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I’ve been asked this question A LOT: does your hair grow faster if you cut? There are many misconceptions about hair growth, and I regret being the bearer of bad news, but this is one of those. Cutting your hair short doesn’t make it grow faster. If there’s one benefit to trimming your hair regularly, it would be a healthier growth.
Why cutting doesn’t make your hair grow faster
The answer here lies in the anatomy of your hair. When you trim or cut your hair, you only reduce the length of the tips. Your hair follicles remain intact, which is the portion that controls the quality of your hair strands. Regardless if you cut it or not, your hair will grow a quarter of an inch a month on average.
If you want to make your hair grow fast, you have to focus on your scalp. Below, I discussed some tips to help you grow healthier and longer hair.
Back to the haircutting myth, it probably stemmed from the fact that the hair grows healthier, which gives a sense of length and volume. Also, you have to consider the fact that each person has varying hair growth. Your friend could have fast-growing hair, but it wouldn’t be the same with you. Even if you follow your friend’s hair regimen, the two of you will have varying results.
Nevertheless, trimming your hair has its perks, too. It allows you to remove damaged tips and control frizz. For those with short hairstyles, trimming once in a while is necessary to maintain the look and manage any flyaways.
Factors that affect your hair growth
Hair growth is probably one of the most biologically mysterious parts of the body. The science that governs its growth is more complex than what many think. If you’re going to think of it, we’re spending lots of money on dead cells, which happens to have a large impact on our appearance.
If you’re wondering why your hair isn’t growing longer or faster even after trimming it, the following can be the culprit:
- Genetics. If your family has a history of wispy and hard-to-grow hair, you’re likely to get the same genes. Genetics affect the length, color, texture, and density of hair, among others. The sad truth is that you can’t change it, but you can do something to at least gain a few inches.
- Diet. What you eat has a lot of impact on how healthy your hair will be, including how long it’s going to get. Low levels of Vitamins A, C, D, and E will lead to poor growth. You should take biotin and keratin-rich food to grow your hair longer and faster.
- Stress. Many research has been conducted to study the effects of stress on our bodies. This includes how chronic stress causes hair loss and poor hair growth. Even if you’re eating healthy or has good hair-growing genes, stress can get the best of you. It will restrict your hair’s growth cycle, leading to a shorter length.
- Styling. Using a lot of heat during styling is one of the culprits of hair loss. It will also make the tips brittle, which will result in split ends. And since you have to trim the unsightly split ends, it will be difficult for you to achieve the hair length that you want. Too much hair products will also halt healthy hair growth.
- Age. One of the most common reasons behind poor hair growth is old age. As the body grows older, your follicles’ ability to produce healthy and long hair also dwindles. Over time, you will notice your hair getting wispier. This will worsen if you style with heat a lot and if you don’t have a healthy scalp regimen.
How to make your hair grow faster
While cutting your hair doesn’t make it longer, there are other things you can do to grow your tresses. The following are some of the tips I swear by, which I’ve also used in the past years:
✔️Come up with a healthy scalp regimen
One of the things I learned about hair growing is that the scalp gets neglected a lot. This is why you should invest in your scalp if you’re bent to gain a few more inches of hair.
You have to rinse your scalp properly to remove impurities that could block the hair follicles. This will also stimulate excellent blood flow, so more nutrients are delivered to the hair follicles to support hair growth.
Never use grainy exfoliants for your scalp because it can cause micro-abrasions where infection may start. If you want to moisturize your scalp, use creams and oils made specifically for the hair. You can also use essential oils like tea tree or coconut oil that promote hair health.
✔️Give it a trim
I know that this sounds counterintuitive, but let us explain. Trimming the tips of your hair to remove split ends will prevent it from splitting farther. Minor trims are a great way for damage control, so the rest of your hair will be intact. Just snip a few millimeters from time to time so you won’t remove too much length at once.
My rule of thumb is to check for split ends every 3 months. I also make trims during that period if necessary.
✔️Feed your hair
Aside from a healthy diet (which I discussed below), you should also consider supplementing with hair growth vitamins. Remember that this isn’t a magic pill, and the effects will vary per person. Keep your expectations manageable so you won’t be disappointed after downing a bottle for several months.
The good thing with hair growth vitamins is it contains natural nutrients. Even if your hair doesn’t grow long, it will still be beneficial for your body. Look for a hair supplement with biotin, folic acid, and vitamins.
However, if you’re already eating a balanced diet, you may not need this supplement. Remember that your body only retains what it needs. The rest will be flushed out, which is just a waste.
✔️Slow down with shampooing
One mistake I’ve done in the past is shampooing my hair every single day. I can’t blame myself, though.
Always get sticky hair at the end of the day, and I can’t stomach lying down to my pillow with that gunk on my head. But the truth is that shampooing too much can be detrimental for your hair growth.
Why is this so, you ask? Well, shampoo is made to wash away dirt, including the natural sebum of your scalp. If you use it every day, then you’re wiping away the natural lubrication of the scalp, which can lead to dryness and brittle hair.
What you need to do on non-shampooing days is to load up on conditioner. Moisturizer your scalp to your heart’s content to replenish the lost moisture. Also, by keeping the follicles moisturized, it’s more likely to grow healthy and longer hair. Conditioning your hair will help regain the health of the tips.
✔️Skip the heat
If you really want to grow long and healthy hair, you should avoid – or go cold turkey – on hot tools. Intense heat fries and damages our hair. It’s one of the main causes of hair brittleness, breakage, and poor growth. Many women also overuse this tool since it offers immediate results but at the expense of your hair’s health.
If you can’t avoid using heat tools, try to use the lowest heat setting. You should also use a heat protectant spray at all times.
✔️Give your hair a break
If you love experimenting with your hair, you should give it a break. Skip hair coloring, bleaching, straightening, and other intensive treatments. This will allow your hair to grow naturally and healthily. You’ll be surprised by how much your hair looks better after months of going natural and clean.
Toss all hair products aside for a couple of months until your hair grows long. You’ll thank yourself for doing so.
✔️Do some scalp massage
Many times, we cover our hair and scalp with dollops of hair products. This will take its toll on our hair health. To help regain your scalp’s zest, I recommend doing a gentle scalp massage. This will help boost blood flow for better oxygen level and nutrient delivery on your hair follicles.
You can do a scalp massage with your dry hair, but I recommend a drop of nourishing oil for added moisturizing benefits. This will also condition your hair to repair damages.
Remember, you should gently do this massage, or you’ll defeat the purpose of doing so in the first place. If you have a sensitive scalp, you should ask a dermatologist before doing the massage. Also, don’t use too many products to condition your hair for this purpose.
Conclusion
So does your hair grow faster if you cut it? While the answer is no, trimming is still beneficial to remove damaged tips that could spread further into the strand. Don’t fret because there are many ways to boost your hair growth safely and without buying expensive products.
I hope these suggestions help you in growing your hair longer and healthier. Do you have a hair regimen to add? Share it with us below!
