Yearly average hair growth ?

[plainjanegirl]

So I got to wondering about yearly hair growth. I read somewhere that for "most" people the average yearly growth is 6 inches. So if people try to use vitamins, or monistat, or mega tek, or any other kind of supposed hair growth enhancer and they get a few good months of up to an inch a month then after a bit will the growth taper off and still only have 6 inches in a year? Was that confusing? Basically is there anyway to actually increase your average yearly growth? In real life people have commented how fast my hair grows, but I have been measuring since the end of March 2008 and if my hair grows half an inch between now and the end of march then I will have exactly 6 inches of growth in a year, so I guess my hair is average. I was really disappointed though cause since the end of December I only had 1/4 of an inch of growth, but I guess it is more of an overall thing to look at right. Like I don't take vitamins on a regular basis or eat healthy food....so if I made changes then could I get more than 6 inches of growth the next year or probably not?

[maunaloa]

So I got to wondering about yearly hair growth. I read somewhere that for "most" people the average yearly growth is 6 inches. So if people try to use vitamins, or monistat, or mega tek, or any other kind of supposed hair growth enhancer and they get a few good months of up to an inch a month then after a bit will the growth taper off and still only have 6 inches in a year? Was that confusing? Basically is there anyway to actually increase your average yearly growth? In real life people have commented how fast my hair grows, but I have been measuring since the end of March 2008 and if my hair grows half an inch between now and the end of march then I will have exactly 6 inches of growth in a year, so I guess my hair is average. I was really disappointed though cause since the end of December I only had 1/4 of an inch of growth, but I guess it is more of an overall thing to look at right. Like I don't take vitamins on a regular basis or eat healthy food....so if I made changes then could I get more than 6 inches of growth the next year or probably not?
I think genetics has a lot to do with it along with vitamins, healthy diet and how well you take care of your hair. Perhaps, you could get more than 6 inches, it would depend on the aforementioned factors. Also, don't get discouraged about the slow growth in December, my hair grows slower in winter months as well.

[EdG]

I once measured my growth rate at 6.5 inches per year. That's close to average. I took two measurements over a 2.5 year period.

I eat a healthy diet and generally don't take supplements. I don't think it's possible to alter one's growth rate. :)
Ed

[Euphony]

After 2 years of measuring I figured out my growth is 5.5" a year. hahaha IRL someone told me (I can't remember who it was) that they would love to have long hair, but theirs grows so slow and that mine grows so very fast that it's easy for me to have long hair. I thought that was so funny and I explained that my hair actually grows a tad under average.

I just had a thought, but then realized it's probably not right for me. If someone already knows what their yearly growth and doesn't take vitamins currently, to measure their hair as precisely as possible and take vitamins every day for a year. Then they could see if the vitamins helped in their hair growth. It's kind of a bummer because I'd be perfect for it since I know what my growth is and I don't take vitamins, but I'm within 2" of my maintaining goal to cut out my layers.

[spidermom]

I've been measuring every 3 months since July and not trimming. I've gotten 4 inches in 6 months. If that growth rate continues, that will be 8 inches in a year; exciting! We shall see. I take vitamins very irregularly and don't do anything to speed growth other than take care of my health as a whole.

[HairyCarrie]

I'm watching my changes with interest too. I've been a very shorthaired lady for over 15 years so I have no clue what my growth is. Plus with my age, I don't know if whatever inches I gained when I did have longer hair is now affected by being older.

I'm not trimming this year and I am taking MSM. I'll do this for a full year and see what happens. Then next year perhaps I'll go off the MSM and make a comparison.

I know how sometimes we think things are happening because of what we are doing, and perhaps they would just happen if we didn't do them, or *in spite* of what we do. Clear as mud? Totally unscientific? :eye:

[going gray]

Started growing out my hair Dec '07...been averaging I guess about 6" a year, with 2 slight trims in between. Hard to tell exactly with my hair texture.

[scalawaggirl]

I usually have 1" per month of growth maybe less this winter. Vitamins and supplements have helped me in the past (MSM and Biotin, particularly) but I've not taken them for some time now.

[JamieLeigh]

I tend to get around 3/4" per month of growth...since I'm maintaining a blunt hemline, I'm not going to show 9" of growth at the end of the year. But if I were not to trim at all, maybe I'd already be to knee again. Trimming is just a personal preference of mine; if I get to knee, I get there...but it will be a healthy, thicker growth. :)

I'm currently taking biotin and hair-and-skin-based multi-vitamins...but not religiously. Actually, it's been about 3 days since I've taken anything. :o But I have a healthy diet, filled with lots of good-for-you stuff.

