Hair growth stress

[Skade]

I have read in a lot of posts lately about people talking about how their hair grows around 1 inch/month. I always feel like everybody else hair grows so fast when I read here on LHC. My hair grows about 1 cm a month. That is not even 1/2 an inch. It is 4,7 inch a year (12 cm/year).


And until I joined LHC that seemed normal to me. When I have talked to hairdressers they have also always said that 12 cm per year is normal (4,7 inch) and when reading hair facts I have gotten that impression too. According to Wikipedia 1 cm or about 1/2 inch is standard. I understand that there are always differences, but they just seem so big in this case. And I get a little stressed whenever I read about all these fast growing hairs. I do not begrudge you this, that´s great. I just wished my hair would grow like that. :pray:


So I am just wondering, is it just the LHC people that have fast hair growth? :) Or are anybody else feeling like your hair isn't living up to the standard here?

[Ocelan]

I always thought that hair grows 12 cm a year aswell, or 1 cm a month, as we were always told. In some places it said hair would grow 12-15 cm a year, which gets closer to the half an inch per month, but still a bit below (0.4917 inches).

My hair grows about 1 cm (0.4 inches) a month, sometimes a bit less and sometimes a bit more. It never grows an inch or 2.5 cm a month and I doubt it never will. That would be nearly triple my normal growth rate. I know there are a lot of people here who do get an inch a month. I don't know how their genes and diets are or if they do some kind of voodoo to their scalps, but you are right, it does feel like there are more fast growing people here than "out there". Maybe the people who grow less than half an inch a month rarely speak of it or rather just mention something like "my hair grows pretty slow" and those who get lots of growth tell about it more as it's happy news which they like to share more than the worse news of having slow growth?

[The-Young-Maid]

My hair is about average. I'm not good at measuring it but I think I get about 6-7 inches/year. I don't think LHCers hair really grows faster but we get better growth because we take care of our hair. Also many people on here take vitamins and such to get growth spurts or to continue with an average growth rate the entire year. ex some people gain a few inches in the summer but don't grow at all in the winter. But everyones hair is different.:shrug:

[jeanniet]

Average is 1/2" a month. Of course some people will grow faster than that, but many will grow slower. In addition, growth isn't usually that steady--sometimes it grows faster, sometimes slower. I've gotten as much as 3" growth in about six weeks, but that was an anomaly for me, and after that it settled back down to normal rate. No reason for it, just happened, and it sure wasn't because I did anything special.

Don't get too hung up on what you read here, because a lot of people are obsessed with growth rate, and really, hair does what it does. IMO, as long as you're getting a decent diet, don't have any health issues, and get some exercise, your hair will grow the way it's meant to. I think it's better to be patient and let it grow than to experiment with supplements that you probably don't need and may affect your health in other ways that you may not be aware of.

[Tangle or Curl?]

I'm curious about this as well. I've had over a half inch or so a month judging by how much gain I've had since I started but that doesn't include the few trims I've had. I hear biotine as a vitamin routine really speeds growth. I've been taking it but I have a terrible memory, so I end up forgetting most of the time. Some people's genes allow for faster growth as well, from what I understand. Perhaps you are just not meant to be a chia pet :P The good news is that you are growing though, so as long as you have good care methods you should continue to gain ground.

[Logi Bear]

My hair growth rate depends completely on my diet. :rolleyes: I have had GI problems for many years, and I've gone through bad periods where it grew at a snail pace, and even started falling out. When my diet is good though, it tends to grow very fast, sometimes even 1 inch a month. Whenever possible I follow a plant based diet (health-wise I feel the best on it), and I typically aim for 75g of protein a day.

[Beborani]

I hope it is not the poll I have started that is stressing you! But even there no one has reported 12 inches yet (I am hoping for some!) which is one inch a month. Almost nothing you do makes hair grow faster. I am actually stimulating my scalp to grow new follicles with minoxidil, and though I have increased density considerably and I can physically see new follicles being formed near forehead area, my growth rate has not accelerated.

