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How Fast Does Hair Grow?

4 Min Read

Who doesn’t want to know how to make hair grow faster? Many people (women in particular), are always on the lookout for ways to accelerate their hair growth. Like after a really bad haircut, everybody wants their hair to grow faster – to put that “so not me” cut behind them. Well, what if you could increase your hair growth speed? To get that long hair and all those styling options back as soon as possible.

So, just how fast does hair grow? Not fast enough, said every person ever. Not to worry though, we’ve done the research and we’ve got lots of info on things like average hair growth speed and how to make hair grow faster.

So, let’s get to it. How fast does hair grow? What’s happening in the body when hair starts to grow—and, what are some tips to grow hair faster? Keep reading to find out.

What is Average Hair Growth for Most People?

So, exactly how long does it take for hair to grow? You might be thinking you should be able to grow your hair faster but to get an idea of whether or not your average hair growth rate is below the norm, take a look at how much hair grows in a month for the average person.

Hair grow speed varies from individual to individual, but the rate is roughly 0.5 inches or 1.25 centimeters per month—for a total of 6 inches or 15 centimeters per year. The older you get, however, the slower it grows, with the average rate dropping to 0.1 inches or 0.25 centimeters per month.

Average hair growth varies from person to person and depends on a lot of factors, like genetics, diet, and hair type. Hair resiliency or hair strength also plays a role— at least in how fast hair appears to grow. For instance, if you have weak or damaged hair, it’s more susceptible to breakage, meaning the strands may break off even if they do not fall out entirely—giving the illusion that hair growth is slower than it should be.

What Happens When Hair Grows?

Cell division is responsible for the hair growth cycle. When new cells are produced, they push the hair forward to make it longer, and the new hair is added to the root. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, humans are born with about 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp, or top of the head. Under normal, healthy conditions, each strand of hair lasts for up to eight years before falling out. The average person loses between 50 and 100 strands of hair each day, so there’s no need to worry if your hair seems to be falling out in small amounts. Hair loss, according to that rough schedule, is perfectly normal and under healthy conditions, is replaced with new hair.

What Phases Does Hair Go Through When it Grows?

During your life, your hair goes through three phases of growth: the anagen, the catagen, and the telogen. The anagen phase is the first phase – when the strand of hair is actively growing for between two and eight years. The following phase is the catagen – when the hair stops growing because cell division has stopped; usually lasting between four and six weeks. The telogen phase is the final phase when the hair falls out over a period of two or three months.

According to Healthline, 90 to 95 percent of the hairs on the scalp are in the anagen phase at any given time, leaving five to ten percent in the telogen phase—with about 100 hairs falling out each day.

Does the Hair Grow Faster in Any Particular Part of the Head?

If you have bangs, you might think that the hair at the front of your scalp grows faster because it seems like bangs need to be trimmed constantly. However, the hair at the front of the scalp doesn’t grow any faster than it does on the rest of your head—the accelerated growth is simply an illusion because growth there is more noticeable. Because most people wear their bangs at or just above their eyebrows, the slightest hair growth is visible faster than it would be elsewhere on the head. In other words, hair grows at the same speed all over the top of your head.

In other words, hair grows at the same speed all over the top of your head.

Hair growth often slows or even stops as we grow older. Because over time, hair follicles die and are not replaced by our bodies. Other factors impeding hair growth can include poor nutrition, stress, hormone changes, medications, trauma to the hair follicles, and certain conditions and diseases.

According to Healthline, pregnancy can also affect hair growth, During pregnancy, women experience an increase in the hormone estrogen, which keeps hair follicles in the growing phase for a longer period of time before they fall out. After childbirth, estrogen levels return to normal, causing hair follicles to return to the catagen or resting phase and then proceed to the telogen phase—making the rate of hair loss appear to increase for a period of time.

Tips for How to Grow Hair Faster

Ready to grow hair faster? We’ve got good news. There are several ways to grow hair faster. Here are some tips and suggestions to increase your average hair growth and promote healthy hair:

  • Take hair supplements that contain vitamins and other nutrients. Taking additional hair supplements is always a good idea no matter which phase your hair is going through. Nutrafol’s hair-nourishing supplements support your hair from within, providing it with the essential nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
  • Apply certain types of essential oil to the hair. According to studies published in U.S.National Library of Medicine, lavender oil and peppermint oil are two oils that can naturally promote hair growth.
  • Eat more protein. Protein is known to help hair to grow and to help it stay strong. Protein treatments can be applied to the hair to help protect and strengthen it, and ingesting more protein can help strengthen your hair from within as it grows.

Photos: Divya Thakur via Flickr

Johan Larsson via Flickr

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