[burns_erin]

I think that people have hair cycles, some seasons where they get alot of growth regardless, and some where they get little to none. I have often wondered if that was not at the heart of the disparity between the people who said the vitamins and whatnot really helped and those who said they did not. Additonally, if you are not always wacking your hair off, of course people think your hair grows so very fast, most people have a set idea in their minds that everyone gets a hair cut every 4-6 weeks.

On the other hand, as long as you are not exceeding your intake of fat soluble vitamins then it certainly can not hurt.

[Deborah]

My hair grows extremely fast, but honestly I can't take any credit. I think it is mostly (or maybe even entirely) down to each person's genetic make up. I'm sure taking good care of it is helpful in preventing damage or breakage, and also in not inadvertently inhibiting one's natural growth by causing chemical damage, so those things are still worth pursuing.

[Themyst]

Well, I don't have any facts to add, but I think my hair grows a bit slower than normal (if we're saying that 6" annually is normal). Over the past three months I've measured 1/4", 1/4", and 1/2". Bleh.

I don't eat very healthy, that is, not much protein because I don't like meat or fish. And I'm hooked on sugared, carbonated beverages. I don't take any vitamins.

Even my nails are in horrible shape, I just clipped one today and it basically shredded. I know there is a thread on hair growth and protein in here somewhere but I don't know if anyone's tallied the results or come to a conclusion. I've been thinking there may be something to this high protein diet and hair/nail growth lately.:hmm:

[LadyEliza]

I get 1/2 in a month regardless - until MN that is. Now I get 1 inch a month. I'll let you know at the end of 12 months :)

[rose_in_bloom]

When I take my vitamins (blood sugar control, biotin, dong quai, evening primrose oil), exercise, and eat well, I get about 1" per month, maybe a little less. But if I don't take vitamins, etc. I'm lucky to get 1/4".

So for me, it's ALL about keeping my body healthy.

[Melisande]

I measured 8.7 inches (22 cm) annual growth (July 2007-July 2008) before I started my vitamin regimen. Now I wait for improved growth. I think my hair grows fast and I don't trim off much.

[Yedda]

I get 1/2 in a month regardless - until MN that is. Now I get 1 inch a month. I'll let you know at the end of 12 months :)

Hmm...what is MN?

[plainjanegirl]

Hmm...what is MN?


Around here MN is normally monistat.....some are using it on their scalp for growth (there is a long thread about it).

[plainjanegirl]

Well, I don't have any facts to add, but I think my hair grows a bit slower than normal (if we're saying that 6" annually is normal). Over the past three months I've measured 1/4", 1/4", and 1/2". Bleh.

I don't eat very healthy, that is, not much protein because I don't like meat or fish. And I'm hooked on sugared, carbonated beverages. I don't take any vitamins.

Even my nails are in horrible shape, I just clipped one today and it basically shredded. I know there is a thread on hair growth and protein in here somewhere but I don't know if anyone's tallied the results or come to a conclusion. I've been thinking there may be something to this high protein diet and hair/nail growth lately.:hmm:


You sound like me. I drink soda all the time. Very little protein. Too much junk food. My nails are in good shape though and grow fairly quickly. So maybe my hair would grow more in a year if I would make some positive changes.

[HotRag]

My hair grows about ½ inch or sometimes slightly less in a month.

[lapushka]

I get about 6 inches of growth a year, more or less. There's little I can do to change that, I'm afraid.

[MemSahib]

I think the reason so many people are amazed at "how fast" my hair grows (it used to be a flat 6" per year but has slowed some at longer lengths) is because they cut theirs off all the time and haven't a clue what normal yearly growth is.

[Carolyn]

I think the reason so many people are amazed at "how fast" my hair grows (it used to be a flat 6" per year but has slowed some at longer lengths) is because they cut theirs off all the time and haven't a clue what normal yearly growth is.ITA! Their's stays relatively the same length as opposed to someone who is actively going longer. I've been keeping hair records for the past 9 years and mine grows 6" per year no matter what. I started taking vitamins and supplements somewhere around 2-3 years into the growing out. That hasn't made a bit of difference in my growth rate. However my nails are better and grow faster and my hair shed rate is lower and the quality of the new hair grow is better. I get plenty of protein in my diet. If I don't I can feel my body craving it. I eat lots of fish, chicken and eggs. I think it's mostly all in your genes. You get what you get. If your diet is severely lacking, I think taking vitamins could speed up your growth but only up to your genetic potential.

[MemSahib]

Carolyn, I feel really dumb but... what is ITA?

[Altocumulus]

ITA = I totally agree.

[Yedda]

Around here MN is normally monistat.....some are using it on their scalp for growth (there is a long thread about it).

Oh ok, thanks plainjanegirl:)

[Yedda]

I think that people have hair cycles, some seasons where they get alot of growth regardless, and some where they get little to none. I have often wondered if that was not at the heart of the disparity between the people who said the vitamins and whatnot really helped and those who said they did not. Additonally, if you are not always wacking your hair off, of course people think your hair grows so very fast, most people have a set idea in their minds that everyone gets a hair cut every 4-6 weeks.

