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Whether you’ve been missing your long strands after an impulsive bob cut or become a victim of a regrettable TikTok hair trend, wondering how to grow your hair faster is a universal question we’ve all experienced at least once in our lives. How to go about promoting healthy hair growth depends on your specific wants and needs, but one thing is certain: There is no quick fix.
“The day you decide to grow out your hair, you have to really start taking care of it,” says hairstylist Mark Townsend, insisting, “to get the length, there are sacrifices.” The reality is there’s no shortcut to an endless, luxurious mane—it’s a months-long, methodical process. One that can feel especially tedious if you’re contending with stress-induced hair shedding.
But don’t feel overwhelmed or defeated just yet. With a little bit of patience, the right products, hair-growth-focused ingredients, and some pivots to your everyday routines, you’ll be on the right track for growing out your hair. Here, Townsend and other sought-after pros weigh in on how to grow your hair faster and maximize your length.
How long does it take for your hair to grow?
Your hair has three stages of growth: the anagen stage, the catagen stage, and the telogen stage. Hadley King, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, explains that during the anagen stage is where the hair does most of its growing. Each strand can spend three to five years in this phase on average, with hair growing around half an inch per month. Once this stage starts to end, it moves to the transitional catagen stage that lasts for about ten days. Then it will enter the telogen phase where strands are released and fall out, and the whole process is repeated.
But Andrew Fitzsimons, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Andrew Fitzsimons haircare, says that while hair will grow around six inches per year, there are still a number of different factors (hair type, daily hair routine, genetics, etc.) all impact hair growth.
What affects hair growth?
According to Marc Ballance, a Manhattan-based hairstylist at IGK Salon, many factors can influence hair growth. The main ones are: diet, stress, scalp and hair health, and age. “Eating clean, healthy, and balanced diets along with looking after the condition of your hair and scalp can definitely help with improving hair growth,” says Ballance. “Age affects all aspects of the body, and the more you look after yourself as you get older, the more it impacts your hair.”
Your hair texture or length won’t affect hair growth at all, he adds. All hair grows out of the root at the same pace, it just may appear that you’ll see progress on different textures and lengths. “Typically most hair textures grow at the same rate,” he says. “But straighter hair textures can appear to grow quicker because of them being straight and flat. Curlier textures can appear to stay at the same length for longer because as length comes into the hair, it just curls up more.”
Tips for Growing Hair Faster
All the experts agree that there are a few things to help you grow your hair faster. The most common ways include:
When you go for a “dusting”—taking off just an eighth of an inch—versus a standard trim, you barely see hair on the floor, says Townsend. A carefully calibrated shearing preserves length while getting rid of split ends caused by environmental damage, such as physical stress or hot tools. “If left to their own devices, those split ends can work their way higher up the hair’s shaft,” explains hairstylist Vernon François. “If you wait too long in between trims, you’ll end up having to take off more length in the end.” In order to keep hair healthy, most pros recommend at least three dustings a year and embracing split-end treatments, such as Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment oil and Amika’s The Closer Instant Split-End Hair Repair Cream.
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As the scalp ages, it becomes more fragile and dry, says Debra Lin, Ph.D., a hair science expert and chief scientific officer for hair care brand Better Not Younger. “It’s important to care for the scalp to help optimize the environment to support healthy hair growth,” explains Lin. “Keep the scalp clean with a scalp cleanser for more oily scalps and use a scalp and hair serum to nourish and condition it,” she instructs, highlighting the New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp Cleanser, which has a built-in massaging applicator and removes buildup and excess oil, while supporting hair growth with antimicrobial activated charcoal, exfoliating lactic acid, and soothing menthyl lactate. Another beneficial elixir to have on hand is a lightweight, supercharged leave-on scalp serum, like the Superpower Hair and Scalp Fortifying Serum which will hydrate and enhance overall scalp health.
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In navigating how to grow out your hair, stylists unanimously agree that a weekly deep-conditioning treatment, such as the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask or Townsend’s go-to Iles Formula Haute Performance Conditioner, is nonnegotiable for all hair types, but especially if hair is fine, curly, or color-treated. “As hair grows longer in length, the tips will go through more environmental stressors and deplete the natural oils that keep hair shiny and smooth,” explains It’s helpful to keep hair soft and conditioned at the tips to support the ends as hair grows longer.
