5 Ways to Get Your Hair Growing Faster

POPSUGAR Photography | Maria del Rio
POPSUGAR Photography | Maria del Rio

Trying to grow your hair out and not having much success? While there aren't any miracle products that'll make your hair grow faster overnight, there are a few things you can do to optimize your hair health. However, if you're looking to add length to your hair quickly, your best option would be to try out hair extensions. How fast your hair grows depends on a variety of factors, such as your hair type, your age, and the condition of your health.

If you're interested in how to grow your hair naturally, your best plan of action would be to focus on getting your hair strong, which is best achieved by taking vitamins and supplements, using protein treatments, trying topical treatments, or applying essential oils. You should also pay special attention to how you care for your hair, because overuse of hot tools or coloring your hair too frequently could end up damaging it and stunting growth.

  1. Introduce vitamins into your diet. A 2015 clinical study found that both biotin and zinc helped promote hair growth in women who had thinning hair, as well as improved hair quality and decreased hair shedding. A separate study done in 2015 found that women who took omega-3 and omega-6 supplements showed an improvement in hair density as well as less hair loss.

  2. Try a protein treatment. There are many different protein treatments on the market that help promote healthy, strong hair. Briogeo's Don't Despair Repair Rice Water Protein + Moisture Strengthening Treatment ($42) is a weekly treatment that delivers protein to the hair and can help strengthen and repair past damage. Protein treatments can also help protect your hair from heat damage from continued styling with hot tools.

  3. Cut down on stress. Stress can be a big factor when it comes to different health issues. According to the National Institute of Health, researchers found that a stress hormone impairs stem cells necessary for hair growth in mice. Find ways to cut down on your stress, like meditating or practicing yoga, and you might see an improvement in your hair's growth.

  4. Use essential oils. According to Healthline, both rosemary essential oil and peppermint essential oil can help promote hair growth by strengthening circulation, which in turn can prevent hair follicles from dying off. Essential oils can be massaged directly into the scalp or even mixed into other hair-care products such as shampoo or conditioner, however, you should always avoid contact of these essential oils with your eyes.

  5. Be careful with your hair. Limit the amount of time you spend using hot tools, such as straighteners or curling irons, and try to limit how often you dye your hair to prevent damage from coloring. As for haircuts, frequent trims can help. Although trimming the hair has no effect on whether or not the hair grows, it can limit split ends and breakage.

Ultimately, there are many factors that can affect hair growth. If your hair has suddenly stopped growing or has a difficult time growing, it could be caused by stress, poor nutrition habits, medications, or hormone changes. It could also be due to genetics. If you're concerned about your hair growth, you should consult your doctor or a trichologist.