What makes hair grow faster is a basic question both men and women ask themselves. Men want to grow facial hair quicker, and women want beautiful, longer, and thicker hair. Although the average rate of hair growth is approximately half an inch per month, there are factors and hair growth tips that can make hair grow faster.
Understanding the different factors that effect your hair growth will help you obtain long and healthy hair. Continue reading below for details on how all of these factors will help you t o grow hair faster.
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What Makes Hair Grow Faster?
Understanding how the hair shaft and follicles form can help both men and women find ways to make hair grow faster. Simply put, what makes hair grow quickly is good nutrition and diet, regular exercise, sleep, hair care, and healthy lifestyle choices. All of these factors combined will help make your hair grow faster and longer naturally.
The Best Nutrition and Diet
Hair is made up of protein and the body needs a high protein diet to create new cells during division and reproduction. The hair shaft is formed when dividing cells in the hair follicle push dead cells out through the scalp. In addition to protein, vitamins A, B6, B12, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), C, E and F, minerals like iron, silica, selenium and magnesium, and omega 3 fatty acids stimulate hair growth. A good multi-vitamin, taken as a supplement to diet, can provide these necessary nutrients.
To accelerate your hair growth naturally, you need to consume fruits, vegetables, and lean meats; vegetables like spinach, chickpeas, lima beans, and asparagus are especially important because they are loaded with antioxidants and essential vitamins. An example of a healthy, well-balanced diet will include the following foods:
Vegetables – spinach, green peppers, lentils, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, legumes, chick peas, lima beans, asparagus, onions, and mushrooms, Brussels sprouts
Fruits – bananas, apples, peaches, apricots, kiwis, strawberries, carrots, avocadoes, and tomatoes
Proteins – Soy products, beans, eggs, fish, tuna, turkey, salmon, chicken (poultry), milk, yogurt, and cheese
Grains, Nuts and Seeds – Flaxseeds, whole grains, nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, Brazil nut, cashew nuts, walnuts, fenugreek seeks, and pumpkin seeds
Providing cells with the right nutrition for reproduction is what will help your hair grow longer.
Growth Hormones Increase During Sleep
Growth hormones control the rate of cell division and during deep sleep, there is an increase in the levels of these hormones in the blood. As people sleep, the circulation to the skin, scalp, and hair is increased as the body’s core temperature drops.
The increased circulation to the hair cells carries oxygen, vitamins, minerals, and necessary nutrients needed and the extra growth hormones in the blood stimulate faster cell division. Growth hormones are at their peak around 2 a.m., so hair growth experts recommend that men and women sleep early. Ensuring you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night will literally help your hair grow faster overnight.
The Effects of Exercise
Health and fitness professionals encourage everyone to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week for overall fitness. Aerobic exercises such as swimming, biking, and yoga increase both circulation and respiration which raises oxygen levels in the blood. The increase in oxygen levels can last for as long as six hours after exercising, providing extra oxygen for cell reproduction and division, and thus faster hair growth.
Aerobic exercise is any low impact, physical activity that uses large muscle groups and raises the heart rate, so a brisk walk is considered an aerobic workout. Exercise, coupled with adequate sleep, can also provide stress relief. Because stress is a leading cause of hair loss, or in some case, slower hair growth, a healthier lifestyle can help you avoid hair loss.
Making The Most of New Hair Growth
It is important to take care of hair to make the most of fast hair growth. Hair that is damaged, dry or brittle can break off at the tips or result in split ends, making hair appear to be growing slowly. Avoiding overexposure to heated styling appliances such as blow dryers, hair straighteners or flat irons, and curling irons that can scorch hair. Also, harsh chemicals in shampoos can strip hair of natural oils which could damage hair. After a shower, we recommend women slowly dry hair right before the point of being completely dry. Leaving your hair lightly damp will help your hair retain its moisture.
Hot oil treatments once a week can restore lost moisture to hair, making it supple and less likely to break or split. An important part of what makes hair grow is maintaining existing hair with good care. Use coconut oil, rosemary oil, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, or castor oil, heat in the microwave to a lukewarm or warm temperature and apply to your hair evenly. After 30 minutes, rinse with warm or lukewarm water to avoid removing all your hair’s natural oils and moisture, and repeat once a week to maintain shiny, beautiful hair.
For men looking to grow facial hair faster, keep your face clean and moisturized. Before shaving, open up your pores using steam, and exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells and keep your pores and hair follicles clear. Taking care of your facial hair properly will stimulate hair growth and limit ingrown hairs.
What Makes Your Hair Grow Faster
As you can see, what makes hair grow faster is good overall physical health that encourages cell reproduction in all parts of the body, including the hair follicles. Following the basic steps to improve health will encourage hair to grow quickly and longer, at its maximum rate.
Maintaining new growth with good hair care habits will take full advantage of fast hair growth and help anyone get beautiful, long shiny tresses as quickly as possible. Additional benefits will also include weight loss and clearer, smoother skin, so the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle are beyond just having longer hair.
Drying Hair and Brushing
After showering, do not tightly wrap your hair with a towel, but instead, squeeze your hair to remove excess water, while leaving your hair damp and moist. When removing tangles, you should use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to slowly untangle hair. If tangles are difficult, hold your hairs from their roots and use a boar bristle brush to brush the ends of your hair, preventing you from pulling out your hair from the scalp. A boar bristle brush will also help you redistribute some of your hair’s moisture and natural oils, and add volume.
Styling
When styling your hair, avoid tight ponytails, braids, or French braids that put pressure or strain on your hair strands. By pulling on your hair roots, you can cause your hair to fall out or weaken your roots. Furthermore, avoid exposing your hair to curling irons, blow dryers, and flat iron hair straighteners for long periods of time.
The excess heat produced by hair styling products can scorch, burn, and destroy your hair, leaving it dry and brittle. Also, cover your hair while in the sun, since UV rays can burn hair just as they burn skin. As we’ve mentioned before, your hair’s moisture and health is essential to make hair grow faster and longer naturally.
Look below for some gorgeous long hair styling ideas and updos which will help keep your locks growing and looking fabulous.
