How To Grow Your Hair Faster

How Long Does It Take for Hair to Grow?

There isn’t a definite answer for how long it takes to grow a healthy head of hair or which hair care products work best to support healthy hair growth.

Hair growth is determined by many factors, including:

• Genetics - responsible for hair’s density, texture, length, and color. 

• Age - affects the rate of hair growth, density, and texture. 

• Nutritional deficiencies - impact the hair’s structure and growth rate.

• Hormones - Androgens such as testosterone, DHT, and androstenedione affect hair growth of terminal hair (eyebrows, eyelashes, armpit, and chest hair).

• Gender - Male hair grows faster than female hair; however, hair grows more rapidly for females during pregnancy due to hormonal changes.

On average, the human hair growth rate is about half an inch per month or six inches per year. Healthy men and women have an average of 80,000 to 120,000 terminal hairs on their scalp. 

Hair fall occurs on your scalp every day. Whether your mane sheds naturally or you are experiencing hair loss, there may be solutions to reverse or lessen the appearance of thinning hair. 

To understand how hair grows, you must first understand the four stages of hair growth. The Anagen, Catagen, Telogen, and Exogen phases of hair growth determine the length and luster of your hair. 

Stages of Hair Growth

Your hair grows in several stages, and each phase is essential to the growth process. When one stage is interrupted by outside stressors, hair loss may occur. Factors such as hormones, diet, and stress affect the growth stages. 

There are four phases to hair growth.

• Anagen Phase: the growth phase; your hair grows during this stage.

• Catagen Phase: the hairs go through a transitional phase, detach from the dermal papilla, and the follicle shrinks.

• Telogen Phase: the resting phase for hair strands. The hair follicles shrink, and some hair loss may occur, but new hairs are preparing for growth.

• Exogen Phase: This phase occurs within the telogen phase. It is the process by which the old hair falls, and new hair takes its place, cycling back to the anagen phase. 

Hair growth continues to cycle in the four stages unless you are experiencing some form of alopecia, or another underlying condition that impacts the hair regrowth cycle.

If you’re curious about how to make your hair grow faster and longer, consider the following suggestions.

How Do You Speed Up Hair Growth?

Half an inch of hair growth every month is nice, but what if you could potentially speed up the hair growth cycle? With the proper hair care and a little TLC, you’ll be on your way to improved hair health in no time. Consider the following tips. 

Use a Scientifically-Formulated Shampoo

Know your locks and use hair products designed for your specific hair type. Read product labels to determine whether the ingredients benefit or harm your hair and scalp. Avoid hair care products containing sulfates (often shown as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) on the back of the bottle), synthetic fragrances, and other chemicals such as parabens and phthalates.

Using the incorrect shampoo, conditioner, and styling products for your hair type can lead to lifeless, limp, and frizzy hair. And, if your scalp is irritated by any ingredient in your hair care that will also impact the health of your hair strands. After all, a healthy scalp is the basis for growing longer, stronger hair. 

Look for a shampoo that is made to give your strands a boost. Strengthening shampoo is a great option for repairing brittle, dry hair. 

Jupiter’s Balancing Shampoo helps to nourish the scalp and leaves hair feeling refreshed (and has been proven to reduce hair breakage by 30%!). This uniquely formulated shampoo encourages scalp health with its star active ingredient, Zinc Pyrithione, which helps control oil production on the scalp. An overproduction of oil not only leads to flaking, but can clog your pores and damage your hair follicles. 

Massage Your Scalp

Regularly massaging the scalp helps to stimulate blood circulation on the scalp. Increased blood flow may stimulate the hair follicles, resulting in an increase in hair thickness and can even encourage hair growth.

Pamper your scalp by using a specially-designed scalp brush before your next wash. Move the brush in a circular pattern across your entire scalp for a few minutes prior to hopping in the shower for a relaxing and therapeutic massage. 

Not only can a scalp massage stimulate blood flow, but it also helps relieve scalp tension and will exfoliate the surface of your scalp - clearing the scalp of buildup that can hinder hair growth.

Take Your Vitamins

Healthy hair growth comes from within. Have you considered that vitamin and mineral deficiencies and poor nutrition may be the culprit for your thinning hair? 

Eat a well-balanced diet, and incorporate nutritional scalp supplements into your daily routine to support a healthy, more moisturized scalp, encourage hair growth, and address hair loss.

The following vitamins and minerals are known to help promote a healthier body which in turn support your overall hair health. 

• Biotin: Shown to improve hair luster and strand thickness*

• Iron: produces hemoglobin in your red blood cells, needed for carrying oxygen-rich blood to help promote cell growth. 

• Zinc: promotes hair follicle growth and may help prevent follicle dormancy.

• Vitamin C: Antioxidants in vitamin C support hair health and skin cells by helping your body create the collagen necessary for hair growth. It also assists your body in absorbing iron. 

• Vitamin D: Some studies indicate a relation between vitamin D deficiency and alopecia areata (patchy baldness). They suggest that an increase in vitamin D may help support hair retention. 

Contact your doctor or dermatologist if you suspect a nutritional deficiency or lack of vitamins or minerals in your diet. 

Style Your Hair With Care

• Heat protectant: Spray on your dry or wet hair before using heated hair styling tools. This product protects the hair shaft from high heat damage. 

• Never brush wet hair, as this causes hair breakage and permanent damage.

• Wear loose hairstyles: Opt for a looser braid or bun, or wear your hair down to reduce tension on the hair strands. Loose styles also reduce your chance of experiencing traction alopecia (hair loss). 

• Visit a hairstylist: If hair color isn’t your forte, then leave the hair coloring and bleaching to a professional. At-home experimental hair coloring often leaves hair stressed, dry, and damaged.

• Get a trim: Frequent trims don’t make your hair grow faster, that’s a myth, but they do make it appear thicker and healthier. Plus, they get rid of split ends which reduce your hair’s length. 

What Affects Hair Growth?

Stress

Unhealthy Diets

Smoking

The Bottom Line

Thinning hair may not always foreshadow baldness, so don’t fret just yet. There are many ways to help support your hair and scalp’s health through healthy lifestyle choices and using the right products. 

Your hair undergoes several stages within the growth cycle to produce long, lustrous locks. It’s up to you to make the necessary changes to support its growth. Since healthy hair and a nourished scalp begins from within, it is crucial to ensure you’re giving your body the proper nutrients it needs through both a nutrient rich diet and scalp supplements packed with vitamins, botanicals, and aminos. Invest in a scalp care routine that eliminates flakes, reduces buildup, and supports your mane. 

Jupiter’s Balancing Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner can help do just that. These small, daily changes can potentially encourage hair growth, support your scalp’s microbiome, and may add up to long-lasting hair benefits in the long-run.