Whether you’re looking to grow your hair out longer, or you’re trying to recover from a particularly bad haircut, knowing how long it takes for your hair to grow is important information if you’re planning on changing your hairstyle soon.
Despite what some articles will try to tell you, you won’t be able to speed up the growth of your hair any time soon, at least not by using hair care products, as it grows at a set rate.
There are plenty of things you can do to help maintain your hair, and to ensure that it is growing at the correct rate and that you’re not slowing it down at all.
In this guide, we’ll provide you with the answer to the question, and give you advice on what could be preventing your hair growth, as well as how you can maintain your hair!
How Fast Does Hair Grow?
While people will have you believe that hair growth can be sped up, the reality is that your hair grows at a set rate.
Although this rate can average from person to person, hair typically grows at an average of half an inch per month, which is a total of six inches per year.
Each of the hairs on your head grows from its own, independent follicle and it is at the base of this follicle where the bulb that your hair grows from is found, and then towards the skin is where you find the sebaceous gland, which is what produces the oil to help keep your hair lubricated.
There are three stages of growth for your hair: The anagen phase, which is when the new hair begins to emerge from the hair bulb in the follicle.
Next is the catagen phase, where the hair is fairly inactive for some time, and finally the telogen phase, which is also known as the resting phase, and can last for upward of a year.
When your hair is inside the follicle it is alive, and won’t emerge from out of the skin until it has died.
What many people don’t realize is that your hair is made up from dead keratin cells, with the shaft of your hair also containing a range of other chemical compounds to ensure your hair’s appearance is good and that the hair itself is healthy.
What Factors Can Affect Hair Growth?
While the hair does grow at a set rate, there are a number of different factors that can have an effect on the rate of hair growth you experience, and if you think that your hair is growing slower than normal, it might be worth considering each of these factors.
Age, gender, genetics, and more can all play a big part in determining how fast your hair grows.
For example, women’s hair actually grows at a slower rate than men’s hair, despite the fact that they both grow to the same length per year.
In addition to this, those with naturally textured hair will find that their hair grows much slower than the other hair types out there.
Meanwhile, there are also a number of other factors outside of your body that can have an affect on your rate of hair growth.
The seasons can play a part in the rate of hair growth, with the spring and summer months usually causing your hair to grow a little faster than the fall or winter (see also “Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?“).
External pressure and stress can impede hair growth, as can any ill-health of your scalp.
One of the most common reasons why people believe their hair hasn’t grown much is because of breakages, which happens with dried out hair.
How Can You Make Hair Grow Faster?
As mentioned earlier, many articles online will try to push hair care products on to you as a way of making you believe that you can speed up your hair growth simply by using these products.
However, the reality is that there is no way to actually speed up this process, your hair will always grow at its fastest rate.
There are some things that you can do to help ensure that your hair is growing as fast as possible though.
By eating a healthy and balanced diet that is filled with the vitamins you need, taking care of your hair with proper shampoo, conditioner, getting regular haircuts, and handling your hair properly, you’ll be able to help your hair grow as fast as possible.
Tips For Maintaining Healthy Hair
If you’re looking for some tips on how you can keep your hair nice and healthy, then these tips should help to ensure that your hair is healthy and keeps up appearances!
Start With The Scalp
The source of hair growth, looking after your scalp is super important to ensuring your hair grows healthy and at the normal rate, so you should try to treat it with as much care and respect as you give to your actual hair.
Try exfoliating with a scalp scrub once a week to begin with, and it should help to make your scalp much healthier.
Cut Back On The Shampoo
While we’re not calling for you to suddenly put your shampoo in the bin, it’s worth noting that overwashing your hair and using too much shampoo can be bad for your hair, and can lead to frizziness and breakages.
You don’t need to shampoo your hair everyday, but how often you do it all depends on your hair type.
Nourishment
One of the best ways to ensure that your hair is healthy and nourished is to use a high-quality conditioner on your lengths, which can help to restore the outer lipid layer of your hair.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide to hair’s growth rate, and how you can help your hair to grow properly has been helpful. Thanks for reading!
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