Average Human Hair Growth Rate
The hair on our heads is a way to make a statement. But what happens if you get a bad haircut or damage your hair in some way? The results can be embarrassing, cause anxiety & stress, and more!
If you’re in a situation such as having a bad haircut or perhaps having damaged hair, you may wonder how long it takes to grow your hair out (or back) again. What’s the answer to that question?
We’ve done some research on humans’ average hair growth rate and more. Read on to learn more about how long it takes to grow out a bad haircut (on average)!
How Much Hair Falls Out a Day?
The average person loses up to 100 hair a day. That may sound like quite a bit of hair loss; however, this rate is completely normal. We can lose our hair after washing it, combing/brushing it, and more.
Hair has been prized for hundreds of years, with some cultures saving their hair to make garments, jewellery, and more. We’re not advocating such practices today, but it does make an interesting point to see how people in the past used some of the 100 pieces of hair they lost a day.
If we each lose that much hair a day, shouldn’t we all be bald? No! There’s a reason for that.
Hair is Constantly Growing
The good news is that hair is constantly growing. In fact, there are four stages of hair growth which also includes losing some here.
Here are the four stages of hair growth:
- Anagen: the growth phase
- Catagen: the involution phase
- Telogen: the resting phase
- Exogen: the shedding phase
In the following sections, we’ll take a look at each stage, how long they last, and more.
Anagen Phase
The anagen phase takes about 2-6 years, during which our hair is constantly growing. During the anagen phase, human hair grows about ½” a month, on average. The length of the anagen phase determines the maximum length of your hair. Most people have hair that’s between 18” to 30” long.
The Catagen Phase
When hair is done growing, it goes into the next stage, which is the anagen phase. This is where hair begins to fall out. That may seem scary; however, the body sends a message to the hair to stop growing. During this phase, some hair follicles will shrink a little bit and detach themselves from the blood supply.
However, the hair doesn’t automatically fall out right away. Instead, hair usually doesn’t fall out until new hair starts to push it out.
The catagen phase lasts a few weeks.
Telogen Phase
Once the hair has detached itself from the scalp, it rests; this is called the telogen phase. During this phase, the hair that’s being replaced stays on the scalp for 3 to five months before it’s pushed out by new hair.
Some people may experience a condition called telogen effluvium during this phase. The term is only a fancy way to say that a change in the body, such as an unexpected stressor, causes the telogen phase to go faster. When this happens, it’s not uncommon for a person to lose 300 hairs a day rather than the normal 100 per day.
Exogen Phase
When your hair reaches this stage, the new hair grows in and pushes out the old hair. The old hair completely detaches from the scalp and starts to fall out in larger amounts.
In this phase, it’s not uncommon to find more shed hairs when brushing or combing your hair. It’s also possible to see more hair in the drain after showering.
What Influences the Speed of Hair Growth?
Researchers have found that men’s hair usually grows faster than women’s hair. In addition, they have found that the speed of hair growth may be affected by the following:
- Genetics: a person’s genetics determine how quickly their hair grows.
- Age: hair grows fastest between the ages of 15 & 30, after which it slows down. As some people get older, some hair follicles may stop working. This causes thinning or balding.
- Sex: men’s hair grows faster than women’s hair.
- Health: good nutrition is key to hair growth and maintenance.
Hair FAQs
- People are generally born with about 5 million hair follicles, with about 100,000 of these follicles found on the scalp. In addition, people who have oval-shaped hair follicles have curly hair, while those with round follicles have straight hair.
- Human hair is made of keratin, a tough protein, and dead skin cells.
- It can take, on average, about 7 years to grow your hair down to your waist and three years to grow it to your shoulders.
- Hair is the second fastest-growing tissue in the body, only after bone marrow.
- At any time, 90% of hair is growing, while the other 10% is resting.
Ways to Promote Healthy Hair
Now, you may be wondering if there are methods you can use to have healthy hair. And there!
One of the best ways to have healthier hair is to eat a healthy diet. Good nutrition is a huge part of developing healthy hair. So, eating a balanced diet can help your hair become healthier if you include fruit, vegetables, grains, fat, and protein in your diet.
Here are some foods that are recommended for healthy hair:
- Fish
- Dark green vegetables
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Low-fat dairy products
Some other ways to develop healthier hair include:
- Washing oily hair more often
- Keep shampoo on the scalp
- Use conditioner every time you shampoo (unless you use a 2-in-1 product)
- Concentrate conditioner on the tips of the hair
- Choose shampoo & condition formulated for your hair type
- Protect hair from harmful UV rays
Summing It Up
Human hair is a fascinating topic, which includes four stages of hair growth & shedding, and more. There are many things that can cause hair loss, such as stress, illness, and a change in diet.
However, our hair is always growing, and it takes proper nutrition and hair care to ensure your head of hair stays healthy and beautiful for years.
