NATIVE AMERICAN HAIR GROWTH SECRETS

For this article, I am exploring Native American hair growth tips. Native Americans take great pride in their hair and how they take care of it and you can easily see that because their hair is usually long thick and shiny. So take out the notebooks, because I have some good tips for you all!

SIGNIFICANCE OF HAIR

Ok so hair in general is extremely important in Native American culture. They believe that their hair is an extension of themselves and their culture. They believe all their thoughts, goals, feelings and experiences are all connected to their hair which is why they do not cut their hair.

When they do cut their hair, it because they are grieving a loss or something has traumatically changed their lives. When this happens, they cut their hair but they never throw it away. There is usually some sort of ceremony where they burn their hair with sage, but simply throwing it away is considered disrespectful.

NATURAL HERBS AND INGREDIENTS

Native Americans take great pride in the upkeep and maintenance of their hair, so it is no surprise that they use a lot of natural herbs, plants and oils to take care of their hair. A lot of the natural ingredients used are made into teas so I noticed that they like to drink their way to healthy hair.

So if they are having issues with dry scalp, bearberry, saw palmetto, wild mint, and Rosemary are used. Rosemary preps the hair for hair growth by stimulating blood circulation to the scalp.

Another benefit of rosemary is that it would help prevent greying as well.

Bearberry is made from boiled cattle hoofs and bearberry shrub. It is made into a tea thats then used as a salve to rub on their itchy dry scalp.

Saw Palmetto is an indigenous fruit that was also used to fight dandruff and a dry scalp. Saw

Palmetto also stops the hormone that causes baldness and a lot of Native Americans take it orally and topically to get the full benefits for their hair. In order to get its full benefits, you would let the fruit dry in the sun for a few days and then grind it and infuse it into teas and oils.

This fruit also strengthens the hair and promotes hair regeneration. So if you happen to be suffering from hair loss, this is what can be used to repair that.

Wild Mint Leaves were also used to relieve dry scalp.They would make a tea with the leaves and then use that as a tea rinse for their scalp.

HAIR WASHES

Natural ingredients were also used as shampoo and hair washes. Ingredients like Sweetgrass, Yarrow, and Yucca leaves were used for this.

Sweetgrass was used more to decorate their hair but it was also made into a hair tonic to perfume their hair.

Yarrow , a plant used by many Native Americans, was used as a natural hair wash..they would mix the leaves with white clematis flower and the branches of witches’ broom tree to make their shampoo.

And lastly, Yucca leaves were used as a hair growth shampoo. This plant was used to prevent them from growing bald. To make Yucca shampoo, they would crush the root of the Yucca plant and mix it with water.

OILS

So moving on to oils which is one of my favorites. I love researching what oils are used in many cultures and the oils used in many of the Native American tribes are Jojoba, Rose hip, and Sunflower oil.

Jojoba oil is a great oil for hair and it is known for unclogging hair follicles which is why it is used a lot in pre poo treatments.

Rose hip oil is good for moisturizing as it is packed with Vitamins A, C, and E.

Sunflower oil is an oil I have never tried but many Native Americans use it for moisture retention and protection.

Other moisturizing ingredients used by Native Americans are Aloe vera and Stinging Nettle

Aloe vera is great because it’s a natural moisturizer, and Stinging Nettle is another herb popular among Native Americans. It is great natural protein option for the hair because it has a lot of amino acids . This also sometimes made into a tea but most of the time they just infuse the leaves into an oil for their hair.

ANIMAL FAT

Using animal fat is nothing new when it comes to caring for your hair. Its used in a lot of old school hair growth techniques and in Native American culture, bear grease and deer fat was used a lot to care for their hair.

Bear grease was used as a natural styling pomade. To make it, they would boil the bear fat until it purifies and then add a preservative like benzoic acid to make the pomade. It was kind of like their version of hair gel. Many tribes swore by bear grease to grow their hair. Another animal fat used was deer fat and deer fat was basically a skin and hair moisturizer.

PROTECTIVE STYLING

Many Native Americans wore their hair in braids. In fact in Native American powwow ceremonies, braiding each others’ hair was a bonding experience that emphasized the importance of relationships. They also utilized stretching and wrapping their hair with animal fur, cloth or ribbon. This method helped with locking in moisture, hair decor and overall protection for their hair .

While it is interesting to note the difference in hair care tips from Native Americans, it also cool to see how they are widely used around the world. One thing that is common in all cultures is that healthy hair equals healthy hair growth.