Hair Growth: Everything You Need To Know
We all want thick, luscious hair. Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want, can we? Just like taxes and life opportunities, the sad truth is that hair growth is really not the same for everyone.
But rest assured, we’re here to clear up all misconceptions regarding hair growth. In this article series, we’ll answer the following:
- How fast does hair grow?
- When does hair grow most?
- “Help! My hair doesn’t grow past a certain length”
- Medical reasons why hair won’t grow
- Factors that contribute to hair growth
- Best food for fast hair growth
- Secrets to fast hair growth
How fast does hair grow?
Let’s get this out of the way first: speed of how fast hair grows differs from person to person. Some people grow strands very fast, while other people see very slow growth. In addition to this, there are many factors that contribute to hair growth, some of which we can control, others, we cannot.
Generally speaking though, the average speed of natural hair growth is about 0.5 inches or 1.25 centimeters per month. This translates to an average hair growth of about 6 inches per year.
When does hair grow most?
There are three stages of hair growth. The first stage is called the anagen phase. This is an active growth phase that can last anywhere from 2-8 years. The next stage is called the catagen phase. At this point, the growth slows down, eventually stopping altogether. It lasts for about 4-6 weeks. The last stage is called the telogen phase. During the telogen phase, all the strands that are no longer growing will start to fall out within 2-3 months, therefore starting the cycle all over again.
The speed of how fast each phase goes through varies from person to person. But here’s a fun fact: did you know that according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health, most people experience a 10% increase in hair growth during summer months as compared to winter months. Strands in the anagen phase, where the hair is still growing, typically peak with a 60% increase at the start of summer, and it slows down once the weather starts cooling down.
Nobody knows the exact scientific reason for this, but one of the most probable theories is that our blood circulation is much better during the summer, which means more blood can flow to our scalp, thus encouraging hair growth.
“Help! My hair doesn’t grow past a certain length”
Does it seem like your hair has been that length since forever? Don’t worry, there’s no such thing as ‘forever’ when it comes to hair.
One of the things that you should actively look out for when you’re growing out your hair is breakages. We don’t notice it a lot of times, but breakages can cause our hair to appear to stop growing since most damages happen at the ends. Since hair only grows about 6 inches a year, then it’s no wonder that our hair ‘won’t grow past a certain length’ if the ends keep breaking off. Make sure to take care of your hair properly to avoid this from happening.
In the next part of this series, we’ll talk about the many reasons why your hair won’t grow as well as different factors that contribute to hair growth. Stay tuned here on the ZALA blog!