On the other hand, as long as you are not exceeding your intake of fat soluble vitamins then it certainly can not hurt.

Good point. Most people that are not trying to grow their hair out are getting frequent scheduled trims and cuts, so when they actually do not go to the stylist every 6 weeks, they can be shocked by the growth they see.

I'm the opposite now, since I chopped my hair off, my hair is seemingly growing slower than ever before. I'm sure it's not growing that much slower, but when it was long I hardly paid attention to my growth.:rolleyes: Now I am paying A LOT of attention LOL

[Jeni]

I get about 1/2" a month, maybe some months a little less and others a little more but it seems to even out to 6"a year. My diet isn't the healthiest, though high in protein (carnivore at heart). I do take a daily vitamin but nothing else. I was taking biotin but stopped after a month because it made my face break out horribly.

My own personal completely non scientific opinion on growth- You cant make your hair grow faster then its genetically programed too. I think the people that start getting 1" an month instead of 1/2" like "normal" after taking vitamins are actually suppose to get 1" a month but their body was lacking something that it now has. I'm sure that was clear as mud. I could be completely wrong, I kind of hope I am, I'd love to grow faster.

[rose_in_bloom]

I usually get 1/2" to 1" if I'm having a really good month. 1/4" for a really REALLY bad month.

[laybackspin1993]

My hair grew 10 inches last year, add to that the trims I had every 2 months or so and I think my hair grows around 12 inches a year :) And yeh hair usually grows slower in the winter months than in the summer

[Coriander]

My hair grew 10 inches last year, add to that the trims I had every 2 months or so and I think my hair grows around 12 inches a year :) And yeh hair usually grows slower in the winter months than in the summer

Lucky duck !!!

I have no clue how much my hair grows in a year since I just started measuring again last month. I guess I'll know next year :laugh:

[arabidbutterfly]

I haven't measured at all, so I guess I'd better get started!

[Exodus]

Every damn time I check a thread like this everybody has faster growing hair than I have. My hair grows about 4,5 inches per year. Bad genes I think....

[LadyLongLocks]

I kept close track in 2006 and measured 7.25 of growth. I have not done a yearly measure since then due to constant trims and dusting. I eat a fairly good vegetarian diet but taking vitamins has been inconsistent.

[rockkcor]

I think it is hard to tell...
Vitamines are good anyhow...
But if anything makes your hair grow faster or not?
What is average hair growth?
I can't tell you...

[Silverlox]

Every damn time I check a thread like this everybody has faster growing hair than I have. My hair grows about 4,5 inches per year. Bad genes I think....

Nah! Not bad. Just different! ;)

After all, having great hair growing genes is hardly important to survival so I don't think this specific gene/s have been prioritised during evolution. :p

It's a lottery. But one where everybody wins, as everybody's hair will grow, given enough time. So you too can have long hair, it just takes a little longer to reach the goal. :flower:

[CaraLynn]

In the past couple of years I've gotten from 11-20 inches of growth per year....yes, mine grows FAST.

[plainjanegirl]

In the past couple of years I've gotten from 11-20 inches of growth per year....yes, mine grows FAST.


Fast isn't even the word for that much growth! More like lucky or blessed or amazing.

[CaraLynn]

:) thanks. I agree...my mom and sis get the same kind of growth so it must be somewhere in the genes.

[MadPirateBippy]

I think there are things that can artificially slow your hair growth- if you're not getting enough of certain vitamins, or not drinking enough water, that can artificially retard the growth.

If you fix those gaps, your hair will grow faster. It's not a matter of "Drink more water and your hair will grow!" It's correcting your particular deficiencies.

Then there are some other things that might make your hair grow faster- MN, copper peptides (I used to use Folligen from SkinBio and got some good results, but it's expensive to keep up).

Most of what people can do is just remove the things slowing their growth down. Kind of like you get better gas milage in your car if you're not hauling around a ton of crud in it all the time. :)

[julliams]

My hair seems to be growing at around an inch a month at the moment. We are in summer here and I do attribute my good growth to the season at the moment although I will continue to measure to find out.

I should point out that along with fast growing thick head hair, also comes fast thick growing body hair. When I use an epilator on my legs, I have to follow up the next week as it's already grown a couple of mm. I just love those ads that say with waxing you can be hairfree for up to 4 weeks. More like 4 days for me - lol.

Juliette

[Laurenji]

I've never been meticulous at measuring. Although my hair is now at 23", and 9 months ago when I measured it last, it was at 18", so that's an average of a little over a 1/2" per month, plus I've trimmed it once... I guess that equals out to about 6 inches a year, maybe a little more.

