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How to Make Hair Grow Faster - NHP Guide 101 

If you want to learn how to make hair grow faster, then you will be happy!

Because you have found a full glossary of hair growth strategies that really work.

You can’t be lazy of course, everything worth having takes effort, time, money or all of the above.

You want the results though, that’s what really counts, right?

So let’s get it!

how to make hair grow faster - hair growth

In this fast hair growth guide you’ll find quick links to articles about:

So look:

I teach this all the time to my private clients.

How to make hair grow faster. 2 rules stimulate growth and retain new growth length.

To really encourage length, you have to think of it in two steps:

1st, actually stimulating consistent hair growth and secondly, maintaining length-retention by keeping the hair you grow healthy. 

You'll soon see that maintaining the length and scalp health will call for some tried-and-true hair care lessons that I’ll be happy to teach you, boosting the growth takes a bit more work: One of the keys to making your hair grow faster is to go internal. 

We need to work from the inside-out. It’s a make-or-break factor for getting hair growing high in the sky (or down your back and even to waist-length).

So after you take a look at the how to make hair grow faster FAQs section about how to make hair grow faster, be sure to investigate my seven science-backed tips to encourage hair growth—no matter your length goals.

You'll find that lower down when you scroll this hair growth guide...

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FAQs About How to Make Hair Grow Faster

  1. Does hair growth slow down with age?

  2. How long does it take to grow hair 12 inches?

  3. Does hair stop growing if you don't cut it?

  4. Can your hair grow 2 inches in a month?

  5. How can I grow my hair faster in a week?

  6. What makes hair grow faster naturally?

You can also find specific hair growth home remedies that you can use like hair growth oils that make smart DIY solutions, you'll also find proven recommendations of the fastest-working hair growth and length retention vitamins on the market.

The How to Make Hair Grow Faster Starter Kit

Here are some Holy Grail staples to abide by when figuring out how to make hair grow faster. We'll review seven major tips, check it out...

1. Consistently Cleanse and Stimulate Your Scalp

So many folks wanna know how to make hair grow faster but place too much focus on their strands and not enough focus on the scalp. If you're looking for faster hair growth, you need to start at the source: your scalp.

How to Make Hair Grow Faster Scalp stimulation CareHow to Make Hair Grow Faster RULE #1

Your scalp will either be your healthy “growth terrain” that encourages length-retention and vitality or it will be your hair’s graveyard, better youtube, its killing field. 

See:

A highly-inflamed scalp that’s caused by tight “protective hairstyles” that cause tension and stress on the scalp, suffocating product buildup, oxidative stress, and harmful scalp conditions like dermatitis can lead to hair breakage, consistent hair loss and thinning.

And it’s not always your fault, one study showed that inflammation caused by pollution and oxidative stress is one of the main causes of hair loss in adults. 

If you’re not sure what it means to have oxidative stress to your hair and scalp cells, think of oxidation as “rusting away”, for example, the metal on a rusted car is oxidizing.

And this is what happens to your hair & scalp cells (now you see why ANTIoxidants in your diet are so important, right?)

When this type of inflammation takes over your scalp it starts to close off your hair follicles which chokes out hopeful hair strands, stunts growth and causes ugly shedding. 

This is why you see NHP talk so much about your scalp as your hair’s “growth terrain” when folks ask how to make hair grow faster. An unhealthy scalp, because of nasty product buildup or anything else, starts to slowly suffocate your hair root and you’re doomed (without intervention).

Here’s what to do:

Make sure you are regularly cleansing your growth terrain. While shampooing, massage your scalp to increase the flow of blood, relieve stress, and stimulate hair follicles. You can’t lose with this consistent strategy!

Regular scalp massages have been proven to promote hair growth.

When speaking with hair and scalp trichologists about how to make hair grow faster you’ll almost ALWAYS hear about the importance of scalp massages to encourage blood circulation to your scalp (growth terrain), because it assists in pushing vital hair growth nutrients and oxygen to your hair follicle. 

