Whether you’re recovering from a drastic cut or are simply trying to gain a little length — if you feel as though your hair growth process is at a stalemate, there could be a few culprits to blame. Aside from regular damage from color or heat styling if you feel as though your hair just isn’t growing, there could be underlying issues affecting your hair’s health that you’re not aware of.
On average, a person’s hair grows at a rate of about ½ an inch every month. However, everything from what you eat, to the products you use, to hormones and environmental factors can affect your hair’s ability to grow. Read on for a few ways to correct imbalances and promote healthier, faster-growing strands.
#1. Your Hormones Are Imbalanced
You probably already know that hair is intricately linked to hormones. Whether you’ve experienced postpartum hair loss or excessive breakage when you’re stressed, your hormones play a huge role in overall hair health. According to experts, poor growth rates could be contributed to a hormonal imbalance or an underlying hormonal issue, such as PCOS or hyper-/hypothyroidism. Becoming aware and working towards treatment of the underlying condition is the best way to not only improve the health of your hair but also your overall health and well-being.
Once you’ve started to address the hormonal imbalance with a professional, think about incorporate hair growth-boosting products into your hair routine to help promote thicker, healthier strands. Our suggestions: the Extreme Length Shampoo, Conditioner, and Leave-In Treatment with Biotin system from Redken.
#2. You’re Not Getting the Right Nutrients
Your diet and the minerals and nutrients you extract from food is directly linked to skin, nail, and hair health. When we’re getting to the bottom of hair growth specifically, it can sometimes be less about what you are eating and more about what you’re not eating. Not getting the right vitamins and nutrients—specifically antioxidants, fatty acids, iron, zinc, biotin, protein, folic acid, niacin, selenium and vitamins A, D, and E can seriously affect your hair’s health and growth rate.
To promote better hair health, take a look at your daily nutrient intake and strive to maintain a well-rounded diet with plenty of whole, natural, and preservative-free foods. If you’re looking for an easy place to start, incorporate nutrient-packed options, like nuts, seeds, berries, leafy greens, eggs, avocados, sweet potatoes, fish, and other healthy foods, into your diet.
#3 Your Hair Is Stressed
Whether in the salon or at home, over-processing and over-styling can lead to breakage, damage, and overall poor hair health, making it harder for your hair to grow. In addition to that, products and buildup can clog hair follicles and stunt growth. Be mindful of certain hairstyles, like braids and extensions, because over time they can cause excessive stress on your strands and scalp.
The same is true of chemical processing and dyes; over time, these services can weaken your hair and lead to damage, as chemically treated hair is more porous and, therefore, more prone to damage.
To counteract external damage and allow your hair the chance to breathe, consider a hair/scalp detox. Store your hot tools this season, take a break from chemical processing, and ease up on the styling products. You can even incorporate scrubs, shampoos, conditioners, and other products specifically designed to eliminate buildup and repair over-stressed strands into your routine. We suggest: the KEVIN.MURPHY SCALP.SPA range — SCALP.SPA TREATMENT, SERUM, SCRUB and WASH!
#4. Age or Disease Is Affecting Your Hair
An illness, like Covid, or a hereditary condition, like hair thinning or balding, can affect your hair’s overall health and growth. Unfortunately, as we get older, we will all face some degree of hair thinning and/or loss. While it may not be possible to reverse this entirely, you can address thinning, weakened hair with the right products and treatments. Look for shampoos that promote hair follicle health and pH balance, as well as treatments specifically designed to restore and rejuvenate damaged strands. Redken’s Extreme Strengthening Mega Hair Mask for Damaged Hair provides intensive, long-lasting conditioning and utilizes an RCT Protein Complex to help improve hair strength.
*Please note: The information presented on this site is in no way intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical treatment. You should always consult with your physician or other health care professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, beginning any diet, nutrition or fitness plan or adopting any treatment for a health problem, whether offered on the Site or otherwise.
