How to make your hair grow faster?

Who does not still want shiny and long hair, rich in volume, healthy and shiny from root to tip? Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to achieve the desired hair length, as it takes months and even years for hair to grow.

What does the speed of hair growth depend on and with what means can the follicles be strengthened and restored? How to speed up hair growth the natural way? 

Stages of hair growth

First, let's get acquainted with hair growth itself. The hair growth cycle consists of the anagen, catagen and telogen phases (which also includes the exogenous phase). What do these stages represent? Hair growth begins with the anagen phase, the first in the series, which lasts from three to five years and in this process the follicles push the hairs to the surface. They then continue to grow until you cut them or they reach their full maturity and fall off. This is followed by a transitional phase, catagen, lasting ten days, during which the hair follicles decrease and hair growth slows down. During the third phase - telogen, hair neither grows nor falls. This is the resting phase and lasts for three months. Then the separation of hair from the scalp occurs, which lasts from two to five months, when it is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs (exogenous phase).

Causes of hair loss and slow growth

Let's see what are the signs of hair loss:

• Genetic factor - family history of hair loss and a hereditary factor can be decisive for the fact that we lose hair and that it thins more and more.

• Hormones (DTH hormone and hormonal changes) – thyroid hormones, pregnancy, stopping birth control pills and sex hormone imbalances can lead to hair loss and slower growth. Also, elevated DTH (dihydrotestosterone) hormone is responsible for hair loss in both men and women.

• Stress - after 2-4 months, emotional or physical stress can cause hair loss and thinning. 

Improper diet - a diet insufficiently rich in nutrients needed for healthy hair growth can cause you to lose a lot of hair, make it thin, and the coat will be of poor quality and prone to shedding and breakage. Vitamins such as A, C, B and vitamin D as well

• minerals such as zinc, copper and iron are essential for your hair to grow faster and be healthier. Carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, beans, chicken, fish, nuts and berries should be on your menu as often as possible.

• Diseases - alopecia, anemia, diabetes, psoriasis, seborrhea, scalp infections, cancers and coronavirus are just some of the diseases that lead to hair loss and damage and slow down the growth of new hairs.

• Medicines such as antibiotics, anticoagulants, beta blockers, minoxidil, thyroid medications, mood disorder medications, retinoids, and anticonvulsant medications can also cause hair loss.

• Damage due to chemical treatments - treating the hair with strong chemical preparations (strong hair dyes, bleach, minival) and styling with heat. Damaged and dry hair can be restored with natural oils and masks that we have already written about on our blog.

• Inappropriate brush type and inadequate brushing method - aggressive brushing, but also brush model that does not suit your hair type can lead to hair loss and weakening. Excessive combing tears healthy hairs and damages them, so it is better to give your scalp a pleasant massage that will stimulate circulation, rather than "running a brush through your hair a hundred times before going to bed."

• Hair pulling - is this just an ugly habit or is there some background behind it in the form of psychological problems in children and adults, just spinning hair and pulling hair in a certain area can cause permanent baldness in that place.

Strengthening hair follicles

A follicle, anatomically speaking, is a gap in the skin from which hair grows thanks to cells produced through creatine, a sebaceous glands they help the hair to grow properly by nourishing and protecting it even before it emerges from the surface. Our hair contains more than 100,000 hairs or follicles. 

Under normal conditions, the rate of hair growth is 1.25 cm per month, in other words 15 cm per year depending on cell division. The newly produced cells make the hair longer by pushing it back. The aging process causes our body to produce fewer and fewer follicles, which leads to hair loss. Healthy hair under normal conditions can lose 100 hairs a day, and the fallen hairs are replaced by new ones. When a person loses a large number of hairs, the hair becomes thinner and even bald.

Therefore, it is not enough to take care of the hair. In case you recognize yourself in these ranks and are not satisfied with the speed at which your hair grows, proper scalp care will improve the metabolism of the scalp, stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss. There is a whole range of substances that improve the connection between the already mentioned anagen and telogen phases and enable active hair growth. Only a strong and healthy scalp can be a suitable ground for the follicles that need to push out the hair, so it is recommended that you include the application of essential oils in your hair care routine, which should be massaged into the scalp. 

Let's find out which natural ingredients to look for in hair care products that will stimulate hair growth.

Natural ingredients for faster hair growth

There are many oils, masks and shampoos on our market that promote hair growth. However, it is highly recommended that these cosmetic products are made from harmless natural ingredients.

Essential oils

Essential oils have been used since ancient civilizations and are known for their beneficial effects on skin and hair. Some of them are jojoba oil, cedarwood oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil and peppermint oil. Jojoba oil it is rich in zinc, copper and vitamins B, C and E. It keeps the hair nourished and prevents it from breaking. Cedar oil it is famous for its properties that work against alopecia (an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss). It has shown anti-fungal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, so just once a day with a scalp massage you will get significantly stronger hair follicles. Peppermint oil it cools pleasantly, and menthol has a wonderful effect on improving blood flow, which treats hair loss and baldness caused by poor blood flow to the follicles. Lavender oil in addition to being popular in aromatherapy, it has a powerful effect when added to hair care products. It calms the nervous system and reduces stress, thus accelerating hair growth. There is also rosemary oil, which alleviates symptoms such as dandruff and itchy scalp, and the carnosic acid it contains heals damaged nerves that can be the "culprits" of hair loss.

Oleic acid

Oleic acid, which can be found in black cumin oil, olive oil and argan oil it is known to stimulate hair growth and make it shiny and soft. In addition, it has an antioxidant effect, protects the skin from damage and aging, and also prevents the appearance of dandruff. 

Supplements

Prolongation of the anagen phase of hair growth can also be made possible by supplements taken orally. Nutritional supplements combined with care products that are applied externally will supply each hair with nutrients that it lacks or does not receive in sufficient quantities.

Try to stimulate hair growth both externally and internally, both with natural remedies and a nutrient-dense diet, stay hydrated and lower your stress levels as much as possible. Of the newer methods available in salons and clinics, it should be mentioned that there are also PRP treatments (stem cells from the patient's blood), mesotherapy (injection of mesococktails), as well as laser treatments that stimulate hair growth. For these treatments, it is definitely necessary to allocate a larger amount of money, while the ingredients from nature are at our fingertips and their use is completely non-invasive, pleasant and good for health in the long run.