How Can I Thicken My Hair, Help it Grow Long?

by Dr Shailendra Chaubey
Published: August 5, 2021
Updated: October 18, 2022

A complete women’s guide to thick and healthy hair

Who doesn't like to shine with their smooth and thick hair strands? The head does feel light with fewer hairs, and it also makes your shower easy. You won’t have a clogged shower drain, and it will also make blowing your hair smooth. Don’t you want to know how to get thicker hair and how to thicken hair naturally?

You would have tried various home remedies for thicker hair growth like trimming your hair as short as possible, and then letting them grow back to length quickly. Not all of these hacks for thick hair and hair growth work, so we are here to help you out with this article. We are stating some of the hair growth remedies that will help you get thick hair, and length that you would love to keep and show off. We have a list of everything you need to know about thick hair right from the type of oil for thick hair to foods for hair growth to ayurvedic tips for hair thickness.

Thick hair growth remedies

How to get thicker hair and reasons for hair thinning

Thick hair could be a result of your genes, lifestyle or a bit of both. 20% of your hair is in the telogen phase at any given point of time. That means that this hair has lived its life and is now ready to fall. Apart from this, any drastic change in climate also causes hair fall as your hair is pushed directly from the Anagen phase to the Telogen phase. This situation would demand some hair thickening treatment.

If the temperature rises by several degrees in summer the scalp reacts accordingly and sheds those strands. But the hair loss does not happen immediately, it takes at least a couple of months for the hair to fall off.
Hair loss can also happen due to over exposure to the sun. The hair becomes fragile and could break. Also sunburn on the scalp causes inflammation and subsequent hair fall.
Sudden bald patches could be a result of scalp problems like alopecia areata.
It could be the result of overuse of hair products like gel/colours or excessive styling of your hair with perms or curls.
The lack of basic nutrients for thick hair like iron, vitamins and minerals in your diet will affect the condition of your follicles.
Stress is one of the biggest inhibitors of thick hair growth, as the stress hormones like cortisol stop new hair from growing.

Also Read : Effects Of Stress On The Body

Apart from these, some extraordinary conditions like post pregnancy, immune system deficiencies and hormonal problems might also lead to hair fall problems. Dihydrotestosterone and androgens weaken your follicles; this is called miniaturisation and contributes to hair fall. With age, the stem cells are damaged and follicles turned into skin.

How to Get Thick Hair Naturally

Experts always recommend the use of natural products for enhanced hair growth and thick hair. And to this end, Ayurvedic treatment for hair growth is the best option available for someone who wants thick hair. The size of your hair follicle determines how thick hair strand will be. An increase in the circumference of the hair follicle will result in thick hair strands.

If the miniaturised hair follicles are reopened, nutrients reach them through the blood vessels. The restoration of the hormonal balance ensures that the metabolism in the stem cells helps to get thick hair and facilitates its regrowth. Following are the tips on how to thicken hair naturally, one could adopt these to grow thick hair and maintain hair quality:

Apply coconut oil for thick hair 1 hour before your bath and then wash it off with normal shampoo.
Use herbal shampoo that contains nutrients for thick hair to wash your hair.
A balanced diet for thick hair looks like something with plenty of proteins, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients.
Expose your scalp to the sun to get vitamin D for the hair follicles and grow thick hair.
Use a herbal mask to nourish your scalp thick will also help you get thick hair as herbs help strengthen hair.
Try out stress releasing activities like yoga, meditation, breathing practices as these are ayurvedic practices for thick hair.

Also Read : Yoga For Hair Growth

Tips on How to Make Hair Thicker

Get Help from Ingredients

You might have heard that applying some ingredients on your scalp will help you get thick hair and improve its health. You can try using food for hair thickness or other ingredients from your kitchen inventory like eggs, coconut milk, shikakai, apple cider vinegar, gooseberries, aloe gel, orange puree, and other ayurvedic remedies for thick hair growth. These ingredients can prove to be vital to grow thick hair for women. Massaging such ingredients on your scalp will provide nutrition to your whole hair and scalp. It will contribute to your overall hair health, and you will find your hair stronger than before.

Essential oils such as lemon grass oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil and peppermint oil are extremely useful in helping to thicken hair. The improved blood circulation in the scalp and also moisturises the scalp. They prevent hair breakage and facilitate the secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands. Following are some home remedies to get thicker hair:

Use coconut oil for thick hair 2-3 times a week for the fatty acids to work their magic and strengthen your tresses.
Try out gooseberry/amla oil as the antioxidants and vitamin C will make your hair thick within a month.
Mix 2 tablespoons of castor oil for thick hair with one cup of aloe vera gel and find the combination of fatty acid and vitamin E enhancing the quality of your hair.
The anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties of onion juice, with just a hint of coconut oil added to it, will go a long way in getting thick hair. And yes, the sulphur present in onions will add to the keratin content in your hair.
Eggs rich in proteins, vitamins and biotin augment hair growth and improve hair volume. They also strengthen and condition your hair.

Eat a Healthy Diet and nutrient rich foods to make hair thicker.

