Perhaps you got a bad haircut or want to grow out the pixie cut that you thought was a good idea at first, but as you look in the mirror, it just feels like it will take forever to grow even an inch of hair. Whether you are frustrated or wondering how long it will take for your hair to grow to the length you want, you are in the right place! Today we will be discussing how long it takes for hair to grow 12 inches and some tips & tricks to help you achieve and maintain a healthy scalp for faster growing hair.
How Long Does it Take Hair to Grow an Inch?
On average, an individual can grow approximately half an inch of hair per month, but it can vary dramatically from person to person based on a number of factors. But let’s cut the chase, how long does it take to grow hair 12 inches?
Well, if it takes on average a month to grow half an inch of hair, then in a year you would likely see 6 inches of new hair growth, so that means it will take 2 years to grow 12 inches of hair. This may sound like it will take forever to grow to your hair to the length that you desire, but don’t worry just yet because we will help you achieve those results as we explain what factors contribute to hair growth and provide helpful tips to help you grow your hair as fast as possible!
You might be wondering where the half an inch of a hair growth per month number comes from. Based on several scientific studies consolidated by the Trichological Society, a person can grow from as little as 0.2 inches and as much as 0.7 inches per month. Half an inch falls in the middle, so the time it takes to grow hair 12 inches will vary quite a lot from individual to individual. Before we get into tips and tricks to grow hair faster, let’s discuss some of the factors that can give rise to this variation.
Factors that Affect Hair Growth:
- Heredity: Genetics can determine how fast your hair grows as they impact hormone levels. The primary cause of hereditary male or female pattern hair loss (also known as androgenetic alopecia) is genetics.
- Age: Hair grows fastest around 15-30 years of age. For women, when menopause occurs, some may experience hair loss as hormonal changes can impact your hair follicles, which are directly related to hair health and hair growth.
- Hair Growth Cycle: Your hair cycles through four phases: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen, and Exogen. The length of each phase in the hair growth cycle can vary dramatically from person to person due to a variety of internal and external factors.
- Diet: Your body needs proper nutrition to work properly, so eating healthy foods can positively benefit our hair health. Don’t forget to stay hydrated as well since water is essential for improving hair health. Vitamin deficiencies can cause hair loss - a well-balanced, healthy diet is important to shortening the time it takes for hair to grow 12 inches.
- Stress: Without a doubt, emotional stress and life itself can affect our mental and physical health. The medical term for stress-related hair loss is telogen effluvium. This happens 2 to 3 months after stressful or traumatic events and will lead to hair fall-out as your hair follicles will enter a resting phase which can last anywhere from 3 to 6 months.
- Sleep: Rest is essential for your body to function properly. A lack of sleep will affect hair growth as melatonin, a naturally-produced hormone, has been shown to support hair growth.
- Scalp and Hair Health: Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. How we treat our hair also matters. If you often style your hair in ponytails, up-dos, hair extensions, dreadlocks, and tight braids, or use heat products, it is possible that your hair may experience breakage due to the added forces.
How to Grow Hair Faster?
It is undeniable that our genetics plays a substantial role in hair growth, since everyone has different baseline levels of hormones, different hair types, hair densities, and consequently different lengths in their hair growth cycle. But don’t fuss just yet! There are many other factors that we DO have control over that can help grow hair faster and over 12 inches!
Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle
Every action we take is a vote towards the person we want to become. Hence, if our goal is to grow longer, thicker, and healthier hair then we must make an effort to apply healthy habits in our everyday life. Chronic stress, lack of sleep, and a poor diet can really affect our health mentally and physically, so it makes sense that these can stunt our hair growth. Stress will affect our hair growth cycle as it can lead to stress-related hair loss also known as telogen effluvium. It is important to keep in mind that in order to grow hair 12 inches can be easily impacted by life events and external factors that can very easily impact our hair health and general health overall.
Pay attention to your lifestyle to make sure you are taking in proper nutrition. You may want to see a doctor and check whether you have any vitamin deficiencies. There are certain supplements that have shown to aid in effective hair growth including: Vitamin A, D, C, and E. We have compiled a more detailed list of vitamin deficiencies that can cause hair loss here.
