How To Grow Hair Faster – 15 Tricks That Work
In this post, we share the
mantras, tips and tricks on how to make your hair grow faster than ever
before. Whether you are suffering from hair growth problems or envious
of the
long and shiny locks
of your favorite movie star or want to get out of a disastrous hair
cut, we have the best solutions for all these hair issues! Read on for
more!
Before we begin, let us briefly look at the science
1.An average human has 1,00,000 hair follicles, each of which produce 20 hairs in a lifetime.
2. Each of our hair strands undergoes 3 stages: Anagen phase, Catagen phase and Telogen phase.
- About 90% of the hair on your scalp now is in the growth phase or the Anagen phase which usually takes around 5 years.
- During the Catagen phase, the hair follicle shrinks. This happens to 1% of hair strands and takes about a month’s time.
- And finally in the Telogen phase, the hair rests or falls off. This
happens to around 10 – 15% of the hair strands and this period last upto
5 months.
3. The rate of hair growth varies from person to person, but the average rate is about 15 centimetres or 6 inches per year.
4. Each hair strand completes its cycle and wears off. A person loses
about 50 to 100 of hair strands per day. On the day when you wash your
hair, you end up losing upto 250 strands. But if you lose more than this
range, you suffer from severe hair fall problem and should consult a
dermatologist.
Having seen this, let us understand what may case excess hair fall:
1. Genetics:
Genetics is one of the major
causes of hair fall.
It has been studied that 60% of the people inherit the problem of acute
hair fall. And sadly there are no treatments to cure hair fall caused
by heredity. However you can take care of your mane to delay the process
and make it healthy and shiny.
2. Improper diet:
A healthy diet is very important not only for our body, but also for
skin and hair. Our scalp cells needs proper nourishment and nutrition.
People who follow low protein diet can suffer protein deficiency which
leads to massive amount of hair shedding. So deficiency of vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients can cause hair fall and thinning of hair.
3. Prolong diseases:
Hair loss caused due to diseases or illness is mostly temporary and
it cures once the body returns to its healthy condition. Typhoid, flu,
fungus infection on the scalp (ringworm) etc causes hair fall.
Thyroid is another diease which leads to temporary hair fall, as both
underactive and over active thyroid glands is responsible for hair
loss. However it can easily be cured by proper medication from the
physician.
4. Stress:
Our present day lifestyles have long working hours and a hectic
schedule and stress is the subversive effect. Our scalp cells like other
body cells need relaxation and rejuvenation. Therefore practice yoga
and meditation to reduce the effects of stress and thus reduce hair
fall.
5. Cosmetics:
Use of chemical laden cosmetics causes severe hair fall, as these
chemicals clog your scalp pores by forming a layer over it. Most of the
shampoos and conditioners contain harsh chemicals which have adverse
effects on your hair. Thus avoid using them and switch to natural
products, you can use a mixture of amla, reetha and shikakai to wash
your hair. A hair pack of honey and eggs can be used as a natural
conditioner.
However there are some mechanical reasons also which cause hair fall
like excessive combing, hair styling (like dye, bleach, perming), tight
braids etc are.
1. Check what you eat:
I have already discussed that diet plays an important role for the
growth of healthy and lustrous hair. It is very important that you
nourish them from outside as well as inside. So,consider this one of the
mist important tips on how to increase hair growth. A well balanced
diet for healthy skin and hair
should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables and should be followed
religiously. Include nutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc, iron and
calcium as they prevent hair loss. You know that our hair is composed of
“keratin”- a protein, so have a protein rich diet which consists of
soybean, cheese, milk, fish, chicken etc. Stay away from that junk and
processed food as it inhibits hair growth. Here is a detailed article
on
foods that help hair growth.
2. Dietary supplements:
To regulate the growth of the hair naturally, include dietary
supplements such as bio vitamins, multivitamins and omega 3 fatty acids.
They are also found in green leafy vegetables, cereals, peas, fish,
beans, almonds, yoghurt etc. However before taking any supplements in
the form of tablets or capsules, consult your physician as some people
may be allergic to them. Here is a list of essential
vitamins for hair growth that will help answer the question of how to improve hair growth.
3. Drink more water:
Do you know that our hair consists of 95 % protein and 5 % water?
Therefore it is important that you should drink 10-12 glasses of water
daily, to keep your grow hair faster and keep it nourished and healthy.
4. Regular exercise:
Regular exercise not only keeps our body healthy but also encourages
hair growth. 20 minutes of regular exercise such as yoga, meditation,
walking, jogging, dancing, cycling etc improves blood circulation and
helps the nutrients to penetrate into our scalp. Here is a detailed
post on
8 Yoga exercises that protect your hair.
5. Proper sleep:
Do not forget to include 8 hours of sleep in your daily routine. Lack
of sleep causes hair fall, dark circles, pigmentation, dull skin and a
stressful mind. A peaceful sleep is important for healthy mind and body.
Try to sleep on silk pillowcase as it will be soft on your hair by
causing less friction.
