Your hair grows at a rate of about 1.25cm a month or roughly 15cm per year. This growth mostly happens during the anagen phase (one of three phases of hair growth).
Is there a way to make your hair grow faster? Well, sort of. Read on to learn more about how to make your hair grow faster and longer.
Most people’s hair grows slower than the natural maximum rate because of various reasons including chemicals, hair damage and a poor diet. So it very likely that your hair can grow faster and longer than it currently is.
The trick is to encourage your hair to stay longer in the anagen/growth phase. The longer this phase lasts, the faster and longer your hair grows.
At the same time you need to make sure that you are not damaging your hair through bad hair habits and poor lifestyle choices. This will not only slow down hair growth, it can actually lead to hair loss.
A healthy diet
I’m sure you are already moisturizing your hair and applying all sorts of hair food to boost hair growth. Those are good and all but the most important improvement you should be making is to your diet.
Ultimately, your overall body health plays a big role in how long hair stays in the anagen phase. If you eat junk food, have low immunity and are not getting enough nutrients, your hair will move to the dormant (catagen) and shedding (telogen) phases more quickly.
So before you even consider any other hair growth techniques, make sure you are eating well. Your hair will be healthier (which means faster growth) if your body is also healthier.
Pack your meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Take in healthy proteins and carbohydrates too. A varied and healthy diet will supply your body with all the nutrients it needs to keep your hair looking great and growing quickly.
In addition to a healthy diet make sure you also keep your body hydrated. It’s essential in keeping your hair well moisturised.
Stress management
Multiple studies have found a strong link between stress and hair growth. Too much stress increases hair loss.
Normally, hair growth will bounce back to normal after the stressful period is over. But constant stress can cause a condition known as Chronic Telogen Effluvium.
This is where hair starts thinning out all over your head. Your hair basically stops growing and starts receding.
As with diet, stress management is something many people don’t consider when looking for ways to encourage hair growth. And yet it has a bigger impact than most supplements and hair products.
Find the best stress management methods that work for you. It can be yoga, knitting, sports, meditation or journaling. Whatever you do, just make sure your life’s pressures are not getting the better of you.
Lifestyle
As you work to reduce stress levels, there are several other beneficial lifestyle changes that can also help increase hair growth.
One of the most important is exercise. Regular exercise boosts blood circulation, which is essential for hair health and growth.
You should also stop or avoid smoking. It inhibits hair growth and accelerates hair loss.
Take care of your hair
Once you have taken care of the basics of hair health – good food and a healthy lifestyle – you can start focusing on direct solutions to make your hair grow faster and longer.
- Keep your hair well moisturised. Dry and flaky hair is more likely to break and fall off. Use natural oils and products like Shea butter to keep your hair lush and strong. Natural masks can also help keep the hair hydrated.
- Don’t wash your hair every day. This starves your scalp and hair of healthy oils that promote hair growth. Every other day or every third day is more ideal.
- Use a protective shampoo that nourishes your hair and strengthens it as well. A good shampoo and conditioner prevents split ends and hair breakage.
- Avoid over-stressing your hair. Chemicals, heat and tight hair styles cause a lot of stress on your hair strands, causing them to get weak, stop growing and break. Let your hair air dry whenever possible and if you have to use a heat-based implement, keep it on the lowest setting. Also avoid using harsh chemicals on your hair and opt for hair styles that put the least stress on your tresses.
- Use hair supplements. There are various hair vitamins and supplements like biotin or Viviscal that have been found to significantly improve hair growth especially in people with existing hair problems.
