How Long Does It Take For Hair To Grow Back?

About your hair, how long does it take for hair to grow back? Does it take three, six, twelve months, or more? Well, your hair is an essential part of your identity. For some people losing their hair could hurt their self-worth. At least, your hair adds to making you look more beautiful, handsome, or presentable.

It feels good to have rich, healthy, and beautiful hair. Unfortunately, you could lose your hair to health issues, chemical applications, or accidents (lousy haircuts). You could pluck, shave or wax your hair. If that happens, what can you do to make hair grow back?

Every day, millions of people wonder how to grow their hair faster. I bet you do too. Knowing how long it does take to grow a thin or lost hair back is essential. To succeed, you need the correct information and skillset. But first, what is the composition of the human hair?

Composition of the Human Hair

Your hair has a structure, and there are chemical compositions that help it function well. For example, the cortex layer, cuticle, and medulla are the chemical components that help your hair develop. And that helps the hair and follicles to look healthy.

The cuticle is the outermost layer of your hair structure. It is a flat overlapping cell in a scale-like formation.

There are three aspects which include the epicuticle, exocuticle, and endocuticle.

A cortex layer makes up the majority of the hair fiber and contains spindle shape cells. The cortical cells come in regions of the orthocortex, paracortex, and neocortex. They typically determine whether your is straight or curly (hair fiber).

You could refer to the medulla as the medullary canal due to its disjointed cells. Its primary function is to give your hair the shine or glow you see.

So, the human hair comprises fibrous protein (keratin), amino acids, raw elements, lipids, and water. These all work together to form the hair fiber. However, the dominant factor of the hair is the protein which makes up 65-91% of the hair fiber.

Elements that cause your hair to side bond include oxygen, carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and sulfur. But a chain called amino acid (polypeptide chain) helps to form the bond. Then it results in a helix formation. Therefore, the side bond and polypeptide chain strengthens the hair and gives it elasticity.

What Factors Make Hair Grow Long?

Growing your hair is not determined by a single factor or a couple of dos and don’ts. Several factors contribute. Yes, these know-how tips can help; but the truth is it does not apply to all. The how and duration of hair growth depends on knowing what’s appropriate for your hair type.

Gender

Research shows that your gender may contribute to how fast your hair grows. And based on these findings the male hair tends to grow faster than female. Well, if you are a female, no worries. There are ways to improve hair growth or to make hair longer.

Genetics

Watch out for family hair patterns because hair growth also follows hereditary lines. Your gene could affect your hair texture or density and how long it can grow. Genes also determine how fast your hair grows or if you would be bald. It could also determine the extent of hair loss if any. So if you come from a family lineage with long hair, chances are, you may likely grow long hair.

Age

Generally speaking, you experience rapid hair growth between the ages of 15 and 30. After that, it begins to slow down as you grow older. Finally, towards your later years, your hair starts to lose its shine and may turn gray.

Health

Living a healthy lifestyle can have its benefits in terms of hair growth. Foods with the right minerals and nutrients can boost hair quality and growth. For example, foods rich in protein (keratin) can help keep the hair healthy.

However, please note that excess vitamin A will likely lead to hair loss. Therefore, eating foods that give you a balanced diet is crucial. So, make foods rich in your pal for excellent hair quality. They include Vitamin C, D, and E, biotin, zinc, iron, and omega 3 and 6.

Suppose you want to live healthily, then you should reduce or eliminate smoking cigarettes. And that’s because smoking could result in hair loss and baldness.

Do you want to know how it occurs? Well, when you smoke, the nicotine component can restrict blood flow through the blood vessels. That means limiting the flow of blood to the hair follicles can cause retarded growth.

Ethnicity

If your genealogy can affect your hair growth rate, then it is the same thing with your race. Your racial background can determine the color, scalp implantation, structure, and texture of your hair.

Asian scalp has round follicles and a bone straight hair texture. It mostly has either black or dark brown hair, which grows perpendicular to the scalp. Asians have the fastest hair growth, with approximately 1.4cm per month. The downside to it is its low density.

African Americans and Africans, in general, have tight curls and kinky hair. Afro hair grows from the oval follicle, which is parallel to the scalp. African-Americans have the slowest growing type of hair at 0.9cm per month. As their hair grows, it spirals and curls instead of stretching out. But they have higher hair density than Asians.

