Curl Centric: Curly Hair Products, Hairstyles, and Hair Growth Techniques

  • Hair Care
  • Hair Growth
  • Hairstyles
  • Locs
  • Products
  • Resources
    • Hair Calculators
    • Natural Hair Dictionary
    • Curly Hair Questions
  • Take the quiz
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Hair Care
  • Hair Growth
  • Hairstyles
  • Locs
  • Products
  • Resources
    • Hair Calculators
    • Natural Hair Dictionary
    • Curly Hair Questions
  • Take the quiz
search icon
Homepage link
  • Hair Care
  • Hair Growth
  • Hairstyles
  • Locs
  • Products
  • Resources
    • Hair Calculators
    • Natural Hair Dictionary
    • Curly Hair Questions
  • Take the quiz
×
Home » Hair Growth

Does Indian Hair Grow Fast? Indian Hair Growth Secrets

Kenneth ByrdBy Kenneth ByrdMBA · 15+ years in hair care · Co-founder of Curl CentricUpdated Oct 12, 20268 min read · Reviewed by Kira Byrd

Evidence-basedPublishing since 2008May contain affiliate links
Woman in a chunky red knit turtleneck against a red wall, dark wavy hair loose, one hand at her chinPin

Indians are known to have some of the longest, most beautiful hair in the world. It's lustrous, voluminous, silky, and often sweeps the ground. For a long time, Indian hair growth secrets were under lock and key. But that's not the case anymore!

With a little research, you can grow your hair to crazy lengths.

It's just a matter of having the right information and products at your disposal. In this article, we'll share the best of the best Indian secrets for fast hair growth that you can try in the comfort of your own home. Let's get right into it!

Table of Contents

  • 1. Indian Hair Growth Secrets
  • 2. Champi Massage
  • 3. Pre-poo Treatments
  • 4. Take Hair Healthy Vitamins
  • 5. Wash Your Hair Only as Necessary
  • 6. Do Regular Hair Masks
  • 7. Protective Styling

Indian Hair Growth Secrets

Indian culture has long been known for its natural remedies and holistic approach to health and beauty. Regarding hair growth, Indians have some secret ingredients passed down for generations.

Champi Massage

If you're like most people, you've never heard of Champi before. Champi is a Hindi word that means "massage." In this case, it's referring to a hot oil scalp massage.

Why Your Hair Isn’t Growing - free guide from Curl Centric

Free 50-page guide

Your hair is already growing. The problem is keeping it.

On average, hair grows a third to half an inch a month, and curlier hair tends to grow more slowly. If your length looks stuck, that’s your hair breaking off as fast as it grows in. Here are the seven causes of breakage and the weekly routine that stops them.

Free. One email a week after that. Unsubscribe anytime.

Hot oil scalp massages aren't new to Americans. We often try them out once or twice and then never do them again. But Indian women swear by the benefits of regular scalp massage for hair growth.

Woman pulling a red knit turtleneck up over her mouth, long white nails and a ring, dark hair loosePin

Why Hot Oil Massages Work

If you're wondering why so many people swear by scalp massage, the usual explanation is circulation. Massaging your scalp does bring more blood flow to it, but that hasn't been shown to make hair grow faster. What it reliably does is feel relaxing and work your oil evenly over your scalp.

If you do this on a regular basis, you can help to guarantee the health and functionality of your hair follicles. Healthy hair follicles are better able to grow hair than unhealthy ones.

How to Do a Hot Oil Massage

Now, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of executing the massage. Follow the below instructions for the best results: 

  1. Dispense a few ounces of oil into a microwave-safe bowl or a pot. From there, you can either place the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds or place the pot on the stove and heat it up for a minute or two. Either way, your goal is to heat up the oil.
  2. Test the temperature of the oil on the inside of your wrist. The oil should be warm, not piping hot. 
  3. Once you've determined that it's the right temperature, coat your fingertips in the oil and begin massaging your scalp with the pads of your fingers. You may need to continue adding oil to your fingers as you move around your scalp. It shouldn't take longer than 5 to 10 minutes to massage your entire scalp. 
  4. After the massage, you can move on to the next step in your hair care or styling routine.

To maximize the effectiveness of the massage session, shampoo your hair beforehand, focusing intently on scrubbing your scalp. With your scalp fresh and clean, it'll be more receptive to the goodness in the oil treatment.

Woman pulling a red knit sweater collar over her head like a hood, both hands raised, nose ring visiblePin

Use the Right Oil For Your Massage

In case you weren't aware, the oil you choose makes a difference in the results you'll experience. Indians like to use moringa oil, amla oil, or coconut oil for these massages.

Any of them gives your fingers enough slip to massage your scalp without tugging on your hair.

Many people do this oil massage once a week. If you'd also like a quick scalp massage on the other days, about four minutes is the routine that was studied.