6. Regular trimming:
Split ends are one of the major reasons which inhibit hair growth. If
your hair is dry and damaged, then you are bound to have split ends.
Therefore trim your hair every 3 months to get rid of split ends and
encourage hair growth. Remember; never prick your split ends as it would
further aggravate your problem. Click here for more
long hair tips.
7. Cleansing:
Wash your hair regularly to keep it clean and healthy. The sebum
produced by the oil glands form a layer over the scalp and inhibits the
growth of hair. However do not use chemical laden products, instead opt
for natural shampoos and conditioners. But frequent shampooing is also
harmful as it will make it dry, stripped and prone to breakage, so wash
your hair twice a week to keep it squeaky clean and healthy.
8. Hot oil massages:
Nothing can be more soothing than a
hot oil massage
with your favourite aromatic oils. Oil massage improves blood
circulation to the roots of your hair and encourages hair growth. You
can various oils such as coconut, almond, olive, jojoba or rosemary oil
for regular massages. Use a towel dipped in hot water to cover your hair
after the massage as it helps in penetrating the oil into your scalp
opening the pores.
9. Protect your hair:
Pollution, sun and dust can have adverse affects on your tresses.
They make your hair dry and damaged by stripping off the natural oils
from the scalp and inhibit the hair growth. Wear a hat or cover your
head with a silk scarf when you step outside. Avoid tight hairstyles
such as high ponytails, tight braids, cornrows as they put a stress on
your hair making them loose form the roots and cause hair fall. Do not
comb wet hair as they are easily prone to breakage.
10. Natural Hair Pack:
Apart from all these, you obviously have the best and safest option of the various
homemade remedies for hair growth.
You can use amla, fenugreek seeds, onion juice, avocado etc for
effective results. However these remedies may take a long time and thus
you have to be patient with these.
Here are 5
natural hair packs to help your hair grow faster.
In most cases, it has been observed that by the regulation of diet,
exercising, healthy hair practices and regulating the stress levels,
people have successfully been able to control even the severe hair fall
problem
11. Consult a Dermatologist:
However if you have tried all the home remedies without any success
or have the genetic disorder of hair fall, you can try prescription for a
hair growth treatment.
In this treatment, firstly consult a dermatologist so that he or she
can study about your problem. By his or her advice, you can take
supplements and undergo medications.
12. Homoeopathy for hair loss:
We all are familiar with homeopathic treatment, as it has very less
side effects as compared to allopathic treatments. They are clinically
proven to give you effective, but give slow response. So be patient when
you choose homeopathic treatment.
13. Rogaine for hair growth:
Rogaine (minoxidil) is widely famous as the only non-prescription
hair growth treatment. It is a topical treatment that stimulates hair
growth and also
prevents hair loss. Rogaine is safe for application for both men and women. You can easily buy Rogaine at any local drugstore.
14. Hair extensions:
The fastest way to make your hair appear longer is to use
hair extensions.
These are of varying lengths, straight or wavy and different colours
used to accentuate your look. They look chic and trendy and are the
quickest solution.
15. Simple tricks to make your hair look longer:
Apart from hair extensions, there are a few hair styling options that
make your hair look longer than it actually is. These could include Straightening, Middle parting, Adding layers etc.
Avoid doing these:
1. Hair colour:
Most of the hair colours contain ammonia, which is an industrial
bleaching agent. It can play havoc on your hair by making it dry and
damaged. Excessive use of hair colours can lead to hair fall by damaging
the hair follicles. Instead of chemicals try natural options like
Henna. It colours as well as conditions your hair making it soft,
smooth and healthy hair. You can also use coffee or cinnamon powder.
2. Hair treatment:
Every other day we fancy different hair styles, sometimes straight, perm or wavy. But do you know that these
hair treatments
use a lot of harsh chemicals which lead to severe hair fall. Regular
hair straightening also leads to split ends, and once it starts
splitting, you have to continuously chop them to let your hair grow. Try
to avoid them as much as possible and start loving your natural
tresses.
3. Do not brush your wet hair:
This is the one of the biggest mistakes people generally make by
combing or brushing their hair while it’s still wet. Never do this.
Instead wait for them to get dried naturally, gently detangle and then
comb them softly.
4. Avoid hot water:
Do not use hot water while rinsing your hair. It makes your hair very
dry and brittle. Always use cool water as it allows the cuticle to
smooth out and lie flat, thus giving you soft and manageable hair.
5. Tight hairstyles and rubber bands:
When you tie your hair into a tight ponytail or braid, the hair gets
pulled from the roots and stressed it. This makes them loose from the
roots and thus more prone to breakage. It makes the hair weak and thus
causes permanent damage. Rubber bands also pull out the hair from the
roots causing extensive damage to the mane. The hair becomes weak and
hurts the scalp.
I hope you found these mantras, tips and tricks helpful for growing
you hair faster. Do try them and discover your beautiful tresses.
Till then take care and keep it stylish!