Caucasian hair falls between Asians and African-Americans for structure and texture. European or Caucasian hair could be straight, curly, or wavy. The color could either be blond or dark brown. Their hair grows at the rate of 1.2cm and is diagonal to the scalp. But Caucasians have the densest hair, full and long.

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle defines you. Therefore, your daily hair care routine can determine how your hair grows. Using proven hair loss products is essential for treating hair issues.

How Long Will it Take to Grow My Hair Back?

So, what do you think? If I suffer hair loss now, how long will it take to grow my hair back?

To wait forever to see your hair grow back can be frustrating. But how your hair got lost in the first instance will determine the duration for growth. But, of course, that means each person’s case will differ when it comes to growing hair back.

As a rule of thumb, you may require about three weeks for the hair to regrow. And the growth process occurs in three critical phases.

How Long Should it Take for My Hair to Grow Back for Bad Haircut?

You decide to trim your hair, so it looks finer. But unfortunately, you clip, trim or chop off a little more than the edges. Wow! That’s messy! So, what do you do?

Yes, I know that feeling. It’s as if a part of you got chopped off, or maybe died? Well, that’s not the end; your hair will grow again. But yes, the thought of losing your hair this way is both painful and frustrating.

Unfortunately, the growth process must take its course. But you could help to make it less frustrating with the things you do. Typically, your hair grows about a half-inch per month. So even with a bad haircut, your hair immediately is on the path to recovery.

Is it a case of pulling the hair out from the root? Then it may take several weeks to months than usual for hair to grow back. But a healthy diet and overall physical and mental wellbeing will do.

How Long Will it Take My Hair to Grow Back After Hair Loss?

Several factors contribute to hair loss. They include hormonal changes, alopecia, childbirth, and pattern hair loss. Sometimes, hair loss could occur naturally, as in the cases listed above.

On the positive side, you can regain your lost hair within two to twelve weeks. However, it may take months to even over a year for hair to grow back at other times.

Pattern hair loss

Pattern hair loss or hereditary hair loss occurs as you age and as some follicles die. You could also refer to it as androgenetic alopecia. As you age, the follicle shrivels and cannot support hair growth anymore. So, unfortunately, you may not experience hair regrowth again.

Use minoxidil (Rogaine) or finasteride (Propecia) oral prescription to slow down hair loss. Males are more likely to suffer baldness than females. However, females could experience hair-thin-outs.

Alopecia

Alopecia is an immune disorder that causes your immune system to react against the hair follicle. When alopecia areata occurs, the hair begins to fall off in small patches. You mainly experience such hair loss on the scalp.

Sometimes people experience such hair loss on the arms, eyelashes, eyebrows, or legs.

Alopecia’s quite a confusing condition. The hair typically may grow back on its own and then fall off again.

Scalp psoriasis

Psoriasis refers to an immune disorder that causes your skin to develop scaly red patches called plaque. Most times, you feel tempted to scratch your scalp when itching and to eliminate the scales. But please do not as it only worsens the situation.

It would help if you saw your physician or dermatologist for a medical solution. First, however, be assured that your hair will grow long again.

Hormonal changes

Hormonal interactions during childbirth or menopause can make a woman suffer hair loss. On the other hand, men could suffer hair loss as they age.

Fortunately, such hair loss is not a permanent one. Over time, your hair should grow back. But we can’t predict how fast your hair will grow back.

Thyroid Problems

A person suffering from thyroid hormone can experience hair loss. First, thyroid hormones could be hyperthyroidism, which is excessive thyroid. The second is hypothyroidism, which is thyroid shortage. Interestingly, your hair will grow back after treating thyroid hormone disorder.

Mal-Nutrition

Having a short supply of zinc or iron in your diet can result in hair loss with time. To remedy the situation, you need to re-introduce enough zinc and iron into your diet. But please note it will take some months to grow hair back after hair loss.

How Long Will it Take My Hair to Grow Back After Shaving?

So, how long does it take for hair to grow back after shaving your head? No matter how cool shaving your hair may look, growing it back is not that easy.