[missjessiecakes]

I get about an inch a month in summer about April through September

1/2 an inch October through march. It varies from year to year and its just a guess since I didnt actually measure but thats my guess I'll figure it out when I get to the one year mark here. :D

[jojo]

Ive been actively growing mine for 4 years this month and in this time I have grown approx 20" (10" since joining LHC) I have also trimmed approx 6" off so I have grown 6.5" a year, however I get most of my growth during the winter months hardly anything in warmer weather.

On paper that don't look too bad and there was me thinking I was a slow grower!

[JenniferNoel]

My average yearly growth (which I have been clocking for around four years every January) is always between 9 and 12 inches. I eat and drink healthy every day, almost no exceptions, am outdoors (downtown, taking a walk, etc) for at least two to four hours every day, naturally exercise, and laugh every day for relieving stress. I make sure to get over eight hours of sleep every night and establish a low-stress lifestyle.
:face:

[Pear Martini]

Its easy to tell how fast your hair grows if its ever been dyed or bleached. A year ago, when I would get my roots done every 6 weeks, I would have about an inch of root showing. My eyebrow hair and other hairs (:o) grow back annoyingly quickly. Its gotta be the Italian in me.

[Clarisse]

My hair growth is 100% average. For some reason, my hair grows more in the winter than in the summer...

[curlylocks85]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']
My hair growth is 100% average. For some reason, my hair grows more in the winter than in the summer...

I think it makes more sense for hair to grow faster in the winter since it is a lot colder we need the extra comfort and warmth.

I am not sure of my average growth per year. I usually get 1/4-1/2 per month, though there were two months were I got 1 inch. So if my genetic potential is 1 inch then I could possibly get 12 inches a year. If not, it would be between 4-6 inches per year.

[Jannike]

Well, I have been measuring for two years and I'm stuck with almost exactly 5 inches a year. So I have a fairly slow hair growth then I think, and my nails have never been better so I don't think I have a deficiency problem either. And to top it all of I also have fine and very thin hair.
Sometimes I hate my genes :mad:

[pinchbeck]

My hair growth rate is 1/2" per month. I am skeptical about the power hair growth supplements will have on my hair growth and am experimenting with MSM. Biotin and Evening Primrose Oil will be next on my list of experiments (when I remember).

[SunshineHair]

I was thinking about this last night. Ok I cut my hair down to the scalp in Oct 2006..Barrly was even reaching half an inch after what I did to it.

I a few cuts to even it out as it grew. Then once it got long I have only trimmed it 2 times the past year.

Now it is Dec 2009 and my hair is 17 inches 'if I measured it right' so my hair must grow more than 6 inches a year which is crazy because I do not eat well and I am not healthy.

Can anybody guess by looking at my hair if it does look to be 17 inches?? I saw another persons pics on here, they measured their hair and it looked VERY different than mine so I must be mistaken????

[xoxophelia]

My hair must grow pretty fast because if I cut a few inches below my shoulders, it is far past BSL in about 7 months.

I usually get my hair cut right before I would leave for college and then one year I never got it cut during and it was way longer by the end.

And, I think my hair grew close to an inch.. maybe a little bit more in about 6 weeks. I can tell by where the semi perm color "line" is.

[Tiliantti]

My hair grow is about 5inches per year... Its quite frustrating, especially now when I try to grow henna out.

I have just started (yesterday) to eat biotin so maybe I can tell in next January how much it has helped:)

[Braidmaid]

I think our gene make-up determines how fast our hair grows. Mine grows pretty fast; about twelve inches last year. I try to eat right and excercise, but I'm not always consistent.
On a side note, I'm an elementary school teacher, and I've noticed a couple of my students who have a very fast growth rate. One girl's hair has grown from shoulder length to waist in one year.

[Kirzja]

Over the past 6 month, my hair has grown about 2 inches. That would be about 4 inches a year.
That is slow...

Maybe it has something to do with my lifestyle.
I have a pretty stressfull full time job + 3 hours of commuting a day. I get up at 6.15 and I get home at 6.30 at night. Then I have to go grocery shopping by foot, cook dinner, do some housekeeping and I'm off to bed.
Not much time for exercise. I don't cook very healthy food either.

So maybe I should quit my job to make my hair grow faster :p

[Speckla]

I average 9"-12" per year. Some months my hair grows like crazy and then other months it's just blah.

[Pixna]

I am not sure of my growth rate (it's probably close to the general average of 1/2 inch per month = 6 inches per year). However, I am wondering if anyone could substantiate (through their own experience) whether any or all of the following affect hair growth:

--season and/or climate
--age
--stress levels

What do you think?

[juliaxena]

If I take nothing, I get just below half inch a month. Now that I'm taking my hair supplement, I get just below 3/4 of an inch. It helps a bit but doesn't do miracles and even so, there are months when I'm too stressed, tired and down for anything to work.