Hannah Frye

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

By Hannah Frye

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Woman With Long Red Hair in a Ponytail

Image by Caleb MacKenzie Gaskins / Stocksy

March 21, 2023

It’s fair to say that a large chunk of folks have searched, “How to make my hair grow faster,” on the internet. From buying hair growth serums to massaging your scalp and beyond, there are plenty of ways to speed up this process. 

That being said, some habits can certainly hinder your hair growth as well. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your growth products and healthy hair habits, don’t skip this step. 

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Why you shouldn’t skip a scalp detox. 

For the sake of brevity, we’ll keep it simple here. When you don’t use a scalp detox product like a scalp scrub or exfoliating scalp treatment, that buildup can clog your hair follicles. When this happens, your hair has a harder time growing, thus may not grow as quickly as desired. 

“Buildup” encompasses many different things: Dry shampoo, silicone-based hair products, hair spray, dead skin, oil, dandruff, and more. Each person has different levels of buildup depending on how often they cleanse, what products they use, and so on. But nobody is exempt from it—at some point or another, all of us have to deal with it.

Ready for the buildup fix? Detox your scalp. As mentioned above, there are a few different ways to do this. We dive deep into the processes here, but we’ll add a scannable list below as well: 

  • Use a chemical exfoliator: You know the AHAs and BHAs you use on the face? Ingredients like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and the like all help to refresh the skin and slough off dead skin cells—which is why they’re a great addition to scalp products as well. 
  • Use a scalp scrub: Scalp scrubs are another way of exfoliating the scalp. You should be mindful when shopping for scalp scrubs and look for fine granules the size of sugar rather than large salt chunks—unless you have loads of product in your scalp (like hardened gel). 
  • Use a scalp serum: Scalp serums can also have a detoxifying function, depending on what ingredients are inside. For example, apple cider vinegar can help balance the skin, or tea tree oil can help manage sebum production. These products aren’t as strong as a scalp scrub or chemical exfoliant, but they’ll get the job done for those who need upkeep between more intense detox treatments. Plus, adding a bit of hydration to your scalp is never a bad idea. 

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The takeaway. 

If you want your hair to grow faster, you have to make sure you’re cleansing out buildup. To do so, opt for scalp detox products like scalp scrubs, chemical exfoliating treatments, and scalp serums. For more hair growth tips, check out this guide

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