It seems these days everyone wants to grow long hair. It used to be a phenomenon that only concerned women but, it seems now everyone is more interested in hair health and hair growth. The most important thing to understand about growing long hair is that hair has a life cycle. What does this mean? This basically means that no matter what depending on your hairs life cycle the strands will only grow so long before they fall out. If you are trying to grow your hair to your waist you can see how the life cycle of your hair would be important to know. For some people waist length hair is just not going to happen. What determines your hairs life cycle? Sadly, the most important characteristic about the life cycle of your hair is genetics. Certain races have longer life cycles than others and this is plain to see in society.
The life cycle of hair follicles is separated into three distinct phases. The first phase is called the Anagen phase during this time hair is actively growing. During the second phase called the transitional phase or Catagen phase the hair stops growing and goes through a chemical transformation. The final phase is called the Telogen phase and during this phase the hair pretty much just sits on your head for a few months. Two very important nutrients in hair growth are protein and keratin. Many hair care products claim to have these products in them but, in reality the quantity of these nutrients is so low that it does not help in hair growth significantly.
“Hair Growth”
It seems every culture has different myths and beliefs about growing hair. In some cultures one hundred brush strokes every night to make hair long and luxurious is necessary. It has been proven that over stimulation causes too much stress on hair follicles and they tend to fall out. Also consistent brushing or combing of your hair makes the strands brittle and can cause unnecessary stress on the scalp. Another myth is to wash your hair everyday to keep dirt from blocking the pores through which hair grows. This is totally incorrect in fact the opposite is true in many cases. Washing hair too often rinses away the oil and important nutrients that help hair grow and keep the scalp healthy. In fact in some cultures it has been proven that not washing the hair for an extended period of time promotes significant hair growth.
For some races it is necessary to “dread” the hair to allow it to grow to longer lengths. There are many chemicals that are used to stimulate hair growth most of them in reality do not work. Hair tends to grow longer in the summer and not grow as much during the winter. No one knows why this happens or can figure out how to force hair to grow. It seems hair is very similar to planting a seed in the ground. You can water the seed and add as much fertilizer as you want. That seed will not grow until it is good and ready. Does this mean we should all stop buying hair products and just let our hair grow wild and become unruly? No never, just like fertilizer there are many products that promote a healthier scalp and healthier hair growth. Keep testing products, you never know you may find something that works for you and causes you hair to grow tremendously long.