For your hair to have thickness and longevity, you do not only have to pour the ingredients on your scalp but ensure you include them in your daily diet. Your plate can tell your hair health. It is said that some types of foods help in growing the strength and length of the hairs and thicken hair. Food and products rich in biotin or Vitamin H are advised for the growth of healthy hairs. Foods like eggs are rich in biotin and help in the metabolism of fats, amino acids, and carbohydrates, helping to grow the body’s protein level and thicken hair. Altogether, the growth in protein levels helps the hair grow to a greater extent as hairs are made of protein. Food for thick hair growth like cheese, milk, egg, salmon, avocado, cauliflower, and all kinds of nuts are rich in biotin. A diet with more omega-3, proteins, vitamin C and of course fluids is the perfect for thick hair for women.

Spinach is rich in vitamin A needed for the formation of oil or sebum for the scalp. It also contains iron which supplies oxygen to the scalp. Baldness is associated with iron deficiency and is essential for thick hair growth.

Food like blueberries are necessary for the production of collagen, a vital protein for hair structure. They also contain antioxidants responsible for fighting free radicals which are harmful for the hair.

Salmon is full of the goodness of omega-3 fatty acids which are essential to thicken hair and improve hair density. It also has biotin, selenium and vitamin D3 which are very good for hair health.

Yoghurt has probiotics which help in the absorption of nutrients in the body. It has vitamin B5 which helps in hair thinning issues.

Care for Your Hair

What could be a better remedy for thick hair than some good care. Now we are stuck at home, and don’t go outside much due to the novel coronavirus, but we have to keep our hairs tied while performing daily house chores. While working, we are forced to have several things on our hair. To have long thick hair, try not to tie your hair back too tight, as it will lead to unrequired pulling, which would cause splits and breakage in the hair. The hair might catch some microbial infections and can affect growth. So you would need to get frequent antimicrobial treatment for healthy hair growth and to thicken hair. The sun’s heat can also damage your hair as it causes damage to your skin, so always cover your hair when going out in the sun. You can cover it with a hat, or you can apply hair sunscreen.

Don’t Wash Hair Often

It is believed that clean hair is necessary for thick hair, so if you are washing it more often than required to get rid of the dirt. Clean hair is good, but washing them very frequently will make them dry, and the hair will lose its natural essential oils. So limiting the number of hair washes will be a good thing for thick hair and longer strands. Also, do not forget to nourish and massage your hair and scalp with oil, comb properly to get thick hair.

Regular Oil Nourishment

Nourishing your hair is one of the best home remedies for thicker hair growth. It is important to massage your scalp and hair once every week with oil or a hair mask to get thick hair. Nourishing with oil is essential as it helps hair to retain their essential fats, which keeps it healthier, and boosts their growth. You can nourish your hair by visiting a spa, or you can do it at home, by yourself.

Nourish and massage your hair with oil

Use those herbal hair masks which can nourish your hair follicles, improve hair health and thicken hair. They also act as conditioners to better the quality of your hair. You can also make hair masks at home. Some of the ingredients you can use to make hair masks are olive oil, honey, lemon, avocado, and onion juice.

Ayurveda Secrets

A human body is affected by the energies which surround us in our day to day life. Ayurveda looks at haircare in a holistic way and says that these energies determine the health of your hair. The basic principle of Ayurveda holds that your body is dependent on three types of doshas or energies - Vata, Pitta and Kapha - to deal with hair loss and other health problems. Here are some ayurvedic tips for hair thickness that focus on balancing these doshas.

1. Vatta

The Vatta energy is responsible for the movement in and of your body, and it is associated with the elements of air and space. Dryness, high activity rate, etc are the qualities of this energy. If you feel the movement of and in your body is lacking, then you should exercise, or indulge in activities like brisk walking or playing sports. Imbalance of this dosha can lead to dry and frizzy hair. You can also experience hair thinning and dandruff issues. Solve your vatta issues and get your secret to get thick hair.

2. Pitta

Pitta energy is the one associated with digestive heat in your body which converts the food into proper nutrition and the Vatta energy helps Pitta to distribute this in the body. Any problem with this dosha will bring about baldness and premature graying of hair. Pitta is what determines your food nourishment, and thereby on how to get thick hair. So if your hair is not getting the nutrition it needs, then you can come to us. Our medical experts will take care of it, as they provide the best remedy to get thick hair.

3. Kapha

The Kapha energy is associated with the elements of Earth and Water, and it takes care of all the lubrication in the body. The energy is sticky and moist which can be found in your lungs, lymph or mucus. Kapha dosha imbalance will give you an oily, greasy scalp which leads to irritation. Sinus or cold is the sign of imbalance in Kapha, so you would need to balance your diet and sleeping cycle to keep the energy balanced.

That’s how you can grow long and thick hair. But when the situation is not in your hands and you feel that you cannot take the additional stress on your shoulders, head over to Traya. Traya combines home remedies on how to thicker hair growth with Ayurveda to ensure the best hair treatment across the world. Here we use the latest techniques and procedures for the treatment of your hair.

At Traya, we have a team of expert doctors to provide you with both treatment and detailed tips for thick hair that’s healthy.

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Dr. Shailendra Chaubey, BAMS

Ayurveda Practioner

A modern-day Vaidya with 11 years of experience. He is the founder of Dr. Shailendra Healing School that helps patients recover from chronic conditions through the Ayurvedic way of life.