[Logi Bear]

Sorry, posted before I was done. Protein seems to have the most effect on my hair growth 75g a day is more than necessary, but not unhealthy or dangerous. For example, please don't go on an Atkins diet to make your hair grow. It will work, but its not healthy at all.

[Vivalagina]

I have no idea how fast hair grows. I don't really worry about it, it's going to grow as fast as it wants to grow. I think my hair has been growing a little faster during my pregnancy since I have increased my protein and iron intake to meet the demands of pregnancy but it's not THAT much faster. :)

[Beborani]

Pregnancy extends anagen phase (making you retain hair that would otherwise have fallen out) in some people making it seem like it is growing faster.

[Skade]

Thank you for your answers everybody! I already feel a lot calmer about this. I have never been that hair-growth-obsessed type before. My agenda has been more just have patience with it and it will grow, and it does, just a bit slowly. It was after joining LHC that I started to be stressed about it, but I will try to let it go now, and be patient again.

Ocelan, nice to hear that there are more with the same kind of hair growth rate as me. And I think you might be right about that people with slower hair growth doesn't speak of it as much.

Beborani, no, don´t worry, it wasn't your poll stressing me out, it was due to different posts I have seen here during the year. Your poll just remembered me about it tonight and made me start the thread now, which was good, since I have been having these thoughts a while.

The young maiden, Vivalagina, Logi Bear and Tangle or Curl, Yes, it seems to have a lot to do with genes, diet, hormones and season. I will try to eat a little better, since I know I have been stressed and not eaten properly for a while.

Jeanniet, I think you are right about not experimenting too much with different supplements, something I am very restrictive with, since I have a special interest in nutrition science. And given all the reports I have read about this topic, I know that so few supplements have any proven positive effect on the body, and many have in closer studies actually shown bad health results. Something the supplement company's don't want us to know much about.

As always with hair growing it seems patience is the key. :meditate: :knit:

[leslissocool]

I have a very fast hair growth.


It used to not be this way, diet and exercise (I do take supplements, mostly whey protein and BCAA's along with a prenatal multivitamin because I'm anemic) just made my hair growth go from 5 inches a year to what's now. I have stress induced hypertension, so in order to get off blood pressure meds I had to get control over it. 2 weeks of not working out hard and lifting weights, I start getting sick and my blood pressure readings start being really bad.

So, since I joined LHC and took care of my health my hair just started growing. I have friends who tell me "What happened to your hair, it used to be way thinner than mine and now it's thicker!" but the truth is that I wasn't healthy, and I wasn't shedding stress and it got to my health.

Genetically, I think this is what I'm supposed to be but because I wasn't taking care of myself it wasn't. My daughter has my hair growth rate, my son's fine hair has his father's (slower baby soft gorgeous hair).


If you have a lot of stress, pick up yoga .Even just 30 minutes a day, there are a lot of youtube free yoga vinyasas you can do from your computer. That along with a better nutrition (make sure you get enough micronutrients, and I do higher amount of lean proteins which works for me) I think can help you get exactly what your genes can without as much fluctuation.

Genetic loto sucks IMO, I got the fast hair growth and my son got the super high metabolism :lol:. That's something I'm jealous of.

[chen bao jun]

How fast your hair grows is interesting to know but doesn't really matter as much for someone who wants long hair as how much of the growth you retain. LHC practices will help you keep your hair healthy and in good condition and you will minimize breakage, which means your hair will get long. Patience is key. Comparing ourselves to others sucks--and as someone pointed out, those who get faster growth are more likely to mention it than those who get average or slow, skewing the perception of those who read.

