Natural Hair Growth Rate

Since birth, or actually even after conception in the womb, every part of the human body grows. But while the body stops growing at a certain age – specifically when a person reaches his 21st year of life — there are certain parts of the body that continue to grow such as the nails and hair.

Hair grows differently in every person. Hair also varies in texture and color. Some are straight, some are wavy and some are curly. Some are black, brown, brunette and blonde. Some people are lucky to have thick hair while others suffer from hair loss problems even at an early age. Many of us even associate hair loss and baldness with men but in reality, this condition can affect both men and women regardless of age.

Hair does not grow fast as we expect it should. Normally, hair grows at about half a millimeter each day, about one-half inch every month or approximately six inches (15 cm) in one year. It may be a slow process but when well taken care of, the rate hair grows can be hastened.

Hair growth goes through several phases. The growth cycle or phase refers to the production of new cells inside the hair follicle for a specific period of time. What follows is the rest stage during which the hair stops growing. After that, the hair starts growing again.
 
You may have observed some hair strands fall from your head when you shampoo or brush your hair every day. This is a natural process of shedding and takes place during the hair’s rest phase. During this phase, the hair shaft breaks resulting in the falling out of the existing hair and the growth of a new hair.

Depending on where they’re located in the body, hair growth rate is not the same. The hair follicles on the head are meant to allow hair to grow for many years the reason why the hair can grow very long. On the other hand, the hair on the arms and legs stops growing every two months which is why they remain short.

The rate hair grows is dependent on various factors such as age, genetics, condition of the hormones, stress, nutrition, climate and lifestyle. If you wish to have longer hair, then you better be aware of these factors.

Nutrition plays a crucial role in hair growth as it is in the growth and development of the entire human body. You have learned since you started school that eating the right foods help boost human growth. This is what people should keep in mind even until reaching their adulthood because a balanced diet indeed provides a lot of benefits.

Proper nutrition means eating the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Eating fruits and green leafy vegetables as well as fish, meat, oats, wheat, milk and eggs among many others on a daily basis can make a person live longer, not to mention healthier.

Other than nutrition, proper hygiene assures healthy hair growth. In other words, just like how we take care of our body, we should also keep our hair clean every day.