Why Does My Hair Grow So Slow?

You may have noticed that your hair grows faster or slower at different times throughout your life. Many factors can contribute to these fluctuations, and when we’re talking about slow hair growth, nutritional deficiencies, stress and hot styling tools are just a few of the culprits. 

But before we dive into all the reasons your hair grows so slow, it’s important to understand the hair growth cycle and how it can impact how fast or slow your hair grows.

 

The Hair Growth Cycle

 

At any one point in time, your various hair strands are each in a different stage of the hair growth cycle. This means that while you lose on average 50 to 100 strands of hair a day, the majority of the hair on your scalp is growing, transitioning and resting. That being said, as you age there are a number of factors that can alter various phases of the hair growth cycle.

 

1. Anagen Phase: the Growth Phase

 

The anagen phase is the key to preventing slow hair growth, and we’ll dig into this further later on.

The growth phase lasts anywhere between three to seven years, and typically affects roughly 90% of your hair at any one time. Unfortunately, this percentage decreases as we age, meaning less and less of your hair will be in the growth phase.

 

2. Catagen Phase: the Transition Phase 

 

The transition from the growth phase to the resting phase typically lasts about 10 days and is the stage when your hair follicles begin to shrink and slow their growth. Believe it or not, only about one percent of all the hair on your head is in the catagen phase at any given time.

This is also the point at which the base of your hair follicle releases the hair strand.

 

3. Telogen Phase: the Resting Phase

 

About 9% of your hair is in the telogen phase, also known as the resting phase, in which your hair strands are neither growing nor falling out. While this is occurring, the base of your hair follicle that was released in the catagen phase begins to form a new hair strand.

 

4. Exogen Phase: the Final Shedding Phase

 

Finally, there’s the exogen phase which is seen as an extension of the telogen phase, wherein the hair follicle is finally released from the scalp. This final phase typically lasts between two to five months, and is responsible for the 50 to 100 hair strands we lose every day.

 

Top 6 Factors That Lead to Slow Hair Growth

 

There’s no denying that your genetics, hormone levels and way of life play a large part in maintaining the health and strength of your hair. However, as we mentioned above, the percentage of your hair that exists in the anagen phase, or growth phase, naturally decreases as you age as well.

As the length of the anagen phase decreases, the amount of time your hair spends in the catagen and telogen phases increases. What this means is there will be a shift from long, healthy hairs to fine, short hairs, creating the appearance of slow hair growth. That being said, there are a number of factors that can affect the rate of your hair growth.

 

1. An Unhealthy Diet

 

A poor diet high in fat and sugar does more than affect your body and mood. It can drastically impact the health of your hair as well. When your blood sugar spikes and becomes unregulated, it impacts your insulin levels, leading to various impacts on your body. But what it also does is impact the flow of oxygen to your scalp and hair follicles. Without enough oxygen, your hair growth cycle will falter. 

 

2. A Stressful Lifestyle

 

Stress is an unfortunate fact of life, and can result in a number of hidden changes. One of which can be hair loss, or telogen effluvium. Thankfully, telogen effluvium is typically a temporary condition in which stress increases the percentage of hair follicles in the telogen phase. Because this resting phase puts a pause on hair growth, it can appear as if your hair isn’t growing or is falling out more rapidly.

 

3. Excessive Heat Styling

 

It’s fairly common knowledge that heat styling products can easily damage your hair strands, especially if you don’t use a heat protection spray. Flat irons, blow-dryers and curling irons can all damage and weaken your hair strands, leading to brittle hair and eventually breakage. It can then appear as if you’re experiencing slow hair growth, when in reality, your hair strands are actually repeatedly breaking.

 

4. Smoking

While we are all aware of the dangers of smoking, this habit is also known to affect your hair growth as it negatively impacts your body’s blood circulation. Optimal blood flow to your hair follicles is a critical component of producing strong, healthy strands. Disturbing healthy blood flow can lead to a less than optimal hair growth cycle resulting in hair thinning and even loss.

 

5. A Vitamin Deficiency

 

Closely linked to a poor diet is the possibility of a vitamin deficiency, which can easily occur if you don’t receive an appropriate amount of vitamins through your diet. While vitamin B and biotin are most often associated with healthy hair, vitamin D also plays an important role in creating healthy and strong hair follicles. A vitamin deficiency can easily throw your body out of balance and lead to a number of health concerns.

 

6. Medications May Impact Hair Growth

 

Finally, slow hair growth or hair loss is a common side effect of a number of medications. If you feel that your hair loss may be a result of a medication, we recommend you talk to your doctor before doing anything else.

 

3 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Hair Health With Better Not Younger

 

Thankfully, this is where we come in. 

Even as you age there are a few things you can do to help your hair become stronger and healthier. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to take care of your hair and scalp.

 

1. Increase Blood Flow to Your Scalp

 

Scalp massages are one of the best, and in our opinion most relaxing, ways to increase the amount of blood flow to your scalp. Especially when used in combination with our Superpower Hair & Scalp Duo. Not only does our hair and scalp serum help rebalance the natural oils of your scalp, but it also strengthens your hair cuticle and reduces the chances of hair falling out. So what makes our serum so great?

• Apigenin: helps promote hair health.
• Caffeine: helps to rejuvenate the scalp at the roots.
• Centella Asiatica: helps to strengthen your hair follicles.
• Ceramide-NG: works to retain moisture within the hair shaft.
• Ginger: stimulates your scalp while softening and nourishing your hair strands.
• Kelp Extract: provides essential vitamins and minerals to your hair and scalp including vitamins A and C, iodine and zinc.
• Niacinamide: can help nourish scalp and hair follicles for smoothing-looking hair.

Our liquid comb, on the other hand, makes performing scalp massages that much easier by taking the need to use some elbow grease out of the equation. The retractable aluminum ball-tipped dispensers automatically dispense the perfect amount of serum straight to your scalp. By evenly distributing the serum between your hair strands and across your scalp, we make sure your hair receives an even amount of serum, thereby maximizing its benefits.

 

2. Supplements Make Vitamins a No-Brainer

 

Regularly taking hair, skin and nail supplements is one of the easiest things you can do to promote happy, healthy and strong hair. Specifically designed with aging hair in mind, Better Not Younger’s Significant Other gummies are filled to the brim with vitamins and minerals such as:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Folic Acid (Folate)
• Biotin
• Pantothenic Acid
• Potassium Iodine
• Zinc
• Choline 
• Inositol

So whether you’re always on the go with a busy lifestyle or focused on taking care of your family, we have your hair health needs covered in our yummy, strawberry flavored gummies.

 

3. Regularly Cleanse Your Scalp

 

Healthy follicles make for healthy hair, and in order to have both, you need to take care of your scalp. If the pores on your scalp are dry, clogged with dirt or inflamed, you’ll notice the detrimental effects on your hair. In order to keep your scalp at its healthiest, it’s a good idea to make a scalp cleanser a part of your weekly or monthly hair-care routine, depending on your needs.

What makes a good scalp cleanser is its ability to cleanse your scalp of dirt and excess oils while also nourishing it. This will not only help to remove excess product buildup but also help to unclog your pores and give your hair follicles room to grow.

Tell Us: Have you tried using one or more of the above methods to help reverse your slow hair growth? Share in the comments below!

Send us a message on Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions about the hair growth cycle or how to boost your hair health.  Better Not Younger is here to help you keep your hair healthy and strong. Also, make sure to check out our blog for more hair-care information!