[Skade]

How fast your hair grows is interesting to know but doesn't really matter as much for someone who wants long hair as how much of the growth you retain. LHC practices will help you keep your hair healthy and in good condition and you will minimize breakage, which means your hair will get long. Patience is key. Comparing ourselves to others sucks--and as someone pointed out, those who get faster growth are more likely to mention it than those who get average or slow, skewing the perception of those who read.

You are so right, comparing yourself to others suck. I will try to take care of the growth and keep the hair healthy.


I have a very fast hair growth.


It used to not be this way, diet and exercise (I do take supplements, mostly whey protein and BCAA's along with a prenatal multivitamin because I'm anemic) just made my hair growth go from 5 inches a year to what's now. I have stress induced hypertension, so in order to get off blood pressure meds I had to get control over it. 2 weeks of not working out hard and lifting weights, I start getting sick and my blood pressure readings start being really bad.

So, since I joined LHC and took care of my health my hair just started growing. I have friends who tell me "What happened to your hair, it used to be way thinner than mine and now it's thicker!" but the truth is that I wasn't healthy, and I wasn't shedding stress and it got to my health.

Genetically, I think this is what I'm supposed to be but because I wasn't taking care of myself it wasn't. My daughter has my hair growth rate, my son's fine hair has his father's (slower baby soft gorgeous hair).


If you have a lot of stress, pick up yoga .Even just 30 minutes a day, there are a lot of youtube free yoga vinyasas you can do from your computer. That along with a better nutrition (make sure you get enough micronutrients, and I do higher amount of lean proteins which works for me) I think can help you get exactly what your genes can without as much fluctuation.

Genetic loto sucks IMO, I got the fast hair growth and my son got the super high metabolism :lol:. That's something I'm jealous of.

Yes, super high metabolism would have been a treat :)
That´s interesting, that you have changed your hair growth that much. I used to exercise a lot more and eat healthier, I have just been lazy lately. You have definitely inspired me to take care of myself better. And thanks. I will try that yoga recommendation.

[LadyCelestina]

What surprises me is that ...there are many people who claim they have a solid monthly growth of 1 inch,but I have never seen a "hairiversary" picture post with cca.12 inches (+- trims) in a year...that's over 30 cm and on me it's midback to TBL.

I don't think that's possible and if,it's very rare.

[jacqueline101]

I do Monistat so are you sure the people who get an inch a month growth are doing Monistat. That will boost growth.

[Komao]

My hair grows faster in the summer, which I read is usually the case for most of us.
I have really noticed an increase in growth and I attribute it to giving myself a head massage.

You could do it with your hands but I found a small smooth massage tool that you put your fingertips into and then massage scalp. My hair has never grown so fast.

Also, my hair grows in spurts. At times I see quite a bit of growth and then it slows down and starts up again.
I have also read this is quite common for a lot of us.

I've found to not stress over growth, I'm fully committed to letting it grow and taking the best care of hair and enjoying the journey plus a little dreaming of the glorious length I'm going to achieve:D

[panffle]

My hair grows about 1 cm a month too. But my measuring after my first year showed that it grew 15 cm. So what happened?
Whenever my diet is good, full of nutrients/protein, it doesn't look like it but my hair grows a lot more (obviously). However I noticed that if I'm stressed, even if my diet is great and I exercise 30 mins a day, my hair grows more slowly.
So for me, it's clear that my hair can grow more than the average 1 cm (which was what I learned too). But managing stress sometimes is really hard.
Maybe try changing your habits for a few months. Like your diet/exercise habits, then see if that makes a difference for you.

[Komao]

I have a very fast hair growth.


It used to not be this way, diet and exercise (I do take supplements, mostly whey protein and BCAA's along with a prenatal multivitamin because I'm anemic) just made my hair growth go from 5 inches a year to what's now. I have stress induced hypertension, so in order to get off blood pressure meds I had to get control over it. 2 weeks of not working out hard and lifting weights, I start getting sick and my blood pressure readings start being really bad.

