It is surprising yet factual that you are already born with all the hair follicles you will have in your lifetime. There are about 1,00,000 follicles in your head. Then the question is why you cannot retain all the hairs forever after they grow. On the one hand, where some strands fall out with time, some follicles also stop producing hair, causing hair thinning and, in some extreme cases, baldness. Many factors impact hair growth, including age, hair type, overall health and specific health conditions.
Researchers say that hair growth is regulated at the cellular level in the body and explore the possibilities of speeding up hair growth at the cellular level.
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However, the question is how to grow hair faster. And, of course, there are ways to speed up hair growth with science-backed methods, and once you learn and use the knowledge for healthier hair, nothing can stop you from flaunting the thick strands that you are dreaming of ever since you met Rapunzel.
In this article, we want to make you believe that hair growth is no anymore an endless waiting game once you know the secrets of growing hair faster.
The Natural Process Of Hair Growth
Hair is the fastest-growing tissue of the human body, according to the trichological society. On average, our hair grows 0.5 to 1.7 centimetres every month and anywhere from 2 to 8 inches annually.
Though we understand that when you are desperately waiting to speed up your hair growth, this natural amount of hair growth feels minimal, there are specific tweaks that you can make to your day-to-day hair care routine to boost hair growth.
But before we talk about various factors that play an important role in hair thinning and thickness, it is essential to understand your hair’s growth cycle. There are four phases of hair growth, and in each phase, the hair follicles act independently, which means that each strand on your head can be at a different stage and act like its own mini organ.
- Anagen: The anagen phase is the growth period in which the hair grows actively. In this phase, the hair bulb is anchored into the scalp to provide it with nourishing blood flow. More than 80% of all the follicles on your head are in an anagen phase lasting 2 to 8 years.
- Catagen: Catagen is a short and transitional period in which the hair stops growing, and the hair bulb detaches from the nourishing blood supply.
- Telogen: The telogen phase is also known as the resting period, where the loose hair strands rest in the follicle. In this stage, your hair no longer grows; it does not shed either. Around 15% of our hair is in the telogen phase, in which the follicles are dormant for about three months while new hair growth starts underneath it.
- Exogen: Exogen is the phase commonly known as the shedding phase in which the hair finally sheds the follicle, and a new anagen phase starts with new hair growth.
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Each hair follicle is either in the growing, transitioning, resting or shedding phase at any given time. And that is why we generally shade 50 to 100 hairs daily, which is considered normal. When we have healthy hair growth, 80 to 85% of our follicles are active and producing hair. However, if the hair growth phases interfere, the growth phase can shorten while lengthening the resting phase.
Things That Impact Hair Growth
Healthy hair growth has become a trending topic for those always looking for new ways to grow hair. Sometimes tracing too much about growing your hair faster can cause mental anguish, worry and stress and can severely impact your hair health.
Approximately 21 million women globally are losing hair due to stress and worry, and the statistics become higher when the hair loss rates are stimulated with increasing age. Along with hair loss, multiple other hair problems cause a certain level of hair fall, thinning and loss of hair volume.
Sometimes genetics and hormonal disturbances are also responsible for hair loss problems, but besides hormones, nutritional, environmental and lifestyle factors are also associated with hair loss and here problems. Medication, pollution, stress, nutrition, lifestyle, age, cosmetic procedures, over-styling and even heredity, are some common factors that adversely affect hair growth.
And addressing the contributing factor to hair loss can be a sensible way to promote hair growth faster.
So let’s talk about those factors in detail.
- Medication: Certain drugs can lead to excessive hair fall as their potential side effect. Medicines for blood pressure, antidepressants, contraceptives and vitamin E supplements can potentially lead to hair loss. However, if any of the reasons cause your hair to fall, the best way to deal with it is to stop the medication if possible. However, in the case of mandatory medicines, you must talk to your doctor and get medical help to deal with the hair fall.
- Pollution: Pollution is on the rise all over the world. When your hair is exposed to environmental pollutants such as smoke, dust, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, lead, arsenic etc., those pollutants settle on your scalp, causing excessive hair fall. Those pollutants also migrate to the dermis and cause oxidative stress that contributes to scalp irritation, itching, redness and hair loss. The best way to protect your hair against pollution is to cover it with a scarf and wear a cap, hat etc., while stepping out. It would help if you also remembered that when you cover your hair, it requires frequent wash to keep it fresh and sweat-free.
- Stress: Stress contributes to many health concerns, including hair loss. When you are under severe psychological pressure, it can lead to a condition of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium. Stress can also affect the natural hair growth process by inducing more hair to enter the resting and sometimes the shedding phases. Yoga, meditation and exercising can help you release stress. There are specific yoga asanas that promote healthy hair growth too.
- Nutrition: You cannot grow your hair faster by changing things superficially. But you also need to take care of what you eat daily and how your diet contributes to hair growth. Hair is made of a natural protein called keratin. When you eat a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, you can keep your hair healthy. Protein-rich foods are the building blocks of your hair, and when you don’t get enough protein, the rate of your hair growth slows down. Alongside proteins, you also need the required vitamins to prolong the anagen phase and postpone the telogen phase. Therefore, it is essential to assess the content of vitamins and proteins your body consumes daily.
- Lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle can cause many problems to your body and lead to excessive hair fall. A healthy daily routine can contribute to healthy hair growth; therefore, you need to be very mindful of your daily diet, exercise routine, hair care routine and even your sleep cycle to grow your hair faster. Remember, when you fail to keep the balance among all your activities, your hair falls excessively, slowing down hair growth.
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- Cosmetic Procedures: Sometimes, hair loss does not mean losing the entire strand. In some conditions, it can be damaged and start breaking somewhere in the middle. Certain hair appliances and cosmetic procedures can contribute to hair damage and breakage. Therefore, you must avoid cosmetic procedures and tools such as curling and straightening devices that make your hair brittle.
- Over-Styling: Excessive heat styling also leads to excessive hair growth and contributes to harming your hair health. Therefore, if you want to grow your hair faster, say no to hairstyling. It will help if you avoid alcohol and polyethene glycol-based shampoos because they make your hair brittle. Hair dyes that contain paraphenylenediamine can also cause scalp irritation and hair thinning. Therefore, you must always opt for organic and herbal-based products to maximise healthy hair growth faster.
- Heredity: Heredity plays a vital role in maintaining your hair’s overall health and growth cycle. The hormone secreted by male and female bodies contributes significantly to hair health and growth. Androgens are hormones responsible for hair growth in men and women to some extent. Since the level of androgens decreases with age, it leads to slow growth and hair thinning. In contrast to androgens, testosterone in males and estrogen in females also affect hair health.
How To Grow Hair Faster With Home Remedies
If hair loss is on the rise and there is no physical health that is causing it, there are some things you can do to regrow your hair faster naturally.
Below we will talk about some of the best remedies you can try at home to grow your hair faster.
Massaging:
When you massage your scalp alongside using hair oils and masks, it stimulates the scalp and improves hair thickness. It is also believed that stretching while massaging your scalp encourages hair growth and consistency in the dermal papilla cells underneath the hair follicles.
Dermal papilla cells are majorly responsible for hair formation, hair growth and the regrowth cycle of the hair. Massaging is also known for improving blood circulation in your scalp and scalp health. In a study, it was found that massaging improved blood flow and the health of the scalp.
Taking some time every day to massage your hair and scalp will also relieve stress and tension, which is a bonus since emotions are also responsible for hair loss.
You must remember that massaging your scalp with your fingertips is the best way to do it, not with your fingernails. You can move your way across your scalp in circles while applying light to medium pressure. You need to invest no set amount of time in scalp massage. However, 4 minutes of massaging your hair for 24 weeks can produce desired results.
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Aloe Vera:
Aloe Vera has been treating hair loss for decades. Aloe Vera is soothing to your scalp and also conditions the hair. It reduces dandruff, unblocks clogged hair follicles and promotes new hair growth.
You can extract pure aloe Vera gel from the aloe Vera plant and apply it to your scalp and hair a few times weekly. You can also buy aloe Vera shampoo and conditioner to apply to your hair.
Coconut Oil:
Coconut oil contains fatty acids that can easily penetrate the hair shaft and reduce protein loss from your hair. You can use coconut hair before or after washing your hair, depending on your hair type. For oily hair, you can use coconut oil as a leave-in treatment overnight or even can apply it for a few hours before washing it with a mild shampoo.
Massaging your scalp with coconut oil on an alternative day can help you to deal with dry and freezy hair. Many studies establish the benefit of coconut oil in promoting hair growth, lubricating hair shafts and preventing breakage.
Ginseng:
Ginseng is known for promoting hair growth by stimulating hair follicles. The active components in ginseng are known as ginsenosides, which are responsible for the positive effect of ginseng on your hair.
In a study, it was found that ginseng brings promising results in growing hair faster. You can also take ginseng supplements as directed by your physician to promote hair growth.
Onion Juice:
If you can handle the smell of onion juice, you can benefit from it. And trust me, enduring the smell of onion juice is worth it when you see the results through faster hair growth. Onion juice can promote hair growth and successfully treat alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that attacks the hair follicles and causes hair loss on various body parts.
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Many animal studies found that onion juice can improve circulation and keratinocyte growth factor, which is an essential mediator of development and growth in hair follicles. To use onion juice for hair growth, you can extract the juice by blending a few onions and squeezing out the juice. Now apply the liquid to your hair, leave for 15 minutes and wash it off with a mild shampoo.
Rosemary Oil:
Rosemary oil is essential for promoting hair growth and reducing hair loss. On the one hand, Rosemary oil can stimulate new hair growth; on the other; it can treat androgenetic alopecia.
The best way to use Rosemary oil is to add a few drops of Rosemary oil into a carrier oil like coconut oil, jojoba oil or argan oil and then massage the mixture into the scalp before rinsing it off with a mild shampoo and applying conditioner. You can repeat the exact two times a week for better results. You can also add a few drops of Rosemary oil daily to your shampoo or conditioner.
