Why hair grows poorly?

Hair that appears to grow slowly or never at all is a problem for many people. When your hair is barely growing and you’re waiting for it to reach a certain length, it can be frustrating. You may be asking yourself why this is occurring and whether there is anything you can do to stop it.

There are a number of causes for slow or nonexistent hair growth. The rate at which your hair grows can be influenced by a number of factors, including genetics and lifestyle decisions. By being aware of these variables, you can find solutions to the issue and promote faster, healthier hair growth.

This post will examine some of the most typical causes of sluggish hair growth and provide helpful advice on how to accelerate it. The first step to having the gorgeous locks of your dreams is figuring out what’s causing the problem, whether it be related to your diet, hair care routine, or something else entirely.

A little about the physiology of hair

First about the amount of hair: blondes have the most of them on their heads – on average about 150 thousand, brown-haired and brunettes have about 100-110 thousand, and red-haired people have an average of 80 thousand hairs. Boys have slightly more hair than girls, and in both sexes the density of hair varies from the crown to the back of the head.
The thickness of the hair depends on the age of the person, as well as the color of the hair. So, babies have the thinnest hair – 20–40 microns (microns), adults have the thickest (70–100 microns), and hair of medium thickness (50–70 microns) is usually found in older people. Hair thickness also depends on its color: blondes have the thinnest hair (50 microns), brunettes have an intermediate position (75 microns), and redheads and brown-haired women have the thickest hair (up to 100 microns).
Each hair goes through 3 stages in its development: the active growth phase – anagen (during this period, hair actively grows, the duration varies from 2 to 7 years), the regressive phase – catagen (the hair stops growing and prepares for loss for 2-4 weeks) and the resting phase – telogen (during this period, hair loss occurs, lasts 2-4 months).
Each hair follicle goes through 10-25 such cycles. Normally, if we look at the hair roots under a microscope, we will find that 89% of the hair is in the growth phase, 1% in the regression phase and 10% in resting and shedding stages.

Thus, a person can typically lose between 40 and 100 hairs per day, depending on their overall hair amount.

During life, a person experiences periodic hair changes. The lifespan of different hairs is not the same. Hair on the scalp lives on average from 1 to 7 years, in the eyebrow area – 8-12 weeks, on the legs – 19-26 weeks, on the arms – 6-12 weeks, above the upper lip – 4-14 weeks. The rate of hair growth in different parts of the body is different. Hair grows fastest on the head (in 3 days – about 1 mm, in 1 month – 1 cm), the slowest – on the eyebrows.
When long hair changes, the length of the newly formed reaches its maximum at any age, except old age. On average, the length of long hair on the head is 60-75 cm. Longer hair (1-1.5 m) is rare, mainly in girls under 15 years old. The longest hair is on the crown of our head. With age, they shorten.

As a result, a girl’s chances of growing long hair are higher when she is between the ages of 20 and 25 when the hair growth phase is at its longest (5–6 years, with an average growth rate of 1 cm per month – 5 years – 60 cm, 6 years – 72 cm), as opposed to, say, 40–45 when the growth phase is shortened and only lasts 3–4 years.

Furthermore, the length of the growth phase is genetically determined and is influenced by the location and size of the hair follicle.

The hair’s durability decreases with length. The loss of the tiny scales that resemble tiles covering the hair shaft is the cause of this. The root zone is made up of multiple layers, with only one row remaining closer to the hair’s tip.

What affects hair growth and loss?

During the hair development cycle, the hair follicle, surrounding nerves, and blood vessels are all completely rebuilt and restored. This process affects every non-permanent component of hair. 97% protein and 3% moisture make up hair. Minerals (magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, manganese, selenium), vitamins (A, B, PP, WITH), and sulfur, glycine, and tyrosine are added to the protein substance, keratin (of which there are currently 54 distinct types). Enough conditions are created for normal hair growth by the body having the ideal amounts of these proteins, vitamins, and microelements, as well as by not having any innervation or blood supply issues.

Severe stress, abrupt diet and fasting changes, long-term use of certain medications (statins, antipsychotics, antibiotics, anticoagulants, antitumor drugs), heavy bleeding, general anesthesia for various surgeries, and severe injuries (fractures, among others) can all interfere with hair growth.

In these situations, the hair growth phase is shortened, and the telogen resting phase is rapidly entered. Telogen is the term for this kind of hair loss. It can take up to a year for episodic telogen hair loss to return to normal hair growth.

