image
HealthBeauty

by Barbara Yakimchuk

How To Grow Your Hair: Personal Experience

22 Jul 2025

Photo: A. C.

You know how it goes — one day you skip the conditioner, the next you are a bit too aggressive with the hairbrush. It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment, but suddenly… your hair just doesn’t feel the same. Thinner. Weaker. And wait — you are only 25? How is this even a thing already? But here we are.
In my case, it hit even harder. I noticed it about a month ago — and with my wedding right around the corner, let’s just say the timing was… less than ideal. So, I went into full-on rescue mode. Over the past few weeks, I have tested a lot. Some things helped, some didn’t. So here it is — my personal list of dos and don’ts when your question is: how do I grow my hair out fast?

What to do (non-hair solutions)

Well, I started from the beginning. And for me, the beginning meant… YouTube videos.
Now, I am not someone who blindly trusts random people online. So I looked for actual experts. And surprise — they all said the same thing: hair health starts from within.

Vitamins

Taking vitamins is key. But before you start popping every shiny capsule you see at the pharmacy, do yourself a favour — get a blood test. Seriously. There is no need for a long list of tests — just check the main indicators that can affect hair loss:
  • Vitamin D3 and D7
  • Ferritin and Iron
  • Zinc
  • Thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4)
Important note: I once started taking Zinc without a prescription and… surprise! I had an allergic reaction. So always check with a doctor first.

Food

Yes, technically this ties into vitamins too — but at least here, you don’t need a doctor’s note. So if getting a blood test feels like a bit much at the start (promise me you will do it later!), simply eating clean, balanced food can already make a big difference.
Here are my three essentials for hair growth:
  • Protein
Start every single day with two eggs. Always. Non-negotiable.
Personal trick: If I am craving something delicious but protein-rich, I throw together prawns, pesto, cheese, and a pinch of salt. Pop it in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes — and done. A high-protein dinner that is actually enjoyable.
  • Iron
Where to get it? Spinach, fish, liver, and legumes are all rich sources of iron.
Personal trick: I am not a big fan of fish (or any of the usual iron-rich suspects, really), so I buy packs of pomegranate seeds every week. You can always find them on Noon or Careem.
image
image
image
  • Collagen
The easiest way to get your daily dose is with powders or sachets — usually just one spoon a day. They even come in different flavours now!
Personal trick: I splurged on a fancy strawberry-flavoured collagen powder once and… honestly, it was disgusting. So I found an alternative! Traditional gelatin-based jellies are a natural source of collagen — and they have also become my go-to guilt-free sweet. I don’t think of them as medicine — I just have one whenever I am craving something sweet. Which is… basically every day.

Stress

All those changes happening in your body? Most of the time, it is just high cortisol. And honestly, that is like a core life theory we should have learned in school — instead of Pythagoras and Archimedes (kidding, that is important too!). But seriously, stress affects everything.
So here is the simplest — and somehow also the hardest — piece of advice:
  • Sleep well
Aim for at least 7 to 8 hours a night. I got myself a sleep mask and earplugs. Nothing disturbs me until morning now.
  • Do something that helps you release stress every day
Even if it is just for 30 minutes. Go for a run. Meditate. Draw. Do yoga. Whatever helps you switch off.

What to do (hair solutions)

  • Shampoo
All hair gets used to a single shampoo — even the one you absolutely love. No matter how good it is, it is worth having at least one alternative and switching it up now and then.
And if you are trying to grow your hair, go for shampoos without sulphates — they are much gentler on your scalp.
  • Serums and ampoules for hair loss
I use the L’Oréal one about three to four times a week. After washing my hair, I work it into the scalp while it is still damp. At first, I was worried it might leave my hair looking greasy, but honestly — once it dries, you can’t even tell it is there.
  • Rosemary water
My fiancé calls my spray a placebo (to be fair, he is probably just annoyed by yet another bottle cluttering up our bathroom shelf) — but I completely disagree. My hair genuinely looks better every time I use it. And honestly, even if it is a placebo… so what? It is harmless and it makes me feel good.
Personal tip: Don’t just spray it on your scalp — go over the full length of your hair too!
image

Source: deliveroo.co.uk

  • Wash your hairbrush
Yes — it is really that simple. Just give it a proper clean with shampoo once a week. That is all it takes.
  • Avoid straighteners and tight hairstyles
I used to be the kind of person who straightened hair every single day — whether it was for an important meeting or just a quick coffee run down the road.
Then I decided to give it a break for a couple of months… and honestly, it made such a difference. My hair doesn’t feel dry at all anymore.
image

Photo: Yunus Tuğ

What not to do

Like I said, I am not an expert — just someone who has tried a bit of everything. And these? These didn’t work for me.
  • Scalp scrubs
They say you shouldn’t over-wash your hair… but every time I used a scrub, I ended up needing hot water and ages to rinse it all out properly. So for me, the whole “gentle washing” thing and “exfoliate your scalp” advice just completely cancelled each other out.
  • Scalp roller
I ordered one of those microneedle rollers — used it once and binned it straight away. No idea how it is supposed to help with hair growth; all I managed to do was scratch up my scalp and pray I hadn’t rolled over a mole.
  • Strict diets
"Eat this for your hair, avoid that for your hair…" Honestly, it just felt like a fast track to frustration — and giving up altogether. Didn’t work for me.

My results so far

One month down, one more to go — and here is what I have noticed so far:
  • The baby hairs I would been hoping for? They have finally shown up — and I am absolutely obsessed.
  • My hair feels thicker overall. The quality has definitely improved too. I really noticed it when I trimmed the ends — you know that feeling every few months when your hair just needs a cut? This time, I didn’t get that at all.
  • And my curls? They are slowly coming back. Not perfect, not fully revived — but I am no longer a frizzy poodle. There is actual shape and definition again, and I love it.