The average person has between 80,000 and 120,000 hairs on their head . They also shed about 100 hairs per day.
Every healthy hair strand grows approximately 0.35 mm (or 0.5 inch) per day.
Age, hormones and stress are all factors that influence hair growth. There are things you can still do to promote healthy hair growth, even if some of those factors may be out of your control.
Healthy Hair Care Routine
The key to healthy hair growth begins with a hair care regimen that is healthy.
This includes
- Use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type
- Avoid or limit tight hairstyles as they can damage your hair
- Gently brush your hair using a wide toothed comb
- When your hair is wet, be extra cautious as it is more susceptible to breakage
- Limit or avoid exposure to heat including blow-drying, hot water and flat ironing
- Protect your skin from the sun by wearing a hat outside
- Do not use harsh chemicals, such as dyes or bleaches
- Trim hair regularly to reduce split end
Healthy Eating for Healthy hair
For your hair to be strong and healthy, it needs many nutrients. These nutrients are derived from your food and travel through your bloodstream to your hair follicles, the tiny pockets of skin that begin hair growth.
Your hair can become brittle and weak if you don’t get enough nutrients. You may even lose hair.
For healthy hair growth, eat a diet rich in:
Hair is made mainly of a protein called Keratin. Your body requires amino acids, which it gets from food rich in protein. Protein-rich foods include:
- fish
- meat
- poultry
- beans
- tofu
- nuts
- seeds
Minerals and vitamins: Your hair requires other nutrients besides protein:
- vitamin A
- vitamin B7
- vitamin C
- vitamin D
- vitamin E
- iron
- zinc
The majority of these vitamins and mineral can be obtained from a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Healthy fats. As your hair grows from your follicles it passes through the gland known as the sebaceous. This gland produces a substance known as sebum that helps to keep your hair protected and moisturized. Fats are found in a variety of healthy sources, including:
- fish
- avocados
- nuts
- seeds
- vegetable oils
Reduce Stress
Stress can cause hair loss, even if it’s not physically yanking your hair.
Your body enters “fight or flight” mode when it detects a potentially hazardous situation. This causes the release of hormones including cortisol which temporarily stops non-essential processes to allow energy and resources for responding to the threat.
This response can be beneficial when life is at stake, but it can also have a negative impact on the body if it’s activated by stress in everyday life. Stress can disrupt the hair cycle, causing early hair loss and a slower hair regrowth.
Reduce stress in a healthy way to encourage hair growth. Stress-relievers that are proven to be safe and effective include:
- exercise
- mindfulness meditation
- deep respiration
- progressive muscle relaxation
- spending time in nature
- laughing
- Listening to music
- Spending time with family and friends
- therapy
Prescription Medications
You may be able to use medication to promote hair growth if you’re concerned about hair loss.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a medication that can be used to treat hair thinning. Minoxidil stimulates and extends the growth phase of hair cycle by increasing blood flow to the hair follicle.
Minoxidil is available over the counter, but you can also get prescription-strength minoxidil from your doctor for higher concentrations of the medication.
Essential Oils
In recent years, there has been evidence that essential oils can be used as a topical treatment for hair loss.
In a small study published in the year 2021, it was found that Pumpkin seed oil had similar effects as 5% minoxidil on females suffering from androgenetic hair loss.
A study found that rose oil was more effective in treating androgenetic hair loss than 2% minoxidil.
The use of tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oils, and jojoba oils can also be effective in treating hair loss.
Combining these oils with head massages could provide even greater benefits.
More research is required to confirm this finding, but the initial evidence suggests essential oils could be an excellent alternative for supporting healthy hair.