Heat and my nagging thoughts..

[lora410]

Is it me or does heat on the scalp help open up the pores and hair grows faster? Maybe thats why it grows faster in the summer as well. So last night i'm doing my cold water rinse and i'm like maybe I should do a warm water rinse.We all know cold water closes pores. Also when I used the blow fryer my hair grew faster as well. I wouldn't go back to the blow fryer simply because obviously I don't wanna fry my hair, but I wish there was a safe gentle everyday heat therapy for hair *sigh*

[Miss Murphy]

Hm, I too have noticed that both my hair and my fingernails grow faster during the summer months. I don't know the reason behind that.

[xrosiex]

I noticed my hair and finger nails grow faster in the summer too. I was thinking the flowers,grass, and things outside grow faster too. Maybe it's just the season.:blossom:

[ChloeDharma]

Alot of people find their hair grows faster in the summer. I remember my sister telling me that there was a regular in the salon she worked in years ago who had alopecia really quite badly and she went to soudi arabia for 6 months with work......when she came back loads had grown back.

I wondered if it was to do with vitamin d production being more in the summer? Though also circulation is increased in the heat too.

[Lisa-Maria]

The summermonths are usually the sunniest months of the year, the reason for hair and nails to grow more during that time could be the extra addition of D vitamins that the sunlight provides.

[Starr]

I think it has to do with increased blood circulation. . .

[Nat242]

To increase circulation for my skin, I stand in the shower under warm to hot water, then cold, then warm, then cold...I always finish on cold water to close pores and I think it's better for the skin, and it wakes me up.

Maybe you could try a similar thing for the scalp - but finish on cold because it seals the hair's cuticle which keeps your hair in better condition.

Just an idea.

-- Natalie

[Moiraine]

I can vouch for the heat on the scalp thing. I have been doing housekeeping in a nursing home part time since October and it is always very hot up there because the old folks are always cold. I wear my hair in a scrunchy bun all the time because it is hot and I am too lazy to do anything better. At the end of the day I take my hair out and braid it in my 4 braids like normal. My hair is soaking wet from scalp to about 5 inches of hair (from the heat of working). My hair has grown I guess from this and benign neglect. I need my daughter to get another picture of my hair for comparison but it has grown longer and while I want her to trim my ends they are not really all that bad. Will get a pic soon as I can:)

[Moiraine]

I can vouch for the heat on the scalp thing. I have been doing housekeeping in a nursing home part time since October and it is always very hot up there because the old folks are always cold. I wear my hair in a scrunchy bun all the time because it is hot and I am too lazy to do anything better. At the end of the day I take my hair out and braid it in my 4 braids like normal. My hair is soaking wet from scalp to about 5 inches of hair (from the heat of working). My hair has grown I guess from this and benign neglect. I need my daughter to get another picture of my hair for comparison but it has grown longer and while I want her to trim my ends they are not really all that bad. Will get a pic soon as I can:)

[anna1850]

I don't know if there's much evidence for this. Wouldn't it mean that people who lived in hot countries hair would always grow faster? Or that somebody in Nevada would have a better growth rate than someone in North Dakota? It doesn't seem that likely to me..

[chrissy-b]

I don't know if there's much evidence for this. Wouldn't it mean that people who lived in hot countries hair would always grow faster? Or that somebody in Nevada would have a better growth rate than someone in North Dakota? It doesn't seem that likely to me..

that might be a good poll to start (if there isn't one already): growth rates in different parts of the world; temperature, humidity, etc. of course, we'd have to count all variables (routines, diet, age, etc), but it might make for an interesting thread.

any takers?

[jojo]

I am wondering if we are like plants, dont laugh but in the UK we dont get a lot of sun, especially in the North West where i live so im wondering if its not the actual heat which makes hair grow quicker in summer but the actual extra hours of daylight?

when you think about it, in autumn its still fairly warm but the dark nights draw in, plant stop growing until spring when the longer days draw in. My hair definitely grows quicker from spring till autumn, worth a thought!

[Blueglass]

Sunlight,vitamin D,possiblily increased physical activity,and thus faster metabolism. Having said that I think my hair grows year round. I also find it is difficult to measure hair accurately.

[salamander]

I had a science book when I was a kid that said your nails (and so presumably hair) grow faster when it's warm. Something about warmth improving circulation, I think?

[maskedrose]

I am wondering if we are like plants, dont laugh but in the UK we dont get a lot of sun, especially in the North West where i live so im wondering if its not the actual heat which makes hair grow quicker in summer but the actual extra hours of daylight?

when you think about it, in autumn its still fairly warm but the dark nights draw in, plant stop growing until spring when the longer days draw in. My hair definitely grows quicker from spring till autumn, worth a thought!

Hmmm, that's definitely a thought. Just like animals shedding their winter coats (my horses are shedding by the handful and its still pretty cold here), I think it may have more to do with the longer days too.

[jojo]

Hmmm, that's definitely a thought. Just like animals shedding their winter coats (my horses are shedding by the handful and its still pretty cold here), I think it may have more to do with the longer days too.

I shed more in winter too. I wonder if places like Norway where its dark during the day in winter have slower growth?

[quidscribis]

that might be a good poll to start (if there isn't one already): growth rates in different parts of the world; temperature, humidity, etc. of course, we'd have to count all variables (routines, diet, age, etc), but it might make for an interesting thread.

any takers?

I'm from mostly the northern bits of Canada - Edmonton, for example (although I've lived in more northern and colder places, but that'll do for a start :)) and I now live in Sri Lanka, which is a tropical country close to the equator. Two, shall we say, extremes.

My hair growth seems to be the same regardless of whether it's Canada or Sri Lanka.

It grew faster when I was younger, though - it was 1.5 to 2" per month until my mid to late thirties, but during the same time period, my hair changed from, oh 1a/1b to 2a/2b and I went from 7-8" circumference down to 5 3/4-6". No idea why the changes then, but it's also when I started getting really fatigued - my genetic collagen defect starting it's second wave of attacks. Now, my hair growth is a mere 1" per month.

Please note, however, that I haven't measured precisely at exactly 30 day intervals - I've been judging by the amount of roots I have to cover up. I've been coloring my hair since I was a teenager. :D

[florenonite]

I got about 1" of growth over the summer, when I was in Southern Canada (near Toronto) but now that I'm in Scotland in the winter my growth has all but stopped. It could be just that hair growth does slow in the winter regardless (something about getting more hair for the winter in the summer, I've heard).

[FrannyG]

I've heard about people having growth spurts in the summer, but my hair grows at the same rate all year round.

In any case, it's always better to finish rinsing your hair in cool or cold water to close the cuticle of the hair. It not helps close the cuticle, which is protective, and additionally boosts shine.

[kimki]

Maybe it's related to Seasonal affective disorder.

Wiki defines it as: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, is a mood disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter.

Symptoms: The most common symptoms of SAD include extreme fatigue, oversleeping, not being able to get out of bed, overeating, carbohydrate cravings and weight gain. It can also be accompanied by the regular symptoms of depression, such as low mood, loss of interest in activities and trouble concentrating.

Maybe this affects more people to lesser extent. I dont know, I always feel better in the summer. :shrug: