Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Fast Hair GrowsHair Growth CycleFactors AffectingHair Growth TipsWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Fast Hair Grows
Hair Growth Cycle
Factors Affecting
Hair Growth Tips
When to See a Provider
On average, the hair on your head grows about 6 inches a year. That doesn’t vary much from person to person, and people shed and regrow hair throughout their lives. Though the growth rate is steady, the longer the hairs stay on your head, the longer and thicker your hair can get.
Several factors affect how long hair grows and can remain on your head until it is shed. There are some ways to extend the time hair is retained so it can continue growing.
How Fast Does Hair Grow?
In a single day, a strand of hair grows about 0.35 millimeters. That adds up to about one-half inch a month. In a year, your hair grows about 6 inches.
Similar to skin, the body uses stem cells to rapidly form the structures that we call hair, which push out fromfollicles, which are small tubes in the skin.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Each hair follicle cycles through different phases of growth and shedding. You’ll go through anywhere from 10 to 30 of these cycles in your lifetime.How long the phases last can vary, affecting the length and thickness of your hair.
The hair growth cycle has four phases, including:
What Can Affect the Hair Growth Rate?
You do not have control over how fast an individual hair grows. You may be able to increase the number of follicles in the anagen (growth) phase and how long they stay active. Thatallows your hair to continue to grow, but you cannot speed up hair growth.
Some of the factors that can result in excess hair loss or longer pauses in new hair emerging include:
A Word From VerywellSee a healthcare provider if you notice increased hair shedding or thinning, increased breakage, bald patches, or redness, flaking, or itching of the scalp. They can evaluate the cause of hair loss and help determine proper treatment.—MARISA GARSHICK, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
See a healthcare provider if you notice increased hair shedding or thinning, increased breakage, bald patches, or redness, flaking, or itching of the scalp. They can evaluate the cause of hair loss and help determine proper treatment.—MARISA GARSHICK, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
See a healthcare provider if you notice increased hair shedding or thinning, increased breakage, bald patches, or redness, flaking, or itching of the scalp. They can evaluate the cause of hair loss and help determine proper treatment.
—MARISA GARSHICK, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Tips for Healthy Hair Growth
You may not be able to make your hair grow faster, but you may be able help it remain on your head longer and lose less of it to factors you can control. This does not apply to hair loss due to genetics.
Some people respond well to approaches to counteract genetic hair loss, including topical therapies, lasers, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, and hair transplants.To understand your options, talk to a healthcare provider specializing in hair restoration.
To keep your hair healthy and growing, consider the following:
The following approaches to boosting hair health and healthy hair growth have some evidence of being helpful:
Pumpkin seed is one essential oil that may help.There is also evidence, though limited, of benefits from peppermint oil.Jojoba oil may helpprevent breakage and hair loss.Other natural oils like lavender, cedarwood, and rosemary have also shown some promise.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
However, if you are distressed to notice that your hairline is receding, your part is widening, or other signs of hair loss, you can see a healthcare provider who specializes in diagnosing conditions that lead to hair loss and the options available to restore hair.
Other signs that it’s time to contact a healthcare provider about your hair are:
Summary
You can’t speed up your hair growth rate, which is about 6 inches a year. Certain conditions, nutritional deficiencies, and genetics play a role in hair loss, but what hair you have will keep growing and shedding throughout your lifetime.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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