Top of Mind
01.11.21
Hair Growth
By Crown Affair
If you have ever researched how to grow your hair faster, you’ll find a laundry list of Google search results that include some interesting self remedies like doing a daily handstand or gently pulling your hair to medical treatments like taking minoxidil (the main ingredient in Rogaine) or hormone replacement therapy. The list of potential hair growth treatments is long and overwhelming. It’s also broad and impersonal. So before you dive too deep, know that your hair growth starts from within.
Ultimately, your hair is a reflection of your health and your personal make up. This includes your hormones, your diet and your genetics. There are also some external factors like your hair’s level of damage due to heat from blow drying, flat ironing and dying. If you are wondering why your hair won’t grow faster, take a holistic inventory of what is going on with your body first. What are your daily stress levels? Are you eating vitamin-rich foods? Do you use harmful products and tools?
We practice these daily, holistic rituals to nourish ourselves from the inside out. Give yourself a scalp massage with your fingertips to activate the dermis layer of your skin which contains your hair follicles, glands, nerves, fibers, and fat cells. Eat foods that are rich in biotin, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, iron, and omega-3 and omega-6. Try taking a cold shower for a few minutes as cold water prevents moisture loss of your hair and improves circulation. Stay away from hair products that are loaded with harmful chemicals like sulfates and parabens. To dry your hair, use a microfiber towel to avoid breakage.
We think about hair growth as a journey of self reflection and patience. There’s a strong connection between what we put in our bodies and our hair’s health. So if you’re experiencing hair loss or unusual thinning, we encourage you to discuss with your doctor or a trichologist. Be gentle, be kind and be patient with yourself as hair growth is a journey, not something that will happen overnight.
𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘯: "𝘒𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘢", (𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭), 1977–88. 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘛𝘦𝘭 𝘈𝘷𝘪𝘷, 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭.- Where do you live and what do you do?
I’ve recently relocated to Los Angeles after 9 years in New York City. I’m a digital entrepreneur, content creator, writer, and consultant. Every single day looks different and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- What does ritual mean to you?
Ritual to me means finding peace in repetition... Finding what you love, and making a routine of it. I’m all for taking new opportunities, new adventures, traveling, etc., but I also know now that there’s real peace in routine, so I try to have as much of one as possible and find the rituals that make me feel calm and centered in a time when nothing feels certain.
- What are some of your favorite rituals?
There’s the simpler ones, like a nice, hot shower, my skincare routine, maybe a nice skin or hair mask. Then there’s the newer rituals that come with my new chapter in Los Angeles, like packing up the car for a day at the beach, picking up sandwiches on the way, and enjoying the surf and sand until after sunset. Those days are everything to me lately.
- What is your morning routine?
I really wish I could say I had some sort of chic morning routine that involved me making my own matcha latte, reading a book, and meditating for 30 minutes, but that’s just not the case. I usually roll over and check my phone, then eventually move to my laptop, where I stay and may not eat, shower, or brush my teeth until the afternoon. I don’t recommend this to anyone, but it’s just how I operate. Ha.
- How would you describe your hair? And from whom do you get your hair?
I get my hair from my mom, it’s a rich brown and has a natural wave to it. It’s not too thick, not too thin, just somewhere in between. It kind of just does its own thing.
- What is your current haircare ritual?
It’s a less-is-more approach right now. Shower, wrap in my Crown Affair towel, then let it down (don’t brush!) and run some product through it with my fingers depending what look I’m going for (some days are more sleek, others are more unruly), and air dry. Occasionally I’ll do a hair mask just to feel luxurious.
- What would you say has been your most major hair moment or memory thus far?
I have photos of my mom with a similar boy-short haircut to the one I have right now. I always knew I wanted to get this cut someday, but just had to work up the courage and confidence to do it. Now that I have this cut I definitely feel like I’m channeling her and her style from that time (late ‘80s/early ‘90s).
- Where do you find inspiration?
Lately, I’m super inspired by both classic and indie cinema, because I spent a lot of time during quarantine watching movies with such strong points of view; everything from Chocolat and The Beguiled to The Dreamers and Yi Yi. I recently signed up for Mubi and I’m excited to dive into their unique offering. I’m much more interested in movies than television series, but that’s just me. I’ve also been picking up old magazine issues from a store in Venice called The Mart Collective. I love looking at Vogue photographs from the ‘60s and ‘70s. They still feel so relevant to what I’m drawn to today.
- Favorite quote or words you live by?
It’s always changing but lately, it’s a lot of Pema Chodron. “We can make ourselves miserable or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of effort is the same.”
- Favorite artists?
Mainstays like Matisse and Miro, and some recent discoveries I’ve fallen in love with: Thai Mainhard, Jean-Francois Le Minh, Christie Macdonald.
- Favorite writers or books?
A sampling of recent/always favorite titles: Pachinko, Three Women, How To Change Your Mind, The Untethered Soul, Big Magic, A Little Life.
- Activities or hobbies?
Surfing, biking, floral arranging, vintage furniture hunting — all hobbies I’ve found joy in this year.
- What would you tell your 18-year old self, knowing what you know today?
You’ll get much further being you than trying to be like anyone else.