As far as application goes, François advises his A-list clientele, including Solange, Kerry Washington, and Tracee Ellis Ross, to pay special attention to the tips. “They’re the oldest and driest part of your strands,” he explains. “They’re thinner and brittle, so giving them extra TLC will minimize breakage.” Incorporating treatments into your day-to-day styling routine is another stealthy way to work magic. During fashion month, hairstylist Rodney Cutler has models hydrate their hair between shows by slicking it back with a cocktail of gel and the company’s All Soft Argan-6 Multi-Care Oil to create a fresh, slightly wet texture that isn’t greasy.
Cleansing is the foundation of any hair-care regimen—and it should start before you even set foot in the shower, by soaking strands for 10 minutes with a protective pre-washing tonic, like Prose’s custom pre-shampoo mask. “It’s going to leave a little bit of film so the shampoo won’t strip the moisture,” explains Townsend. When it comes to choosing a shampoo and conditioner, or a co-washing treatment like the Oyin Handmade Ginger Mint Co-Wash, look to sulfate-free formulas that aren’t as drying to preserve moisture. François advises massaging the scalp while lathering to increase blood flow and stimulate the hair follicles, which promotes growth.
“The healthiest diet for your hair is the healthiest diet in general—one that is based on real, whole foods and is mostly plant-based,” explains Manhattan-based nutritionist Maria Marlowe, adding that foods rich in iron, zinc, vitamin C, B vitamins, and omega-3 are most commonly linked to stronger and longer hair. Marlowe’s short list of recommended foods includes oysters, clams, beans, and eggs for protein (the “building block” of hair); bell peppers, and dark, leafy greens for vitamin C; and hemp seeds and wild salmon for omega-3 fats.
“Biotin is the go-to when thinking about hair supplements, but most people already get enough biotin in their diet,” says Marlowe. Instead, she recommends BioSil, which contains ch-OSA, a trademarked combination of essential nutrients and minerals that’s clinically shown to increase hair thickness, making it more resilient and shiny.
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“Cotton is going to suck all the moisture out of the hair overnight,” says Townsend. Instead, sleep on a silk pillowcase, which retains moisture and reduces friction, thus reducing damage. Slip’s model is made from a high grade, gentle mulberry silk, comes in a slew of lovely pastels, and has hairstylist (and Kardashian family go-to) Jen Atkin’s stamp of approval.
The brush you use is important when it comes to hair growth; you never want to pull or aggressively rip through tangles you might have. Ballance recommends a good de-tangling brush like Tangle Teezer s Zodiac Ultimate Detangler, which he says won t tear or damage your hair. “[It s] a must for maintaining healthy hair,” he says. You can also look to brushes like the Sisley Paris Hair Rituel The Radiance Brush or La Bonne Brosse N.02 The Care Detangling Hair Brush that will take care of your strands as you brush them. For curly coily hair, turn to something like Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross s Shower Detangling Brush.
Limiting your use of hot tools is always a good idea. But for when you do want to style your hair, Ballance recommends using a good heat protectant product, like the IGK Good Behavior 4-in-1 Prep Spray, that will detangle hair and protect it against the high heat from hot tools and the sun
s harmful UV rays (plus, it also gives you hair a nice added shine). You can also turn to something like Pantene
s Miracle Rescue 10-in-1 Multi Tasking Leave-in Hair Treatment or the RŌZ
Santa Lucia Heat Protectant Styling Hair Oil. For natural hair, try something like Briogeo
s Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Cream.
Meet the Experts
- Mark Townsend, celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Dakota Johnson
- Hadley King, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Andrew Fitzsimons, celebrity hairstylist whose clients include the Kardashians
- Vernon François, celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Lupita Nyong o and Natasha Lyonne
- Debra Lin, Ph.D., a hair science expert and chief scientific officer for hair care brand Better Not Younger
- Rodney Cutler, a New York City-based hairstylist and owner of Cutler Salon
- Maria Marlowe, a Manhattan-based nutritionist
- Marc Ballance, Manhattan-based hairstylist at IGK Salon
