Our tips for long hair growth

There are many myths that claim to achieve long hair growth in short periods of time. For your hair to grow 6 inches in a year, effective hair maintenance needs to be observed. So we’ve put together our 6 “dos and don’ts” for hair growth, and our tips for hair care.

Summary

1. Why won’t my hair grow?
2. 6 dos and don’ts for long hair growth
3. How long does it take to grow long hair?
4. How does the scalp provide nutrients to the hair?
5. Conclusion

Why won’t my hair grow?

To address this question, we should first look at how hair grows and the science behind hair. Interestingly, we are all born with all the hair follicles we’ll have during our lifespan. Which adds up to around 5 million hair follicles – 100,000 of those are located on the scalp.

Where does hair grow from?

Hair grows from a root that lives under the hair follicle in your skin. Blood travels to the hair follicles which supplies them with nutrients and oxygen. This feeds the root of the hair and encourages cell production and hair growth.

What is the hair growth process?

As your hair grows, it begins to protrude out from the surface of your skin, passing through an oil gland. At this point, the oil gland adds oil to the hair, resulting in a soft and shiny hair strand.

The hair is alive until now, but as it continues to grow out of the skin’s surface it dies. Yes, hair is in fact dead – hence why it doesn’t hurt when you get a hair cut.

What causes hair growth to slow down?

The rate of hair growth decreases when the scalp and hair follicles aren’t looked after correctly. Over-washing, heat damage, harsh hair products and hair dye are the main causes of slow hair growth.

Over-washing and heat damage cause natural oils from the scalp to be stripped from the hair and scalp. When the hair is continuously stripped from natural hair oils the hair is more susceptible to breakage. Therefore long hair growth is hindered.

6 dos and don’ts for long hair growth

To maintain healthy hair growth there are some main dos and don’ts:

• Don’t: Style the hair in ways that pull or put stress on the hair. Wearing your hair in a ponytail or tight hairstyles pulls against the scalp. This damages the strength of the hair and causes strands to fall out.
• Do: Use a hair mask/ deep conditioner occasionally, e.g. once a week, to keep hair fibres subtle and prevent breakage. This will support long hair growth.
• Don’t: Rub the hair with a rough towel to dry it. Use a microfibre towel instead as this is more gentle on the hair fibres. Rough towel drying damages the cuticles of the hair and thus damages it at its core.
• Do: Choose a shampoo that’s gentle on the structure of the hair and focuses on promoting hair growth. This type of shampoo will cleanse the hair while replenishing the oils and nutrients that are needed for healthy hair.
• Don’t: Over-wash your hair. Over-washing your hair causes all the essential oils from the scalp to be stripped from the hair too intensely. Of course, you don’t want your hair to become greasy, but on the other hand, you shouldn’t dry it out.
• Do: Get regular haircuts. This may sound like it’s counterproductive but trimming the hair to remove split ends promotes hair growth. If split ends are left, the hairs continue to split and prevent the hair from gaining length.

How long does it take to grow long hair?

How fast does hair grow? There’s an average rate at which healthy hair grows but “normal” hair growth varies from person to person. Hair is the second-fastest-growing part of the human body after bone marrow.

Yearly, healthy hair grows almost 6 inches, causing people to ask “why does my hair take so long to grow?” when they don’t see this level of growth. When hair health is neglected, the growth slows down. Even though it’s one of the fastest-growing parts of the body, long hair growth can take a while.

Although the average rate for hair growth is approximately ½ inch per month. Long hair growth also depends on:

• Age
• Hair type
• General health

The rate of hair growth slows down with age as some hair follicles stop growing hair. This not only slows down hair growth but it also causes hair to become thin. Genetics are the main factor that controls the growth of hair. But there are methods that can help to promote healthy hair growth and work to prevent hair loss.

Does a healthy scalp mean healthy hair?

A healthy scalp promotes the production of long hair growth and prevents many causes of pattern hair loss. The scalp of the head is comprised of the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue.

The health of these tissue layers is related to good nutrition and hair care products. This plays a major role in hair growth and the thickness of your hair.

How does the scalp provide nutrients to the hair?

Think of the scalp as the “topsoil” in a garden. Topsoil that’s full of nutrients is essential for the growth of quality plants. The better the topsoil, the better the plants. This is the same for hair growth. A scalp that’s full of vital nutrients will boost hair growth and decrease shedding.

There’s no quick solution or “hair fertilisers” that will cause rapid long hair growth. But consuming the right amount of vitamins, applying a scalp treatment, using mild shampoos and maintaining the appropriate moisture level of the scalp works to maintain a healthy scalp.

When the scalp is healthy, it functions as intended and provides the hair follicles and hair strands with sufficient nutrients to nourish the hair as it grows. The oil glands will function as they should, and supply the hair with the vital oils that it needs. These oil glands also cause the hair the become greasy if the scalp isn’t cleansed.

Why is it important to shampoo your hair and scalp?

The build-up of oil, dead skin cells and hair products prevent the hair follicles from growing hair efficiently. When all the build-up sits on the scalp for too long it clogs the hair follicles. So although the production of oil is important for the hair, it’s also just as important to remove the build-up of excess oil.

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Conclusion

To achieve long hair growth, correct hair care routines need to be observed. Correct hair care improves the overall health of the hair while also preventing hair loss.

Nourishing those 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp maintains the hairs integral strength. So ensuring that hair is considered as an important part of your daily routine is essential.

In summary, gentle brushing, mild shampoo, regular hair cuts, deep hair conditioners, and consuming the right nutrients will all work towards long hair growth.

Main things to avoid include stripping the hair of its natural oils too often thus drying the scalp. And being too rough with the hair through rough towel drying and harsh brushing which pulls on the hair.

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