A major active compound found in peppermint oil, menthol helps keep hair follicles active and stops them from shrinking. Peppermint oil contains 40% menthol. A study showed that peppermint oil is much better than minoxidil in preventing hair follicles from shrinking and activating dormant hair follicles.
A number of essential oils including lavender, rosemary, thyme, and cedarwood are effective in boosting hair growth. Some carrier oils like jojoba oil, coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, castor oil, etc. can also be used to improve hair growth.
But even though some of your hair follicles may eventually go dormant and stop producing new hairs altogether, these sleeping follicles are not a lost cause. Regular scalp massages and topical hair products with the right stimulating ingredients can effectively wake them up and trigger hair production again.
New research has allowed scientists to generate new hair follicles — those tube-shaped pores that hug the strand and root of a hair — in vitro in a lab. It's a development that experts say can open pathways for better hair loss treatments in the future.
Minoxidil. One very good medication to reactivate dormant hair follicles is minoxidil. Applied regularly to the scalp, minoxidil can re-grow hair that has completely stopped growing. The only caveat is that once you start taking it, you'll have to keep taking it indefinitely.
There are many ways to repair damaged hair follicles naturally. Adding iron, B vitamins (particularly B6), omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and zinc into your diet can help to repair damaged hair strands. Scalp massages with essential oils like peppermint or rosemary can keep hair follicles healthy.
Do hair follicles heal after an injury and will my hair grow back? If you damage your hair follicles after an injury, they can repair themselves and your hair will grow back. It could take up to four years before you see new hair growth out of damaged hair follicles, depending on the severity of your injury.
Although you can't change the number of hair follicles you have, you may naturally help increase your hair density by eating a well-balanced diet that includes hair-growth nutrients like biotin, vitamin C, and protein. Reducing hair damage by avoiding permanent dye and avoiding drying the hair with heat may also help.
How Can I Strengthen My Hair Follicles Naturally? As hair follicles are made of cells, you need to ensure you consume enough nutrients every day to maintain their health long-term. Eat foods rich in Vitamin A, B (biotin), C, D, E, iron, protein, and zinc.
One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body.
Hair growth can often be traced to testosterone, a potent male hormone. Both sexes produce testosterone in their bodies, but to different degrees, of course. Testosterone stimulates hair growth on the face and body. Generally, the more testosterone, the faster and coarser body and facial hair will grow.
"ACV unblocks follicles in the scalp so that strands have freedom to thrive," Ruggeri says. (Note: If you do use dry shampoo, Ruggeri advises spraying it on the mid-lengths of hair, rather than the roots, to prevent clogging the follicle).
Argan oil. Argan oil is commonly known as Moroccan oil. Garodia points out that it's high in vitamin A, C, E, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. “It acts as a natural conditioner and helps strengthen the hair,” she says.
Environmental Factors – Exposure to dirt, soot, harmful chemicals due to pollution may cause oxidative damage to hair strands and follicles and weaken the hair roots. Hair changes may range from diffuse hair fall, scalp irritation, burning sensation and dandruff to dry, frizzy and brittle hair.
When hair follicles die, however, hair growth stops completely. To know if your hair follicles are still active, just take a look at the scalp on your head. If you see any hairs on your scalp—no matter how sparse, thin, short or fuzzy—your hair follicles are still alive and kicking and sprouting new hairs.
It depends. “If a follicle has closed, disappeared, scarred, or not generated a new hair in years, then a new hair wouldn't be able to grow,” Fusco says. But if the follicle is still intact, yes, it is possible to regrow the hair—or to improve the health of the existing thinner hairs.
There's some evidence that vitamin D can activate hair follicles that have become dormant. B vitamins like B-12, biotin, and niacin can strengthen and help condition hair.
Exercise. Exercise improves blood flow, which helps to stimulate hair follicle growth. Exercises like weightlifting and strength training may also temporarily boost testosterone. Try varying the workouts you do, as well as the time of day you do them.