one of the most frequently asked questions i have been getting over the past few months has been around my hair! when i was pregnant with lyla so many people were like “oh pregnancy hair is the best! your hair has grown so much!” (and i agree, pregnancy hair is the best!). but even before i got pregnant with lyla, and now 5 months post partum, i feel like my hair is the healthiest and longest it’s been in years! when i look at pictures of my hair from like 2021…i can’t believe how much it has transformed over the past few years.
i had hair extensions for YEARS and i got them out in late 2021 (i think?) and ever since then i was determined to just get my own natural hair as healthy as possible. similar to skincare, there are SO many factors when it comes to hair care. before i started this journey i really just thought…use a good shampoo & conditioner. use a heat protectant. call it a day. and now that my hair has really transformed and grown so much, and i’ve done a lot of learning & researching…i’ve learned there is SO much more to it than that. from our diets to the supplements we take, stress, hormones…AND products – there are so many moving parts when it comes to your hair health. and it’s definitely not ‘one size fits all’.
my hair growth essentials
you can click any product in the collage below to shop!
having said that though. i wanted to share some of the habits, supplements, and products i’ve used that i think have really helped in my journey to restoring my hair back to health. before i dive into that – wanted to show y’all some pics of my hair at the start of this ‘journey’ – before i really started taking hair care very seriously!
(all of the pics below are from late 2021)
OKAY! onto my hair journey!
supplements
before i get into products, i’ll first talk about supplements that i think have had a big impact on my hair health. because honestly the health of your hair starts from within. eating enough protein, vitamins, minerals etc. these are a few supplements i’ve taken that have been a game changer for healthy hair.
i have been talking about nutrafol for close to 3 years now and it's honestly probably the #1 biggest game changer when it's come to the growth and health of my hair. nutrafol targets the ROOT cause of hair loss or hair shedding (like stress, hormones etc) to help promote healthy hair growth. i started taking this in july of 2021 and started noticing results probably by late fall. my hair felt fuller, thicker, and it was growing faster. i'm currently taking their post partum supplement and *knock on wood* i have had ZERO post partum hair less and i'm now close to 6 months post partum. it's 4 pills a day so it took me a second to get use to that but now it's just a part of my routine. prior to taking nutrafol i felt like my hair would never get past like collarbone length and this is really what made the growth take off. i'd previously taken like biotin gummies or things like that which ended up breaking me out and never really gave me results. nutrafol has truly changed my hair for the better and the results are unbelievable.
shop nowwe've probably all heard that collagen does wonders for your hair and skin and i LOVE this one by mary ruth organics. it's liposomal so i feel like my body REALLY absorbs it well, and i honestly love the maple hot cocoa taste of it too. this collagen boosting liposomal is formulated to provide nutrients your body needs to promote its own collagen production. it contains 5 amino acids as well as nutrients such as vitamins C & E, zinc, copper, and silica so you are also supporting your bone + skin health!
shop nowi could do an entire blog post on ALL of the health benefits you will get from taking armra colostrum. but for the purpose of this blog post i'll keep it short and say...i noticed a significant difference in how THICK my ponytail felt after consistently taking armra for about 8 weeks (and the results just kept getting better, i've been taking it for 4 months now). this product also helps to boost your immunity, gut health, skin and so much more...but i do think it's made a huge difference in how thick and healthy my hair feels! i pour a scoop of this into my mouth probably 3-4x a day!
shop nowokay now onto some of my favorite products in my hair care routine! i actually don’t use the exact same shampoo & conditioner every time i wash my hair. i change it up and rotate between probably 3-4 different shampoos & conditioners. but these are my faves!
shampoos, conditioners, masks
oribe has been my holy grail shampoo / conditioner for close to 10 years now. i just think it’s quality cannot be beat and it’s also the best (IMO) for extending your color. my favorite for the past year or two has been the yellow bottle (alchemy) because it doesn’t weigh my hair down and i feel like it’s really strengthened my hair.
like i said i’ve been loyal to tribe for years and pretty much refused to try anything else. and then about 9 months ago i tried out vegamour and fell in love. first of all it smells incredible. but i was drawn to it because this one in particular targets hair thinning, damage, split ends, and breakage, AND it’s volumizing (and safe for color treated hair).
i use this hair mask probably once every two weeks and i love that it's specifically for fine to medium hair because MOST masks make my hair feel so oily and heavy. this one leaves my hair feeling like i just left the salon! so fresh and smooth and shiny without being weighed down. it helps restore hydration, repair damage, and add shine to fine/medium hair with shea butter, panthenol, and hydrolyzed keratin (and it's only $38!)
shop nowthis is a hair mask unlike anything you've ever used before. when i first started using it, i probably used it like every other week. and now i do it maybe once a month. it's a leave-in treatment mask for all hair types that clinically reverses damage in four minutes. the patented peptide technology works to repair damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat, restoring strength, softness, smoothness, and bounce to hair. you apply it after shampooing and don't rinse it out! but it doesn't make your hair feel greasy or heavy! it's a peptide treatment that repairs damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat. this mask is pricy but honestly the results are WORTH it.
shop now
other products + helpful tips
i started learning about the importance of scalp health a few years ago which is when i started looking into different scalp serums. if you want healthy hair, it really does start at the scalp (literally). i LOVE this divi scalp serum for helping to keep my scalp clean + detoxed from product build up. it not only helps to detox from product build up but also nourishes your hair follicles which will help to reduce hair thinning and shedding. it also has this amazing minty cooling feeling and doesn't make your hair look oily at all! i like to apply this at night before bed and give myself a little scalp massage with it. i think y'all can use code LKS for 10% off!
shop now
sleeping on a silk pillowcase, with my hair in a silk scrunchy every night has also been so helpful in restoring my hair back to health. it allows me to go longer between washes, help to prevent split ends (and it's also really great for your skin too).
shop nowoutside of products and supplements, a few other things i’ve done that have helped me grow my hair out…
- i rarely highlight / bleach my hair anymore! i get highlights maybe once a year and other than that…i just get a gloss or toner put on my hair
- i’ve really minimized how often i apply heat to my hair. i probably style it one – two times per week and that’s it!
- having a good heat protectant is huge! my favorite is the oribe royal blowout spray – i’ve been using this for YEARS. spray it on damp hair before blow drying (it also helps to speed up drying time!)
follow along @laurenkaysims
okay this ended up being way longer than i anticipated haha but i waned to really give y’all as much information as possible! i remember being so frustrated with my hair back in like 2018-2021 just wanting it to grow and feeling so stuck. my hair was so damaged from way too much bleach and heat and extensions, so it feels SO good to finally have it in a place where it feels healthy and strong. i hope this gives you guys some helpful tips + products to try! thanks for reading!
xo Lauren