Most people agree that long hair is attractive, but sometimes letting go of hair can be very slow because the rate at which your hair grows is often individual and is genetically inherited in the human body.
Hair growth is a complex process that requires mostly great patience, consistency and efforts to continue.
However, there are quite effective ways to stimulate hair growth naturally, outside of beauty and hair salons. But first you need to understand what affects this procedure.
How fast does hair really grow?
We are all born with the total amount of hair follicles we will ever have in our lifetime.
There may be about 5 million on our body, but our head has about 100,000 follicles. As we age, some follicles stop producing hair, this is how baldness or thinning of hair occurs.
The European Academy of Dermatology says hair grows about 2 cm per month on average. That’s a total of about 25 centimeters per year for hair on the head.
How fast your hair grows will depend on your:
- aged
- A certain type of hair
- overall health
- other health conditions
Science has revealed little about how hair growth is controlled at the cellular level in the body, but not enough to know how we can directly improve hair growth.
In the following article, learn 6 interesting tips on how to accelerate hair growth naturally and how to use this knowledge to get lush, healthy and beautiful hair.
3 stages of hair growth
Hair growth comes in three stages, and each strand of hair follows its own timeline. These are three stages:
The average scalp has 90-95 percent of the hair follicles in the anagen phase. This means that about 5-10 percent are in the telogen phase, which makes 100-150 hairs that fall out every day.
Can you increase the anagen phase for hair growth?
How long the anagens phase lasts depends on how long your hair is and if the cells in your base of the follicle continue to multiply and become hair cells.
Hair grows because matrix cells will lose part of their structure by the time they reach the upper follicle. The structure of shedding combines with keratins to form strands of hair that come out on to the surface of your skin.
Researchers are still studying what drives our bodies to “turn on” the anagen phases. But there are steps you can take to promote healthy hair during the anagene phase.
How to stimulate hair growth naturally
Hair consists of keratin and dead skin cells. While there is no direct method to speed up hair growth overnight, there are steps you can take to keep your hair healthy and long.
Before trying supplements such as biotin, keratin or other dietary supplements, talk to your doctor. These dietary supplements may be incompatible with certain medications you are already taking and cause unintended side effects.
1. Stick to vitamins and nutrients
Although many companies promote vitamins or supplements for hair growth, they do not directly affect the length of the hair. But the body needs a lot of energy for the hair to grow. Missing balanced meals and nutrients can affect hair growth.
It’s best to take vitamins and nutrients from your diet, but supplements you might be interested in include:
- Omega-3 and 6 – In a study of 120 healthy women, the omega-3 and -6 group had less hair loss and improved hair density.
- Zinc – Zinc can only affect those who have zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency plays a role in hair loss.
- B-5 and biotin – There is no evidence that it works on people who do not have a biotin deficiency. A study that looked at dietary supplements containing biotin and zinc found that they help reduce hair decay and improve hair quality and strength.
- Vitamin C – There is evidence that the antioxidant effects of vitamin C can prevent oxidative stress that causes hair to turn gray and decay.
- Iron – Iron can only work if you have an iron deficiency. However, there is insufficient evidence of an association between iron deficiency and hair loss.
- Vitamin D – It can only work if you have alopecia or hair loss. One study found that people with alopecia have lesswith vitamin D.
2. Use essential oils
Put a few drops in your shampoo or dilute with jojoba oil. One study found that pumpkin seeds increased the number of hairs in men with hair loss by as much as 40 percent.
Avoid applying essential oils directly to the scalp. You can dilute the essential oil with a few drops of base portable oil and then apply.
Two other essential oils that can help include rosemary and mint oil. The results of individual studies suggest that these oils may benefit for improved hair growth.
You can also mix these essential oils with other base oils that prevent hair damage, such as:
- coconut oil
- sunflower seed oil
- mineral oil
- castor
3. Try topical creams
Topical fats are mainly for people experiencing hair loss. This will help your hair grow better.
Studies show that these products are effective in the treatment of alopecia and accelerate hair growth:
- Melatonin – reduces hair loss and increases hair density
- minoxidil – 5 percent slows down hair loss
- propecia – a drug used to treat hair loss
- ketoconazole shampoo – dandruff remedy
4. Try keratin supplements
There aren’t many studies on the effects of protein, keratin, and vitamins on hair health. One study looked at a product that contains 500 milligrams of keratin and other vitamins and minerals.
The group that took the keratin supplement showed:
5. Use proteins
Protein helps your hair grow and protects it from chemical and environmental damage. If you stylize or apply heat to your hair frequently, you can use a protein treatment to protect your hair.
You can buy them online or use coconut oil at home. Coconut oil helps reduce protein lost before and after washing your hair.
Too much protein can affect your kidneys. It can also cause your hair to become brittle, although this is rare.
It is best to take protein from the diet, not dietary supplements. You can get protein from vegetables, nuts, yogurt and other foods.
6. Feed your follicles caffeine
Studies are still new on the effects of caffeine on hair growth, but cellular research has shown that caffeine can have effects that can accelerate hair growth.
Using caffeinated hair products as an added ingredient can help.
What factors can affect hair growth?
There are several factors that can affect hair growth, including:
- Genetics or family history of hair loss
- hormonal changes
- lack of nutrition
- drugs
- stress
- trauma that damages the follicles
- other diseases or conditions
It is important to note that if you experience unexplained and severe hair loss, you should schedule a follow-up examination with your doctor, as certain diseases and health conditions can cause hair loss.
Hair growth during and after pregnancy
Women who are pregnant may notice that their hair actually grows faster. And women who have just given birth to a baby may feel like they’re losing their hair faster than usual.
This is because during pregnancy the hormone estrogen actually causes a woman to have a higher ratio of hair follicles in the growth phase.
After the baby is born, the hair follicles return to the “dormancy” phase, appearing as if your hair is falling out.
Bottom line
Most of the factors that control hair growth are beyond our daily supervision. The best step you can take is to prevent hair loss and hair loss due to poor nutrition.
Be sure to eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated. Talk to your doctor if you have noticed significant hair loss.