So, since I joined LHC and took care of my health my hair just started growing. I have friends who tell me "What happened to your hair, it used to be way thinner than mine and now it's thicker!" but the truth is that I wasn't healthy, and I wasn't shedding stress and it got to my health.

Genetically, I think this is what I'm supposed to be but because I wasn't taking care of myself it wasn't. My daughter has my hair growth rate, my son's fine hair has his father's (slower baby soft gorgeous hair).


If you have a lot of stress, pick up yoga .Even just 30 minutes a day, there are a lot of youtube free yoga vinyasas you can do from your computer. That along with a better nutrition (make sure you get enough micronutrients, and I do higher amount of lean proteins which works for me) I think can help you get exactly what your genes can without as much fluctuation.

Genetic loto sucks IMO, I got the fast hair growth and my son got the super high metabolism :lol:. That's something I'm jealous of.

Thanks for some excellent information regarding health and its effects on your body. I hope you continue to have good health.

[Anabell]

I think it's a matter of convention. In the countries that the measure unit is inch they say that hair grows half inch per month. In the countries that the measure unit is cm they say that the hair grows one cm per month. The truth is somewhere inbetween. I also se a lot of LHC members that claim that they have an average grows rate (sometimes 0.5 inch, sometimes 1 cm). Of course they are some lucky people who have super fast grows rate but I don't think they are the majority (Hey, you can do a poll about it for more accurate data or do a search and see if there was a poll like that before. It will be interesting to figure out...).
It is also really variate from how accurate you want to be when you convert the units. 1 inch can be 2.5 cm or 2.54 cm. My point that it just numbers and it doesn't really matter.

EDIT: I see you already saw the hair grows rate poll. *go to chekc it out*

[H.e.L]

I seem to have a pretty fast-growing hair (makes it really hard to maintain continuity over months of filming indie movies, hahaha). But I find it really hard to maintain viable growth. I shed like nobody's business, AND have mixed baby fine (so thin you can't feel it between your fingers) and fine hair, so it breaks as easily as spider-thread.
So my having a relatively quick growth rate really hasn't done me any favors (though it will, I suppose, if I ever manage to find a hair routine that allows me to maintain a decent hemline.)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I had my first LHC anniversary this month and in my first year got just over 10 inches of growth. I did notice though that sometimes my hair grew faster and sometimes slower, so it obviously has differing growth rates. It will be interesting to see how much growth I get during this coming year.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I had my first LHC anniversary this month and in my first year got just over 10 inches of growth. I did notice though that sometimes my hair grew faster and sometimes slower, so it obviously has differing growth rates. It will be interesting to see how much growth I get during this coming year.

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

My hair seems to grow exactly 1/2 inch a month (nothing if not consistent!) but it can be made to grow a little quicker with regular exercise, MSM and walnuts.

[BlazingHeart]

You've got totally normal hair growth!

I'm one of the unusual ones with very fast growth - if I'm not having thyroid problems, I average about 14"/yr, or just over 1"/month. I'm very glad it does that, because otherwise I would have probably given up and cut it off when I was having issues with not being able to make buns without sectioning, and having trouble with doing sectioned buns because of hand and shoulder problems. If it's any comfort, I'd happily trade the fast-growing hair for healthier joints (I've got a genetic condition that means I have really bad joints - I bet you didn't spend last weekend in the ER because you dislocated your hip like me! :bigtongue:) All bodies come with upsides and downsides, it's better to focus on what you like about your body. And if you don't like anything about your body, I highly suggest something like learning swing dancing, or salsa dancing, or yoga, or pilates, or going for a good hike - there is nothing like enjoyable physical activity to help you get more in the mood to love what your body does.

[leslissocool]

I'm glad I'm helping Skade and Katilou! To me, there isn't really a short cut: Diet, health and exercise is really what's going to maximize your growth. Micronutrients are really important overall (TONS of veggies). The way I see it, if your body is taking all it's nutrients to your vital organs there isn't enough for your hair to get some since it's not a priority :lol:. I don't mean OD in vitamis either, just make sure you get enough of everything.




