7 Reasons Why Your Hair Is Not Growing

Do you feel like your hair is stunted and simply won’t grow? This is a common problem especially in the curly/kinky hair family. Well, the reality of it all is that unless you have a medical condition, your hair is always growing 

Hair grows at least half an inch every month. This means that whether you notice it or not, growth is there. The problem however, arises from how well you can retain said growth. Here are some you might be doing wrong hence you don’t see the growth you are looking for.

1. You are not moisturizing your hair.

Caring for a specific hair texture requires a little more effort. Your hair naturally needs more oil, and the oil glands on your face will not generate enough moisture for both your skin and your hair. Natural 4c hair thrives from moisture, and a hair oil to seal in the moisture will keep your tresses hydrated and soft all day long. 

2. You fail to protect your hair.

There is a misconception when it comes to what protecting hair is about. It’s not always about protective styling. There are so many ways to keep your hair protected. First of all, a protective style is a great place to start. This is because you need to tuck your hair away from constant manipulation (that dries your hair out) and the unforgiving elements.

Secondly, you need to learn how to take care of your hair under your protective style. Moisturizing and wrapping it as you sleep in a satin or silk bonnet is also very helpful as it ensures that your hair is not rubbing against your pillowcase causing friction hence split ends, dry hair, breakage and damage.

Finally, you need to protect your hair from the elements. This means wearing satin or silk-lined hats when it’s too hot, when you are at the beach or having the right products when you need to swim in salt/chlorinated water.

Failure to do all the above could result in stunted growth and a lot more breakage/ shedding than what is ideal.

3. You don’t trim when necessary.

The last thing any natural wants is to see those precious inches go. But, there is a bigger risk when you don’t trim your hair. How? The ends are the oldest part of hair. With time, manipulation and even ageing makes it so that the ends split.

Now, sometimes split ends occur due to neglect but most times, it’s just your hair getting old and experiencing wear and tear. Before we go any further, understand that there is no cure or any amount of oils you can apply to rectify split ends.

With that said, the only way to fix it is by completely chopping off the damaged ends. If the hair is not trimmed, the damage works its way up the hair shaft destroying it entirely thus affecting even the new growth.

It’s probably wise to keep a stand-in reservation at your professional stylist’s just to avoid these problems just ensure that they are not very scissor heavy and it’s not too frequent so as to avoid cutting too much hair.

4. Too much heat styling.

Natural hair has to be treated with extra care. Personally, no matter how much I love my natural curls, there are days I want to give my hair a press and curl style. Maybe you are the same way? Or maybe you love to take out that flat iron of yours and wear your hair bone straight? Regardless, naturals have to use heat styling tool with precaution. Excessive heat will leave those bouncy curls loose elasticity and become straightened.

5. Stress

Stress can significantly impact hair growth negatively. When you have stressed out, your body releases the stress hormone, which decreases the amount of helpful hormones in the bloodstream. So, try to reduce stress by taking enough sleep.

6. Genetics

Genetics determine how a person will look physically. We inherit certain characteristics from our parents such as eye color, height, body structure, hair color and so on. If a parent has short hair most likely their child will have short hair if they inherit that specific gene but there are a variety of other outcomes. A great grandparent could have had long hair which caused the child to have long hair despite the parents’ hair length.

Every person is different because they will have different hair types, different inherited genes and different life events that effect hair growth. Stress, physical activity, hair care and genetics are all factors that control hair growth however genetics is the more dominate factor.

7. Lack of exercise and proper diet

The first thing you can do to improve the quality of your hair is exercising on a regular basis. This is the solid foundation in which you need to build upon to grow thicker hair, so start by losing some of that excess weight you have. Although all exercises help your tresses grow thicker in one way or another, some of them are more helpful than the rest. Cardio workouts, brisk walking, running, cycling, and dance are proven to make your hair thicker in a faster manner.

However, if you also take adequate vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to nourish your hair follicles and strengthen your tresses, you promote healthy hair growth. Also, keeping your mind as healthy as your body does great wonders for your hair.