It’s no secret that black men’s tightly coiled strands can be more brittle than other types of hair. Heredity is one factor that contributes to thinning hair that no man can change. But several lifestyle and diet tips from livestrong.com can help brothas who want to speed up their hair growth action.

Eat growth-encouraging foods. Men can make a fistful of vitamins part of their hair-growth diet. Vitamins A, C and E can all spark scalp circulation and hair growth. Think spinach, kale, broccoli and collard greens—all good sources of these nutrients. Don’t forget the B boys, as in vitamins B5, B6 and biotin, because they can help prevent hair loss. Also, men must make sure they get enough protein, iron and zinc; major players in the hair growth leagues.

Stay hydrated. When hair gets dry it becomes brittle and is more prone to breakage. Gentlemen, that means drink your water or hair can get easily dehydrated and dry out.

Exercise. All right, you guys, this means at least 30 minutes of daily activity. Why? To stimulate blood flow to hair follicles. The cuticle structure of African-American men’s hair is thinner than straight hair. Increased blood flow via exercise can overcome the thin cuticle structure and get more nutrients into men’s hair.
 
Massage your scalp and apply growth-enhancing oils. A nightly 20-minute scalp massage helps distribute a man’s hair oils evenly and exfoliates the scalp. Remember, black hair’s coiled structure can make it difficult for these natural oils to reach strand ends. Massaging growth-enhancing oils into the scalp can provide added moisture and stimulate Mr. Man’s hair’s roots to encourage growth.

To read more about what men can eat to encourage hair growth, click here.