3 Shocking Reasons Your Hair Isn’t Growing (And 4 Pro Tips to Help!)
Here at Spoolies, we’ve noticed quite a few folks stressing over why their hair isn’t growing. Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: being concerned about your hair is not a sign of vanity or self-obsession! Don’t you dare feel bad for caring about your appearance.
We all want our physical features to reflect our vision of who we really are. And if you picture yourself as a person with longer hair, it’s pretty darn frustrating when your hair just won’t grow!
Fortunately, we know several experienced hairdressers who took the time to chat with us about this issue. Today you’ll read about 3 things that can surprisingly cause your hair to stop growing, plus 4 tips to help your hair grow longer faster.
“Gosh Darn It, Why Won’t My Hair Grow?”
When your hair isn’t growing anymore, there’s lots of potential causes. Everything from your genetics to your hairstyle can play a role. But you’ll be happy to know it’s temporary in most cases! The hairstylists we spoke with shared a slew of reasons your hair may stop growing, and we felt 3 of them were absolutely shocking.
1. Excessive use of hot tools can make your hair stop growing temporarily.
When you’re trying to grow your hair long, you have to use hot tools with a lot of caution. It’s no secret that hot rollers, curling irons, blow dryers, and hair straighteners can cause split ends and breakage. But we were surprised to learn breakage is just the beginning.
It turns out that extreme heat, especially when paired with pulling and twisting, can cause your hair to stop growing. Hair straighteners, hot rollers, and curling irons combine these 2 exact things!
The best solution is to give your hair a break from all the heat damage. If you use heat daily, try taking 1 or 2 days a week to leave your hair natural. Loose braids, buns, and ponytails allow you to look stylish without hurting your hair growth. If you have shorter hair, try adding a scarf or hat to your outfit on your natural days.
2. Super-tight hairstyles are super-tough on your hair.
According to our hairdressers and the American Academy of Dermatology, too-tight hairstyles may be the source of your problems. You won’t do any harm by wearing tight buns, braids, and ponytails every now and then. But if you do it daily, you’ll cause breakage!
At first, your hair follicles can handle the damage. They’ll work double-time to regrow those broken hairs. But sooner or later, they’ll get tuckered out. If you feel like your hair isn’t growing longer, or is thinning out, think about the way you wear your hair every day.
Another major sign of this problem is thin spots or receding around high-tension areas. This will be your front hairline if you wear buns and ponytails. If you regularly wear weaves or tight braids, your hair can stop growing in small areas everywhere.
Give your hair a break to let the follicles rest and recharge. If you have to wear it up, prevent more damage by loosening the style just a touch.
3. Your genetics tell your hair to grow to a certain length.
Studies have found that your genetics are a major factor in your hair’s length! You probably already knew that your hair’s color, curliness, and thickness are decided by your genes. Turns out the maximum length your hair can grow is just the same.
The eyebrow-raiser for us was learning that your genes can send different signals, though. For a few years of your life, your hair might be a certain length or color. But then it can change suddenly for a few more years and suddenly grow longer, shorter, straighter, curlier… you get the picture!
In a nutshell, it’s not necessarily your fault if you notice a sudden change like this in your hair. Especially if you haven’t done anything to cause damage, it might be completely natural. The best thing you can do is keep taking care of it with good products and routines!
4 Tips to Help Your Hair Grow Faster, According to Hairstylists
Now, we have to be frank with you. In a few specific cases, these tips won’t be of much help. But for most folks, following these tips is almost a surefire way to help your hair grow longer, faster, and healthier.
1. Use products that strengthen and protect.
Today’s modern world can be rough on your hair. Chlorine, UV rays, hot tools, hair dye, stress… there are so many things that can slow your hair’s growth. And it’s darn near impossible to avoid some of them.
The best thing you can do is being ready for what life throws at you. Look for products that are sulfate-free, nourishing, and conditioning. Our Spoolies Leave-in Curl Enhancer adds nourishing moisture and shine without weighing your hair down. The best part? It’s also a heat protectant! If you have to style your hair with heat, a heat protectant is the best way to keep your hair growing long and healthy.
2. Go easy on your hair when you’re styling.
Whether you wear a lot of tight hairstyles or tame your hair with high heat every day, taking breaks is a must-do. Looser braids and buns every week or two can help your hair start growing faster.
If you love hot rollers or curling irons, consider swapping to a heatless hair curler like Spoolies. The soft silicone makes them a dream to sleep in, easy to wrap, and a cinch to remove. Hairstylists agree that heat-free, low-tension styling options like Spoolies are the best way to get curls without slowing down hair growth.
3. Add scalp massages to your self-care routine.
According to the professionals, it’s true! A nice scalp massage every week or so might be just what your follicles need. It’s also a fab way to reduce stress after a long day. A scalp massage boosts blood circulation, which helps energize your follicles. It won’t get you lickety-split results, but can help your hair grow longer (and faster) over time.
The best part is that you can do it pretty much anytime! While you’re shampooing your hair, sitting on the couch, or getting ready for bed are all great options. All you need is a few minutes at most.
4. Talk to your doctor about diet and nutrition.
Sometimes you just need a simple change to your daily habits, but it’s not always that simple. Feel like you’ve checked every box, but your hair still isn’t growing? A visit to the doctor can help straighten things out.
While you’re there, ask about kick-starting your hair growth. Certain supplements and dietary choices might be just what the doctor ordered.
The Long and Short of It
When you notice that your hair isn’t growing, it’s completely normal to feel frustrated, upset, and even a little scared. Hair is a huge part of your personal identity, and one of the few physical features you can customize to your liking.
So when you want longer hair and it just isn’t happening, don’t beat yourself up! It’s most likely something you can fix with self-care and home remedies. If the tips mentioned above don’t make a difference for your hair, try talking to your hairstylist or your doctor. This kind of stuff is exactly what they’re here to help with!