Hair can stop growing or grow slowly for a variety of reasons including age, genetics, hormones, or stress. You may notice your hair stops growing in one spot or seems to be growing slowly on one side. There are plenty of treatment options for slow-growing hair, including: medication.
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.
“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.
“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.
Essentially, the idea behind increasing hair growth is to extend the hair growth phase, or rather stop it from prematurely moving into the resting phase before falling. Your hair's maximum length depends on the length of this growth cycle and that can be anywhere between 12-42 inches.
Without enough iron, the hair won't grow, causing progressively thinner hair. Women with heavy periods may also develop iron deficiency anemia. Some other potential causes of iron deficiency include: Not eating enough iron-rich foods, such as red meat, seafood, and beans.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
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.
So, issues like thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, etc. could stunt hair growth. Nutrition (weight fluctuation, crash or restrictive diets, high exercise and not enough protein, iron deficiency, etc.) also plays a role in how long your hair will grow.
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.
Sources of Biotin
Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) [2,12].
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.
How much B12 should I take daily for hair growth? The lowest amount recommended that should be traceable in your body is 2.4 mcg. While you are looking for a difference in your hair growth you can increase this dosage to 3 mcg and beyond.
"There are specific juices that can be beneficial for the health of your hair and scalp, including aloe vera juice, kiwi juice and cucumber juice." According to Synder, spinach is highly concentrated with vitamin B, which restores shine and promotes hair growth.
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.
Try Massaging Your Scalp
One easy way to start mellowing out right this instant is by massaging your scalp. Forget all that “increasing blood flow to the scalp” rhetoric — it's actually the self-care part that helps with hair growth.
While hair loss can be due to aging, low levels of testosterone can also play a part. You might notice bald spots you hadn't had before or an increase in thinning hair in multiple areas or your body.
Iron and Hair Health. If you are not getting enough iron through your diet, you may experience excessive hair shedding (Telogen Effluvium). You may also find that your hair will not grow past a certain length.