Dry hair hinders growth by increasing the chances of breakage, so it's important to moisturize your strands to restore growth proteins back into hair follicles. Look out for hydrating formulas that include growth vitamins such as zinc and biotin.
Eating a healthy diet that includes key nutrients as well as adequate protein is key. Using certain products and treatments may promote hair growth. Dialing back on heat treatments and chemical processing can help, too.
You probably even notice your hair is longer when it's wet—that's because essentially wet hair is already stretched out to it's maximum length. What happens is the microscopic pores in your hair shafts open up when exposed to moisture. As these pores open, water is absorbed into the hair swelling it until saturated.
Healthy Hair Growth
Researchers agree that too much sweat can be dangerous, but the same study suggests that sweating promotes hair growth. After a heavy workout, your body will sweat a lot, and this helps unclog the hair follicles. What this means is that there will be more space for new hair to grow.
Wash your hair a lot, or don't — it's your call. But there is zero scientific evidence to cement that washing it less makes it grow faster (sob). However, excessive shampooing (beyond what your hair type needs) can cause dehydration and lead to breakage, so overzealous shampooers should err on the side of caution.
Hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month on average, though some people may notice more growth if they cleanse their tresses and scalp more frequently than they did previously. The more water you use to moisturize your hair and scalp, the healthier your scalp will be. A clean, healthy scalp promotes hair growth.
Wet hair is far weaker than dry hair, being more susceptible to breakage and damage from just about anything – heat and pulling on the hair strands are more likely to damage wet hair than dry. Hair is made up largely of a number of proteins called keratins.
"Simply put, hair is at its most vulnerable when wet. Sleeping with wet hair can lead to a host of problems for the scalp: unwanted bacteria, fungal infections, skin irritation, itchiness, dryness, redness, and dandruff," says hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of hair care brand Miss Jessie's Original.
Air-drying your hair can be a great way to give your locks a much-needed break from heat-styling. However, if your hair is on the thicker and coarser side, it may be best to start with a protective product and use a blow-dryer to keep your hair from absorbing too much moisture and causing breakage.
On average, hair grows about half an inch per month. So, in two weeks, you can expect your hair to grow about one-quarter of an inch or half a centimetre every two weeks.
How fast does hair grow in a week? No matter how much you wish for your hair to grow, it's only reaching two to five millimeters per week, says Dawn Clemens, hairstylist and Founder of LarweHair. And this is on average.
Ignoring these perceptual differences, human hair grows at a fairly consistent rate of about half a millimeter per day, or about half an inch each month (more specifically, the study says hair grows at 0.44 mm per day). Depending on your age, hair may grow faster or slower.
First, let your hair dry naturally, about 70-80% of the way dry. Then, with your dryer on the coolest setting (don't touch that hot setting!), blow your hair dry, keeping the dryer about 6-inches away from hair at all times and moving it around continuously. Voilà: gorgeous, healthy hair, without the heat.
For example, cold and dry air can actually cause the cuticle of the hair strand to lift ever so slightly. As a result, moisture doesn't stand a chance of staying locked into the hair shaft. This explains why many women find themselves battling breakage and frustrating frizz during this frigid time of year.
So while direct, excessive heat can cause damage to the surface part of the hair strands, air-drying can cause trauma to that inner layer. When the cell membrane complex layer swells, it can weaken the hair over time, explains Dr. Longsworth. It can also cause something called hygral fatigue.
Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
Twist your hair into a top knot and wrap it into a bun while going to bed. Use a silk scarf and tie it into a headband to make sure your hair doesn't touch the pillowcase. In the morning take your hair down and flip it upside down and side to side. Resist the urge to brush as it causes more friction and frizz.
"Never go to bed without tying your hair up (for long hair), as loose hair can tangle. Removing tangles later can cause breakage," says celebrity hairstylist Fallon Toni Chavez. You can wear it in a number of ways, including a low ponytail or loose braid.
Avoid Pulling Wet Hair Back into a Ponytail or a Bun
"When you tie your hair back it stretches up to a third of its length causing tension breakage," says Rob. “So make sure it's pretty dry before putting it up.
1) Brushing wet hair
Brushing hair when it is wet is one of the cardinal haircare sins as the hair is at its weakest and vulnerable to breakage, leading to flyaways, split ends, and damage. For the longevity of your strands, do not allow a brush to touch your hair until it is almost or completely dry.
Again, the density of your hair can also contribute to drying time. Because thin hair will naturally dry much faster than thick hair, especially if it's short. If your hair dries quickly, you have low porosity hair. Because low porosity naturally repels water, it dries faster.
Oily and fine or thin hair types should wash every one to two days. This schedule allows for removing buildup and the natural oils to stimulate hair health and growth. Wavy or curly hair and dry or damaged hair types should wash in the range of once every four to seven days.
Cold water improves blood circulation. This enables your roots and scalp to receive valuable nutrients to remain healthy. And hence, washing hair with cold water promotes hair growth.
For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
Though sleeping with wet hair won't give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.