How Long Does It Take For Hair To Grow Back - Growth & Tips

Let's face it - We all have doubts about our hair.

No matter how careful we are, what products we use, or what treatments we follow on the internet, there's always a question of dissatisfaction when it comes to hair growth.

All of us are impressed by Rapunzel, but no one wants to wait as she did - We want our results fast.

So how long one should wait?

How long does it take for your hair to grow naturally?

According to the AAD, our hair grows an average of ½ inch per month. That's a grand total of 6 inches per year for all the hair you have on your head.

Here's a simple graph to help you understand more:

 How fast your hair grows will depend on your:

• Hair type
• Age
• Health
• and scalp condition

Science has discovered a lot of things about hair growth and how you can effectively improve it. Read on to learn the science behind hair growth knowledge and how you can best utilize it.

Read More: Amla Powder for Hair - Benefits and DIY Hair Growth Mask

Understanding the Hair Growth Cycle

Everyone's hair goes through different stages in life. Contrary to popular opinion, some stages takes faster than others or alternatively can be delayed because of various reasons. To simply understand it, there are three stages of our hair growth process:

• Growth Phase (anagen): This phase lasts for 2 to 8 years. During this time, our hair grows the fastest.
• Transition Phase (catagen): This phase lasts for 4-6 weeks. During this time, our hair stops growing naturally.
• Resting Phase (telogen): The final stage of hair growth that lasts for 2 to 3 months. During this time, our hair starts to fall off, resulting in baldness or thin hair.

In the anagen phase, an average scalp has 95% of the hair follicles. This means about 5% are in the catagen phase, which accounts an average of 100 hair strands falling every day. Each strand completes a life cycle before falling and repeats the process until a new phase arrives.

Now the main question... Can we alter this natural cycle?

Yes, without disruption to the natural lifecycle of growing and shedding, you can expect your hair to accumulate length, by following different strategies.

Tips on How to grow hair faster

While there are plenty of ways you can follow to improve your hair growth, here are some dos and donts that you should keep in mind.

Dos

• Healthy scalp = Healthy hair

The more you invest in your scalp, the better your hair health. Choose the right product that nourishes your scalp, like a hair mask, oils, shampoo, and other product that promotes health. Make sure the products you use are natural and rich with scalp-growth ingredients. This will help minimise the shedding of hair loss.

• Frequently trim your split ends

Your old hair will wear and tear because of the environmental pollution or the product you use, resulting in split ends.

Split ends aren’t good news and can really affect your hair growth process if you’re not careful. If they grow, they can travel to your hair shaft and can do severe damage. So, to save yourself from such loss, trim your hair every 10 to 12 weeks for just an inch or two.

• Eat the right food

Apart from using good hair products, you need a proper nutrition-filled diet to strengthen your hair from the inside.

So, add protein-rich foods like fish, nuts, beans, and whole grains to your diet. This will naturally boost your hair follicles and improve each phase of the growth process. Some other supplements that you should include in your diet:

• Omega-3 and 6
• B-5 and biotin
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Zinc

• Use natural shampoo

As much as you want to get rid of the dirt from your hair, do not completely rely on cleaning products like shampoo and conditioners.

You see, these products are made of sulfates, a product that is too effective at cleaning dirt from your hair that it also wipes out the natural oil production of your scalp. This results in dull, dry, and brittle hair.

Now, the best way to clean your hair is to use shampoo and conditioners that are made with sulfate-free ingredients. Using this way, you can clean your scalp without affecting the natural growth process.

Also Read: Sulfate in Shampoo – Why should you avoid it and use Sulfate-free products

Don’ts

• Don't wash your hair with hot water

Although a hot shower feels comforting in winter, it will not help you with your hair growth. You see hot shower tends to open your hair shaft, which leads to moisture loss allowing heat damage to enter your strand. Instead, wash your tresses with lukewarm or cold water since it retains the natural oil production of your strands.

• Don't brush wet hair

Brushing your hair is a good way to stimulate growth and remove knots from your tresses. It is like exercising but for your hair.

However, that's not the case with wet hair, as it is the dampest and can lead to susceptible breakage.

And for someone who wants to grow their hair faster, that’s not a good idea. Make sure it's completely dry, or you do it in the middle after a wash. You can always invest in a detangling spray or a wide-tooth comb that immediately detangles your hair.

• Limit your usage of heat styling products

Some people are obsessed with hair styling, and they very well know the side effect of this.

Sure, we know that hair styling products can help you tame your look - Like no other. But it comes at a cost, a cost that you will surely pay at some point. Over-styling can damage your precious mane and make it prone to breakage. So, make sure you limit this and invest in natural products that deep condition your hair.