Are you worried because your hair isn’t growing as fast as you’d like? Slow or uneven hair growth is a common issue for many. Whether it’s all over your head or just on one side, figuring out what’s causing it is the first step to fixing the problem. Understand the reasons behind slow hair growth and get practical tips to help your hair grow stronger.
Getting to Know Hair Growth First!
To get a better understanding of why your hair is not growing, you must have an idea about the hair growth cycle. The hair growth cycle consists of four major phases. Hair follicles do not all go through the same phase at the same time. Approximately 90% of hairs are actively developing (anagen phase) at any given time. Here are the phases:
- Anagen phase: This is the active growth phase of hair, lasting 2 to 8 years. During pregnancy, hair often stays in this phase longer, making it look thicker and shinier.
- Catagen phase: This transition phase occurs after anagen, in which hair stops growing but does not fall out. It lasts approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
- Telogen phase: This is the resting phase in which hair naturally falls out. You may notice extra hair falling out in the shower or on your pillows. It lasts 2-3 months.
- Exogen phase: When you wash and brush your hair, it naturally sheds from your scalp. During this phase, you typically lose 50-100 hairs every day as new ones form in the follicles.
Why is my hair not growing?
Before solving the issue, it’s crucial to know what might be causing your hair is grow slowly. Here are some common reasons:
- Nutritional Deficiencies: Your hair’s growth depends on what you eat. Not getting enough iron, protein, biotin (Vitamin B7), zinc, or Vitamin C can slow down hair growth. These nutrients help to keep your hair healthy and strong.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Changes in hormones, like those from thyroid problems or stress, can affect how your hair grows. For instance, an underactive thyroid can make hair dry and brittle, while an overactive thyroid can cause it to fall out more.
- Stress and Anxiety: Feeling stressed for a long time can disrupt your hair’s growth cycle. It can lead to a condition where more hair than usual falls out, and new hair grows slower.
- Medications and Medical Conditions: Some medicines (like chemotherapy drugs or antidepressants) and health issues (like scalp infections or autoimmune diseases) can affect hair growth, causing it to thin or fall out.
- Damage from Styling: Using heat tools too often, using harsh chemicals on your hair, or pulling it tightly with hairstyles like braids can damage your hair and slow its growth.
- Genetics and Aging: Sometimes, slow hair growth runs in families. As we get older, our hair naturally grows slower, with most people noticing a slowdown after age 30.
Understanding these causes can help you make efforts to improve your hair’s health and promote growth. If you’re concerned, talking to a healthcare provider or dermatologist can provide more personalized advice.
How to fix stunted hair growth?
Now that we know what could be causing your hair to grow slowly, here are some solutions that you can do to help it grow faster and healthier.
1. Improve Your Diet
Making sure you eat the right foods is crucial for supporting hair growth. Include these in your meals:
- Iron-rich foods include lean meats, leafy greens, lentils, and fortified cereals.
- Protein-rich foods include lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and nuts.
- Biotin-rich meals include eggs, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
- Zinc-rich foods include oysters, red meat, chicken, and beans.
- Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries.
If you think you might be lacking in a specific nutrient, consider talking to a healthcare provider or dietitian for advice on supplements.
2. Balance Hormones
If you suspect hormones are affecting your hair’s growth, it’s important to see a doctor. They can do tests to find any imbalances and suggest treatments like medication or lifestyle changes.
3. Manage Stress
Lowering stress can help your hair grow better. Try these techniques:
- Meditation and mindfulness: Regularly practicing these can calm your mind.
- Exercise: Being active helps reduce stress and keeps you healthy overall.
- Relaxation methods: Like deep breathing, yoga, or taking a warm bath to relax.
- Get support: Talking to a therapist or joining a support group can help with any emotional issues.
4. Protect Your Hair
To keep your hair healthy and growing well, be careful with:
- Heat styling: Use hot tools like blow dryers and curling irons less often. Allow your hair to dry naturally whenever possible.
- Chemical treatments: Limit using harsh chemicals like dyes and perms that can harm your hair.
- Gentle products: Choose shampoos and conditioners without sulfates that are kind to your hair and scalp.
- Gentle brushing: To avoid harming your hair, brush gently and use a wide-toothed comb.
- Loose hairstyles: Wear styles that don’t pull on your hair too tightly.
5. Try Scalp Treatments
Maintaining your scalp healthy might improve your hair growth. You might try:
- Scalp massages: Gently massaging your scalp can increase blood flow and help your hair follicles thrive.
- Exfoliating scrubs: Using a mild scrub can remove buildup and dead skin cells so your scalp can absorb nutrients better.
- Essential oils: Some oils, such as peppermint, rosemary, and lavender, can promote hair growth.
6. Get Professional Advice
If you’ve tried these tips and your hair still isn’t growing like you want, see a dermatologist or a hair specialist. They can check for any medical issues and suggest treatments that are right for you.
How to deal with uneven hair growth?
Sometimes, you might notice that one side of your hair is growing faster or longer than the other. This can be frustrating, but there are reasons and solutions to consider:
Sleeping Position
If you sleep on one side more often, the pressure and friction from your pillow can slow down hair growth on that side.
Solution: To prevent friction, consider adjusting your sleeping posture or wearing a satin or silk pillowcase.
Hairstyle Choices
Always styling your hair in the same way, like with a side part or ponytail, can lead to uneven growth over time.
Solution: Switch up your parting or try different hairstyles to spread the pressure evenly across your scalp.
Scalp Irritation or Damage
More irritation, inflammation, or damage on one side of your scalp can affect how fast your hair grows there.
Solution: Gently massage the affected area, use a soothing scalp treatment, and avoid things that could irritate or harm that side of your scalp.
Possible Medical Issues
Sometimes, uneven hair growth might signal a medical condition like a scalp infection or a nerve problem.
Solution: See a healthcare provider to check for any medical reasons and get the right treatment.
Taking these steps can help you understand and address why your hair might be growing unevenly, so you can encourage healthier and more balanced growth.
Time to Fix Your Not-Growing Hair
Understanding why your hair grows slowly or unevenly is key to finding solutions. Factors like diet, hormones, stress, styling damage, genetics, and aging can affect hair growth. By improving your diet, managing hormones with medical advice, reducing stress, protecting your hair, trying scalp treatments, and seeking professional help if needed, you can promote healthier and more even hair growth. Taking these steps helps nurture your hair and encourages better growth overall.