How to Grow Your Hair Faster
A man’s relationship with his hair is often bittersweet. On one hand, we’re keen to show off the mane we tend to every day. On the other, there’s the quiet worry that, somewhere down the line, we might lose it altogether. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! But for many guys, hair loss can be a genuinely stressful and upsetting thing to go through—and, unfortunately, up to 80% will experience some degree of it in their lifetime, according to the National Library of Medicine.
So it’s no surprise that there are countless Reddit threads out there, full of information, some reliable, sonme not, about how to grow your hair faster. (If very long and very complicated-looking words like ‘dihydrotestosterone’ and ‘dutasteride’ are popping up during your 3 a.m. scrolling sessions, you’re probably on the right track.)
Hair growth can come down to anything from nutrients your body lacks to lifestyle decisions that you don’t even know are harming your hair. Below, we speak to experts whoshare exactly how to grow your hair faster.
Do genetics affect how fast my hair grows?
The simple answer is yes. And the long answer would be yes again, but in more ways than you think. Jacqui McIntosh, who’s a trichologist and hair ambassador for Bellissima, says to “Think of genetics as your ‘blueprint,’ and lifestyle and scalp care as your ‘builders,’ both matter.”
Genetics will determine the natural density of your hair, as well as texture and growth rate (which, FYI, is between 1-1.5 centimeters per month for the average guy). But they also play a role in if, and how quickly, you’ll lose it. Aesthetic doctor, Dr .Richard Devine, says, “If you have a family history of thinning or early hair loss, you might be predisposed, yet lifestyle, stress management, and scalp care can make a major difference in preserving what you’ve got and optimizing growth.”
What diet changes will make my hair grow?
Before understanding what diet changes you might need to make, it’s important to understand what hair actually is. McIntosh says, “Hair is made primarily of keratin, a protein. Lack of adequate hydration and protein-rich nutrition will impact the strength and resilience of new hair growth.”
If you’re one of those guys who’ve ended up on Reddit threads and reverse-balding TikTok accounts, you’ve probably seen every supplement under the sun. Biotin gummies that promise skin and nail growth. Peptides that you need to pin in your butt cheek in order for them to enter your bloodstream. And ads for finasteride and minoxidil. But the keyword here is supplement.
It’s meant to be used as an additional piece of armor to your already nutritious diet. Devine recommends focusing on “nutrient-dense foods like lean protein (the building block of keratin), omega-3 fats, leafy greens, and iron-rich options. If your diet is lacking, consider a high-quality supplement containing biotin and B vitamins to support follicle health.
Does stress harm hair growth?
Alright, it’s science time. Telogen effluvium is the term used to explain why your hair falls out. It’s the condition that forces more hair than usual to enter the shedding phase. And when that happens, your follicle will shrink more and more until your hair eventually falls out. McIntosh says that chronic stress and hormonal shifts, like postpartum and thyroid dysfunction, can kick telogen effluvium into overdrive.
But there are simple lifestyle changes that you can make to stop that from happening, and to improve your life overall. McIntosh suggests simple changes like “low manipulation styling, as the less mechanical stress, the better,” and “regular trimming will keep ends healthy and prevent splits from travelling up the shaft.”