Geranium Oil:
Geranium oil, also known as pelargonium graveolens, is derived from a fragrant plant from South Africa. This concentrated essential oil is extracted from the leaves and promotes hair growth and blood circulation.
Mix a few drops of geranium oil with 8 drops of carrier oil and apply directly to your scalp. Now shampoo your hair and apply conditioner. Geranium oil strengthens and hydrates your hair, alongside restoring its growth.
Lemon:
Lemon juice and lemon oil are unknown for enhancing hair quality and growth. Lemon oil also helps maintain a healthy scalp and encourages hair growth. You can apply fresh lemon juice on your scalp for 15 minutes before you shampoo or dilute a few drops of lemon essential oil in carrier oil and apply it on your scalp.
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Natural Ingredients To Grow Hair Faster
Some natural ingredients promote hair growth faster. And now, we will talk about some of them.
L-Cysteine:
L-Cysteine is a crucial player in maintaining your overall hair health. It is one of those amino acids with the ability to form disulfide bonds in the body, which is an essential ingredient for hair growth. The disulfide bonds in keratin help keep moisture and prevent hair dryness. It also helps in keeping your hair looking thick and healthy.
Dermatologists also suggest using L-Cysteine to promote natural hair regeneration, and the benefits of L-Cysteine are highly associated with robust and healthy hair growth. Legumes, sunflower seeds, oatmeal and yoghurt, are some foods rich in L-Cysteine.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C has many benefits for our skin and hair. It reduces hair loss, prevents split ends, and effectively improves the health of your hair and scalp. Vitamin C also facilitates iron absorption, a crucial nutrient for being a powerful antioxidant and natural collagen booster. Adding a daily dose of vitamin C to your diet through fruits such as oranges and strawberries and vegetables like broccoli, sprouts, and potatoes can increase the shine and overall health of your hair.
L-Methionine:
L-Methionine prevents hair loss due to its sulfur content. It also increases blood supply to the hair follicles and scalp to promote faster hair growth. There is much anecdotal evidence that suggests L-Methionine is important in the synthesis of collagen to strengthen the shafts.
L-Methionine also promotes the formation of protein building blocks, including collagen and keratin. Therefore, it supports new hair growth on the scalp. Food containing a high level of L-Methionine are milk, beans, quinoa etc.
Zinc:
Zinc is an essential ingredient that repairs hair tissues and ensures that the oil glands around the hair follicles work correctly. Adult males and females should take up to 11 MG and 8 MG of zinc daily. Zinc is known for promoting growth, strengthening hair and bringing shine and suppleness while limiting breakage and hair loss. It also supports hairy growth by literally revitalising their hair.
Zinc is also the ingredient that promotes collagen and keratin production. Foods that contain zinc are legumes, nuts, milk and seeds.
L-Arginine:
L-Arginine has been shown to improve blood circulation in different body parts. Therefore, it may stimulate the scalp. The antioxidant properties of L-arginine help eliminate free radicals responsible for hair cell damage and dull hair.
L-arginine moisturises the hair and strengthens it from within to promote healthy hair. Since it allows the hair strands to absorb water, it keeps your strands well moisturised and makes them look soft and shiny. Foods such as chickpeas, spirulina, peanuts and lentils have a high concentration of L-arginine.
Some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Faster Hair Growth
How long does it take to speed up hair growth?
The speed of your hair growth depends upon the severity of any underlying hair condition you face and the treatment method you have taken up to restore hair growth. For example, if you are incorporating home remedies into your daily routine, it will take up to six months to see some visible results. However, home remedies do not work equally for everyone; therefore, the time it takes for any home remedy to work may go beyond six months.
Does the weather condition affect hair growth?
There is a theory that during the summer months, the hairs grow faster, and during winter, hairs shed more. But the evidence is anecdotal at best. However, if you face any unusual hair loss, it is better to talk to a doctor no matter the time of the year to know if there is any underlying condition causing hair loss.
What increases hair growth?
When you take a balanced diet, increase your protein intake, apply essential oils, indulge in a scalp massage, and take good care of your hair, you can grow your hair faster than usual.
What are the best ingredients that promote faster hair growth?
Biotin, collagen, zinc, iron, niacin, and caffeine are some ingredients that help hair grow faster. When you incorporate foods rich in those ingredients into your daily diet, your hair grows faster than usual.
What foods promote hair growth?
Eggs, berries, fatty fishes, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, seeds, and spinach are some nutrient-dense foods you can add to your daily diet to promote hair growth. However, with a healthy diet, taking good care of your hair is necessary to stop hair fall and promote healthy hair growth.
Conclusion
There are so many things taken from what you eat to what you apply to your hair that impact your hair health and hair growth. A lack of the proper nutrients slows down your hair growth and can even cause hair loss. Fortunately, now you know how to correct the deficiency in any nutrients that may help you treat hair loss and promote hair growth.
