Can You Actually Make Your Hair Grow Faster? Hair Pros Weigh In
On average, certified trichologist William Gaunitz, FWTS says that hair grows approximately one centimeter per month. In the grand scheme of things, 12 centimeters (or 4.7 inches) of hair growth a year is a decent amount, but for those of us whose patience tends to run extremely thin, a centimeter a month sounds like a very slow burn.
That would explain why a number of brands have taken advantage of pretty much everyone's desire to make their hair grow faster. On top of products that continuously hit the shelves claiming to promote hair growth, you can find all kinds of at-home tips, tricks, and hacks that claim to expedite the process.
Meet Our Experts: Shab Caspara, New York City-based hair health expert and trichologist, William Gaunitz, FWTS, certified trichologist
While New York City-based hair health expert Shab Caspara, says these kind of products are in fact making unrealistic claims, ensuring you have a healthy body full of vital nutrients, minerals, and complete protein will not only contribute to your healthiest and strongest hair growth, but also preserve the life span of the hair follicle itself.
Interested in how to make your hair grow faster? Here’s what our hair experts recommend you do to promote hair growth.
What Makes the Hair Grow Naturally?
In technical terms, hair growth occurs in the hair follicle where nutrients are drawn from capillaries connected to the bloodstream, Caspara explains. Your hair naturally grows at a genetically predetermined maximum rate. There are a lot of variables that can maximize your genetic potential and some things that will accelerate them.
“To make sure your hair is growing at the fastest rate, you need to make sure that you have an optimal volume of bioavailable key nutrients in your blood, including vitamin D3, ferritin, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin B12,” Gaunitz says. Having a low amount any of these nutrients, may slow down your hair growth.
Can You Speed Up Hair Growth?
Speeding up the hair growth process isn't as easy as some people like to make it seem, and despite what all of the sponsored ads on Instagram may make you believe, no topical product is capable of making your hair grow faster.
“Although no product is capable of increasing the actual growth rate of hair, we can however, through stimulation, extend the actual growth phase of the hair cycle that can last anywhere from two to six years per strand,” Caspara shares.
Beyond making sure that you have the proper level of the aforementioned nutrients in your blood to help your hair grow, only in-office treatments like low-level laser therapy will accelerate hair growth speed. That said, there are also a handful of things you can do to make sure your hair is in its healthiest shape so that you can retain length. These include:
Shampooing and conditioning regularly, or at least once a week
Getting frequent trims
Eating a healthy diet
Keeping heat styling to a minimum
Avoiding chemical treatments
Avoiding hairstyles that put too much tension on the scalp
What Should I Do If My Hair Isn't Growing?
Remember, in order for your hair to grow at its natural rate and for you to see results, you’ll want to make sure your body is receiving key nutrients. “Your hair is always growing no matter what,” Gaunitz says. “But if your hair is growing slowly, then you should get blood tests for key nutrients that may be low and then supplement accordingly.”
Caspara explains that everyone’s hair grows in at the same rate, and a common misconception (among women in particular) is the feeling of no or slow hair growth when in reality, the hair is growing from the roots. “The quality of hair towards the ends may weaken and break or become too thin to be noticeable like they once were,” she adds.
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