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?

[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. 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.