Pre-poo Treatments

Pre-pooing is a buzzword that permeated the natural hair community several years ago. It's the practice of coating your hair in oil before shampooing your hair.

The average shampoo contains harsh cleansers that can strip the natural oils from your scalp and hair. The result is chronic hair and scalp dryness that can lead to split ends and breakage that stunt your hair growth.

So what does the oil do?

It acts as a barrier and shields your hair from some of the drying effects of the shampoo. This is extremely important, especially for those who find their hair dry and crispy after washing it.

How To Do a Pre-poo Treatment

The first thing you'll do is get your hands on your favorite oil and some hibiscus flowers and leaves. If you don't have real leaves, you can buy hibiscus powder.

To make the oil, you'll do the following: 

  1. Grab your hibiscus powder or cut off the leaves from a hibiscus plant. 
  2. Combine the oil and hibiscus leaves or powder together in a pot. 
  3. Turn the stove on and let the mixture heat up for a few minutes. 
  4. Allow the mixture to sit for up to 72 hours. 
  5. Strain the leaves out of the mixture and apply the oil to your hair and scalp. Ensure that you don't miss any strands of hair.

Once your hair is coated in the mixture, you'll shampoo your hair as usual.

Don't change how much shampoo you use, how long you leave the shampoo in your hair, or anything else. Once you rinse the shampoo out of your hair, you'll follow it up with your regular conditioner or deep conditioner.

Then you can continue with your normal styling routine.

Woman with both arms raised overhead, face half covered by a red knit turtleneck collar, eyes closedPin

Take Hair Healthy Vitamins

In order to grow healthy hair, you have to feed your hair follicles. Without sufficient nourishment, they won't be able to grow strong, healthy hair.

Some of the main vitamins you should be sure to get through your diet or supplements include vitamins A, B, C, D, folate, zinc, iron, and more.

Indians usually prefer to get their vitamins from food. The body tends to absorb nutrients better from food than from pills. But if you don't eat an extremely balanced diet, you can definitely go with a hair growth pill.

Note: It's important to know that going on a hair growth pill won't magically make your hair grow 6 inches in a month, and it may not increase your hair growth rate at all.

What these pills do is help fill in any vitamin or mineral gaps in your diet to ensure your scalp and hair follicles have what they need to grow hair.

If your hair growth stalled due to a deficiency in a certain vitamin or mineral, changing your diet or going on a supplement can result in faster growth and stronger hair.

Woman leaning against a red wall with one arm raised over her head, dark hair loose, red knit sweaterPin

Wash Your Hair Only as Necessary

In a society like ours, cleanliness is paramount, so it's perceived as a good thing to keep your hair and scalp clean. However, if you overwash your hair, you might quickly find that your hair is way too dry to be great.

Chronic hair dryness is not an isolated issue; it often leads to increased split ends and a higher risk of breakage. If you can prevent that, you can increase your chances of reaching your hair length goals.

According to Indians, a good hair shampooing frequency is about once per week.

If you already wash your hair way more often than that, you can slowly stretch out your wash sessions over time. Be prepared, as your hair may feel dirtier or oilier than usual. But your scalp will adjust to your new wash routine over time.

Do Regular Hair Masks

Hair masks are huge in Indian culture, and the henna mask surpasses other mask types in popularity. Henna boasts tons of amazing ingredients for the hair, including vitamin E, antioxidants, strengthening proteins, and more. Leveraging henna in your deep conditioning routine can do wonders for your hair.

Woman in a red knit turtleneck tilting her head, one hand at the collar, dark hair across her facePin

You could simply buy the henna powder at a health food store or on Amazon and add it to your favorite deep conditioner. If you're not into using a commercial deep conditioner, you could also combine a couple of eggs with a mixture of henna and water.

Either way, you'll apply the mixture to your hair and wait for up to an hour for the mask to do its work. Afterward, you'll wash your hair with a gentle shampoo, then condition and style it.

Protective Styling

Did you think that African Americans were the only ones who used protective styling to grow their hair? Not true. Indians do too!

But you won't see them rocking the same protective styles as you may be used to.

Instead of cornrows and box braids, they tend to wear their hair in larger braids, crown braids, and other low-manipulation styles that keep the ends of the hair up.

That way, the ends won't become damaged as they go about their day. You can do the same to protect your strands and promote length retention.

Does Indian Hair Grow Fast?

Hair growth rate depends on genetics, health, and environmental factors. However, there are some cultural/genetic factors that may help Indian hair to grow faster. Traditional Indian hair care uses natural oils and herbs, which nourish and strengthen hair. Additionally, many people of Indian descent have thick, curly, or wavy hair, which can sometimes appear to grow faster.

Is Blue Magic Indian Hemp Good for Hair Growth?

