Does Genetics determine how long you can grow your hair?
Genetic factors are responsible for many different attributes, which includes the density of our hair, the color, and the texture. The rate of growth can also be affected by things which we have more control over, such as our lifestyle and how well we take care of it.
Hair is replaced after undergoing years off growth, but this process happens in stages.
ANAGEN PHASE – Hair will grow at different speeds, but usually about half an inch per month on average, so over 6 months your hair will grow 3 inches. And individual hairs can continue growing for as long as 5 years. In certain people, hair growth can continue for up to 10 years! So, depending on how well you’ve treated your hair in this stage, will determine the ultimate length.
CATAGEN PHASE – This is the stage that occurs after active growth has creased. It lasts for a short period of about 2 weeks before the hair finally falls out
TELOGEN PHASE – This is the resting phase of the hair follicle. Any given time there is about 10 to 15 percent of hairs on your head that are in this stage. For people who have poor nutrition, under severe stress or illness, this can be even higher.
Now we know how much hair can grow each month, we can easily work out the theoretical length of how much hair can grow in a year. So if the average is half an inch per month, then we should be able to reach around 30 inches of hair growth in 5 years.
But wait… This doesn’t factor in the quality of hair grown, thickness, and how healthy it is. Growing long hair sounds easy, but you have to maintain its health, or else you’ll end up with thin ends with lots of splits in them! Otherwise known as split ends.
So if you can keep your hair healthy, then you can trim less, and grow longer hair before it reaches its terminal length. It is usually necessary to trim hair to prevent these split ends from traveling up the hair shaft and requiring a bigger chop. So do it little and often.
THE FAMILY AND YOUR HAIR
If mum was never able to grow long hair, then before jumping to the conclusion that you can’t either, don’t be discouraged. It’s likely that mum isn’t doing all she can to grow hair like Rapunzel, is she? Everything I share on this site will give you the knowledge you need so you can maximize your hair growth potential.
For the females… Females have very little of the hormone testosterone which is responsible for hair loss in men, but with age, it can increase, but fortunately, there are natural solutions to combat this problem. For more severe cases of hair loss in women, medication is usually needed.
For the males… Male Pattern Baldness is something can start from a young age. Aggressive MPB can start in your teens and early twenties. If you think you may lose your hair because your father or grandfather lost theirs at an early age, then you may be at risk, but it’s not certain that you will lose it.
If your grandfather on your mum’s side had a healthy head of hair, then you might be lucky. You can have genetic tests done from 23andMe to see if you are likely to be affected. For more mild hair loss, natural supplements and a healthy lifestyle can usually take of this.