Curl guru Christo has a friend who illegally imports tiny bottles of tiger bone marrow from China—at $300 each—to make his hair grow faster.
Some people hang upside down. Others buy vitamins, sprays and creams that promise to jump start the follicles.
Growing out short hair requires lots of patience, experts say.
“There’s no magic potion,” says Karen Shelton of HairBoutique.
Shelton says that the most frequent question she receives every month is how to make hair growth faster.
“People say ‘I want to grow my hair six inches over the next six months,” Shelton says. “I tell them to get extensions or get a wig.”
The reality is that genetics determine how tall you are, your eye color, your hair texture and the “predetermined maximum growth rate” of your hair. Typically, hair grows at a pretty consistent rate of one-third to one-half an inch per month. Half a millimeter per day is good average. What this means is that the maximum growth rate for hair is about six inches (15 cm”> per year.
Hair tends to grow faster in the summer than in the winter. It also is affected by such factors such as pregnancy, stress, medications and exercise.
Although there is no miracle treatment, there are steps that can be taken to ensure optimal hair growth.
“People along the way abuse their bodies,” Shelton says. “They drink too much alcohol, too much caffeine and they smoke. The don’t drink enough water. They live stressful lifestyles. This may throw your hair out of balance.”
Proper nutrition is key to the hair growing at its optimal rate. Make sure you’re getting enough of Vitamins A, D and E, which are essential for healthy hair. Several companies, including Phytologie, JF Lazartigue and Folicure, make vitamins specifically for the hair and skin. Many curlies swear by Shelton’s HairTopia, a supplement with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs designed to provide the vital nutrients for hair growth. The vitamin was developed over a five-year process after Shelton became dissatisfied with the hair vitamin she was taking because it wasn’t being properly absorbed. She got together with a chemist and came up a formula that is absorbed quicker.
“It’s not a cure all,” Shelton stressed. “If you’re expecting six inches of hair growth in six months, don’t take HairTopia. But if you stick with it, it does help.”