What surprises me is that ...there are many people who claim they have a solid monthly growth of 1 inch,but I have never seen a "hairiversary" picture post with cca.12 inches (+- trims) in a year...that's over 30 cm and on me it's midback to TBL.

I don't think that's possible and if,it's very rare.

There is a reason why I don't post hair anniversaries, because it's freaky. I've been here 3 years about, and went from shoulder to tailbone, then cut 6 inches off to tailbone all while cutting my damage bleached out hair. I came to LHC with hair that was, yes, BLEACHED out. Now I have outgrown it. Not many people do that in 3 years.


My growth since february is as much as some people get in a year. So I think I'd discourage many if I were to do that, and I don't want to. Plus if you see the poll, really most don't have one inch a month (when I saw it 2-3 people voted one was me). Plus, to be really honest I'm a bit lazy regarding it :lol: so when you see an anniversary/hair growth journey from me it's probably going to be next year or the next :lol: or when I get to my goal.

This was posted in the one pic/month club thread. One side is on february, the other was posted this month, roughly about 5 months no trim:

http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee449/leslissocool/83022454-2399-4A8C-84BD-5A6295C61071-4036-00000533BE340E3A_zpsd77ac362.jpg

[Skade]

Thank you for all your answers. It seems like I have kind of average growth and that there are also those lucky enough to have super growth :) Like for example Sarahlabyrinth, Blazingheart and leslissocool. Your 5 month growth is crazy leslissocool. Talking about moving toward a goal in super speed. :run:

[LadyCelestina]

There is a reason why I don't post hair anniversaries, because it's freaky. I've been here 3 years about, and went from shoulder to tailbone, then cut 6 inches off to tailbone all while cutting my damage bleached out hair. I came to LHC with hair that was, yes, BLEACHED out. Now I have outgrown it. Not many people do that in 3 years.


My growth since february is as much as some people get in a year. So I think I'd discourage many if I were to do that, and I don't want to. Plus if you see the poll, really most don't have one inch a month (when I saw it 2-3 people voted one was me). Plus, to be really honest I'm a bit lazy regarding it :lol: so when you see an anniversary/hair growth journey from me it's probably going to be next year or the next :lol: or when I get to my goal.

This was posted in the one pic/month club thread. One side is on february, the other was posted this month, roughly about 5 months no trim:

http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee449/leslissocool/83022454-2399-4A8C-84BD-5A6295C61071-4036-00000533BE340E3A_zpsd77ac362.jpg

Oh my god :D That is just too awesome ! :D And yes,your 5 months growth is around my whole year growth,or even longer ,I get around 15 cm a year.

Thanks for sharing!

[Arien]

My hair at the moment is growing at about 1 inch a month, but I am eating really healthily and getting plenty of exercise etc. In the winter it tends to grow a lot slower - maybe only 1/3 to 1/2 inch per month. In 8 months (since the end of Nov 2012) my hair has grown 6 1/2 inches. Obviously your genes have a lot to play in how much your hair grows but I think it also depends on how healthy you are, how well you are looking after yourself etc. Also illness is a contributing factor. For example if you have a spate of colds over the winter it doesn't particularly help. I have had points in the past when my hair has not been growing at all if I have been stressed or ill.

Your hair growth seems perfectly healthy to me Skade :).

[MaryO]

My hair also grows about a cm a month which feels to me to be at glacial pace. Can't believe I've been growing for almost a year and I feel it should have been longer. But I've tried all sorts of tricks and things to make it grow faster and nothing has worked for me. So I try to make peace with it but I'm not really getting there...

[massivecnqstdr]

MaryO, I am in the same boat! Bhringaraj oil is the only thing that has helped me so far, but it also increases the shed rate on my already baby fine hair. -sigh-