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Can I Make My Hair Grow Faster?

By David McEvoy

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 15Mar2010
Word count: 845
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Many people would like their hair to grow faster, and some will spend a small fortune on all sorts of creams, gels and lotions that claim to promote hair growth with little if any results to show for their hard earned cash.

The thing is, you can encourage faster hair growth once you know how the hair grows and what it needs. The first thing we have to look at is why the hair isn't growing as fast as it should in the first place.

What inhibits hair growth?

There are many factors that influence hair growth and which can slow it down, stop it altogether or even cause hair loss. This includes the following:

Genetics - if hair loss or thinning runs in your family then you could have inherited the tendency in your genes

Health - some health conditions can affect hair growth and may cause hair loss including thyroid problems, anaemia, high fever, and infections

Medication - check the small print on any medication you are taking as there are many which list hair loss as one of the possible side effects

Chemicals - if you are sensitive to some chemicals in hair products you may have a reaction that causes some hair loss. Also chemotherapy can result in total hair loss but will usually grow back once the treatment has stopped.

Childbirth - after giving birth, many women find that their hair gets thinner and falls out in much greater quantities; this is not unusual and is due to the hormonal changes in the body. Once the hormones settle down the hair should go back to normal.

Hormonal changes - these can cause hair loss or hair thinning, for example during puberty and the menopause or if you are suffering from a hormonal disorder.

Stress - prolonged and intense stress, in fact any heightened emotional state can influence hair growth and affect hair growth

Diet - If your diet is lacking in certain nutrients then your hair may not grow as fast as it could, you may also find your hair starts thinning and fall out if you diet excessively

How the hair grows

If you want to promote hair growth then it helps if you have an understanding of how the hair on your head grows so that you can maximise the potential. The hair grows in three stages or cycles, which are known as Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.

Anagen

Anagen is the growing stage where the hair follicles on the scalp are active and the hair is growing. Usually around 85 percent of the hair on our head is in the active growing stage at any one time before it moves on to the other two stages. During the Anagen phase which on average lasts around three years, the hair grows at an average rate of around half an inch a month.

Catagen

Once the hair has finished the growing stage the hair follicles move into the Catagen phase where it undergoes changes before entering the resting phase. During the catagen phase, which lasts approximately three weeks, the hair stops growing and the follicle becomes shorter.

Telogen

This is the final stage of the hair growth cycle and is also called the resting phase. This period lasts approximately three months and at the end of this stage the resting hair finally detaches itself completely and will fall out allowing new hair to grow. Usually around 15 percent of the hair is in the Catagen or Telogen stages at any one time so are not actively growing.

As our hair is constantly going through each of these three cycles at different times, it is normal for us to lose some hair every day, the hair that is in the final Telogen stage. The average amount of hair loss that is considered normal is up 100 hairs per day. If you are losing more than this then your hair will be falling out faster than it can be replaced.

Promoting Hair Growth

Ok to make hair grow faster you need to try and prolong the growing stage and to do this you need to make sure your hair has everything it needs.

Check that your diet contains all the right nutrients and vitamins so that your hair is able to grow healthily from the inside. One that many people aren't aware of is the importance of essential omega 3 fatty acids for hair growth, particularly Eicosapentaenoic acid. You can find this fatty acid in fatty fish and in fish oil.

Keep your scalp clean, clear and healthy on the outside. This means avoiding the use of sharp combs, harsh chemicals in hair products, elastic bands, or anything else that is going to put pressure on your scalp. A regular scalp massage will help stimulate the follicles and encourage you to relax.

Finally keep your stress levels down and take the time to enjoy leisure activities as this will make you feel refreshed and will relieve tension. Exercise is an important part of encouraging healthy hair growth as it gets the blood pumping round the body bringing nutrients right to the scalp.

Did you know that omega 3 fish oil is the number one choice for celebrities who need their hair to grow quickly, for more information come and visit our site.

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