Hair Growth: Why Your Hair is Not Growing

HORMONAL IMBALANCE

Hormones, particularly estrogen, are vital for normal hair growth. Estrogen stimulates peripheral blood flow to areas such as the skin and scalp. Blood supply to the hair follicles enriches them as the blood has a good dose of nutrients. This explains why pregnant women tend to have long shiny hair and radiant skin.

However, too much or too little estrogen due to hormonal imbalance can have the opposite effect. Menstrual cycle problems are the most obvious signs of hormonal imbalance.

These include: painful menstruation, occurrence of acne that is concurrent with menstruation as well as heavy bleeding characterized by the presence of clots. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, consulting a physician is highly recommended.

In addition, too much testosterone in women has been linked to hair thinning. Therefore, getting a hormone profile may be the first step you need to take in your quest for healthy hair and overall well-being.

ALTERED THYROID FUNCTION

Thyroid hormones play a prominent role in almost all the metabolic activities in the human body. They are fundamental for the utilization of nutrients and work hand in hand with other hormones in the body such as cortisol.

Therefore, if the function of the thyroid gland is interfered with, say by certain drugs or a surgical procedure, then the level of thyroid hormones in circulation will fall. Though the mechanism is unclear, scientists have linked low thyroid hormone levels to hair shedding.

Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is recommended for a healthy thyroid gland, and, ultimately, healthy hair that grows normally. However, sometimes taking medication and undergoing surgery is inevitable. In this case, consult your physician on tips that will ensure the thyroid gland function will only be altered minimally.

SCALP BUILD-UP

In addition to nutrients, hair follicles also need constant supply of oxygen and fresh air to function normally. If your scalp is constantly covered with oils and hair balms, you may notice a decline in hair growth. And while oiling your hair regularly to provide adequate nutrients is recommended, scalp build-up makes all the hair care in the world a complete waste of time.

Therefore, make it a habit to wash your hair and scalp regularly, mostly with a clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos are generally considered to be better than the average shampoo because they thoroughly cleanse the hair scalp while moisturizing and protecting the hair strands.

DIET

The most common cause of poor hair growth is poor nutrition. Eating disorders are especially implicated in hair growth problems such as hair shedding.

Hair is made up of protein. Therefore, consumption of adequate amounts of protein daily is highly recommended. Adequate amounts here refers to at least three servings of protein taken daily.

Other crucial nutrients include vitamins such as folic acid and biotin as well as trace elements such as zinc. Folic acid promotes cell growth and its role in hair growth is backed by solid scientific evidence where a university in Canada (University of Guelph) successfully used folic acid to cure alopecia in cows.

Biotin is also said to be the ultimate hair growth vitamin. It works by boosting the metabolism of protein and fat.

Moreover, zinc is slowly but steadily making its mark in the hair care industry. Recently, a salon in London made the headlines for using bovine sperm, which is packed with zinc, as hair conditioner. The treatment may seem gross and bizarre, but the results were outstanding.

TOO LITTLE MOISTURE

Hair needs moisture to grow. Lack of moisture makes the hair strands brittle. This makes hair particularly prone to breakage. Therefore, the hair scalp and even the hair strands should be moisturized with the right products.

The best products in this regard are water-based moisturizers. These products are made up of more than fifty percent of water. Glycerin is also a good choice for a hair moisturizer as it draws water from the atmosphere to the hair strands.

Natural oils such as coconut oil are highly recommended for sealing in moisture. Hence, they cannot be used individually. They are either used concurrently with water-based moisturizers, or applied on wet hair.

TOO MUCH HEAT

Hair is primarily made up of protein. In biology, we learned that heat denatures protein. This simply means that excessive heat destroys protein. Therefore, to ensure optimum hair growth, limit the amount of heat you apply on your hair.

Fortunately, there are a number of protective hair serums being manufactured and sold these days. Their main goal is to protect the hair from damage by excessive heat. Purchasing a bottle may be a worthy investment if you cannot limit the amount of heat you apply on your hair.

HARSH PRODUCTS

Applying harsh products on your hair can weaken it and limits its growth. Harsh products damage the hair by stripping oil and moisture from the hair strands.

Harsh ingredients are commonly found in hair dyes and hair relaxers. They include lye and sulfates. If you can, avoid hair products that contain harsh ingredients.