Love it or hate it, you may be one of those people who have hair that seems to grow at an expeditious rate.
You might ask the question ‘why does my hair grow so fast’?
This article will answer that and suggest some tips to prevent hair from growing back so quickly.
There are a number of factors that influence how fast hair grows. These include:
- Genetics: a person’s genes will dictate how quickly their hair grows.
- Age: between the ages of 15 and 30 hair grows fastest.
- Nutrition: what you eat can influence the rate of hair growth.
How Fast Does Hair Usually Grow?
Everyone is different when it comes to how fast their hair grows, but, on average, hair grows about half an inch a month.
However, for some people, it is not unusual for hair to grow as much as a full inch or as little as a centimeter.
Why Does My Hair Grow So Fast?
Many factors influence how fast or how slow your hair grows.
Some of these you can control and some you can’t. Factors such as diet, age, stress, hormones, scalp health, hair care practices, and medications can all have an effect on hair growth.
Men’s hair tends to grow at a faster rate than women’s, however, pregnancy can speed up the hair growth process for women. This
In fact, time of year can even influence how fast or slow your hair grows with faster growth usually taking place in summer.
Fast hair growth is great for those who like to experiment often with hairstyles or for those who may wish to get past the awkward stage after a dramatic cut.
Also Read: Growing Edges: How To Avoid Thinning Hair With These 5 Tips
What Influences the Growth Rate of Hair?
There are a few factors that can influence the growth rate of scalp hair.
Ethnicity
Scalp hair growth rate can vary significantly from one ethnicity to another.
A large study on the diversity of human hair growth showed that people of African origin tended to have hair that grew the slowest as well as the thinnest.
Whereas people of Asian descent in the study tended to have hair that grew the fastest and the thickest.
Participants of European origin fell somewhere in the middle in relation to their hair growth rate.
Hair Thickness
A study of Asian and Caucasian participants with straight and partially straight hair found that thicker hair fibers were linked to a faster growth rate of hair.
Thin fibers had a slower rate of growth. So, if your hair is thick, this could explain why your hair is growing so fast.
However, don’t get confused about the meaning of thick hair and dense hair.
Some people have a lot of hair follicles spaced close together, but their hair strands aren’t necessarily thick.
You can tell if your hair is thick by pinching an individual strand of hair between your fingers and feeling it.
If you feel nothing between your fingers, then you do not have thick hair.
On the other hand, if your hair feels like some heavy sewing thread, you have thick hair.
Gender
A study found that the growth rate of scalp hair between men and women was quite similar.
However, hair tends to grow slower at the nape of the neck for men.
An alternative study of Caucasian participants found that women not experiencing pattern hair loss tended to have a faster hair growth rate than men not experiencing pattern hair loss.
Overall, findings show that women tend to have faster-growing scalp hair.
Age
Hair grows at the fastest rate between the ages of 15 and 30, before slowing down.
Some follicles stop working altogether as people get older. This is why some people’s hair gets thinner hair or they go bald.
And if hair gets thinner, it also tends to grow more slowly.
Stress
Stress can affect how your hair grows. The condition telogen effluvium is a common cause of temporary hair loss or inhibition of growth.
According to doctor.ndtv.com, “stress can push hair follicles into a “resting” phase so that they don’t produce new hair strands.
Over a period of time, hair can fall out more easily, even if you’re just washing, combing, or touching it”.
Telogen effluvium also can be triggered as a result of poor nutrition and changes in hormone levels.
On the plus side: if your hair is growing fast this is an indication of good health!
Also Read: How To Use Moringa For Hair Loss (For Best Results)
What Influences the Growth Rate of Body Hair?
Body hair growth rate is influenced by hormones.
Testosterone increases the rate of hair growth on the face and the body, whereas estrogen often decreases it.
Women who find they have a lot of facial hair and body hair tend to have higher levels of testosterone than those who don’t.
Not only does it cause hair to grow in these places, it also makes it grow faster.
Do Certain Foods Make Hair Grow Faster?
When it comes to hair growth, you can’t change influencing factors such as age and genetics, however, diet is one thing you have control over.
In fact, consuming a diet lacking in the right nutrients can lead to hair loss.
On the other hand, eating a diet that is balanced with the right nutrients can help promote hair growth.
Vitamin C, niacin, biotin, iron, and zinc are some of the vitamins and minerals which promote healthy hair growth.
And, yes, certain foods definitely do make hair grow faster which include:
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of both protein and biotin, both of which promote hair growth.
Having enough protein in the diet helps hair growth as the hair follicles are made up of protein, while biotin is required for the production of the hair protein keratin.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel all contain nutrients that can promote hair growth.
They are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to hair growth. However, as yet, there is limited evidence to support this.
There is evidence to show that omega-3 fatty acids reduce hair loss, so this may account for the hair appears to grow faster.
Avocados
An excellent source of Vitamin E, avocados can promote hair growth.
In a study, people with hair loss experienced 34.5% more hair growth after taking a vitamin E supplement for eight months.
They are also a good source of essential fatty acids; a deficiency in fatty acids has been linked to hair loss.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a rich source of beta-carotene. The body then converts this into vitamin A which promotes hair health.
Vitamin A has been shown to not only speed up the rate of hair growth but support the growth of thicker hair too.
Spinach
This healthy green vegetable is packed with beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which promote hair growth.
Vitamin A supports the skin glands in the production of sebum. This oily substance helps moisturize the scalp to keep hair healthy
Beans
Beans are a good plant-based source of protein, which is important for healthy hair growth.
Beans are also a good source of zinc, which supports the hair growth and repair cycle. Not only this, but they also provide the body with iron, biotin and folate.
Seeds
Seeds pack a nutrient punch with relatively few calories. Many of these nutrients can help promote hair growth: vitamin E, zinc and selenium.
An ounce of sunflower seeds provides nearly 50% of your daily vitamin E needs.
To add to this, some seeds like flaxseeds and chia seeds also provide omega-3 fatty acids.
Also Read: How To Use Pomelo Oil For Hair Growth
How to Prevent Hair from Growing Back Too Fast?
There are a few tips and tricks you can try to prevent hair on your face or body from growing back too quickly:
Soy Consumption
The hormone estrogen represses hair growth so it makes sense that if you could produce more of it, this could help prevent your hair from growing back so quickly.
Soy products, including soy milk and tofu, are good sources of estrogen: upping your intake could help manage your fast-growing hair.
Spearmint Tea
Another method of reducing the growth rate of hair is drinking spearmint tea.
Studies have indicated that this tea can decrease the levels of male hormones in your body, such as testosterone and androgens.
Change Your Shaving Routine
By changing your hair removal routine, you may be able to slow down or reduce leg hair and beard growth.
If you usually shave your beard in the morning before going to work, change it. Shave it just before going to bed.
The follicles tend to tighten during sleep which prevents the rate of hair growth. After shaving, apply a thin layer of turmeric cream and leave it to dry.
Relax
The hormone, androgen is directly linked to stress. An increase in stress triggers the production of more androgen in your body.
By alleviating stress, you can reduce the rate at which your hair grows.
In a similar way, testosterone, also associated with unwanted hair growth, increases its production during stressful times.
Relaxing and avoiding stress balances your hormones and slows the growth rate of unwanted hair.
There are lots of factors that influence why your hair may be growing so fast. If it is an issue for you, consider using some of our suggested methods above to manage the problem.
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