How Fast does Hair Grow on People?

A question that most people have probably asked their parents as kids and is probably still making them search for answers now is how fast does hair grow. The hair is an extension of a person’s being, an accessory, a crowning glory, and oftentimes, a means of expressing one’s personality; it is only normal for a person to ask questions like how does one take care of his/her hair, how fast does hair grow, or what can one do to make hair healthier. The average speed of hair growth is around one half inch per month; that means yearly, it grows up to six inches. However, it is also important to note that the rate of hair growth is influenced by several factors such as a person’s age, genetic makeup, nutritional makeup and overall health condition. The mechanism that is mainly responsible for hair growth is cell division; as new cells develop, the hair is pushed forward to make it grow longer. The newly developed hair is then added to the roots.

People who ask how fast does hair grow would naturally want to know how long a single hair strand lasts; the life of a single hair strand is somewhere between one to six years. The human head, in average, consists of a hundred thousand strands of hair; it is however normal to shed as many as a hundred hair strands a day provided that they are replaced by new ones. On a healthy scalp, the rate of hair growth is normally even; some people think that hair cut in fringes grow faster but the truth is the growth just happens to be more noticeable. Hair growth occurs in three phases; the first stage, called the anagen is the time when new hair develops in the bulb. Catagen, which is the second phase, occurs when cell division is put to a stop; the third phase, or the Telogen, is characterized by the shedding of the old hair. Each strand of hair in a person’s scalp may undergo any of these changes at different times.

Baldness occurs when hair continues to shed without being replaced by new strands. A person asking how fast does hair grow might also want to know what makes hair grow faster; hair is composed of protein that is comprised of chains of linear amino acid. Studies have shown that incorporating amino acids to one’s diet aids in the rapid growth of hair; proper diet, exercise, and lysine, cystine, cysteine, arginine and methionine supplements are known to improve hair development. Pregnancy also has an effect on hair growth; the hormonal and chemical changes that occur in a pregnant woman’s body may lead to excessive hair growth; this, however, is a temporary phenomenon and the hair usually returns to normal in the post-partum phase as the extra hairs are shed and the woman’s follicles revert to their usual cycle. Now that you already know the answer to how fast does hair grow, you are now able to take better care of your hair.