How Fast Does Men’s Hair Grow?

So how fast does men’s hair grow?

Well, it’s determinant on a lot of things with some people having considerably faster hair growth than others. The average amount you’ll hear is that men’s hair grows around 6 inches in a year.

Again, this varies from man to man. Those with a healthy lifestyle and good genes may find their hair grows a lot quicker while those who don’t take as much care with their hair, are aging, or just aren’t lucky in the hair department, might see little if any growth over the course of a year.

In this article, we’ll cover everything that causes hair to grow as well as what stunts it. From what you eat all the way down to what hair clippers you’re using.

Men’s hair grows a lot thicker and quicker than women’s hair hence why guys have more hair on their bodies that appears darker and more noticeable than the peach fuzz that women tend to get if they get any at all.

Read on and we’ll answer all your questions and how you what you need to do to boost hair growth.

How Hair Grows

You may be asking “how fast does men’s hair grow?” But let’s start first with how it grows at all.

Well, let’s take a look at the science behind it. The hair follicle is attached to your scalp and includes the papilla. The papilla sends blood to your hair follicle which helps with healthy hair growth. We have millions of hair follicles and we can lose up to 100 hairs a day.

Then there’s the hair shaft, which is the part of the hair we can see. It’s made up of keratin and is protected by a cuticle. There are a few stages in the hair growth cycle, but the anagen phase is the most important one.

This is the “active” hair phase when the cells are dividing at their quickest, which pushes the hair up and out of the follicle. 

The longer your hair stays in the anagen phase, the more it will grow. Your scalp spends longer in this phase which is why you have more head hair than arm or leg hair

Stages Of Hair Growth

1. Anagen – Every hair root contains cells of protein and as blood circulates around the body, it delivers oxygen and nutrients to these protein cells, which is required for them to multiply. As the protein cells multiply, they build new hair, which pushes up through the skin.
2. Catagen – As this new hair grows out of the skin, it passes an oil gland that lubricates the hair with natural oils that it needs to stay soft.
3. Telogen – There’s a resting phase after this in which hair will sit for a while.
4. Exogen – The hair is already dead once it’s long enough to push through the skin. As new hair grows underneath, it pushes the dead hair out of the skin which is what causes hairs to fall out and shed

Factors That Affect Hair Growth

Genetics – A person’s genes will dictate how quickly their hair will grow which is why things such as male pattern baldness, thinning hair, and being hairy can run in families.

Age – Hair grows fastest between the ages of 15 and 30 but slows down after this. Some follicles stop working altogether as people get older which is what leads to hair loss and receding hairlines.

Sex – Male hair grows faster than female hair and in more areas of the body.

Nutrition – Good nutrition is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy hair.

How To Increase Hair Growth Speed

Diet

A healthy diet can play a big role in growing hair so changing what you eat is a great way to promote healthy hair growth. Drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day to prevent a dry scalp and eat more protein as this is what your hair is made from.

Food such as meat, beans, nuts, tofu, and legumes will do the trick. Biotin is also proven to promote hair growth, so other things like avocados, oysters, and salmon may speed up the growth hormones and increase hair length quicker.

Sleep

Sleeping can play a crucial role in how quickly your hair grows. Sleeping for at least 7 hours a night is recommended and sleeping well will promote cell production. That means you’ll have more active scalp cells which cause hair to grow longer and in less time.

Less Shampoo, More Conditioner

Now, there’s no need to stop using shampoo but there’s no real reason to shampoo your hair every day. The reason is that shampoo can lead to dry and brittle hair. To find out more about how best to shampoo your hair check out our article “how to properly shampoo men’s hair“.

Conditioner is much better as it helps to keep your hair healthy at the ends and prevent tangling, splitting ends, or breakage.

Scalp Care

Scalp massages are a brilliant and relaxing way to increase hair growth rate and thickness. One suspected way it achieves this is by increasing the flow of blood to the scalp, encouraging increased access to oxygen and nutrients necessary which as we mentioned above, is a key part of hair health and the growth of hair strands.

Another reason is that it’s possible that it has an influence on the papilla cells. During massages, it is suspected that the dermal papilla cells are directly stimulated which can lead to increased hair thickness.

Avoid Cold Showers

Using freezing or chilly water on your scalp should be avoided. The reason for this is that cooler temperatures can affect blood circulation, which prevents nutrients from reaching your hair so use lukewarm water for your showers.

