How Can You Make Hair Grow Faster?
1. Scalp Care
Scalp Care includes monthly exfoliation and detoxification, as well as hydrating and massaging the scalp on a regular basis. Learn all about Anastasia's latest brain child, S C A L P - O L O G Y . She is currently proving the concept by building out the service and clientele. The goal is to transition into a dedicated hair spa space by the end of 2025! She is offering all her Hair Painting clients this service at 50% off for the rest of the year, so get in on it while you can! You can book through The Hair Painter or at Scalp-ology.com
2. Consistent Trims
While trimming doesn’t speed up growth directly, it allows for length retention. Getting regular trims (even a dry dusting counts!) prevents split ends from building up. Over time, split ends cause length loss due to constant fraying and breakage. When you trim, the fraying is halted and the strands can continue to grow out with strength.
3. Avoid Tight Hairstyles
Consistently wearing tight ponytails, buns, or braids can cause traction alopecia (hair loss due to pulling). Opt for loose styles to protect your follicles.
4. Use a Silk or Satin Pillowcase
Sleeping on silk or satin reduces friction, preventing breakage and split ends while helping hair retain moisture.
5. Don't Sleep with Wet Hair
Speaking of sleep, try to avoid going to bed with wet hair. Hair is at its weakest when wet—imagine the difference between pulling a wet spaghetti noodle versus a dry one while holding onto each end. While not that fragile, the concept is similar, and wet hair is more prone to breakage and damage.
6. Scalp and Hair Oiling
On wash day, or the day before, try applying this oil mixture on your hair and scalp. You can tie it back in a sleek look and then make sure to shampoo it out 2-3x. Here's the game-changing recipe:
- 8 ounces coconut oil
- 2 ounces rosemary oil
- 2 ounces castor oil
- 2 ounces peppermint oil
- 2 ounces lavender oil
Melt the coconut oil and then mix all the other oils into the melted coconut oil. Pour into a sealing container and let it cool. When its oiling/wash day massage this into your scalp and hair.
7. Reduce Heat Damage
Minimize the use of heat tool and make sure to always use a heat protectant when you do use them.
8. Stay Hydrated
You and your hair! The best way to lock in moisture is by using a leave-in conditioner and oil. Here’s how: After washing and conditioning, gently towel-dry your hair. Apply a leave-in conditioner and brush from root to tip to distribute it evenly. Follow immediately with a lightweight argan oil to smooth and seal the cuticle. This combo helps lock in moisture, keeping your hair hydrated and balanced. Finally, remember to drink your water! Here's an easy visual calculation to know how much your body needs:
- Take your body weight (in pounds)
- Divide it by 2
- Now divide that number by 16.9
- That's the number of standard water bottles you should drink a day!
- Example: 150 pound person
- 150 / 2 = 75
- 75 / 16.9 = about 4.43
- Easy! A 150 pound person should drink about 4.5 bottles of standard bottled drinking water
9. Be Patient (see 10)
So cliche but the reality! Healthy hair grows approximately 0.5 inches (1.25 cm) per month. Focus on consistent care rather than quick fixes for long-term results. If you do all these and you still aren't getting lasting growth, most likely your hair has a short 2 year life cycle and extensions may be the only answer to long hair!
10. Your DNA Ultimately Decides How Long Your Hair Can Grow
The first thing you can do is think back to the longest your hair has ever been and how old you were at the time. What is the longest your hair has been, and how old were you?
Before we dive into that, it’s important to understand the hair growth cycle which includes 3 stages: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen . For simplicity, we’ll focus on the anagen phase, which is the active growth stage (read more here if you want a full breakdown of the hair’s life cycle). This active growth period typically lasts 2 to 7 years, depending on genetics. After this phase, the hair falls out, and the cycle starts again with new hair growth.
The anagen phase directly determines the maximum length your hair can reach. If an individual’s anagen phase is genetically limited to approximately 2 years, their hair would "stop growing" beyond a certain length—usually no longer than shoulder length—because 1 year = approximately 6 inches of hair growth on average.
So, let’s go back to how long your hair was at its longest. If your hair grew long in high school but, after cutting it at 20, never reached that length again, it’s possible your anagen phase is now 2-3 years. Puberty hormones can influence the duration of these phases, so even if your hair grew long when you were younger, your adult hair growth cycle may now be shorter compared to someone who can still grow their hair long.