How can I grow my curly hair faster?

We get asked a lot of questions, but one we probably hear the most is, “How can I grow my hair faster?” Most of us have experienced a haircut taken too short followed by the immediate desire to grow it out; as curlies, we’ve been there, too! In an effort to salvage our curls, we exhaust our Google search and rely on odd “quick fixes” from Youtube to get our locks to “grow faster.” We’ve seen hair growth remedies ranging from DIY cocktail masks with eggs and other *interesting* foods, to scalp massages with Monistat, (we wish we were kidding!).

The Curl Boutique Team was inspired to write this because it’s finally spring; this is the season of growth. We’ll break down the hair growth cycle, and provide tips for achieving healthy, long curls. It’s not as complicated as you may have been led to believe!

This is the season of growth

Let’s start with your growth cycle. The hair growth cycle is true for all hair types and curl patterns. Each of the 100,000+ follicles on your head will go through these phases at some point in their growth life.

There are four parts to the cycle:

• Anagen, the growth phase
• Catagen, the transition phase
• Telogen, the resting phase
• Exogen, the shedding phase

photo courtesy of Vedix.com

Each of the 100,000+ follicles on your head will go through these phases at some point in their growth life.

Now let’s get into the deets.

Anagen can last anytime between three and five years. For most people, 90% of the follicles on your entire body are in the Anagen phase. Determining the type of follicle or where the follicle lives will depend on how long the Anagen phase lasts. This phase is much shorter for your eyelash, eyebrow, and body hair. Which is why we don’t have long, gorilla-like body hair.

The Catagen phase starts right when the Anagen phase ends and lasts about ten days. In this phase, the follicle begins to shrink, which slows the growth of the hair. The hair actually separates from the follicle yet remains in place for its last few days.

Telogen is considered the resting phase. About 10%-15% of your hair will be in this three-month phase. The hair is no longer growing in the follicle but has yet to be shed.

Lastly, the Exogen phase sets in and the hair completely sheds from the follicle. This phase is executed daily by anywhere between 50 and 150 follicles at a time (!!) and can last two to five months. As the hair falls from the follicle, the follicle begins the Anagen phase and the cycle starts over.

Take care of your follicles and maintain the growth you have already gained

So, how do you use these phases of growth to benefit you and your curls? By taking care of your follicles and maintaining the growth you have already gained! Your follicles are beneath the surface of your scalp, so unfortunately outer treatments won’t encourage your follicle to produce more growth. However, they can maintain the length you’ve gained and deter breakage. 

To help your follicles from the inside, you want to ingest foods or supplements that can support healthy growth. For example, staying hydrated and eating vitamin-rich foods makes a huge difference in your overall health, including your follicles. Taking supplements like Biotin or Collagen can keep your follicles, skin, and nails happy and healthy by carrying nutrients directly to these areas. Foods like tofu, flax seeds, soy beans, whole grain bread, and so many more have natural estrogen which really helps your hair to keep growing. Lastly, you want to schedule regular cuts at least every four months so you can maintain the growth you’ve gained, and keep away split ends that will snap off and deter your length goals. Oxygenate those ends, curlfriends!

Schedule regular cuts at least every four months so you can maintain growth.

Our last Curl Boutique tip is to give yourself realistic expectations with your growth. Healthy hair will normally grow about a half an inch a month. So, if your growth goal is to have six more inches of growth, expect it to take about a year. These tips are meant to encourage healthy hair growth; our biggest takeaways are to continue your Anagen cycle and maintain the length you’ve already gained. With patience, before you know it, you’ll be Rapunzel too.