Whether your stylist has given you a less-than-ideal haircut, or you’re worried about female pattern hair loss or male pattern baldness, it’s common to want to make your hair grow super fast overnight.
While there’s no quick fix for rapid hair growth, there are some things you can do to help your hair grow back more quickly over the next few weeks and months.
In this article, you’ll discover 17 of the best ways to grow your hair fast — and five things you should avoid if you want to promote strong, healthy hair growth.
Sadly, there’s no magic formula that can make your hair grow faster in a day. On average, your hair grows 0.35 mm each day — approximately 10.5mm, or less than half an inch, every month [1].
Those with thicker hair may see slightly faster regrowth [2]. But no matter how thick your hair is, it’s not possible to regrow it by several inches (or even centimetres) every day.
Instead of looking for miracle cures, cultivate a healthy hair growth programme and find out how to grow healthy hair. Using the techniques below will help your hair grow more quickly, but can also keep it shiny and strong — preventing hair breakage at the crown and around the hairline so you can maintain your hair health.
Here are 17 ways to reduce hair shedding and promote more abundant hair growth as soon as possible.
If you feel like your hair is not growing properly, something may be preventing it from doing so. Androgenetic alopecia affects 85% of men and 55% of women at some point in life [3] [4]. And many people show the first signs of hair thinning and balding in their 30s or even sooner [5].
This condition makes the hair follicles at the front of your scalp shrink progressively in size, producing shorter and finer hair until they stop producing any altogether [6]. That is why androgenetic alopecia can make it seem like your hair is not growing long enough – it may actually be shrinking.
Other types of alopecia can also affect hair growth, and some can advance if unaddressed. That is why it is a good idea to see a trichologist if you have any suspicion that your hair may be thinning. They will diagnose your hair loss and recommend the right treatment to curb it and restore hair growth.
Research shows that regular hair washing is beneficial for your hair [7]. Daily hair washing can reduce perceived hair loss, and make your hair feel less brittle than if you wash your hair just once or twice a week:
Washing your hair everyday to prevent hair loss may be too much for you, and it’s not always necessary. If you have tightly curled hair, less frequent washing may be more appropriate.
But it’s important to keep your hair and scalp clean to avoid scalp problems and promote fast, healthy hair growth.
Getting the right nutrients in your diet is essential for healthy hair. Nutrient deficiencies and inadequacies may lead to hair breakage, hair loss, and other hair and scalp problems.
Vitamin supplements for hair growth don’t usually work unless you have a genuine deficiency. So make sure to get plenty of the following nutrients from your food:
Some probiotics for hair may also have beneficial properties.
Hair heat damage can cause breakage that makes your hair snap off at the ends. This makes your hair look shorter — not ideal if you’re looking for longer hair.
Minimise your use of heat-styling tools like curling irons, straighteners, and hairdryers to reduce the risk of developing thinning ends that break off easily.
Is your shampoo formulated for hair growth? If not, it may be worth switching to one of the best hair growth shampoos. These include:
Scalp massage may not always promote true hair growth, but studies have shown it can enhance hair thickness [11]. Thicker hair may increase the illusion of hair growth, especially if your hair is naturally thin.
Watch this video to learn how to perform a scalp massage and find out more about scalp massage for hair growth:
Minoxidil is one of two licensed hair loss treatments in the UK (the other being Finasteride, which is only suitable for men with male pattern baldness).
Minoxidil can treat many different types of hair loss. It works by opening up the blood vessels that feed your hair follicles, so more nutrients can reach them. This helps to promote healthy hair growth.
Patient’s hair before and after Minoxidil use.
Minoxidil is available over-the-counter, so it may be a good treatment option to try if you’re keen to stimulate hair growth. However, be aware that it takes a few months to see results from Minoxidil. Learn how long hair grows in six months.
Platelet-rich plasma injections can help stimulate hair growth because PRP contains growth factors that help repair hair follicles and promote healthy strand development. This treatment works by extracting a small amount of blood from your arm, processing it to separate the PRP from the other blood fractions and injecting it into your scalp.
Research shows that 84% of patients across 6 different studies experienced positive results – such as improved hair density and thickness – as a result of using PRP hair treatments [13]. This procedure is safe, minimally invasive and can be used by both men and women with good results.
