8 Tips for How to Make Hair Grow Faster in Men
Plenty of brands claim to know how to make hair grow faster in men. But although numerous hair products promise faster hair growth, there are only a few things experts and professionals agree will make a difference.
While balding may be a common side effect of aging, there are a few tricks you can try to potentially speed up the hair growth process. Healthy habits that may stimulate hair growth include:
Using hair growth medications like minoxidil or finasteride
Eating a balanced diet
Getting a scalp massage
Reducing stress
Checking your medications for side effects
We’ll go into more detail about healthy hair growth habits that can improve scalp health and hair health to make hair grow faster.
How Fast Does Hair Grow in Men?
On average, you can expect your hair to grow right about five inches a year. However, hair growth varies from person to person and happens in a relatively complex process called the hair growth cycle.
Hair grows from the root of the hair follicle. As cells at the root of the hair follicle multiply, they begin to form together and harden.
These hardened cells are then pushed through the skin, forming a hair strand. As each piece of hair grows, it breaks through the skin and becomes visible on the scalp or body as it reaches its full length.
Hair growth speed is a very unique experience from person to person. But research suggests that hairs usually gain an extra 1.06 centimeters (0.42 inches) per month during the anagen (active growth) phase of the growth cycle.
Three Stages of Hair Growth
The hair growth process is often categorized into three phases — growth, shedding, and rest. Here’s how it works:
Anagen phase. The anagen phase, also known as the growth stage, begins as the follicle develops and creates hair fibers. The duration of this phase varies, with scalp hairs remaining in an active growth state for several years and body hairs often exiting this phase after several weeks.
Catagen phase. After the growth phase, the hair develops into a club hair, with a bulb of keratin forming at the root end of the hair shaft. This transition period can last several weeks.
Telogen phase. At this stage, the rate of hair growth is a flat zero. By the end of the telogen phase, old hairs are shed from the scalp and replaced by new strands of hair — a period sometimes called the exogen phase. Around 10 to 15 percent of the hair on your scalp is in the telogen phase at any time.
Factors That Contribute to Hair Growth
Quite a few things affect a person’s hair growth speed. Some of the more dominant factors include:
Genetics
Hormones, specifically DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
Blood flow to hair follicles
Stress
Healthy diet
Damaged hair follicles
Certain medications that damage the hair, scalp, or its natural oils
Medical conditions and diseases affecting overall health
Luckily, since so many isolated things can impact your hair growth speed, there are also plenty of “fixes” you can make to give yourself the best possible edge over your natural growth rate.
How to Make Hair Grow Faster: 8 Tips for Men
While there’s no secret hair growth remedy, ongoing research has pointed to several possible ways to speed up men’s hair growth.
Some science-backed tips for hair growth include:
Shampoo and condition hair regularly
Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Try hair growth supplements
Massage your scalp
Get regular haircuts
Reduce stress
Check medications
Avoid harsh chemicals and damaging hair treatments
Let’s explore these further.
1. Use the Right Shampoo, Conditioner, and Other Products
Whether you have long hair, curly hair, or something in between, a clean scalp is generally a healthy scalp. Shampoo is your primary weapon in the fight against the buildup of dirt and debris that may get in the way of hair growth.
Taking the time to properly shampoo and condition your hair can protect your scalp from dandruff while fighting off free radicals — or reactive molecules that may be involved in premature hair loss.
Avoid shampoos with harsh chemicals, and instead opt for one formulated specifically to promote stronger, thicker hair growth.
Also, don’t forget conditioner. Conditioning not only enhances the way your natural hair looks and feels — it also promotes strong hair by providing additional resistance against static electricity and UV radiation.
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2. Eat a Hair-Friendly Diet
Deficiencies of certain nutrients may contribute to some forms of hair shedding, such as telogen effluvium.
Adding foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamin E, and other essential nutrients can do wonders for maintaining your mane.
And you can get all of these with some basic food pyramid items:
Eggs
Salmon, mackerel, and other fatty fish
Avocados
Spinach
Beef and lamb
Almonds and other nuts
Beans and soybeans
Additionally, it’s best to limit highly processed foods and those containing lots of salt, sugar, or saturated fats.
See our blog on foods to eat for optimal hair growth for more tips.
3. Try Hair Growth Supplements and Vitamins
Though there are tons of hair treatments, essential oils, hair oils, and hair loss supplements on the market, only certain ones can deliver essential vitamins that support healthier hair.
Aloe vera and rosemary oil may benefit your hair health, but one of the most popular and proven hair growth supplements is biotin — a vital B vitamin for the hair growth process.
