You might be wondering if there’s anything you can do to make your hair grow faster. Do any products help? Can dietary changes speed up growth? And what about medications or treatments?
In this article, we’ll help answer those questions. We’ll also take a closer look at what can affect hair growth and the steps you can take to improve the growth of your hair.
• How does hair grow?
Here’s a fascinating fact: You’re born with all the hair follicles you’ll ever have — around 5 million, to be exact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Of those, about 100,000 follicles are on your scalp. The AAD says it’s totally normal to lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day when it comes to losing hair.
Hair grows from a root at the bottom of a follicle under your skin. The blood in your scalp goes to the follicle and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the hair root, which helps your hair grow.
As your hair grows, it will push through your skin and pass by an oil gland. According to the AAD, it’s the oil from this gland that makes your hair shiny and soft.
While genetics does play a role in maintaining healthy hair growth, several other factors also come into play.
Although there’s no magical potion or remedy that will result in instant growth, there are steps you can take to help your hair grow.
Let’s look at 3 steps that may help your hair grow faster and stronger.
1. Avoid restrictive dieting
According to Dr. Lindsey Bordone, a dermatologist at ColumbiaDoctors and assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, we can’t control everything that affects our hair growth. But there are things we can avoid that may cause impaired growth and increased shedding.
“Restrictive dieting can decrease resources and nutrients needed for hair growth,” said Bordone.
“And since hair growth is a relatively low priority compared to other bodily functions, hair growth is halted quickly when your body is placed under stress due to restrictive dieting,” she explained.
“Even after resuming a healthy diet, hair shedding usually goes on for a period of months,” said Bordone.
2. Check your protein intake
“If your diet is severely restrictive, hair won’t grow optimally, and shedding can occur,” said Bordone.
“Eating a well-balanced diet with adequate protein intake is important for optimal hair growth,” she added. “Generally, we recommend 50 grams of protein or more per day.”
3. Try caffeine-infused products
We all know that caffeine can give you an energy boost, but one 2014 study trusted Source found that it may also have growth-promoting effects on your hair.
According to the study, caffeine may help promote new hair growth at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels in both men and women.
If you’re interested in caffeine-infused products, these recommended products are available online:
- Glimmer Goddess’ Organic Caffeine Hair Growth Conditioner has a blend of ingredients, including caffeine, vitamins, premium oils, and organic plant materials.
- TruePure Natural Caffeine Shampoo is infused with caffeine and other ingredients like niacin, red clover, and vitamins.
4. Explore essential oils
Essential oils not only smell good, but they may also help promote hair growth.
One study trusted Source found that a daily dose of 400 milligrams of pumpkin seed oil in capsule form increased hair growth in men. After 24 weeks, the men who took pumpkin seed oil experienced a 40 percent increase in hair count.
Another study trusted Source looked at four groups of mice, each given a different hair treatment. The treatments consisted of saline, jojoba oil, 3 percent minoxidil, or 3 percent peppermint oil.
The study found that the group given peppermint oil showed the most hair growth. This included a significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number, and follicle depth.
ResearchTrusted Source has also shown that rosemary oil may be just as effective as minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, at restoring hair growth.
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