Hair Growth: What Actually Works and What Doesn’t

Let's start with a key point, backed by research from The Trichological Society: shampoos and supplements cannot speed up your natural hair growth rate. Hair typically grows between 0.5 cm and 1.7 cm per month, depending on your ethnicity. That rate can slow down - but it cannot be sped up.

So does that mean all those hair vitamins and gummies don’t work? Unfortunately, yes - unless your hair growth has slowed due to a specific vitamin deficiency. In that case, blood tests can help identify the deficiency, and taking the right supplement may restore your natural growth rate. But even then, it won’t make your hair grow faster than normal. Sometimes the placebo effect kicks in - you expect results, and so you perceive faster growth even though nothing has changed.

So if you can’t speed up hair growth, what should you focus on? Not on speed, gummies, or so-called “growth shampoos”, but on keeping your hair healthy so that whatever grows doesn’t fall out or break off.

Hair usually grows at its natural, healthy rate. But if it’s constantly breaking, you won’t see that length. Most breakage happens during detangling, so it's crucial to be gentle, especially with curly hair, which tangles more easily and is more fragile. Always detangle with a mask or conditioner to provide slip, and use a soft, flexible comb. Avoid anything with metal bristles!

The first step to growing healthy hair is trimming off damaged, split ends. Yes, it can feel painful but if you don’t trim them, they’ll keep splitting and breaking higher up. You can trim gradually, but that slows your progress. Or you might end up stuck in a cycle - every time your hair grows a little, you’ll have to trim again.

So, how do you keep what you've grown?

• Avoid coloring, especially bleaching and heat styling
• Use UV protection or cover your hair in the sun
• Protect it while sleeping - use a silk or satin pillowcase or bonnet
• Don’t tie your hair too tightly or always in the same place. Loose or soft ties are best, and only use silky, gentle scrunchies
• Don’t wash your hair daily - frequent wetting weakens it (and never sleep with wet hair)
• Use a water filter if you live in a hard water area
• Avoid chlorinated pool water
• Steer clear of chemical treatments like keratin straightening - they’re not treatments, they damage your hair

But remember - long hair isn’t everything. It’s unrealistic, emotionally exhausting, and nearly impossible to live in a way that keeps your hair 100% untouched and damage-free. These tips aren’t rules - they’re just helpful info so you can choose what works best for you. Pick your “damage” - for example, maybe you love lightening your hair, but then skip the heat styling.

And most importantly: don’t compare your hair to anyone else’s. Some people have naturally strong hair that resists damage. Others have finer, more fragile hair, or hair that doesn’t stay in the growth phase as long. That’s okay.

If you’ve had bloodwork done, you’re not vitamin deficient, and you’re not causing major damage - but your hair still won’t grow past your shoulders, then instead of wasting money on miracle products, learn to love yourself with short hair. Short hair can highlight your features, look fuller and healthier, and honestly, washing it is way less of a chore!