Have you ever wondered how and why your hair grows the way it does? If you have experienced hair loss, you may also wonder how to revive hair follicles. These are six factors that can help you understand your hair, its growth and how to improve its growth or prevent hair loss.
Hair Growth Cycle in 3 Phases
Your hair grows in three phases. During the anagen phase, new hair growth occurs rapidly, and the roots hold your hair in the follicle, while it grows. It can reach up to 30 inches during its two-to-seven-year growing period.
The catagen only lasts a few weeks. During this period, your hair actually stops growing due to a lack of blood supply, creating club hair. In the telogen phase, the hair follicle rests, and after approximately three months, a new hair will push the club hair out of the follicle.
Your follicles are in different phases of the growth cycle, preventing bald spots. However, you should expect to lose up to 100 hairs per day.
Factors that Impact Hair Growth Speed
Every month, your hair grows up to 0.7 inches. However, several factors impact how quickly your hair grows. First, a healthy diet accelerates hair growth. Your age, gender and genetics also factor into your hair’s rate of growth. Straight hair grows faster than curly hair, and even the season of the year can impact your hair and its rate.
Factors that Reduce Hair Growth Speed
Stress, improper diet, smoking, illnesses, hormonal changes, age and environmental factors shorten your hair growth rate. Hair vitamins, growth shampoo, heat protection, hair serums and masks, scalp stimulation, hair oil and leave-in conditioner all improve the growth rate. However, your health, genetics and age impact the length your hair reaches before your follicle becomes dormant.
Proper Nutrients & Supplements
Proper nutrition is vital to healthy hair. Your hair needs lean meats and fish, low-fat dairy products, legumes, beans, vitamins and fresh fruits and vegetables. Your hair also benefits from vitamins similar to Nutrafol, including vitamins C and D, iron, folic acid, zinc and vitamin B12.
Impact of Stress
Stress can also impact hair growth and loss. It can move your hair through the growth and into the final phase, where the hair drops from the follicle, increasing loss by two to three times. In some cases, you may also consciously or unconsciously start pulling on your hair, damaging your follicles and increasing loss. Stress also encourages medical conditions, such as alopecia areata, that cause the immune system to attack your follicles.
Proper Hair Care Promotes Growth
Your hair needs regular brushing and proper shampoo and conditioner. Choose hair products that work with your type of hair. Avoid pulling your hair back tightly, pulling your hair and using hot water to wash your scalp or a hot blow dryer to dry your hair. You can also massage your scalp. In addition, Untangled Hair Supplements can reduce breakage.
When you understand the science behind hair growth and loss, you can take steps to prevent hair loss and encourage full, healthy hair growth. Choose hair and supplement products that support your hair follicles and growth.
Read Also: The Best Tips On How To Tell If Your Hair Is Healthy