I know it is not something I expect to get an answer too quickly, but I came to realize that my hair was shorter than what I wanted, so I want to know if there is anything I can do or put in it to make it grow faster but leave it shiny and healthy and not damage it. Thanks!

Answer:
Hair isn’t alive and it doesn’t grow. Hair is an accumulation of a protein called keratin inside the follicle. As it builds up on the bottom it is pushed out the top, creating “hair growth”. This is a biological process so nothing that you do to your hair, like trimming it or using some “special” shampoo can help. Eat a healthy, protein rich diet and take a regular multivitamin daily. Since hair is protein, eating foods rich in protein like peanut butter, eggs, and fish can help to accelerate growth. Do not take prenatal vitamins, despite what some uneducated people here may say, taking too many vitamins can do serious damage to your organs, cause arthritis, and can even cause death. It isn’t “just extra nutrients,” it is deadly so don’t believe it. I don’t mean to sound negative, but this is serious and I don’t want to see people get hurt for long hair! So no shampoo (including Mane n’ Tail!) can, in any way, accelerate hair growth. Hair growth is almost entirely genetic, and a little bit diet, so all that you can do it change your diet. Split ends cause breakage on the bottom of your hair, not at the base. Hair is an inanimate strand of protein, nothing that you do to the bottom if it can have any effect on the top of it. So again, trimming your hair has no effect on growth! Hair does not grow from the ends, it grows from the root! Hair growth is entirely biological and has nothing to do with the hair that you already have, so having healthy hair DOES NOT mean that it will grow faster. If you want healthy hair, avoid heat at all costs and get a salon quality shampoo and conditioner, wash the conditioner out with cold water.