Dry Hair

The wet state is the most vulnerable condition for your hair and it’s much more prone to breakage and split ends. So before combing or brushing your hair, use a towel to dry your hair. Alternatively, you could use a blow drier which you can find out more about how to blow dry men’s hair.

Things That Affect Hair Growth

So many things can stunt hair growth that it can be hard to nail down the exact cause that’s affecting you. However, below is a list of all the main reasons that crop up so you can see them all and potentially nail down the issue that’s causing your rate of hair growth to decline.

Stress 

Stress has a negative effect on the body in many ways and can impact other things like your digestive system as well as your hair growth.

Stress can stop your hair from cycling through its stages of growth causing it to enter into the telogen (resting) phase a lot longer than it needs to which stunts new growth. This might not seem like a big deal, but it can actually result in a hefty 30% decrease in hair growth.

Not only will your hair not grow as long, but it can also cause as many as 70% of scalp hairs to fall out within two months so it may be worth considering if there’s something in your life that’s causing you stress from your job, problems with your family, or even mental health.

Dirt 

It’s hard for your hair to grow when it’s constantly covered in debris, dirt, and oil. If you aren’t washing your hair enough, you could actually be stunting your hair growth.

However, there’s a healthy balance so, at the same time, you don’t want to wash your hair too much that you strip it of the beneficial natural oils that it needs to grow.

How often you need to wash your hair will depend a lot on your hair type. You can find out more about when to shampoo your hair by reading “How often should men shampoo hair?”

Alternatively, if you want some recommendations for natural shampoos that will do wonders for your hair then we have a guide on the best shampoo for men.

Tension 

While not as likely for men unless you’re one of those guys who likes to rock a mane of long hair. You often see this with gymnasts or dancers who keep their hair tied up for long periods of time and often.

However, this can happen to anyone that keeps their hair up in tight buns or ponytails for extended periods of time such as men with longer hair.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wear your hair down all the time, but just make sure to give your hair a break from tight hairstyles by wearing a looser ponytail, bun, or protective style as often as you can.

Heat 

Too much heat can wreak havoc on your hair. And in a world where straightening, blow-drying, and curling are commonplace, this can be a bit annoying to work around.

There’s obviously no need to throw out your heat styling tools in favor of natural hair 100% of the time, but there are some steps you can take to prevent any unnecessary damage.

Apply heat protectant products before styling, get deep conditioning treatments on a regular basis to combat damage, and set a limit on how often you use heat on your hair.

Hair clippers can often overheat but maintaining them with products such as clipper spray can help cool them so they don’t overheat and damage your hair. Look at “how to clean hair clippers” for more info on this.

Medications 

Taking certain medications will lead to hair loss however this side effect will usually be disclosed to you beforehand if a certain medicine you’ve been prescribed causes hair loss. Antidepressants, pain-relievers, blood thinners, and beta-blockers can result in slowed hair growth and loss.

Disease and Illness

As the body fights severe diseases, its resources are re-allocated and the scalp may get neglected as a result which leads to it remaining in the rest phase much longer than it usually does while your body fights the illness.

It was even discovered in a recent survey that around 32% of COVID-19 survivors reported hair loss as a side-effect of the virus, or simply as a result of going through the stress associated with the virus.

Chemicals

Cleansing, conditioning, and hair color products with harsh chemicals are a recipe for dry hair and hinder the natural protective properties of sebum, which make growing hair more challenging than necessary. For some suggestions on quality hair products have a look over our guide on the best hair products for men.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does men’s hair grow?

Everyone’s hair grows in different ways and at varying rates but the average rate of growth is around 6 inches per year.

Can a man’s hair grow back?

Male pattern baldness is when you get a receding hairline with thinning strands around the crown of your head. Over time, that area will go bald, but you’ll still have a horseshoe pattern of hair above your ears circling to the lower back of the head. While you may see things such as hair tonics and hair growth serums advertised, it is very rare for hair to grow back once it has fallen out.

When can hair loss start?

While most men begin to lose hair in their 30s and 40s there are many cases in which guys have started to go bald earlier. Some have even been known to lose their hair as early as 16 so if you’re losing your hair and you’re still fairly young then it’s nothing to worry about. In fact, the best thing to do is own it and rock the bald look. Check out how to shave your head for more advice.