For many people, long hair is a sign of beauty and vitality. Hair generally grows up to ½ inch per month. The rate of growth depends on many factors, including health, nutrition, and routine care. Here are some tips to help you grow your hair faster.

Hair is made of keratin, a protein that is made of amino acids. In order for hair to grow, the body needs to produce these amino acids. A high-protein diet with eggs, meat, dairy products, and other protein-rich foods can help your hair grow. You should also eat foods with vitamins A, B, C, and E, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium.

Proper hair care can also help your locks grow faster. Minimize your use of chemical treatments and heat treatments. Wash your hair every other day with warm (not hot) water to avoid robbing your hair of moisture that comes from natural oils.

Braiding your hair or putting it in a ponytail or bun pulls at the roots, which can cause damage. Tie your hair loosely and wrap it when you sleep to prevent damage.

Massaging your hair can promote blood circulation and spread natural oils through the hair follicles. When you wash your hair, rub your scalp with your fingertips. Start at the base of your head and move around your hairline. This will help nutrients reach your hair follicles more quickly.

Hair grows from the roots. Damaged hair recedes toward the roots, which makes it difficult to grow new hair. Trimming damaged hair means less repair is needed, which allows hair to grow faster.

Using the right products can help your hair grow faster. Treat your hair with deep conditioning treatments, heat protectant sprays, hair growth supplements, natural oils, and protein treatments.

Stress can affect many parts of the body, including hair. It is believed that stress interfereswith the hair cycle and can cause hair to fall out. To promote healthy hair growth, try to minimize the amount of stress in your life.

Bangs were a popular trend in 2014 and will most likely continue to be this year. When cut properly, bangs can flatter virtually any type of face. Here are some tips on how to choose the right style of bangs to suit your features. It can be hard to cut bangs yourself, and mistakes can take a long time to grow out, so it best to trust the change to a professional stylist.

Short hairstyles can look masculine, but you can create a more feminine look with longer bangs. Have your stylist razor-cut the front to add texture.

If you have a smaller forehead, bangs can widen your face. Sweeping fringe can make your face appear thinner.

For someone with a heart-shaped face, longer bangs can create balance by opening up the jawline and preventing a wider forehead from overpowering the rest of the face. A style that sweeps a little to the side can add softness.

For a modern look, have your stylist cut your bangs so they skim your eyebrows. This style requires a lot of maintenance to keep the bangs at the ideal length.

Side-swept bangs that graze the eyebrows flatter most face shapes. If you have a square face, keep the bangs shorter to create balance.

If you have a blunt haircut, side-swept bangs can create softness and a point of interest. They can also make your color stand out more.

Long, light bangs can freshen up your style without a lot of commitment. If you don’t like them, you can incorporate them into layers or grow them out.

If you part your hair in the middle, your face can appear longer and narrower. You can make your forehead appear wider and accentuate your eyes with chunky bangs that you can part in the middle, or wear straight across with a side part.

When you blow-dry your bangs, start out drying them in the opposite of the direction where you want them to fall in order to add volume at the roots. You can also use a flat iron to hold your bangs in place.

If your hair naturally falls to the side, side bangs are a good choice. Your stylist can create a side-swept effect by cutting your bangs at an angle.

For fine hair, light, sweeping bangs are the best choice. If your bangs are too thick, they will look heavy and out of place. Brush your hair to the side while blow-drying.

If you are looking for a bold style, straight-across bangs might work. Heavy, blunt bangs will cut your face in half and make it appear wider. This style is good for a longer or oval face but can be overwhelming on a face that is round or has delicate features.

To add some bounce to your bangs, blow-dry them using a round brush on the middle and ends. After you finish drying, set the bangs with a blast of cool air.

To accentuate your eyes and soften strong cheekbones, try bangs that are square across your eyes and curve on the sides.

If you have curly hair, ask your stylist to cut varied lengths around your face to blend in the layers.

With the amount of styling you do to your hair, whether with dyeing, blow-drying, straightening, or curling, it can easily become dry and damaged. You can restore your hair to its healthy shine by using a hair mask on a regular basis. It will give you the smooth, gleaming locks you have always wanted. Here are some tips to help you get the best results.

• Use a mask once a week. Even if you don’t do a lot of styling, your hair can become damaged from the weather. Winter wind and summer sun can easily rob your strands of moisture.

• Choose a mask that is right for your hair type. Check the label to see how often it should be used and how long it should be left in your hair.

• You can apply a mask to either wet or dry hair. If you put the mask in your hair while you are taking a shower, comb it through, leave it in for the recommended amount of time, then shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would.

• If you apply the mask to dry hair, you should also comb it through to the ends. You will need to leave it in longer than you would with wet hair. Finish by shampooing and conditioning your hair.

• The ends of your hair are the part most susceptible to damage. Always focus on the ends when you apply a mask.

• If your hair is especially dry, you can sleep with a mask in your hair. Apply it to either wet or dry hair, then cover your locks with a shower cap or silk scarf and wash and condition it in the morning.

• Your hair should not be greasy after using a mask. If it is, you are probably using the wrong mask for your hair type. Remember that you only need to use a little bit to get good results.

• You don’t need to spend tons of money on an expensive hair mask. There are many DIY recipes online that work just as well. Look for mask recipes that contain yogurt, honey, or olive oil.