Also known as derma rolling for hair growth, microneedling involves using a small tool covered in fine needles to create micropunctures on your scalp. These wounds are very small; they are not painful and normally do not bleed. However, they trigger your body’s natural healing response. Studies reveal that this treatment, which can easily be performed at home, can significantly increase hair density and thickness and reduce hair loss [15].
Moreover, when microneedling is combined with the application of hair growth solutions such as topical Minoxidil, the result is better than either of these treatments’ standalone effects. That is because the micropunctures caused by the derma roller help improve topical solution penetration into the scalp [15] [16].
There’s some evidence that certain essential oils can boost hair growth when applied to the scalp. These include:
Not all of these oils have been tested on all hair types and all types of alopecia, so do your research before selecting and applying your essential oils. For example, rosemary oil for beard growth is less likely to work, and may even be detrimental for your facial hair.
Some medications can contribute to hair loss, so check the side effects of any drugs you’re taking and see if they might be affecting your hair.
Even if your medication does have concerning hair-related side effects, you mustn’t stop taking it without consulting your doctor first. They can help you stop taking the drug safely, and/or find an alternative medication option.
Smoking can cause big problems for your hair. It reduces blood flow, meaning fewer nutrients reach the hair follicles. It can also cause oxidative stress, which damages the DNA of your hair follicle cells.
Quitting smoking (or even cutting back) is a great way to increase blood flow and limit oxidative stress, which can help your hair grow more quickly.
There may be a medical reason why your hair growth has stagnated. So if you’re unsure why you’re losing hair, make an appointment with your doctor or trichologist to check for any underlying medical conditions.
This is especially important for women, as female hair loss is often harder to diagnose. Find out more about diagnosing and treating female hair loss.
Conditioning your hair keeps it healthy, shiny, and strong. This can stop the ends from snapping off, so your hair appears to grow more quickly.
There are plenty of commercial hair conditioners available, as well as some natural conditioners that have been shown to promote hair health. These include:
These remedies can help you regrow your hair naturally. If natural remedies aren’t for you check out our list of the 10 best 2-in-1 shampoos and conditioners to help promote hair growth.
It’s not possible to completely prevent split ends and other types of hair damage. So getting your hair cut regularly is important for removing those unhealthy ends that can lead to further damage higher up the hair shaft.
Ideally, go for a trim at least once every two to three months to remove split ends and promote strong hair growth. See our hair length chart for haircut inspiration and information.
If you want to heat style your hair using straighteners or a hairdryer, always use a heat protection spray. However, keep in mind that while helpful, these sprays can’t fully protect your hair from constant exposure to high heat.
All heat protection sprays will provide some level of protection, but ethanol-based sprays may prevent more structural damage to your hair than water-based sprays [21]. So check the ingredients list when buying heat protection products.
Stress is not only bad for you on a psychological level – it can also wreak havoc on your body and cause your hair to fall out. Prolonged periods of stress and anxiety cause hair loss by getting a significantly larger proportion of your strands than normal to stop growing and enter the shedding phase.
However, reducing the levels of psychological pressure normally leads to telogen effluvium reversing itself in 3-4 months [22]. That is why it is recommended to engage in activities that promote relaxation and self-care on a daily basis. These may include exercise, meditation, walks in nature, hobbies, or spending quality time with loved ones.
Now you know what you can do to protect your hair and stimulate growth, it’s time to find out what won’t help.
Here are five of the worst things you can do for your hair when you’re trying to promote healthy growth.
Hair extensions may seem like a quick fix when you want to grow your hair long, but they can actually do a lot of damage. If you wear them a lot, hair extensions can even lead to hair loss.
That’s because hair extensions cause a condition called traction alopecia. Traction alopecia happens when there’s extensive or repeated stress on your hair follicles, which eventually makes them shed their hair.
Female celebrities with hair loss including Naomi Campbell have attributed their hair loss to hair extensions:
If you do want to use hair extensions, try to save them for special occasions. Don’t wear them everyday, as this can accelerate hair loss.
Bleach is a surefire way to weaken your hair fibres. It damages both the hair cuticle and cortex, which makes your hair prone to breaking and snapping [23].
When your hair snaps off, it will appear shorter. It can also lead to further damage, such as split ends and hair protein loss.
The more you bleach your hair, the worse breakage and protein loss can get [23]. So keep the highlights to a minimum.
Tying your hair up is a convenient way to style your hair. Sometimes it’s essential, especially if you work in an active or hazardous environment.
