How to make your hair grow faster could be your inquiries and other questions like are there any products that help hair grow faster? Can dietary changes accelerate hair growth? What about medications and their treatments?
In this article, we will answer these questions. We will also look at what affects hair growth and what steps you can take to improve hair growth.
Before going deeper into the articles, let us understand that many factors cause hair growth, but one of the most overlooked factors is physical stimulation, such as massaging the scalp. It turns out that massaging your scalp with some natural ingredients can help your hair grow faster (1).
With many natural treatment options, it’s possible to get the hair you have been dreaming of. Remember, no substance or method makes hair grow faster from the roots. Instead, follow these tips to keep your hair healthy and strong, reduce damage and increase hair length.
Can you speed up hair growth?
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), hair grows quickly and can expect to grow about 6 inches per year. The average growth rate is 0.5-1.7 cm per month and depends on a person’s genetics, age, hormones, and sex. The fact is, we cannot control these things.
However, diet and nutrition can determine how healthy your hair is, and some deficiencies can slow down hair growth. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle can help improve hair growth and appearance in some people.
9 Tips on how to make your hair grow faster
Genetics plays a vital role in maintaining healthy hair growth, but many other factors also play a role. There is no magic potion that helps your hair grow instantly, but there are steps you can take to help your hair recover and slow down hair loss.
If you're looking for a way to make your hair grow faster, take a look at this list of the best methods on how to help your hair grow faster, naturally! If you want to speed up your hair growth, keep these simple tips in mind!
1. Trim your hair frequently
If you want healthy long hair, you need to trim it regularly.
Trimming your hair won’t make your hair grow faster but, they will eliminate the split ends that destroy it, as explained by Michael Dueñas, a famous hairstylist based in Aloxxi, Los Angeles. After all, broken split ends can cause hair to grow longer, not to mention shine, volume, and softness (2).
If left untreated, split ends will extend up the hair shaft and cause more breaks, which means that the only thing that will grow is your frustration, leading to depression.
Townsend suggests asking your hairdresser to only take an inch of your hair every 10-12 weeks to prevent split ends before you start.
2. Avoid stressing yourself
Did you know that the rate at which your hair grows can be influenced by stress?
Stress can cause the hair follicles to shrink, which in turn slows down the hair growth rate.
Stress indeed has more than one effect on the body, but it may be the cause of hair loss in some people (3).
Some autoimmune hair and scalp disorders that cause splitting hairs, such as alopecia areata, can be exacerbated by stress. Relieve stress using traditional oriental healing techniques or meditate for a few minutes a day.
3. Eat protein and biotin-rich food
Hair grows from the base of hair follicles, which are made up of protein cells. You should follow a diet rich in biotin and protein to promote protein composition for fast hair growth.
You should eat foods rich in biotin. It also has many benefits for strengthening the body, including strengthening nails and eyelashes.
A balanced diet with enough protein is important for optimal hair growth. In general, it is recommended to consume at least 50 grams of protein per day.
Here’s a list of Biotin and protein-rich foods to make your hair grow faster:
- Almonds, Peanuts, Pecans, and Walnuts
- Eggs (the yolk is preferred)
- Milk and Cheese
- Pork and Cooked Liver
- Salmon and Sardines
- Avocado
An amino acid called cysteine is also essential for faster growth of your hair and the sources of amino acid may include:
- cottage cheese
- yogurt
- fish
- poultry
- soya
- lentils
- peas
- broad beans
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds
- pistachios
- peanuts
4. Focus on healthy fats
Gaunitz says that eating healthy fats like avocado and olive oil can promote hair growth. “High levels of vegetable omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation on the scalp. Drinking two or more glasses of vegetable oil per day can help reduce inflammation and improve hair growth”.
A study found that taking 400 mg capsules of pumpkin seed oil daily can promote male hair growth. After 24 weeks, men taking pumpkin seed oil increased their hair volume by 40%. (4)
Healthy fats are essential for healthy hair. Since our body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids on its own, it is important to obtain these fats through our diet. They nourish the hair follicles and give the hair a strong and shiny luster. Food sources containing omega-3’s may include salmon, tuna, flaxseed, walnuts, soybean, and canola oil.
