One of the most common questions hairstylists get is how fast hair grows. That’s an understandable question whether you’re thinking of letting your hair grow longer, thinking of cutting it, or whether you’ve had some of your hair damaged or pulled out.
The answer is both simple and complicated. Most of the time, all types of hair grow at a rate of half an inch per month or six inches per year, according to scientific sources like The American Academy of Dermatology. However, depending on how you take care of your hair and whether or not there are some complicating factors, your hair can grow a bit slower or faster than that.
So, let’s answer some of the more specific questions regarding hair growth speed.
How long does it take for hair to grow back after a haircut? Is it true that haircuts stimulate hair growth?
A lot of people believe that cutting your hair or beard will stimulate their growth. That’s both true and false – trimming split ends will quicker your hair’s growth because the split ends themselves are going to slow it down if left unchecked. Cutting your hair in and of itself wouldn’t do anything to your hair’s growth speed.
How long does it take for hair to grow back after being pulled out?
If there’s no damage to the scalp, your hair should restart its growth at the average half an inch per month speed. If there has been some damage to the scalp when the hair was pulled out, however, the growth may be slower. In fact, if you’re unlucky, a nasty scalp trauma can leave you with a bald spot.
How fast does curly hair grow?
It’s a common misconception that curly hair grows slower than straight hair. Both types of hair grow at the standard half an inch per month tempo, however, curly hair’s growth simply feels slower because, well – it’s curly.
How fast does a baby’s hair grow?
Babies’ hair usually starts shedding between the 8th and 12th week after birth. After that, it starts growing between the 3rd and 7th month. Truly thick “normal” hair, however, will start growing around the 2-year mark. From there, it will grow at a standard pace.
How fast does black hair grow? How about blonde, brownish, or ginger hair?
There doesn’t seem to be a clear difference in the growth speed of different colors hair. Black hair, particularly on people with African heritage is often rumored to grow slower than other types of hair but that’s likely because it’s often curly. Overall, the average for all types of hair is half an inch per month.
How fast does Asian hair grow?
Oppositely to black hair, Asian hair is often rumored to grow faster than other types. This is both true and false, and there are two main reasons for the confusion:
- Asian hair is typical straight which gives the impression of growing faster than wavy and curly hair.
- Asian people typically eat better and live healthier than their European, American, and African counterparts. That’s largely why they also have a higher life expectancy than everyone else. And as our diets play a major role in our hair’s growth and quality, this can be credited for the slightly faster growth of Asian hair – an average of 0.55 inches (1.4 cm) per month compared to the world average of half an (0.5) inch per month.