But repeatedly wearing your hair in a ponytail may lead to hair damage. Much like hair extensions, ponytails, and other tight hairstyles can cause traction alopecia.
If you’re required to wear your hair up every day, try to keep your ponytail loose, and use protective bands to minimise hair damage.
Be gentle when towelling your hair dry after a hair wash. Rubbing too vigorously creates friction that damages your hair.
If possible, switch to a microfibre towel (or even use an old cotton t-shirt) to dry your hair. Gently squeeze the excess water out into the towel or t-shirt, then wrap it into a turban for up to 15 minutes. Then allow your hair to air dry.
If your hair is prone to tangling, it’s sometimes tempting to wrench a brush through the knots. But this can cause a lot of breakage, making your hair look shorter.
Instead, use plenty of conditioner in the shower to tease out the tangles. Comb your hair while it’s still wet to gently untangle any knots. Use a detangling spray to help if needed.
If there are any particularly stubborn knots, apply more conditioner and try to tease the knot apart gently. Avoid dragging or wrenching the brush at all costs. You’ll need to be patient, but your hair will thank you for it.
There are no significant structural differences between the hair of men and women that can impact hair growth speed. This means all the advice in this article is effective for both genders. However, women are generally exposed to more information about hair products than men. So if you are a man, here are some tips to take into account for improved hair health and steady growth:
While most people’s hair grows at a comparative pace, there are some aspects that can influence how fast your hair can grow:
It can be difficult to tell how fast your hair is growing while you are constantly looking at it, especially if you are wearing a shorter hairstyle. One way to get some idea of the kind of growth that took place is to take close-up photos of different areas of your scalp every month and compare the results. Just be sure that you are holding the camera at approximately the same distance from your head and using the same lighting and angles to take the shots.
Another thing you could try is plucking a few hairs from different parts of your head each month and measuring them, then comparing the results. If your hair is textured, be sure to stretch the strands out fully before the measurement. It is a good idea to collect the hairs from approximately the same spots on your head every time.
After getting surgical hair restoration, most patients experience hair transplant shock loss. This means the newly implanted hair falls out but leaves the healthy follicles safely attached to the scalp. About 4 months later, they start producing new strands, but it can take approximately a year to see the final results of the procedure (see this hair transplant growth chart for more detailed information).
Closely following your surgeon’s advice for proper hair transplant aftercare can help you get the best and fastest results. Moreover, studies [27][28][29] show that PRP after a hair transplant can improve its results when it comes to shortening the dormant phase of the follicles, speeding up growth and making the new strands grow longer, thicker and denser. That is due to the many growth factors contained by PRP, which promote healing and help regulate your hair growth cycle.
If you are concerned that your hair is not growing as fast as it should be or you have noticed early signs of hair thinning, it is a good idea to see a hair doctor sooner rather than later. Book a consultation with one of our top-tier trichologists at your most convenient clinic location.
At the Wimpole Clinic, we can diagnose all types of hair loss, from traction alopecia to male or female pattern baldness. And we can design personalised treatment plans for all your hair growth needs.
If you are looking for more information regarding hair growth, you may find the insight you need by reading the answer to these frequently asked questions:
It is a common hair loss myth that cutting your hair makes it grow thicker or faster. While it is generally recommended to trim your hair regularly to get rid of split ends, cutting it will do nothing for its growth rate. That is because shortening the hair shafts does not affect the hair follicles, which make your strands grow.
Normally, men and women have the same hair growth rate, as their hair structure is very similar. The general consensus among researchers at this point is that there are no considerable differences among genders regarding how quickly their hair grows. Only one small study found that their male Asian participant’s hair grew faster than the Asian female participants’, with no differences among genders in people of other ethnicities [25] However. more research is needed to confirm this finding, as it may be the result of a sample effect.
The exact amount of hair growth you can expect in 3 months depends on a variety of factors. However, the average person can expect to see a 3-4 cm increase in hair length. If you notice a substantially lower increase, seeing a hair doctor for a professional assessment may be a good idea.
Experiencing the physical stress of a severe illness or a surgical intervention can trigger telogen effluvium. This means that an excessive proportion of your hair will stop growing and enter the resting and shedding phase. Thus, you will notice diffuse hair thinning and less hair growth during this time. However, this condition is temporary and will resolve itself within 3-4 months once your health has improved.
Simply fill in your details and we’ll get in touch with you shortly.
Δ
Simply fill in your details in the form below and we'll get in touch with you shortly.