Although biotin itself isn’t linked to improved hair growth, research suggests it may help keep your hair and nails looking and growing their best — especially if you’re one of the rare people out there with a biotin deficiency.
4. Try Scalp Massage
Research suggests regular scalp massage can lead to hair growth. It’s suspected that scalp massages stimulate the dermal papilla cells (at the base of hair follicles), which can result in increased hair thickness.
A survey conducted by Dermatology and Therapy in 2019 looked at 327 participants who used standardized scalp massages (SSM) for hair regrowth. Nearly 69 percent reported hair loss stabilization or regrowth after completing a daily massage of 11 to 20 minutes for six to eight months.
The researchers found that stretching the skin on the scalp with massage techniques produced changes in gene expression that may play a role in thickening hair cuticles and promoting healthy growth.
5. Get Regular Trims
Regular trips to the barber may not make your hair grow faster. But keeping your hair length in check does offer a number of other benefits.
Hair is prone to tangles and breakage, which is why getting it trimmed regularly can help remove split ends and keep your otherwise manly mane looking its best.
Most stylists recommend getting a haircut every month or two to maintain hair’s shape and keep any signs of damage in check.
6. Find Healthy Ways to Manage Stress
If you’re seeing an alarming amount of stray hair in your shower drain or on your clothes, stress and anxiety could be to blame.
Telogen Effluvium
Stress is among the main triggers for a form of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium. This scalp condition causes hair roots to be pushed prematurely into the resting stage, leading to rapid hair loss.
Trichotillomania
Another cause of stress-induced hair loss is a condition called trichotillomania, also known as hair-pulling disorder. Men who suffer from this condition tend to repeatedly pull out their own hair until hair loss or thinning occurs.
While this compulsive behaviour may not be directly caused by stress, it’s often triggered by stressful situations.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a form of autoimmune hair loss that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles. It typically results in patchy or thinning hair loss.
While this type of hair loss is an autoimmune disease, research shows it can also be triggered by emotional or physical stress.
7. Check Your Medications
If you want to learn how to help hair grow stronger and healthier, start by checking your current medications.
Common medications that can cause temporary hair loss include:
Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
Anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medications)
Antihypertensives (high blood pressure medication)
Medications like anabolic steroids that increase testosterone can lead to permanent damage.
8. Watch What Goes Into (or Onto) Your Hair
Harmful substances or hair care practices that can cause damage include:
Bleach
Hair coloring
Blow dryers or other heat styling tools
Chlorine (like the stuff from in swimming pools)
Tight hairstyles such as braids or dreads can also cause tension that leads to traction alopecia, a form of hair loss.
How to Grow Hair Faster With Medication
The first signs of male pattern baldness are when you need to act if you want to manage hair loss.
If you’re noticing a receding hairline, a bald patch near your crown, or other signs of male pattern hair loss, two FDA-approved treatments may help: minoxidil and finasteride.
Minoxidil
Applying minoxidil for hair growth is simple and effective. While its mechanism of action is still unknown, researchers generally believe it works by moving resting hairs into the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle and stimulating blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles.
Most men who use minoxidil report significant improvements. In one study, upwards of 84 percent of those who used minoxidil found it effective at promoting hair growth over the course of one year.
We offer minoxidil solution (a liquid) online as part of our range of hair loss treatments for men.
Finasteride
Finasteride is a prescription hair loss medication that works by stopping the body from creating dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is an androgen (male sex hormone) that causes male pattern baldness by binding to receptors in the scalp and “miniaturizing” (shrinking) hair follicles.
In one study, men affected by pattern hair loss showed significant improvements in hair growth after taking finasteride for one year, with even bigger improvements after a second year of treatment.
We offer finasteride pills and topical finasteride online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.
Hair loss treatments, delivered
How to Make Hair Grow Faster in Men: The Takeaway
There are actually plenty of things you can do to help your hair grow as quickly as possible. From dietary changes to switching up your hair care products, you can make marginal changes to boost the growth rate of your follicles.
Whether you’re trying to combat androgenic alopecia or just optimize what you’ve got, here’s what to remember about how to speed up hair growth for males:
Hair already grows pretty fast. Your hair naturally grows by just over five inches a year, although this growth may look slightly different depending on your hair type. Genetics influence your individual growth rate, so much of it is beyond your control.
But you can help it grow even faster. You can support hair growth by using the techniques listed above, from maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet to lathering up with thickening shampoo to daily scalp massages.
If you’re balding, start treating it. You can also promote growth and prevent thinning by using proven hair loss medications, such as minoxidil and finasteride.
Ready to give your hair the support it needs to thrive? Reach out today.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.