Blue Magic Indian Hemp is a blend of natural oils, including Indian hemp, coconut oil, and castor oil. Though derived from the cannabis plant, it doesn't contain THC. Indian hemp oil is rich in essential fatty acids, which nourish the scalp and strengthen hair follicles, but there is no scientific evidence that proves its effectiveness in promoting hair growth.

Is Indian Hemp Grease Good for Hair Growth?

Indian hemp grease is a popular hair care product that has hemp oil derived from cannabis. There is no scientific evidence to show that it's effective in promoting hair growth. Hair growth is a complex process influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle habits. Hemp grease can still help to moisturize and nourish the hair, though.

Related Articles

  • How Often Should You Use Rice Water
  • Chebe Powder for Hair Growth
  • How to Grow Natural Hair in a Month

So there you have it-several secret Indian hair growth tips to keep in mind as you formulate your hair regimen. We encourage you to try out some or even all of these tips to achieve your length goals. Good luck!

PinterestXFacebookReddit

More Natural Hair Growth

  • Woman with long black box braids standing in front of a wall of vintage posters
    Hair Length Chart: The Roadmap to Your Desired Hair Length
  • Woman in glasses and navy overalls against a pink wall, her straight brown hair over one shoulder
    How to Grow and Style Waist Length Hair: Step-By-Step Guide
  • A woman in a green apron and blue gloves holds a glass terrarium of succulents in a plant filled studio
    African Herbs for Hair Growth: Herbal Methods from Africa
  • A woman with shoulder-length dark curls resting her head on her hand, in a pink tank top on a couch by a window
    Hair Growth Calculator: How Fast Does Hair Grow?
Kenneth Byrd

About the author

Kenneth Byrd

Co-founder and Managing Partner

Publishing on textured hair since 2008MBA, University of Alabama at BirminghamExecutive education, WhartonTop 40 Under 40, Birmingham Business Journal

Kenneth does the research behind the guides here: reading the studies and checking whether a claim holds up before it gets published, under our editorial guidelines. Outside Curl Centric he leads an operations organization of more than 1,000 people, and he serves on the board of Oasis Counseling for Women and Children. Curl Centric's hair typing system is the first listed reference in a peer-reviewed paper in the International Journal of Women's Dermatology, and it is cited by Wikipedia.

More about KennethAbout Curl Centric

Kira Byrd

Hey, I’m Kira

Curl Centric is run by me and my husband Kenneth. We’ve been publishing evidence-based hair care since 2008 to help you care for your curls with confidence.

More about us →
Why Your Hair Is Not Growing: free guide

Free guide

Your hair is growing. It’s also breaking.

If your length looks stuck, your hair is breaking off about as fast as it grows in. Here are the seven causes and the weekly routine that stops them.

Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

Start here

What is natural hair?Find your hair typeWhat is hair porosity?Build a hair regimenHair calculators

Footer

Why Your Hair Isn't Growing - free guide from Curl Centric

Free 50-page guide

Your hair is already growing. The problem is keeping it.

Hair grows about a third to half an inch a month, and the tightest curls grow slowest. If your length looks stuck, that's your hair breaking off about as fast as it grows in. We'll send you the seven causes of breakage and the weekly routine that stops them.

Free. One email a week after that. Unsubscribe anytime.

Written and reviewed by Kenneth and Kira Byrd Independently owned, publishing since 2008 950+ guides, fact-checked before publishing Editorial and advertising teams kept separate

Curl Centric®

Evidence-based curly hair care from Kenneth and Kira Byrd, a husband-and-wife team teaching textured-hair techniques since 2008.

Start Here

Natural Hair 101 Hair Typing Guide How to Grow Natural Hair Building a Hair Regimen Deep Conditioning Natural Hair Dictionary

Free Tools

Calculators & Printables Hair Growth Calculator Shrinkage Calculator Choosing Your Products Curl Science Podcast Browse All Articles

Who We Are

Kira Byrd, Co-founder Kenneth Byrd, Co-founder About Curl Centric Editorial Guidelines Contact Us FAQs Press Kit
Natural Hair Community, LLC 1401 Doug Baker Blvd, Ste 107 604, Birmingham, Alabama 35242 1 (844) 424-2875 admin@curlcentric.com Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Sitemap

CurlCentric.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher. Curl Centric® services, articles, content, and products are provided for informational purposes only. Curl Centric does not provide professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Curl Centric follows a strict editorial policy that produces accurate, factual, and honest content to help you make the right hair care decisions. Curl Centric has an affiliate relationship for some of the products that we recommend. We may receive compensation if purchases are made using our links, at no extra cost to you. CurlCentric.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. To ensure that we maintain our editorial integrity, our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our sponsors and advertisers. The product recommendations and advertisers that appear on Curl Centric are from companies that compensate us through an exclusive, full-service ad management partner. This compensation does not influence the content we publish or the product reviews shown on our site.

Copyright © Curl Centric®. All rights reserved. Curl Centric® is a trademark of Natural Hair Community, LLC.

Back to top ↑