2. Protect Your Hair from Physical Stress Damage

There’s no need in worrying about how to make hair grow faster if you’re literally ripping out any chance of progress. 

Hear me good:

how to make hair grow faster don't put stress on hair

The consistent physical damage that is caused by harsh brushing, tension-causing hairstyles and over-manipulation can easily lead to excess breakage.

So, I’ll admit this to you…

… this preventive measure may not necessarily encourage faster hair growth, what it DOES DO is protect the hair length you already have. And while the occasional snapped strands is perfectly normal, having hair that easily and constantly breaks can make achieving your length goals nearly impossible no matter how fast your hair is growing.

A few things to consider when addressing physical damage: Hairstyles that are too-tight can cause friction and pulling, so be sure not to allow muc tension against your fragile edge and you should also use soft hair ties.

You should also consider switching up your style regularly so you're not putting pressure on the same spot day in day out.

For example, you never want to repeatedly do the same thing to your hair. Sometimes you’ll see a woman who has hair thinning at their part, or it might even look like their edges and hairline are receding in that area, and one thing they should do is to simply flip the part.

It’s a healthy tactic to take for your hair and it will also change your look and add volume. A nice bonus.

Another way to protect your natural hair from physical damage is how you brush it: You should always brush or comb your hair from the tips and then inwards toward your scalp—starting from the root is a recipe for scalp tension and frayed ends.

Last, but not least, be careful about how you shampoo and shower because your hair is at it’s most vulnerable point when it’s wet. If you wash too aggressively you can cause knots and tangles that are tough as-all-get-out to get out.

3. Investigate The Use of Hair-Growth Supplements, Like MSM, Biotin & Collagen

Although I don’t recommend hair growth supplements over a healthy diet and lifestyle, they can help when everything else is in order.

Many women have discovered how to make hair grow faster by combining the proper lifestyle changes, cleansing regimens and growth supplements.

And without a doubt:

These three hair growth ingredients help promote hair health and faster growth by providing the body with all the right nutrients that may be missing. Hair is made of the protein keratin, which has an amino acid profile including cysteine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, and proline.

MSM, collagen and biotin hair growth supplements have high levels of many of these important amino acids, meaning that these health supplements provide your body critically-needed building blocks of hair. 

Another supplement you should also consider taking to make hair grow faster is greens powder as it is rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C and E as well as essential minerals like selenium, zinc and copper. All of these nutrients are necessary for supporting optimal hair health, tells Health Canal.

How to Make Hair Grow Faster with MSM for hair growth, collagen and biotin - NHP

Everybody knows about biotin, and for good reason. The popular hair growth vitamin is one of the main active ingredients in a ton of hair-growth supplements.

Biotin has been proven effective in fighting against thinning hair and hair loss especially if you naturally have low levels of biotin in your system — which has been shown to decrease hair retention and growth. 

You can get tested for biotin deficiencies by your local trichologist and some general PhDs. Biotin is also believed to naturally promote healthy hair growth because it is involved in the production of keratin, the main component of hair. 

As for collagen, it is shown to promote hair growth by supporting the scalp in the same way that it helps boost your overall skin health. 

And remember, your scalp is skin…

Hydrolyzed collagen peptides encourage the body's natural production of collagen, which is then delivered to the rest of the body, including your scalp.

4. Take Advantage of Antioxidants (Anti-Cellular “Rusting”)

One way in how to make hair grow faster is to stop the “rusting away” of your hair and scalp cells. 

Let’s be real: 

how-to-make-hair-grow-faster antioxidants

Your hair ages just like the rest of your body. And this is the reason why women experience more hair thinning as they put on age. Simply put, aging limits the speed at which your hair grows.

One way that research has shown to help fight against hair aging is the consistent use of antioxidants because they manage oxidative stress and neutralize free radicals. 

Vitamin C, for example, plays a huge part in encouraging the production of collagen and helps strengthen your hair.