Remember, your hair grows half an inch per month. So that means an entire year will only give you 6 inches of new hair. But, of course, this doesn’t make much of a visible increment.

Your first consolation will come after two weeks when stubble begins to appear. It’s worth noting that age is a significant factor here. The older you get, the slower the hair grows. At best, the follicles can get a boost to enhance the process. Also, proper dieting remains one of the key players in hair growth.

Chemotherapy: How Long does it Take for Hair to Grow Back?

One disadvantage of chemo is that it destroys both cancer cells and your healthy hair. Also, note that your supporting hair follicles will suffer too. During treatment, hair falls out from the head, eyebrow, eyelashes, and anywhere hair grows.

Hair loss occurs within three weeks of chemo treatment. As the treatment progresses, hair loss becomes severe. Another sad fact is that hair does not begin to grow back immediately after treatment. And that’s because the residue of drugs lingers in the body longer.

Fuzz begins to appear a couple of weeks after treatment. And within six to eight weeks, you should start seeing hair grow back.

So, you may wait for two to three weeks to start noticing minor signs of hair growth. The growth may look like transparent fuzz on the scalp. By the fourth week, average hair growth begins. By the end of the eight weeks, congratulations! You have about an inch-long hair on the scalp.

Telogen Effluvium: How Long Does it Take for Hair to Grow Back?

Telogen Effluvium is a temporal hair loss caused by a traumatic or stressful incidence. First, you start noticing hair loss around the top of your scalp. And over time, much of your hair will fall off. It will look like your hair went through a thinning process. But with the proper medication, your hair can grow back.

However, hair loss occurs at different stages. But the other causes of Telogen Effluvium include a poor diet, drugs use, menopause, and surgery.

So, the cause will determine the treatment your doctor will administer. But in all, the hair cycle takes about 3 to 6 months to normalize and grow back.

What Should I Do to Make My Hair Grow Back and Faster?

So, do you want your hair to grow back after hair loss or shaving? Here is what you can do:

Massage

Massaging the scalp when washing the hair can help to stimulate hair growth. As you wash with shampoo, try using your fingers to massage the scalp. Doing so allows for proper blood circulation.

Now, you can apply a little oil to your scalp when massaging. It will help relieve the stress and stimulate hair growth.

Harsh Procedures

Brushing your hair too hard or fixing tight hairstyles can damage your hair. That’s because it stretches the hair to a breaking point.

Keep it moisturized

Your hair always needs hydration because it could feel dry. And moisturizing the hair is one way to keep it hydrated.

Moisturizing the hair is an excellent way to keep the protective layer (cuticle) sealed down. You can use essential oils and hydrating hair mask to get the job done.

Regular Trims

The tip of your hair consists of dead ends. Usually, hair grows from the follicle and not the tip. A dead-end split the shafts and slows the growth process. So, regular trimming will keep your hair from breaking.

Take Collagen and Biotin

Collagen and biotin contain high levels of amino acid. They serve as building blocks for your hair. Biotin can help repair thinning hair while collagen supports the scalp’s health.

Egg Yolk Mask

An egg mask is an excellent solution to hair breakage. It contains sulfur, protein, and lecithin, which helps for nourishing and strengthening the hair strands. Sulfur, on the other hand, helps in the treatment of dandruff.

Hot Castor Oil Treatment

Castor oil is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial ointment. That makes it effective in combating scalp infections. In addition, castor oil contains protein, omega-six fatty acids, vitamin E, and other nutrients. Applying hot castor oil treatment on your hair will seal up hair strands and maintain moisture.

Cool and Not Hot Water treatment

Hot water may result in the dryness of the scalp and hair. Also, hot water can hurt the hair follicle and cause it to close up. But rinsing with cool or warm water will stimulate healthy hair growth.

So, I suppose you now know how long it takes for the hair to grow back? Well, to succeed, you must be consistent in your effort. So, remember, whichever solution you choose from this article, you must patiently work on it. Also, eat right, exercise, and rest often.

Lauren Taylor
Lauren Taylor
As a seasoned news analyst, Lauren Taylor has made a mark with her incisive commentary and in-depth analysis of current events. Her insightful perspectives have earned her a reputation as a trusted voice in the fast-paced world of news reporting.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

22,037FansLike
3,912FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Articles