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| IY Cosmetics |
Does it want your hair takes forever to grow? You're not alone.
Waiting for your tresses to transform into long, luscious locks can often feel like a painstakingly slow process. It takes a healthy dose of patience.
But whether you’ve been trying to grow Rapunzel locks for years (with no luck), or are just sick of your cropped cut (no judgment here!), there are a few things you can do to help your hair grow a little bit faster. And TODAY Style is breaking them all down with the help of the pros!
The time of year even influences how quickly your hair grows (faster in the summer and slower in the winter).
It’s hard to say exactly how fast your hair grows — everyone is different! — however, on average, hair grows to about an inch per month.
That being mentioned, it’s common for hair to grow as very little as a cm or the maximum amount as half an inch during a month.
However, a number of factors can influence hair growth, some of which you can control and others you can’t. “The speed at which hair grows is determined by genetics, but there are other factors that can affect the growth rate such as age, diet, stress, hormonal imbalance, scalp health, hair care practices, medications, and different health conditions will doubtless influence hair growth,” said master hair colorist, Stephanie Brown.
In general, men’s hair grows quicker than women’s, but pregnancy can actually speed up the hair growth process. Even the time of year will have an effect on how briskly or slow hair grows.
“Hair tends to grow a touch quicker in summer and slower in winter,” said Dr. Alan Parks, board-certified dermatologist and founder of DermWarehouse. “An underactive thyroid can also slow down hair growth.”
If you've got damaged hair (thanks, hot tools!), genetic structural abnormalities (they typically cause hair to break off at a certain length) or certain hair types, your hair might also grow more slowly.
“Some people have finer hair that breaks easily, so it just may seem that your hair isn’t growing but it is,” Brown said.
According to Randy Veliky, clinical studies director for HairMax, hair grows faster from the age of 15 to late 20s and slows down considerably after that, especially with the onset of menopause.
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“Hair growth can be described in three cycles, the anagen growth phase, lasting 5-7 years; the catagen resting phase and then the telogen shedding phase. Each follicle goes through these phases independently.
As we age or experience pattern hair loss, the anagen growth phase is shortened. This is why it is difficult for women over 50 to grow their hair long like they did when they were younger,” Veliky said.
Before you get annoyed along with your hair, try to keep in mind that any number of factors, including hair loss in general, can influence growth. "Hair loss can be caused by many things including illness, medication, poor diet, hormones and over-styling. Anyone of those causes will interfere with the hair growth cycle, and can damage hair follicles, preventing them from growing hair,” Veliky said.
Eat up! Certain foods can help hair grow faster.
Trying to grow your hair longer for a special event? The key just might be your diet. Hair craves nutrition, so a balanced diet filled with lots of nutrients will keep it healthy and happy.
“The foods you eat should contain vitamins and minerals known to support healthy hair growth, such as vitamin C, biotin, niacin, iron and zinc,” Veliky said.
If you would like longer hair, stock up on any (or all) of the following powerful foods:
• Salmon
• Eggs
• Avocados
• Sweet potatoes
• Berries
• Nuts
• Olive oil
• Fish
• Beans
• Whole grains
• Foods rich in protein, biotin (vitamin H) and omega-3A healthy scalp is the key to hair growth.
Related: Postpartum hair loss and how to regrow it
Believe it or not, your scalp plays a huge role in hair growth, but it takes a beating on a daily basis — harsh brushes and strong products are often the culprit. Considering all that scalps can go through, it's even more vital that you treat yours with a bit of TLC.
“Lifestyle, diet, and drugs will prevent the hair-growth method, so a clean, healthy scalp is truly instrumental,” said Angelo David, a hair loss and thinning expert.
“Wash hair frequently and don’t overwhelm the scalp with an excessive amount of product or abrasive chemicals.”
In different words, keeping your scalp healthy is all concerning taking minimal steps — like employing a sulfate-free shampoo, a filter to get rid of chemical element from your shower or ensuring to thoroughly wash your hair.
“You just need to make sure you cleanse your scalp by shampooing and massaging to get all the dead skin cells off. And brushing your hair once a day will help. But don’t shampoo every day; try to shampoo every other day because this will help you have stronger, healthy hair,” Brown said.
Using hot tools too often or too close to the scalp can also damage hair at the root and prevent it from growing, so try to use them sparingly.
You're bound to expose your scalp to harsh elements sometime, but the good news is, there are a few steps you can take to help protect yours:
• Wet hair is super fragile, so use a wet brush on it to avoid damage
• Condition your hair every time you shampoo
• Prevent breakage by using a light hair towel to help hair dry faster
• Use silk pillowcases instead of cotton
• Use masks and treatments, such as Olaplex, to help strengthen hair
If food alone won't do it, vitamins can give your hair the boost it needs to grow.
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| Vitamins |
If you’re struggling to get the nutrients your hair needs through food alone, you might be wondering if there’s any other way to help your hair along.
"Proper diet and nutrition are essential to healthy hair growth," Veliky said. "If you can not get these nutrients within the foods you eat, try vitamins for hair growth."
There's usually nothing wrong with making an attempt vitamins or supplements to spice up your hair growth efforts. At the same time, foods in their original form usually hold more nutrients, so try to incorporate at least a few new foods into your diet before heading right to the vitamin aisle.
If you've worked your way through the list of hair-healthy foods and could still use a little help, you can always try some of these vitamins/supplements:
At the end of the day, hair growth is still a bit of a mystery to scientists and skin experts alike, so no one solution will work for everyone. "We are learning a lot with regard how to fast hair grows, however, hair growth is controlled at a cellular level, but scientific evidence on how to speed up hair growth directly is still scanty, so certain methods have not been rigorously studied," said cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Sejal Shah, founder of SmarterSkin Dermatology.
But that does not mean you cannot (safely) strive to incorporate bound product or foods into your routine to a minimum of see if they provide your hair a lift. And when all else fails, don’t underestimate the value of regular haircuts! Frequent trims will encourage hair to grow a lot of if you’ve hit a length highland.
Learn more on how to grow your hair fast and efficiently
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