Tired of your hair stuck at the same length for years? Wondering why does my hair grow slow? Looking for useful ways to boost your hair growth? You’re not alone. Slow hair growth, for both men and women, has become more common nowadays.
There can be a number of reasons for slow hair growth, ranging from a stressful lifestyle to a poor diet. Stunt or slow hair growth can cause thinning of hair and often baldness. However, it’s not something that can’t be treated. You can improve your hair growth speed and overall health at home too.
What’s the hair growth cycle?
Have you ever noticed that your hair grows faster at a certain stage and slows down at a certain length? To understand that, first, you need to know how your hair grows. And that usually happens in 3 phases – known as the hair cycle.
Anagen phase
This phase lasts anywhere from 2 to 8 years and is an active growth phase. During this phase, the root hair cells are rapidly dividing. This involves the formation of new hair. The hair follicle enlarges, deepens, and attaches to the Dermal Papilla (the structure present at the bottom of the follicle).
If your hair is in this phase, it’ll grow about 1 cm every 28 days. Moreover, at any given time, it is estimated that about 90% of the hairs on your head are in the Anagen phase. Pregnant women’s hair looks shinier and healthier than usual because their hair remains in this phase throughout their pregnancy
Catagen phase
This phase occurs at the end of the anagen phase and is a short transition phase. It signals the end of the active growth of hair and lasts for 3 to 6 weeks.
During this phase, the follicle bulb detaches itself from the Dermal Papilla, and the hair strand slowly moves up, and the follicle shrinks to push it out. In short, this phase stops hair growth because the hair detaches itself from the blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair.
Telogen phase
This phase makes you worry about your hair more, as it is the culprit that causes your hair to fall out. Not only this, but during this process, you can expect to lose 50 to 150 telogen hair daily. In turn, this will allow the new hair to come out through the follicle.
Besides, it is also known as the resting phase that lasts for 2 to 3 months. Well, this is a natural process and is nothing to be alarmed about. At the same time, about 80 to 90 percent of your hair will be in the Anagen phase.
5 reasons why your hair isn’t growing fast enough
Let’s find out the cause of your slow or stunt hair growth and try to overcome them.
Stress
The reason behind the slow hair growth and falling of large chunks of your hair can be stressful too. No doubt, stress has become a part of our lives, but it can lead to hair loss and many health problems. Stress makes your hair go to the Telogen phase and prepares them to fall. However, this doesn’t mean that you start taking stress about your hair fall.
Stress also changes how you breathe, and as a result, less oxygen is supplied to hair follicles. Therefore, try to get enough sleep and exercise daily to get your endorphins pumping. Remember to breathe!
Genetics
For both men and women, genetics plays a role in slow hair growth and hair loss. So, if any of your parents experience thinning hair, sadly, there’s a chance that you may too.
Genetics can affect the hair growth cycle, which means some people have shorter cycles while others have longer. If you have shorter cycles, you’ll face difficulty in growing the hair longer.
Heat
Let me tell you that regularly using straighteners, curlers, blow dryers, or any hot styling tools isn’t a good idea. Consistently applying heat to your hair will make it brittle and more prone to breakage. Also, such tools aren’t good for your cuticles and will affect your hair growth.
Thus, avoid using straighteners and blow dryers. And whenever you use them, try to use a heat protectant before. Also, keep an eye on fine hair products that repair hair growth.
Poor diet
As we all know that taking a diet high in fats and sugar is discouraged. Not only it leads to heart and liver disease, but it also causes some serious hair growth issues. If you are eating too much sugar, it will eventually cause your blood sugar levels to spike and secrete a hormone that will shrink your hair follicles.
Besides, our hair is made up of a protein called Keratin, so eating a diet that does not contain an adequate amount of proteins means hair loss. Hence, I’d recommend you to eat a balanced diet with an appropriate amount of proteins, minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.
Medication
Certain medications can cause your hair to fall out as a side-effect. Some medications, such as Chemotherapy ones, are directly linked to hair loss. While other medications like acne medication, antibiotics, and birth control may have an adverse effect on your hair growth.
So, if you feel like your hair has stopped growing since you are on drugs, talk to your doctor and see if you can switch to some alternative.
Does your scalp influence hair growth?
Your scalp plays a major role when it comes to hair growth. Your diet, medication, and lifestyle can affect your scalp health, slowing down the hair growth process. Thus, it is necessary to maintain a healthy scalp.
For this purpose, use a sulfate-free shampoo to cleanse your scalp and massage gently to get rid of dead skin cells – just don’t scratch your scalp. Also, don’t use hot tools close to your scalp as they will damage your roots and prevent them from growing.
However, here’s a list of few things that you can do to maintain your scalp and hair health:
- Often use hair masks and treatments to strengthen your hair.
- Avoid brushing wet hair.
- Use silk pillow covers.
- Avoid drying your hair with a heavy towel.
How to make your hair grow faster and thicker
Let’s look into some ways to aid in fast hair growth and improve your hair’s overall health.
Prevent damage
If you wash your hair daily or every other day, then it’s time you stop doing that. Our scalp produces natural oils that protect the hair follicles from damage. And washing hair everyday washes these natural oils as well.
Aside from that, get regular hair trims. It won’t make your hair grow any faster, but surely, it will prevent your hair strands from breakage and split ends.
By preventing damage you can make your hair grow faster and healthier.
Improve your diet
Improve your diet if you want to improve your hair growth. Add foods enriched in proteins, such as eggs, beans, lentils, and meat, to your diet. This will help your body in the Keratin formation.
Don’t forget about iron and zinc. They are also quite beneficial for your hair growth and hair health.
Home remedies
You can ensure fast and healthy hair growth by massaging your scalp. As it will naturally increase blood flow, reduce stress level, and improve your hair thickness. You can use olive, coconut, rosemary, or geranium oil to massage your scalp. These oils have been shown to stimulate new hair growth and improve circulation.
Additionally, you can also use aloe vera as it strengthens the hair and promotes hair growth.
FAQs
At what age your hair stops growing?
Technically, hair doesn’t stop growing. The growth process slows down with age, and it seems like your hair has stopped growing after a specific length. However, the growth phase is also determined by genetics and can last between two and six years.
How can I grow hair faster in a week?
You can boost the hair growth process by taking in protein and biotin-rich foods, rinsing hair with cold water, applying natural products, and massaging your scalp.
Does rice water help in hair growth?
Yes, it improves hair growth. You can rinse your hair with rice water after every wash. Moreover, it helps in the regeneration of hair as it contains minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that prevent and protect hair damage.
Conclusion
I hope now you know the reasons behind your slow hair growth and how to get long, thick, and shiny hair. And it’s not difficult at all. Just save your hair from chemicals as much as possible and provide the proper nutrients and minerals to grow.
Follow the techniques discussed earlier to combat slowed hair growth and increase your hair’s health and length.
