Your hair is the crowning glory of your head, and it is normal to want to know more about the growth of your hair and about tips on how you can grow your hair naturally.
How Hair Grows
When we are born, there are 5 million hair follicles on our body but only 100,000 on our heads. As we age, some follicles stop producing hair, which is the main reason for pattern baldness.
Hair grows in your skin and scalp in a hair follicle. The blood circulates through the scalp to the follicle to supply oxygen, as well as nutrients to the root of the hair, which aides your hair is growing. As your hair starts growing, it pushes through the surface of your scalp or skin. There are also oil glands in the hair follicles, and the oil makes hair more fluffy, lustrous, and shiny.
Hair grows about 1/2 inch per month on average, making it a total of six inches per year. Your hair growth depends on various things, including age, health, the type of your hair, and health conditions.
Natural Hair Growth Chart
Hair growth depends on various factors, and it can as well get affected by some circumstances. Hair growth differs from individual to individual. Some people’s hair grows more rapidly, while some people’s hair stays at the same length for years.
This chart shows that the average hair growth after a period of time are as follows:
- 0.44 mm hair growth in one day
- 3.1 mm hair growth in one week
- 0.5 inches hair growth in one month
- 6 inches hair growth in one year.
How long does it take to grow hair naturally?
Based on the chart above, a person’s hair grows approximately 0.44 millimeter daily, 3.1 millimeters after a week, about half an inch in a month, and around 6 inches after a whole year.
There is no magic potion that can help you to grow your hair 6 inches long in a single night, although genetics also plays a major role in sustaining your hair growth.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Natural growth can only happen by going through a process called the hair growth cycle.
There are three stages in which your hair grows:
- Anagen
- Catagen
- Telogen
Anagen phase
It is an active growth phase that lasts for about 2 to 8 years.
Catagen phase
It is a transitional phase where hair stops growing. It lasts for 4 to 6 weeks.
Telogen phase
It is a resting phase where hair has disconnected from the hair follicle and falls out or is pushed out by a new hair growing beneath it. It lasts for about 2 to 3 months.
How To Make Your Hair Stronger and Grow Faster Naturally
Hair is made up of keratin and dead skin cells. There is no failproof method of making your hair stronger or grow faster, but there are some ways to aid healthy hair growth.
If you are nutrient deficient, hair growth may halt or not grow as strong or as fast. If that’s the case, talk to your doctor about supplements, vitamins, and nutrients.
Even though it’s best to get your vitamins and nutrients from your diet, you can also take supplements of vitamin C and vitamin D, zinc, iron, and biotin, which are great for hair growth. Getting enough protein and keratin may also help to improve overall hair health and promote hair growth.
Using essential oils diluted with carrier oils is also believed to help in hair growth when applied to the scalp. These oils may also prevent hair damage.
There are also unnatural ways of promoting hair growth through hair growth stimulants and hair loss medications such as topical minoxidil or finasteride, or a laser hair growth device.
How Long Does It Take To Grow an Inch of Hair?
One inch of hair growth takes two months on average.
How Much Does Your Hair Grow in a Day?
On average your hair grows 0.44 millimeters in a day.
How Long Does Your Hair Grow in a Week Compared to a Month or Year?
On average, your hair grows 1/8th inch in a week compared to 1/2 inch in a month.
How Many Hairs Are on the Average Human Head?
The average human head has approximately 100,000 hairs on its head with the same number of hair follicles. The quantity of hair on a person’s head varies from person to person. Some people have more hair, and some have less.
Those who experience pattern baldness or hair thinning will have decreasingly fewer hairs as they age due to the process of hair miniaturization and hair loss.
Final Thoughts
Human hair growth depends on age, genetics, health, hormones, and several other factors. Hair growth varies from person to person. Every individual has different genetics and their scalp and hair follicles may be different as well.
The best you can do for your hair growth is to maintain good health by eating a balanced diet full of nutrients, staying hydrated, and also taking care of your hair by using appropriate hair products.
If you are concerned about hair loss and consider treatments, consult your doctor.