You can also use topical antioxidants, in the form of hair growth oils, serums, or sprays, which is especially helpful with free radical damage that comes from harmful UV rays or ambient pollution. Just look for products that contain powerful vitamins or other common antioxidants like vitamin E. 

5. Keep Your Hair Moisturized For Growth

Your hair is probably the driest part of your body, and if you are trying to grow it longer and understand how to make hair grow faster you need to keep it moisturized.

With natural kinky-coily hair the texture naturally dries out faster because hair sebum oil doesn’t slide down the strands to protect moisture as quickly as straighter hair. Because of that it is even more essential to keep naturally kinky hair hydrated and moisture-protected with hair growth oils. 

It’s common knowledge that dry hair turns to brittle hair and brittle hair breaks fast.

See:

Research studies that are focused on how to make hair grow faster show that If your hair is dry and brittle, you likely have open cuticles. 

Your hair cuticle is the strand’s outermost layer; it's the protective layer.

When cuticles are lifted or “open”, it means they are not sealed down and this allows moisture and nutrients to escape much faster. 

However, quality hair conditioners can actually help seal your cuticle down. This not only helps trap in hydration and vital growth nutrients, but a closed cuticle means less friction between the strands which leads to less breakage and more retaining of new growth.

Everyone's hair needs are going to be different, of course, so for some a simple conditioner will do the trick, while others will need weekly hydrating hair masks and oil treatments. 

6. Don’t Get Too Heated Sis...

Listen… Some folks go NUTS over the very thought of using heat on your hair AT ALL.

Fact is, there are waaaaay too many naturals who know how to make hair grow faster and the crazy-impressive hair length to prove it. And time-after-time we learn that they use heat tools on their hair (in moderation though).

And that’s the key…

If you want strong, gorgeous hair that grow fast you have to spread out your use of hot tools, and definitely can’t use them daily. 

On top of that:

When you do use heat tools, the faster you get the job done the better, that’s one reason it pays to buy super hiqh-quality tools instead of pinching pennies. Cheat heat tools usually need more time to be effective and your hair pays the price from too much time under the fire.

If you don't know, heat styling works by breaking down the hydrogen bonds in your hair, that's how heat works to restructure your hair pattern (be it straightening curls or adding curls to straight hair). 

And when you do this too much, it causes damage. One research project discovered that regular styling with hot tools significantly decreased moisture content and increased breakage. 

If you do decide to use hot tools on your hair, no problem, just make sure to use a proper heat protectant that can TRULY stand the heat.

You need to find a product that protects your hair up to 400°F (the temp that many flat irons and blow dryers can reach) or if you use natural oils as protectants, use oils that have a higher smoke point.

7. Wear Protective Hairstyles: Loose Ones Though

When you have naturally-kinky textured hair like me it’s no secret that you probably need to rock protective hairstyles from time to time. It's a go-to rule learning how to make hair grow faster as a kinky-curly girl...

When first discovering how to make hair grow faster, the natural hair journey of going from short to long hair can feel impossible.

Here’s the thing:

Wearing loose protective hairstyles are a wonderful method for growing out your natural hair faster than ever.

And here’s how:

Because when transitioning between two different hair textures (i.e., textured versus straightened) you’ll see faster hair growth and retention by:

  • Minimizing your daily hair routine and lessening manipulation.
  • Covering the ends of hair.
  • Protecting against damaging environmental factors.
  • And safeguarding against harsh seasonal elements...

A few examples of good protective style that you can use (but make sure they are loose) are flat twists, two-strad twists, buns and loose ponytails.

It also helps to switch these out every two weeks or so and give yourself breaks between them to avoid scalp tension, which can lead to traction alopecia, a medical condition in which chronically tight hairstyles can cause scalp damage and hair loss.

Loose protective styles are simply those that help those with kinky, coily hair to prolong their time between manipulation and re-styling so you aren't causing regular damage.

And remember:

The preparation for the style  is just as important as the style. For example, if you have a really tight hair texture, blow-dry your hair first and load up on good leave-in conditioners so that your hair is sufficiently hydrated. If you have a looser curl type you can style the hair while damp.



