“Other than age, hair can grow slower due to health conditions, vitamin or nutrient deficiencies caused by a poor diet, stress, hormonal imbalances, certain medications and even excessive heat damage from everyday styling,” explains Pierre.
Overprocessing and Styling
And according to Green, different types of braids, tight styles, and hair extensions can cause stress to the hair shaft, leading to loss. Lastly, Skjoth notes that product buildup, such as overusing dry shampoo, can clog the hair follicle, which prevents hair from growing at a normal pace.
One of the most important causes of restricted hair growth and hair thinning is nutritional deficiency. Nutrients like iron, protein, biotin and zinc contribute to healthy hair. However, if you are deficient in these essential nutrients, your risk of restricted hair growth and hair thinning increases.
Vitamins B and D factor big in healthy hair. So do zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and the B vitamin biotin. Your doctor can test you for deficiencies. Ask them whether you should take a multivitamin or supplement and how much.
The way you take care of your body is also important when it comes to hair growth stimulation. To promote hair growth, you need to increase your protein intake, especially by consuming food like fish, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Hair follicles are mostly made of protein, and the lack of it promotes hair loss.
Genetics
You might be surprised to learn that your hair doesn't actually stop growing at a certain length, it stops growing at the end of your hair growth cycle. Your hair's growth phase is determined by your genetics and can last anywhere between two and six years.
Hair needs moisture and vitamins to stay healthy. If you're dehydrated, your body will direct much-needed moisture to more critical functions, leaving your hair to fend for itself. Growth may slow or stop, and the hair shafts may become brittle and develop split ends.
Hair that grows slowly can be accompanied by thinning, lifeless, and overall lackluster hair that just does not look as good as it used to. Improving the speed at which your hair grows is possible. In turn, the overall health, shine, thickness, quality, and texture of your hair should improve.
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, stimulates keratin production in hair and can increase the rate of follicle growth.
For most women, this occurs sometime between the ages of 44 and 55. When your ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone—two hormones key to menstruating—this is when you go into menopause. Estrogen and progesterone also happen to be linked to your hair's health, including its growth.
The amount of biotin suggested for hair growth usually ranges between 100 - 1,000 micrograms (mcg) daily, but this number varies based on your body's reaction to biotin.
To maintain your length, aim for a trim every eight to ten weeks. If you are trying to grow your hair longer, you can get away with trimming your hair every 12 to 16 weeks. This however, is completely dependent on how healthy your hair is.
We'll cut straight to it: On average, hair grows at a rate of about half an inch per month, or six inches per year. Each hair on your head grows from an individual follicle.
Hair myth: regularly trimming the ends does not stimulate hair growth. And the answer is: no! Regularly cutting the ends of your hair does not make it grow faster. However, it does make your hair seem thicker, as well as healthier and shinier.
As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness comes from hormone imbalances, specifically dihydrotestosterone imbalances, or DHT. This hormone is similar in structure to testosterone, but it is significantly more potent [3]. DHT can attach to receptors on the hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Consuming foods rich in processed sugar:
High sugar intake leads to an increase in blood glucose which means the body has to produce more insulin. This further leads to an increase in androgens, or male sex hormones, which can result in shrinking of the hair follicles and eventually lead to early baldness.
Low levels of estrogen and progesterone means your hair may start to fall out sooner and grow more slowly. The goal of hormone replacement treatment during menopause is to help your body attain healthy, balanced hormone levels, which is why many women may notice changes in hair thinning once they start treatment.
But since your metabolism slows down at night, so does your hair growth, explains Waldman. Goddard adds that the primetime hair growing hours are between 10-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.
Water is a key ingredient that supports vitamins, which contribute to your hair growth. Believe it or not, but water makes up almost 25% of the weight of a single strand of hair. Drinking at least two liters of water a day will help the strength of your hair, increasing growth.