Understanding the Journey to Longer, Healthier Hair
I was asked at the Beauty Beat event, just this Saturday gone, how one can speed up Hair growth? The answer is both simple and complex. In theory, if your body is working optimally and you are in good health, then your hair is growing and there really isn’t much you can do to speed up hair growth because each of us have our genetic set point. Some of you grow half an inch a month (this is the average rate of hair growth for many). Some of us grow less than this a month (my Daughter and I fall into this camp). And some of you grow double the average! An inch a month! You are God’s favoured.Understanding and accepting that we all have a genetic set point will help you set realistic expectations because if your hair grows by half an inch on average, you really can’t grow more than 6 inches a year! And it’s practically impossible to keep all the length you grow in a year, you will loose a bit to breakage! Some if you are even losing it all because you haven’t mastered the art of handling your hair!
I said above that my hair and my daughter’s hair grows really slowly! Yet we achieved our goals because to be quite honest, as long as you master handling your hair, you will retain length and have long hair, irrespective of your growth rate.
But some of you can speed up your growth!
I said above that we all have a genetic set point and if our body is working optimally then there really isn’t anything we can do to speed things up. But the problem is most of us are not in optimal health. Some of you have compromised your hair growth with your lifestyle choices and paying a little more attention to lifestyle can be the game changer you are looking for! At the Beauty Beat event I asked everybody to pay attention to DSSS that’s diet, stress management, sleep and styling practices! These areas can be the game changer for your hair!1. Diet
At least 70% of the women I hair coach have an Iron or vitamin D deficiency. We know these two deficiencies can slow down growth rate and even lead to hair loss, so make sure you do your blood work. Increasingly, we are seeing thyroid disorder affect hair too. And whilst on diet! We are learning more about the detrimental impact alcohol has on our body and even hair. Alcohol limits the absorption of nutrients in the body and dehydrates us so it certainly affects growth and quality of hair.
2. Stress
Stress can force your hair into a resting phase called Telogen Effluvium leading to hair loss or thinning. Stress can also constrict blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the scalp, which is essential for delivering nutrients and oxygen needed for healthy hair growth. Learning to manage stress can really be the magic potion you are looking for!!!
3. Styling Practices
For Afro-textured hair, low manipulation styles, gentle detangling, and regular conditioning are key for retaining length. Using gentle, nourishing products helps keep the hair healthy and reduces breakage. Our Online Hair Course course covers key hair care strategies designed for healthy, thriving hair.
4. Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can really mess with your hair. And too many women I hair coach don’t sleep well enough! When you sleep, your body does a lot of important work, like releasing growth hormones that help your hair grow. If you're skimping on sleep, that process gets thrown off, which can lead to slower hair growth or even hair thinning. Plus, when you're sleep-deprived, stress levels go up, and stress can trigger hair loss issues, making it even worse.
On top of that, not catching enough sleep can affect your overall health, which means you might miss out on essential nutrients your hair needs to stay strong. Lack of sleep can lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals like biotin, zinc, and iron, all of which are crucial for keeping your hair healthy. So, if you want your hair to look it's best, prioritising sleep is definitely the way to go!