Sunshine for hair growth?

[Fericera]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYhN_ecJd0

I was watching hair videos on YT and came across this girl and her lovely head of hair. Most of her tips are pretty standard, but one I hadn't heard before was that sunshine can help your hair grow. I've heard mixed things about the sun, from that it can provide natural lightening, to that it causes bad damage. Do you think the sun is what causes summer growth spurts? Have you noticed beneficial, neutral, or harmful effects to your hair from the sun?

[ChloeDharma]

Maybe the heat increases circulation to the scalp, or the vitamin D helps. Most people above a certain point can't produce vitamin D after I think it's october so maybe for those finding their hair grows faster in summer this is a factor. I know I always used to hear people reporting their hair grew faster in summer but I'm sure I've read members here saying they don't get the same effect.

[FallingDarkness]

I hope this is true, because one of my part time jobs this summer is going to have a lot of outside time for me! Hopefully I'll get a growth spurt! *crosses fingers*

[Fericera]

Maybe the heat increases circulation to the scalp, or the vitamin D helps. Most people above a certain point can't produce vitamin D after I think it's october so maybe for those finding their hair grows faster in summer this is a factor. I know I always used to hear people reporting their hair grew faster in summer but I'm sure I've read members here saying they don't get the same effect.

That's a good point about the Vitamin D. It's a common deficiency. Interestingly I don't notice my hair growing particularly fast in the summer. I feel like November-April are my biggest growth months, judging from pictures. Of course that's completely anecdotal, and to be scientific I'd have to measure. :) Either way, it's fun to think about! Probably growth spurts are like most things with hair, and vary from person to person.



I hope this is true, because one of my part time jobs this summer is going to have a lot of outside time for me! Hopefully I'll get a growth spurt! *crosses fingers*

Hopefully so! Being outside a lot sounds fun anyway, but extra fast hair growth would be great.

[Anje]

I'm pretty sure a number of people have reported that beyond a certain level of Vitamin D deficiency, their hair doesn't grow. In that sense, I'm sure getting enough sun to maintain adequate D levels is conducive to making hair grow. All the same, you have to be smart about sun exposure -- especially if you're a person prone to sunburning rapidly! Treating skin cancer definitely is NOT good for hair.

ETA: Given that it's a fat-soluble vitamin, you should be able to maintain D levels for a decently long time once you've made it, I'd think. (Don't hold me to that, though! I'd have to go reading about how long the body maintains its levels and how much can be built up, and I don't think that's going to be what I do this evening.)

[EdG]

I get just enough sun to make Vitamin D. Sun is bad for the hair. I have found shed strands from outdoor untangling and they were pretty much toast.
Ed

[Larki]

Huh. I don't know about that, but it definitely bleaches my hair. It might not lighten her hair because it's such a dark color, but it definitely bleaches mine.

[spidermom]

Direct exposure to sunshine is damaging to the hair. The standard advice is to protect your hair if you're going to be spending a lot of time in the sunshine.

My research has convinced me it isn't the sun itself that makes hair grow (and seeds sprout) but the hours of daylight combined with the warmth.

[Seeshami]

..... I would go with the vitamin d explanation. My hair grows super regularly. No spurts or cycles in the realm of the naughty mess. And Colorado is notorious for it's sunshine. Plus when its cloudy i take vitamin d because i seriously believe all us home grown free range natives have attitude problems when its cloudy. All Coloradan Natives should be scripted vitamin d when cloudy because the attitude is ridiculous.

[pili]

Growth in the summer has more to do with increased circulation from being more active in a warmer climate. However, I would expect any kind of nutritional deficiency to inhibit the body's ability to grow healthy hair.

[Betazed]

..... I would go with the vitamin d explanation. My hair grows super regularly. No spurts or cycles in the realm of the naughty mess. And Colorado is notorious for it's sunshine. Plus when its cloudy i take vitamin d because i seriously believe all us home grown free range natives have attitude problems when its cloudy. All Coloradan Natives should be scripted vitamin d when cloudy because the attitude is ridiculous.

This made me giggle. Thank you. :)

On topic: I haven't noticed any growth spurts in summer. However, I do notice my hair gets less brown, more red throughout summer. My favorite color is in August. it's very auburn. Unfortunately, by Dec. it's back to boring brown. I'm considering henna to keep the more red tones year round but I'm a bit afraid of the permanence of henna.

[Seeshami]

:bow: I will be here till I get mad and go on haitus again :bow:

[Anje]

This made me giggle. Thank you. :)

On topic: I haven't noticed any growth spurts in summer. However, I do notice my hair gets less brown, more red throughout summer. My favorite color is in August. it's very auburn. Unfortunately, by Dec. it's back to boring brown. I'm considering henna to keep the more red tones year round but I'm a bit afraid of the permanence of henna.
Mine used to do that. It's no surprise that it was in the dead of winter that I first tried henna.

[omega]

Probably :)