Who doesn’t know the eternal struggle: if you are just happy with your hair length, you have to go to the hairdresser again. Voilà, you’re back to square one. So you will never get that Rapunzel haircut. How fast does hair actually grow and are there tricks to boost your hair growth? We looked into it in detail (ha ha).
How fast does hair grow per week?
Your hair grows about one centimeter per month. That is an average of 12 centimeters per year. How quickly hair grows can vary slightly from person to person. The time of year also affects how quickly your hair grows. Perhaps you have noticed it yourself: your locks grow faster in the summer.
Hair growth is a bit more complicated than people think. It’s not like your hair will continue to grow forever. “A scalp hair grows in length for about two to six years and then enters a kind of resting phase,” says Kurt Stenn, a former professor of dermatology at Yale University. “Then the maximum length has been reached. After a few months it falls out to make room for a new blade.” The length of a hair’s growth phase depends on your gender and age.
The phases of a hair
How quickly a single hair grows and how long it can become depends on the phase the hair is in. The hair on our heads has three phases: the anagen, the catagen and the telogen phase. The first phase is the growth phase and can last about 3 to 5 years. There are also exceptions where the phase lasts 10 years. About 90% of your scalp hair is in this phase. Then your hair enters the second phase: the hair is then ‘disconnected’ from the hair follicle. This only takes about 1 to 2 weeks. In the final phase the hair falls out. This usually happens after about 3 to 6 months. When this shedding phase ends, a new growth phase of the hair follicle begins. Even if you pull out a hair by the root, the hair follicle responds by producing a new hair.
How fast does hair grow by cutting?
Many people think that a haircut will make your hair grow again or faster. Is this true? The answer is ‘no’. Hairs are actually dead cells without nerves: your hair has no idea that it has been to the hairdresser. “The only one who knows about this is you,” says Stenn. “This does not change the hair growth, although it may look healthier and thicker because the worn hair ends have been removed.” Moreover, the shorter the hair, the faster it seems to grow.
Ways to make your hair grow faster
Now that we have answered the question ‘how fast does hair grow’, the second question follows: ‘can you make your hair grow faster?’. The answer is ‘yes’, but there is a ‘but.’ There are no miracle cures for Rapunzel locks, but the following methods can help.
1. Brushing
Of course! Brushing your hair can promote hair growth. The brushing movement stimulates and activates the hair follicles. Running a brush through your hair once or twice a day is sufficient. Make sure you brush gently, otherwise your hair will break quickly.
2. More protein
Protein is an important source for hair growth. Proteins are found in food (eggs, meat, milk, fish), various hair masks and aloe vera.
3. Drink water
Water is good for everyone. Water supports your body in building hair. Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water daily to keep your hair in top condition.
4. Sunlight
Maybe you already knew that your hair grows faster in the summer than in the winter. Did you also know why? It is thanks to the vitamin D that your skin produces itself through sunlight that your locks grow long faster in the summer. Be careful not to burn your scalp!
5. Good care
So one hair grows on average for 3 to 5 years… you should check how old your lower ends are. Because they have been around for many years, they can become dry. Pamper your locks with an oil-based hair mask every week, especially in your ends.
6. Inversion method
A few years ago the term suddenly appeared everywhere: the inversion method. Or in Dutch: the inversion method. Thanks to this trick, your hair would grow about an inch in one week. So that’s what normally takes 2.5 months! In this video, beauty blogger Tara Michelle explains how and what the method is. And yes: it really works!
