10 Reasons your hair isn't growing fast enough

1/10
Genetics
Your hair basically grows in three cycles: anagen (hair growth), catagen (hair renewal), and telogen (hair fall). And, some people just have incredibly long anagen phases while others receive the short end of the stick. The anagen phase generally last between 2 to 6 years — those with longer phases can grow their hair out longer.

Solution: Unfortunately, there’s really nothing much you can do about it if you have a short anagen phase except keep a good diet to ensure it doesn't shorten even further.
2/10
Heat
This may come as a surprise to nobody, but consistently using hot styling tools to manage your hair isn’t good for your cuticles. Drying out your hair with heat causes it to become brittle, and consistently applying heat onto your hair will cause it to break easier.

Solution: Put down that straightener every other day, and embrace your natural waves! Or, well, at least buy a good heat protectant and find hair products that help to repair hair growth.
3/10
Food
People have pointed out that your nail health is an indication of your general health, but the same works for your hair too. Eating too much sugar, for example, will cause your blood levels to spike while secreting a hormone that shrinks hair follicles. And since your hair is made of keratin, a type of protein, eating too little red meat and beans may lead to hair loss.

Solution: Ensure you are getting a balanced diet, with an appropriate amount of minerals and vitamins.
4/10
Stress
Feeling so stressed you want to pull your hair out? Stop, your stress might already be doing that for you. Your hair might be affected in three ways: one, where more of your hair follicles are sent into a resting phase to prepare for fall, two, where large chunks of your hair fall out in clumps and, three, where you pick on your hair while stressed.

Solution: Try to get a good amount of sleep (even though it may be hard), exercise to get your endorphins pumping, or take a breather. And, hey, don’t stress too much about your hair too.
5/10
Dehydration
Sure, the recommended eight cups of water a day may be excessive for some, but water is incredibly important for your health, and your hair isn’t much different. Water makes up a quarter of hair, which means that dehydration would cause your hair to shed.

Solution: If water doesn’t taste good to you, try fruit-infused water to give a little extra punch to the taste. And, don’t forget to bring a bottle of water with you when you head out so you’ll never have an excuse to not drink.
6/10
Due for a trim
Okay, confession time: how long has it been since your last trim? The recommended amount of time is between four to six weeks, but going up to twelve weeks is acceptable. By trimming your hair, you are clearing away the damaged sections and split-ends that have grown since your last cut.

Solution: Drop by your hairdresser’s this weekend and get a trim!
7/10
Medication
Some medication may have an adverse effect on your hair growth, causing strands to fall out as a side-effect. This can be anything, from acne medication to antibiotics and especially birth control, so if you are on any drugs and your hair has stopped growing since you started your medication, you might want to take a step back from it.

Solution: Go to your doctor’s for some advice about the medication, and perhaps consider switching to another if your body is reacting poorly.
8/10
Age
Wisdom may come with age, but hair loss might also accompany it. On average, men would start losing hair in their twenties and women would generally start after menopause. However, there are people who have begun hair loss a lot earlier in their life, starting from their teenage years.

Solution: If you are a male, you may consider taking a DHT blocker which helps to prevent hair loss, but you may approach your doctor for specific treatments and drugs that may help your particular case.
9/10
Poor scalp health
If you have a tendency to pile on products after products, this might be the root cause of your problem. An excessively oily scalp may cause your hair follicles to clog up with sebum, making this an unsuitable environment for your hair to properly grow out.

Solution: Opt for a clarifying shampoo once in awhile, or get a scalp exfoliator to clear the buildup.
10/10
Underlying health issues
And, if all else fails, it might be a health issue that’s causing your stunted hair growth. There are a list of conditions that may lead to hair loss which includes (but is not limited to): hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, lupus, inflammation of the body and infections. It may even be a sign that your body is suffering from illnesses you may not be aware of.

Solution: Go for a medical checkup once every few years, and go to a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect your health might not be in tip-top condition.

Often, our hair can our biggest pride and, unfortunately, the source of our biggest worry. Whether it be trying (and failing) to dye our hair in that specific ash-grey shade that looks oh-so good but never seems to work, or whether it is to retain its gloss and luster, our hair can easily fail to reach our desired expectations. So we work and work to try and get the commercial-ready hair we’ve always dreamed of, lathering on treatment after treatment in the hopes something good will happen.

True, hair growth is slow. Averaging at about 1.5cm per month, it is easy to be oblivious to it. But, at times, it seems like your hair hasn’t grown in an impossibly long time. Head up to the gallery for a list of reasons behind your slow hair growth. Don’t worry, we’ve also provided solutions to help you combat each one.

Lee Hui Bing

Photos: Getty Images

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