5. Sleep on a silk pillowcase
Silk pillowcases can reduce acne and even make your hair healthy. Silk pillowcases do not affect hair growth, but reduce hair damage, improve quality and ultimately increase hair length.
Silk pillowcases are more beneficial to hair health than cotton. Cotton absorbs all the moisture from your hair and causes tangles and breaks.
Although this will not necessarily speed up the hair growth process, sleeping on a silk pillowcase will reduce friction and make the hair surface smoother.
6. Scalp massage to stimulate hair growth
A healthy scalp is a basis for healthy hair growth. Research supports the idea that scalp massage is beneficial for stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart rate (1).
An easy way to make your hair grow faster at home is to massage your scalp. It increases blood flow to the scalp, strengthens the hair follicles, and provides quick access to nutrients from the hair follicles.
You can massage your scalp with dry hair, but the effect is doubled by adding oils rich in nutrients to the mixture.
7. Keep your hair moisturized
According to Anthoney Dickey, a hairstylist, “The hair on your head is probably the driest thing on the body, and if you are trying to grow it longer, you need to keep it moisturized.”
The outermost layer of hair called the cuticle is left open when it is dry. Conditioning your hair can help in sealing the cuticle and locking down water and nutrients inside the hair.
Some need only simple conditioners depending on the hair types, while others require a moisturizing hair mask and weekly oil treatment.
8. Consume foods rich in antioxidants
As people get older, their hair also gets thinned. This shows that hair also ages like that of other body parts. “Your body needs adequate nutrients to support healthy hair,” says registered dietitian Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN.
You should consume foods rich in antioxidants and others in the form of hair oils and serums to help protect you from free radical damages.
9. Castor oil treatment
Castor oil has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that help fight scalp infections that inhibit hair growth.
It contains omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, protein, and other nutrients to penetrate dry hair and fix the hair liver with moisture. The massage oil from the root helps the skin absorb all the nutrients and promotes hair growth.
To apply a hot oil treatment:
- massage the oil into your scalp, then apply to the ends of your hair
- cover it with a shower cap, and comb it with a hairdryer for 15 minutes
- Shower using shampoo and conditioner
Tips to help you grow hair faster for men
These tips can help you grow your hair faster.
- Let’s be a little gentle on your hair
- Get plenty of sleep
- Exercise to reduce stress
- Eat healthier foods
- Use conditioner on hair while showering
Tips to avoid hair damage
- Choose the shampoo that suits your hair type.
- Gently massage the shampoo onto the scalp. Use conditioner after each shampoo, focusing on the ends of the hair.
- Wrap with a microfiber towel to absorb more moisture into the hair.
- Avoid rubbing with a towel and thermal devices on your hair, such as curling tongs, hair straighteners, heat combs, and straighteners.
- Avoid using hair-tightening hairstyles, such as braids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What causes faster hair growth?
Many different factors can affect the rate of hair growth. For example, men may find that their hair grows faster than women. Other factors that affect the rate of hair growth include heredity, age, health, and pregnancy for women.
Q2. At what age does hair stops growing?
Many hair follicles stop producing new hair. Men can become bald from the age of 30. Many men become bald around the age of 60.
Conclusion
You can’t let your hair grow out overnight, but you can change your daily routine to ensure that your hair is as healthy as possible. If you want to grow your hair, keep it hydrated, minimize the use of heating tools, and stay away from the use of frequent hair dyes.
You can maintain the health and growth rate of the hair by maintaining a healthy diet and exploring natural remedies, such as massaging the scalp and using essential oils.
REFERENCES
- Koyama T, Kobayashi K, Hama T, Murakami K, Ogawa R. Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue. Eplasty. 2016;16:e8.
- Gavazzoni Dias MFR. Hair Cosmetics: An Overview. Int J Trichology. 2015;7(1):2-15. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.153450
- Peters EMJ, Müller Y, Snaga W, et al. Hair, and stress: A pilot study of hair and cytokine balance alteration in healthy young women under major exam stress. PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175904.
- Young Hye Cho C, Sang Yeoup L, Dong Wook J, et al. Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014; 2014: 549721. doi: 10.1155/2014/549721
