Do you want to grow long hair? It is very much achievable with the hair growth tips we share in this article. But first, you need to understand that it is not a goal you will achieve overnight.
According to celebrity hairstylist, Mark Townsend, “Hair typically grows only a quarter inch-a half and inch maximum per month.” Again, it is only possible if your hair is super healthy and is given the right hair treatment.
Many people who want to learn how to grow long hair would be curious to know how long it takes someone’s hair to grow. First, you are born with the total number of hair follicles you will ever have in your lifetime.
While we might have about 5 million hair follicles all over our body, the head has about 100,000 hair follicles. Also, as we get older, some of the follicles likely stop producing hair. This is when thinning or baldness sets in.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, our hair grows an average of inch per month. That means you get about 6-12 inches additional length in a year. Some people’s hair might grow faster or slower, depending on factors like age, hair type, and health condition.
The Stages of Hair Growth.
Just like every other part of our body has growth stages, the same applies to the hair. Generally, hair has three growth stages, which include:
Anagen: This is the hair’s active growth phase, which lasts between 2 to 8 years.
Catagen: This is the transition phase when the hair stops growing. This lasts for about 4 to 6 weeks.
Telogen: This is the resting phase when the hair starts falling out. It lasts for about 2 to 3 months. How long your hair’s anagen phase lasts depends on the length of your hair and also depends on the cells in the base of your follicles. Are they constantly multiplying to become hair cells.
How to Grow Long Hair?
If you want to learn how to grow long hair, here are useful tips to help you grow your hair longer, healthier, and faster.
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Give Attention to Your Scalp.
Investing in scalp care is crucial for hair growth. Remember that the dermis and epidermis are layers of your skin related to your scalp, and within the dermis lies your hair follicles, nerves, blood vessels, collagen.
Thus, giving your scalp proper care using the right products like scalp oil, serum, masks, and stimulating agents e.g. tea tree, peppermint, etc. can significantly impact the rate at which your hair grows as well as the health of hair fiber.
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Check Out Hair Growth Vitamins.
Let’s start by noting that hair supplements don’t offer a ‘magical’ or ‘miraculous’ way of achieving instant hair growth, but they can be quite helpful.
Normally, if you eat healthily, your body should be able to synthesize vitamins that will boost hair growth naturally. But if you are not getting enough of the balanced meals and are always stressed, you should consider getting vitamin supplements such as folic acid, biotin, Vitamins A, C, D, and E.
It would be best if you also considered talking to your doctor before taking the vitamins.
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Give Your Hair Frequent Trimmings.
Some experts still debate the role of hair trimming in hair growth, but the fact remains that if you want your hair to look healthy, you need that constant trimming- it shouldn’t be negotiated.
If you leave your hair with frayed and split ends, it will eventually lead to the hair breaking farther up the strand, prevent it from getting longer at some point, and make it look thinner. You should see a stylist every 12 weeks to cut off just about an eighth of an inch of your hair to prevent split ends.
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Condition More and Shampoo Less.
People usually make the mistake of doing the opposite, but that is wrong. If you want to grow long hair, then conditioner should be your best friend and not shampoo.
Even though shampoos’ role is to wash off dirt and accumulated products, most of them contain harsh ingredients like sulfates, which strips off the natural oils you need for hair to grow long and healthy. Use shampoos that are sulfate-free. On the other hand, conditioning helps prevent split ends, replaces the proteins and lipids in the hair, and prevents hair damage.
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Avoid Heat Hair Tools and Rinse with Cold Water.
The use of hair styling tools like curling wands, straighteners; hot combs, etc. are quite prevalent. However, it would help if you considered putting them down for a while.
Such treatment styles we are quick to use causes lots of damages, which might not help you, gain the long hair growth you seek. Don’t overuse them. Some experts also believe that washing off hair with cold water can boost hair growth as the cold water used will help prevent snags, moisture loss, and heat damage.
Factors that Affect Hair Growth.
The rate at which people’s hair grows varies. While reading up on how to grow long hair, you should also understand that other factors might play a role in how fast or how long your hair grows.
Some of the factors that can affect hair growth include:
- Genetics;
- Hormonal changes;
- Age;
- Medications;
- Stress;
- Lack of nutrition;
- Trauma, which can cause damage to hair follicles;
- Diseases;
- General health condition.
Does Diet Matter when it Comes to Hair Growth?
Don’t think because you take in food via the oral route; it doesn’t affect your hair. Whatever you consume affects every system, organ, cell, and fiber of your body-including your hair.
Scientists have noted that consuming certain dietary constituents can boost the growth of hair. Foods rich in Vitamin H or biotin have been indicated to help with hair development, as they help in food metabolism and keep the body protein level high.
You can find biotin in cheese, milk, eggs, nuts, sardines, cooked liver, salmon, avocado, and cauliflower.
Hair doesn’t grow overnight. However, if you are patient with it and make a conscious effort to grow your hair and apply the tips we provided above, you are sure to note positive results.
Read the article: Regular Hair Care for Growth and Strengthening
