Does hair growth tend to slow down with age?

[Curlsgirl]

Anyone know?

[Alana2000]

I hope not... I've often heard that hair keeps growing even after we are dead.. but I think thats just due to dehydration and not actual grow... good question... I am sure like everything else on LHC it depends on the person.

[Melisande]

From what I know, it doesn't. Or is this wishful thinking? I don't think so. I'm 44 and didn't notice any slowing down, and neither did the ladies my age and older on the German forum where we measure in every month. There are individual and seasonal changes, but no fundamental difference between members in their 20s and in their 40s and 50s. Maybe in the 80s or 90s it's different, I don't know.

[spidermom]

What I have heard is that the percentage of hairs on your head that are in the active growth phase goes down. When you're 15, about 85% of the hairs on your head are actively growing. Then it starts to go down a small percentage for each decade of life. I can't remember the average percentages, however.

My hair is growing as fast or faster than ever.

[harpgal]

There hasn't been any change for me other than seasonal.

[MissHair]

It definitely does for me. When I was a child and teenager, my hair would grow the lenght of 2 years in ONE YEAR. Now its SO slow.. I cant even reach 10 centimeters in one year..

[Aisha25]

My hairs grows same younger,teen and now, it always grows same speed nothing changed and I hope it stays that way :)

[xrosiex]

I havent seen any real difference in my growth rate. My growth has always been about average.:)

[Curlsgirl]

My Mom is 87 and her hair too grows about 1/2 inch a month or even more so I guess you are right. I just think I lost track of mine and THINK it's slower because of inaccurate measurements due to curliness and also more trims than I realized.

[harpgal]

My Mom is 87 and her hair too grows about 1/2 inch a month or even more so I guess you are right.Awesome, Curlsgirl! Please give her a big hug from all of us! :flower:

My mom is 86 and her hair grows very fast, also.

[Curlsgirl]

Awesome, Curlsgirl! Please give her a big hug from all of us! :flower:

My mom is 86 and her hair grows very fast, also.

Awwwww I sure will! Please hug your Mom for me also! My Mom has never let her hair grow out although I have certainly done everything I can to encourage it! No one in her family or in any of my family ever did which is sad because they all have very thick wavy hair.

[Carolyn]

It hasn't for me. I've always gotten around 1/2" per month. I hope it doesn't slow down.

[ChloeDharma]

Awesome, Curlsgirl! Please give her a big hug from all of us! :flower:

My mom is 86 and her hair grows very fast, also.

Oh people like you with your ideal long hair genetics just make me green! :p;)
Just kidding hun, unfortunately my mum died at 54, so i can't say how ageing effected her hair past that age but it seemed to always grow the same speed and kept the same thickness, despite her being a reasonably heavy shedder.
My sisters are both mid-40's, one has the same thickness as always i think, and her hair still grows fast, the other when i saw her yesterday ws saying she's shedding alot and her hair is getting thinner....i suspect she's either going through, or about to go through the menopause though.
I'm hoping my growth rate doesn't slow down, though i suspect it might.....i went from having hair that grew like a weed in my childhood and teenage years, to my growth rate slowing down by at least half during my early 20's :(......though that does coincide with starting smoking which i plan on stopping, so i choose to blame that and just pray giving up the fags will give me back my old growth rate.

[atlantaz3]

My mom will be 83 in a week or so and her hair growth has slowed dramatically. She has always had short hair and had to have cuts almost monthly. Now she gets a cut about every six months. My hair has always been slow growing. I haven't noticed any change from now to then personally.

[Tap Dancer]

My mom will be 61 on Sunday and she still has to get her hair trimmed every 6 weeks because it grows so fast. :)

[heidi w.]

Unless there's some reason for it to stop growing at the rate of around 1/2 inch per month, it will grow.

Most elderly folks will show growth b/c the hair tends to be shorter.

However, if one is at the extreme length that their genetics are coded for, then yes, it can slow down, or go in fits & starts. I am in this category at about to be age 49. I do have growth, but the era of 3 inches in one month has definitely passed!

Those with issues surrounding scalp skin conditions, any hint of male pattern baldness (even women have this), other health concerns, then yes, the growth rate can change, whether young or old.

I do know plenty of older folks whose rate of growth does slow down and possess no issues from health or medication or scalp skin conditions and the like--and even if trying to get to longer lengths, the rate can slow down, for younger people. Some people just aren't genetically encoded to grow to uber long lengths, and still others have issues with growing long stemming from their hair care practices, and may not realize it.

It's not an absolute answer either way, nor necessarily by age.

heidi w.

[Eryka]

Unless there's some reason for it to stop growing at the rate of around 1/2 inch per month, it will grow.

Most elderly folks will show growth b/c the hair tends to be shorter.

However, if one is at the extreme length that their genetics are coded for, then yes, it can slow down, or go in fits & starts. I am in this category at about to be age 49. I do have growth, but the era of 3 inches in one month has definitely passed!

Those with issues surrounding scalp skin conditions, any hint of male pattern baldness (even women have this), other health concerns, then yes, the growth rate can change, whether young or old.

I do know plenty of older folks whose rate of growth does slow down and possess no issues from health or medication or scalp skin conditions and the like--and even if trying to get to longer lengths, the rate can slow down, for younger people. Some people just aren't genetically encoded to grow to uber long lengths, and still others have issues with growing long stemming from their hair care practices, and may not realize it.

It's not an absolute answer either way, nor necessarily by age.

heidi w.

Yeowza, sounds like you could almost feel your hair growing.

But yea, I remember those days. My fastest was like 2inches a month (give or take) and right now it's about 1 inch/month maybe 3/4. Granted, stress, hard water, and a NASTY scalp buildup problem probably contribute to that.