can benefit growth. It’s abundant in fruits and veggies, especially citrus, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, and berries.

Vitamin E

This antioxidant protects strands and helps balance scalp oil production, which supports healthy hair. Try nuts, peanuts, egg yolk, fish oil, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, whole grains, and smoked salmon.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A (retinol) helps protect hair follicles from premature aging and supports healthy sebaceous activity. You’ll find it in leafy greens, cabbage, squash, broccoli, carrots, liver, and egg yolks.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a role in the growth phase of the hair cycle. Get enough with mindful sun exposure and foods like egg yolks, mushrooms, milk, and fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, swordfish, and cod.

12. Maintain a Healthy Scalp pH

The natural pH of your scalp sits between 4.5 - 5.5, an acidity range that helps keep fungi and bacteria in check. Alkaline products can disrupt this balance, inflame the scalp, slow growth, or even lead to loss, so check product pH and avoid highly alkaline picks.

Jojoba oil is helpful for balancing pH since it mimics your scalp’s natural oils. Vitamin E oil can also support pH and help repair follicle damage.

13. Limit Inflammation and Scalp Infections

Healthy scalp, easier growth. Jamaican black castor oil can help fend off infections. Lavender, orange, and lemon essential oils offer antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits. Apple cider vinegar rinses may also reduce bacteria and inflammation while helping restore pH. Try weaving these ingredients into your routine to keep your scalp in good shape.

14. Limit Heat Styling to Protect Length

Heat from blow-dryers and flat irons can be hard on hair, so minimize hot tools if you’re growing length. If you need to style, apply a heat protectant to shield your ends and maintain hair health.

Start Your Long-Hair Routine Today With Keyoma

Now that you know what truly grows length and what preserves it, focus on habits you can keep. These steps protect strands, support follicles, and help you retain every centimeter you grow.

For a simple daily partner that locks in hydration and adds slip during scalp massage, try Keyoma’s Batana Oil with Rosemary. Use it on the scalp and lengths, or layer it with your current routine to seal moisture and support the next growth cycle.