revalidation

How to make your hair grow super fast

A girl with long, curly hair

Key takeaways:

  • Hairs have cells and how healthy they are can give clues about your overall health status.
  • Tips for making your hair grow super fast include cleaning up your scalp, taking hair growth supplements, and moisturizing your hair regularly.
  • Consider speaking with a medical professional if you notice sudden, unusual changes in your hair or scalp.

Hair can give clues about what is going on in the body. For instance, your hair can help tell if you have an STI, an autoimmune disease, a genetic disorder, or a nutritional deficiency. This is why it is advisable to see a healthcare professional if you notice a sudden change or any significant abnormal change in the hairs on your body or scalp.

If your stunted hair growth is not associated with a health condition, then the solution to your hair problem is even easier. You can do some things to stimulate growth and make your hair grow super fast, e.g., moisturizing your hair, taking hair growth supplements, and avoiding heat styling your hair often.

Fast-growing hair is often considered healthy hair; however, your hair grooming habits and hygiene should cover both. You have to go beyond the regular combing and washing of your hair to stimulate your scalp so those hairs can sprout out faster!

Below are some science-backed tips on how to make your hair grow super fast.

1. Clean up your scalp

If you want to grow your hair fast, you need to start at its root because the hair root comes from the scalp. Tension, oxidative stress, and a build-up of dirt can cause the scalp to be inflamed. An inflamed scalp and conditions like dermatitis can cause hair thinning or loss. 

A study showed that the condition of the scalp could affect the growth and retention of hair. According to the study, appropriate hair care may benefit hair growth and quality.

The study also found that scalp inflammation resulting from oxidative stress and pollution is one of the leading causes of hair loss in adults. This can be explained by the fact that inflammation can block hair follicle openings, causing stunted hair growth and, eventually, hair shedding. 

Use mild shampoo to wash your hair and massage the scalp while at it. Massaging the scalp helps relieve stress, increases blood flow, and stimulates hair follicles. Increased blood flow promotes the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients to the hair root. 

2. Take hair-growth supplements

Image by Team Fredi on Unsplash

Another effective way to make your hair grow super fast and longer is to use hair-growth supplements. Supplements like biotin and collagen help the hair grow faster by providing the body with the right nutrients needed to stimulate that growth. 

In order to understand how this works, it is important to understand what the hair is made of. Hair is made of a protein called keratin. Keratin is rich in the amino acid cysteine. It also contains other amino acids such as glutamic acid, proline, serine, and glycine. 

Supplements like biotin and collagen contain these amino acids in abundance. This means that when consumed, they supply the body with the building blocks of hair. A study that evaluated the efficacy of oral supplements in women with thinning hair found that the supplements supported hair growth.

Collagen supplements enhance the production of collagen, a protein abundant in the skin, muscles, bones, and other tissues. This means they are found in the scalp as well. Collagen gives body tissues structure, rigidity, texture, and toughness.

On the other hand, biotin is popular for its hair benefits. Most hair-growth supplements contain biotin as one of their active ingredients.

Research found that low levels of biotin can cause hair loss. This supplement is involved in the production of keratin and thus can promote fast and natural hair growth. 

3. Moisturize your hair

Image by KoolShooters on Pexels

Using moisturizers can help your hair grow faster and longer while retaining its texture. Most people’s hair is naturally dry, and one way to keep it hydrated and soft is by moisturizing it. 

Dry hair can easily turn into brittle hair, and brittle hair can break easily. Research shows the importance of moisture for hair growth. 

Because people’s hair types are different, one hair product cannot work for everyone. While a simple hair conditioner can work for some people, others will need to use hydrating hair masks or go for oil treatments every week to keep their hair moisturized. 

4. Avoid too much heat styling

Overstyling the hair can affect its growth. Using heat to style the hair regularly can damage the hair, causing frizz and breakage. The heat breaks down the hair's hydrogen bonds, causing the hair pattern to be restructured. This is how heat achieves hair straightening or curling.

One way to help your hair grow faster is by avoiding excessive heat styling. It is advisable to use a lower heat temperature when styling the hair; otherwise, use a heat protectant. Go for protectants that can offer up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit protection.

5. Use antioxidants

Just like every other part of the body, hair ages as a person advances in age. This is why the hairs on your head start thinning as you get older. Your hair also starts experiencing stunted growth as you age.

Using antioxidants can help your hair grow super fast and longer. Antioxidants are natural molecules that help fight oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm to the body's cells if their levels become too high.

Antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, flavonoids, anthocyanins, beta-carotene, lutein, manganese, catechines, selenium, copper, and polyphenols. Aside from hair health, antioxidants are beneficial for overall health. 

Fortunately, antioxidants can be sourced from food. Some great dietary sources of antioxidants include onions, red wine, carrots, spinach, seafood, milk, nuts, grapes, berries, garlic, soybeans, lentils, cruciferous vegetables, and fruits like oranges.

It is also okay to use topical antioxidants contained in serums, hair oils, and sprays and apply them to the hair.

It is important to protect the hair from free radical damage that results from pollution and UV rays. You should look for products containing vitamin E, as it is a common antioxidant in hair products.

6. Trim regularly

Image by Mostafa Meraji on Unsplash

One common haircare tip people often miss is trimming the hair. Some people are scared of letting go of their hair tips; after all, it adds to the hair length they are trying to increase.

But it doesn’t work that way. Hoarding the tips of your hair won’t help; rather, it causes your hair to have split ends. Split ends mean that your hair splits up along the shaft, causing slower growth and breakage. Of course, hair breakage will not help your hair growth goals.

Since hair growth comes from the hair follicles on the scalp, trimming off the dead ends will not affect its growth; rather, it will help the hair grow faster and more healthy-looking.

See it as pruning a tree. When you remove the unwanted branches of a tree, not only do the branches regrow, but the tree looks healthier and becomes more productive.

7. Hair oil treatment

Oil is good not just for the skin but also for the hair. Coconut oil contains natural anti-bacterial properties and offers protection to the skin and hair. It can also make the hair look hydrated and radiant.

Another oil that has been touted for its incredible benefits to hair is castor oil. Castor oil has both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that can help fight scalp infections. This oil contains a rich supply of vitamin E, omega-6 fatty acids, and proteins needed for hair growth and rigidity. 

You can give your hair an oil treatment yourself. Start by massaging the oil into your scalp, then move up to the strands. Pack your hair up and cover it with a shower cap, and then use a blow dryer on the strands for about 15 minutes.

You can then use your shampoo and conditioner as usual and notice instant results. 

References

  1. Gavazzoni Dias, Maria Fernanda Reis. “Hair cosmetics: an overview.” International journal of trichology vol. 7,1 (2015): 2-15.
  2. Glynis, Ablon. “A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of an Oral Supplement in Women with Self-perceived Thinning Hair.” The journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology vol. 5,11 (2012): 28-34.
  3. Trüeb, Ralph M et al. “Scalp Condition Impacts Hair Growth and Retention via Oxidative Stress.” International journal of trichology vol. 10,6 (2018): 262-270.
  4. Zempleni, Janos et al. “Biotin and biotinidase deficiency.” Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism vol. 3,6 (2008): 715-724.