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Remember - Not All Hair Loss Causes Are Equal

You can only know how to make hair grow faster if you know the root cause.

Trichologists often divide the causes of hair loss that aren’t related to age into two categories: 

  1. Scarring.
  2. Non-scarring hair loss. 

Generally speaking, scarring hair loss is permanent. Examples of scarring hair loss causes include scarring alopecia.

Non-scarring hair loss causes can include telogen effluvium which causes hair follicles to remain in a resting state or alopecia areata (hair loss in patches).

As a result of these serious hair loss situations, a person’s hair does not grow as quickly or as much as it once did.

This condition can be the result of the following “shocks” to the body:

  • Taking certain medications, such as antidepressants
  • Giving birth
  • Having an inadequate protein intake
  • Having a fever
  • Undergoing major surgery
  • You have a severe chronic illness

If you have these serious conditions you need to see professional hair and scalp specialists, trichologists or even medical doctors.

Answers About How to Make Hair Grow Faster

We get tons of questions about how to make hair grow faster from NHP blog visitors, here are some answers to some of the common questions that we have seen.

Does hair growth slow down with age?

Truth is, hair growth does slow down in mid-life years, at his age your hair spends more time in the resting phase than the growth phase that we enjoy at a younger age. This slowing of growth is caused mainly by your scalp than your actual hair strands.


How long does it take to grow hair 12 inches?

If we assume that the longest hair measurement from the top of your head down to your shoulders is roughly 12 inches and that you have an average growth rate of ½ inch per month, it will take 2 years of hair growth (assuming excellent length retention) for you to achieve 12 inches of hair growth to reach shoulder length, that's assuming that you recently did a low brush cut big chop.


Does hair stop growing if you don't cut it?

Cutting and trimming your hair ends doesn't affect the follicles in your scalp, which determine how fast and how much your hair grows. Hair grows an average of a ½ inch every month—whether or not you cut it. No, not cutting it won’t stop growth but failing to trim split ends could kill your length-retention.
That makes it seem like your hair has stopped growing when it really has not. You’re ust losing as much as you happen to grow out.


Can your hair grow 2 inches in a month?

Growing 2 inches of hair in a month is not something anyone can expect. Ask any certified hair & scalp trichologist ahd they’ll admit that growing 2” in a month is not realistic and a marketing ploy from folks trying to sell hair growth “miracle products”. It’s not real.


How can I grow my hair faster in a week?

You can grow your hair faster in 7 days by improving your body’s health and vitality levels. Don’t expect hair growth oils to grow an extra inch per week. Although proper hair masks, growth oils and shampoos do help grow hair, your body will produce faster growth when it’s at its healthiest. Many people want hair growth shortcuts, but the shortcuts only work faster when they have a vibrant and healthy body, blood circulation system and scalp to work with.


What makes hair grow faster naturally?

As mentioned above, one major key making your hair grow faster naturally is a healthy, natural diet and lifestyle. Hair craves nutrition and reflects the health of your body, so a nutrient eating program and regular exercise will keep your body in position to produce more natural growth much faster.

The hair growth fuel you eat will have vitamins and minerals known to support healthy hair growth, such as vitamin C, biotin, niacin, iron and zinc. And remember, consistency is the key to hair growth, whether we’re talking about diet or hair growth regimens using oils or other growth-boosting products.

CONCLUSION:

So listen:

I feel like folks should see your opinion on how to make hair grow faster...

Do you have any cool tips about growing hair for NHP readers?

Do you know anybody who sells great hair growth products? 

If so, please let me know your thoughts on how to make hair grow faster. Write your own comment or even a whole post below for the rest of the folks visiting and reading NHP.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Lee 

Melissa Lee is a Contributing Editor to NHP and a former owner of the BlackhairOMG website. She formed 4C Trichology Growth Services, LLC., a US based hair care consultation service. She has also contributed as a writer and consultant for various hair and beauty websites. Melissa can be followed on Twitter here.

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