Systemic diseases that cause hair loss include HIV/AIDS, lichen planus, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid disease (both increased and decreased function), chronic hepatitis, and other dermatoses. Hair typically gets thin, dull, and brittle when it comes to chronic and systemic diseases.

Telogen effluvium that persists over time can cause follicle atrophy and subsequent hair thinning.

Hair follicles in the growth phase are harmed by previous acute, severe infectious diseases that have caused a high fever for three to five days in a row (such as the flu, acute respiratory viral infections, pneumonia, tonsillitis, etc.).

Taking cytostatics and poisoning with various toxins (for example, thallium) usually causes acute and rapid (within a few days, weeks) loss of a large number of hairs in the growth phase – anagen (anagen loss).
Hair loss can be caused by a deficiency of such important minerals as iron (with heavy and prolonged periods), zinc (with a lack of nutrition and a diet consisting only of fruits and vegetables), copper, selenium, silicon, magnesium, B vitamins, essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega 3,6,9), folic acid, vitamin D. An example of such a detrimental effect on the body as a whole and on hair in particular can be strict diets with a low amount of protein consumed. After just a month of such a diet, you can expect abundant hair loss. Hair can also fall out as a result of hormonal imbalance (at the level of the whole body or locally on the scalp) – physiological postpartum hair loss in women and androgenetic hair loss in both sexes.

There are a number of reasons why your hair may not be growing at all or may be growing slowly, including stress, poor diet, and improper hair care. Hormonal imbalances or underlying medical conditions can occasionally also be factors. You can aid in enhancing the health and growth of your hair by being aware of and addressing these causes.

Why hair does not grow well?

Many girls face another problem – hair begins to slow down the rate of growth. Why such violations occur? Most often this happens with a decrease in the function of the thyroid gland, as well as with a depletion of the diet of essential amino acids, that is, proteins. To restore the growth rate, it is necessary to undergo an examination by a trichologist and review the diet.
Proper nutrition. Hair needs vitamins and minerals. The most important of them are:
1. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). With its deficiency, hair growth stops and graying begins. Its greatest amount is found in yeast, liver and kidneys.
2. Vitamin H (biotin). It affects the condition of the skin and nervous system, contains sulfur, maintains hair pigmentation, prevents dry nails and hair. This vitamin is produced as a separate drug, which is called "Biotin".
3. Zinc. The body of an adult contains 2 g of zinc. The daily requirement for it is 15–20 mg per day. Zinc activates about 200 different enzymes involved in the main biochemical processes of the body – from the regulation of cell division, the synthesis of insulin and male sex hormones to the neutralization of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Zinc is absorbed mainly in the small intestine, so intestinal diseases can lead to zinc loss and hair loss. Zinc is mainly found in oysters, wheat germ, blueberries, meat, oatmeal, cheese, yeast.
4. Iron. Its deficiency is more common in women. A decrease in iron causes changes in the cardiac and skeletal muscles, inflammatory and atrophic changes in the oral mucosa, dry skin, brittleness and hair loss. Iron is found mainly in meat, as well as pomegranate, red bell pepper, dry red wine.
5. Selenium. This microelement slows down the aging process in the skin. With a selenium deficiency, there is a decrease in immunity, skin, hair, nails, and heart muscle suffer. Selenium is found in coconut, garlic, lard, sea fish, eggs, soy, porcini mushrooms.
6. Silicon. It plays an important role in the production of collagen. Silicon deficiency leads to hair diseases, hair loss, brittleness, poor nail growth. Silicon is found mainly in algae.
Thus, the condition of the hair reflects all the processes occurring in the body.
Any reason leading to a violation of hair growth is ultimately accompanied by 2 things:
— a decrease in the synthesis of hair follicle cells
— a violation of the blood supply to the hair follicle and vascular spasm

Finding the right solution begins with understanding why hair grows poorly. A person’s genetics, diet, stress level, and hair care practices can all contribute to a slower rate of hair growth.

Maintaining your general well-being and being diligent about your hair care regimen can have a significant impact. Better hair growth can be encouraged by consuming a well-balanced diet high in vitamins and minerals, lowering stress levels, and using gentle hair products.

It could be worthwhile to speak with a dermatologist or medical professional if your slow hair growth persists. They can offer you individualized guidance and treatments to promote faster-growing, healthier hair.

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