Do you feel your hair is not growing as fast or stop growing at all after some point in life? It can be frustrating, so we have gathered some information from experts on hair growth and share in this article with you all. Let’s begin with the basics.

How rapid does your hair grow?
This depends on several factors which include your health, age, and genetics. For most people, hair grows an average of 0.5 inch per month. There are three phases to the growth cycle of hair: anagen (or growth phase), catagen as well as telogen. Anagen is the growth phase that typically lasts for three to five years. Hair grows an average of 0.5 inch a month during this phase. The hair proceeds to the catagen stage at the end of the anagen phase. This transitional phase lasts about ten days prior to the hair enters telogen, which is a phase of rest where the hair strands are released and fall out. The hair follicle will stay inactive for three months. After that, the entire process repeats.

phases of hair growth

Is it true that your hair grows slower with age?
Nope, you weren’t imagining it. As part of natural aging, hair growth can slow down. Your hair may slow down as your hormone levels change. You may also notice a decrease in hair growth or even balding where your hair is not growing as well.

Out of curiosity, what is the fastest age for hair to grow?
Between the ages 15 and 30 years old, hair grows at a rapid pace. This is the best time for hair growth. It tends to slow down incrementally thereafter. The speed at which your hair grows depends on many other factors, such as your genes, overall health, and nutritional deficiencies. Hair growth and shedding can also be affected by hormonal fluctuations.

Okay, so why is my hair growing so slowly these days, other than aging?
Hair can also grow slower than normal due to certain health conditions, nutritional deficiencies, stress, hormone imbalances, medications, and excessive heat damage caused by everyday styling. You may notice a decrease in hair growth if your hair doesn’t get the nutrition it needs. Your hair isn’t getting the nutrition it needs to grow to its full potential. If you notice that your hair is growing slower recently, it’s worth making some lifestyle changes such as introducing a better well balanced nutritional diet or a more relax life style to manage the stress. If your hair growth doesn’t improve after a few months, it is worth consulting your doctor. They can provide further testing or recommendations.

Is it possible to make your hair grow faster?
Although you should not expect your hair to grow overnight, it can be done. You can’t control how quickly your hair will grow. However, you can control the health of your scalp and hair. These are both key factors in ensuring your hair grows stronger and more healthy. You can speed up hair growth by focusing your attention on the anagen stage, which is a combination of the three stages that we have already discussed.

Anagen, which is the stage in which the hair is actively growing just for a quick reminder. You want to promote faster hair growth by creating a healthy environment for the hair strands that are in Anagen. This will promote healthy hair starting at the root and increase the time each hair spends in growth.

Here are some tips to speed up your hair growth.
As mentioned, the anagen phase is the most crucial time to help your hair grow faster. A gentle shampoo is one way to achieve this. You should avoid harsh chemicals (like sulfates), as they can strip natural oils. Your scalp is sensitive to various environmental conditions. You should instead choose a shampoo that is non-drying and will clean your hair and scalp. This will reduce environmental buildup and inflammation.

How about hair growth treatments or supplements?
You may be able to save money on the hair gummies that you saw on Instagram. In accordance to some medical experts, Minoxidil, which is the active ingredient in Rogaine, is presently the only over-the-counter remedy available that has been scientifically proven to work for hair growth. Minoxidil, which is an over-the-counter drug that has been proven to work for both women and men. It opens potassium channels and causes hyperpolarization in cell membranes. It is a potassium channels opener and widens blood vessels, which permits more oxygen and blood to target the follicles. This can promote hair growth.

How about essential oils? Do they boost your hair growth?
Science on essential oil is still very limited. To properly assess whether these ingredients can help hair growth, it is necessary to conduct more detailed and better studies. There are limited studies and anecdotal evidence that essential oils could be beneficial.

Rosemary oil: A research performed in 2015 that had compared the hair growth rate of minoxidil and rosemary oil. Both groups showed that hair growth has significant increased after 6 months. This could be resulted from the enhancement in micro capillary perfusion by the rosemary oil.

Pumpkin seed oil: The pumpkin seeds oil has been demonstrated to inhibit the action of 5-alpha reductase which is an enzyme that changes testosterone into DHT. Pumpkin seed oil is believed to reduce hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia, but more research is needed.

Castor Oil: This is the most popular hair-growth oil you will find online. Although castor oil was shown to improve hair shine (aka luster) in a study, there aren’t any studies that prove that it directly causes hair growth. Castor oil is safe as long as it does not irritate your skin.

Even though Ginseng root is not an essential oil it deserves honorable mention. This ingredient is important because it stimulates the scalp microcirculation, and inhibits the production of DHT (the main hormone that causes androgenetic hair fall).

What are some other ways that you can do to encourage hair growth?

We believe in scalp massages. They not only feel great, but they also help to circulate blood and nutrients to hair follicles. This can stimulate hair growth and strengthen hair. Add a few drops of essential oils that abovementioned to your shampoo to make it more effective. Or, you can apply the oil directly to your scalp and be patient as it take time for it to be effective.

Your lifestyle and diet are another important consideration. You should eat a healthy diet rich in vitamin-packed foods, such as healthy fats, protein and iron, which will provide your body with the necessary nutrients to stimulate hair growth.

Stress can cause anagen phase to end. You should try to reduce stress as much as possible.
It is important to protect the hair that is already there. A hair that reaches the surface of the scalp is considered physiologically dead. Thus it cannot be nourished and can only be preserved. To reduce breakage and dry out hair strands, you should follow a hair care routine that preserves the protective layer (or cuticle) of your hair.

Avoid “shampoos that use harsh detergents,” i.e. Avoid “shampoos with harsh detergents” (i.e. sulfates) as well as sprays or gels that contain drying ingredients such alcohol. To reduce the chance of hair loss, moisturize your hair with conditioners, creams, or oils. Glycerin-based styling products are great for keeping hair hydrated.

You should be careful about how often your hair is styled. Hair can become damaged by heat styling tools such as a straightener, curling iron, and blow dryer. Reduce the heat as much as you can. Use a hair protector before you heat up a hot tool.